He will now go to prison immediately to serve the five-year term that he was given in March 2014. It will be Mr Anwar's second spell in jail on charges which he has always argued have been politically motivated. Mr Anwar is widely seen as the only man who can break the governing coalition's dominance, correspondents say. "I maintain my innocence. This to me is a fabrication coming from a political conspiracy to stop my political career," Mr Anwar told the court. He told the judges: "You have become partners in crime in the murder of judicial independence," prompting them to get up and walk out of the room, AP news agency reported. Mr Anwar tweeted a statement later in the day, saying he would not be silenced. His daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, herself a politician, told the BBC that the opposition would hold a meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss "the next course of action". She said she hoped her father's jailing would galvanise both the opposition and the electorate. "I hope Malaysians will wake up... the only way to ensure normal... justice takes place is through the ballot box," she told the BBC World Service's Newsday programme. In this most recent case, Mr Anwar was accused of having sex with a male political aide in 2008. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, though very few people are ever prosecuted. He was cleared by a High Court of the charges in 2012 because of a lack of evidence. The government then appealed and his acquittal was overturned. It is Mr Anwar's appeal against this ruling that has now been rejected. The popular politician was previously imprisoned for six years for sodomy and corruption after being ousted as deputy prime minister in 1998. He was freed in 2004 and went on to lead his three-party alliance to unprecedented gains in the 2008 and 2013 elections. In the latter, the ruling Barisan Nasional, which has been in power since 1957, suffered its worst-ever result. Reading the verdict, Judge Arifin Zakat said there was "overwhelming evidence" against Mr Anwar and upheld the conviction. The court subsequently reaffirmed the five-year jail sentence, as a few hundred of Mr Anwar's supporters protested outside. Ahead of the verdict, Mr Anwar, 67, said there was "no reason whatsoever for them to ever consider putting me to jail". "I am innocent," he said. "Now in the event there's a political decision to put me in jail, I understand the system, I've served time in prison... But then this is a price I have to pay." At the scene: Jonathan Head, BBC News, Putrajaya There were tears and hugs for the Malaysian opposition leader from his family after his conviction was confirmed by the Federal Court. He had half expected this verdict, but, at the age of 67, has been dreading it too. For 16 years Anwar Ibrahim has dominated Malaysian opposition politics, and for almost as long he has been fighting the same judicial battle against charges he and most human rights groups have always said were politically-motivated. He

Summary: Malaysia's top court has upheld opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's conviction for sodomy after rejecting his appeal.


Props Samson Lee and Paul James have calf concerns and Aaron Jarvis is also a worry. Head coach Warren Gatland says he may have to call up front-row cover. Allen scored a first-half hat-trick but was taken off in the second with a "significant" hamstring injury. But full-back Liam Williams' thigh injury is not thought to be serious. Flanker Dan Lydiate was also taken off to be assessed for a head injury, but the British and Irish Lions player passed the head injury protocol tests. "It looks like Cory has a significant tear in his hamstring and it looks at this stage like he'll have to be replaced," said Gatland. "He will be scanned tomorrow. Liam will be scanned tomorrow too. "Liam had a knock on the thigh but it's too early to see for next week. We'll have to wait 24 hours to make an assessment." Gatland added tight-head Lee and loose-head James are both struggling with "tight calves", while Jarvis damaged a rib cartilage. "We may have to make a tough decision in terms of the props, because we have to have five props," said Gatland. "At the moment we've only got three that could take the field and we have to have four."

Summary: Wales centre Cory Allen is set to miss the rest of the World Cup after injuring his hamstring in the opening 54-9 win against Uruguay.


The government has moved responsibility for its funding to the BBC, which the Defence Committee said had "entirely predictably" led to cuts. It added that BBC Monitoring was "vital" to diplomacy and business. The BBC said it was "confident" the service would continue to meet the UK government's needs. The government directly funded BBC Monitoring until 2013, when responsibility passed to the BBC under an agreement announced by Chancellor George Osborne in 2010. The cross-party committee said this had left the service exposed, with around 100 jobs set to go under a re-structuring programme. It expressed concern at plans to move Monitoring out of its current Caversham Park headquarters in Berkshire, where it operates alongside US counterpart Open Source Enterprise, because of potential disruption to information-sharing. Currently, Monitoring covers 25% of the globe, while Open Source Enterprise covers the remaining 75%. The committee's report said: "The government uses open-source information for indicators and warnings of areas of instability and potential threats to UK security. "The decisions made concerning the funding and governance of BBC Monitoring over the past decade or so have been woefully short-sighted and catastrophically ill-thought-out. "A service that has the potential to be a vital tool in opening the world to UK diplomacy and business is in grave danger of becoming a hollow shell of its former existence." A BBC spokeswoman said: "The media landscape has changed vastly since the creation of BBC Monitoring in the 1930s and we believe our planned restructure is vital to equip us for a world in which digital skills are far more important than physical location. "We are confident that we will continue to meet the UK government's needs for open-source monitoring and they have told us they are happy with our changes."

Summary: BBC Monitoring, the UK service that translates and analyses global media, is in danger of becoming a "hollow shell", MPs have warned.


In a police interview played in court she said the 16-year-old "knew how to work people". Becky's stepbrother Nathan Matthews, 28, and his girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, deny murder. Earlier the jury visited the house in Bristol where it is alleged the teenager was killed by her stepbrother. The ten women and two men spent 16 minutes inside the house at Crown Hill, in the St George area of the city. They also visited another property where her body was allegedly dismembered, and the garden where her body parts were discovered. In the police interview, recorded before Ms Hoare was arrested, she told detectives Becky had recently "bonded" with her stepbrother who had been helping her to buy a mobile phone. "Nathan had this thing that if he heard her coming down the stairs he would hide behind the door and jump out at her and she jumped every time," she said. The prosecution alleges Becky was killed at the family home in Crown Hill on 19 February. Her body was taken to Mr Matthews' and Ms Hoare's home in Cotton Mill Lane where it was allegedly dismembered. Body parts were later found at an address in Barton Court. Mr Matthews of Hazelbury Drive in Warmley, South Gloucestershire has admitted manslaughter but denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap. He has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, preventing burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon. Ms Hoare of Cotton Mill Lane in Bristol, denies murder, conspiracy to kidnap, perverting the course of justice, preventing burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon. Two other men on trial, Donovan Demetrius, 29, and James Ireland, 23, deny a charge of assisting an offender. Karl Demetrius, 29, and Jaydene Parsons, 23, previously pleaded guilty to assisting an offender after body parts were found in their shed, but both said they were unaware of what the packages contained. The trial at Bristol Crown Court continues.

Summary: The woman accused of murdering Becky Watts told police the teenager was good at manipulating people and was an attention seeker.


The boy's body was recovered from the River Ericht at Cally Bridge, near Blairgowrie, at about 12:35. He had been reported missing from a property in the nearby Milton of Drimmie area at 11:15. Police, firefighters, a water rescue unit and air ambulance were involved in the search. No details on the child's identity have been released. A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Around 11:15am today, police in Perthshire received a report of a two-year-old boy missing from a property in the Milton of Drimmie area, close to Bridge of Cally, in Perthshire. "Officers immediately launched a full search of the area, with assistance from the Police Scotland helicopter and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel. "Around 12:35pm, the child was located in the River Ericht, close to the property. He was removed from the water by fire personnel and treated by paramedics, who had attended the scene with the air ambulance. "Tragically, the boy did not survive. His family are being supported by officers at this time." Deputy first minister John Swinney, who is MSP for Perthshire North, expressed his sympathy for the family. He tweeted: "Heartbreaking news from the River Ericht at Bridge of Cally. My deepest sympathies to everyone involved." Local councillor Liz Grant, who is provost of Perth and Kinross, said: "It will be absolutely devastating for the family and the community. "It is a very small community. Bridge of Cally is a small village. "The River Ericht is fast, the rivers are all fast coming down through that area, particularly at this time of year."

Summary: A two-year-old boy has been found dead in a river after being reported missing in Perthshire.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 22-year-old is new manager Antonio Conte's first signing at Stamford Bridge. The fee was not disclosed by Chelsea but is believed to be £33m (40m euros). The forward, who scored 23 goals for Marseille last season, scored in Belgium's last-16 win over Hungary at Euro 2016 and also came on in their quarter-final exit to Wales. "I am delighted to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe," said Batshuayi. "[My Belgium team-mates] Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have told me many good things about the club, and with Antonio Conte coming in, it's an exciting time to become a Chelsea player." Batshuayi signed for Marseille from Standard Liege in 2014 and made his international debut in March 2015 in a 5-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win against Cyprus. Against Hungary, he scored with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, converting a cross from his new club team-mate Eden Hazard.

Summary: Chelsea have signed Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille on a five-year contract.


Not that long ago, lenders made it easy for people in their early 20s to climb onto the nearest ladder by offering interest-only mortgages. As house prices rose year after year, homes looked like a solid investment. There appeared to be little danger of buyers slipping down to where they started. Then the financial crisis hit, the board became a seething mass of snakes, and the property market did not seem as easy to play after all. So, how has the game changed now, and what is facing those who fell back to having to start all over again? With an interest-only mortgage, householders pay off the interest on the loan but not the capital. At the end of the mortgage term, borrowers are expected to repay the capital. The attraction of interest-only mortgages was obvious to many young first-time buyers. Many were aged in their early 20s, had just started their first job, and were happy to put off any real consideration of how they would pay the loan back, or to rely solely on the rising value of their home. In addition, they were cheaper than the repayment option. But, as they became more and more popular, this type of mortgage was placed more frequently under the microscope of the City regulator - the Financial Services Authority (FSA). In 2006, when 24% of all new mortgages were lent on an interest-only basis, the FSA said most people with interest-only mortgages did not have "robust plans" to repay them "There is nothing wrong with interest-only mortgages," said Clive Briault, of the FSA, six years ago. "However, consumers must be very clear about how they are going to repay the loans they take out." That comment may sound familiar because just a few weeks ago, Martin Wheatley, the managing director of the FSA said almost exactly the same thing. "There is a place for interest-only," he told a mortgage industry conference. "Lenders must ensure these mortgages are taken out by consumers with a concrete repayment plan." The fears may not have changed, but the market for interest-only mortgages certainly has. In the last week or so, RBS, NatWest and the Coventry Building Society have pulled out of the market altogether. They followed a withdrawal in October by the UK's biggest building society, the Nationwide. "Whether this is the ultimate final nail in the coffin remains to be seen, but it does look increasingly like interest only is destined to survive only as a niche product or the preserve of the wealthy through the private banking fraternity," said Andrew Montlake, director at mortgage broker Coreco. The only lender to ease its stance is Santander which, after cutting back sharply on interest-only, is now allowing a mix of interest-only and repayment under a new deal. The FSA would be pleased to see interest-only disappearing for good as a mainstream product, but that is not a view shared by everyone. Source: Moody's Investors Service Jonathan Harris, director of mortgage broker Anderson Harris, said: "Interest-only is increasingly becoming a niche product, the preserve of wealthier borrowers.

Summary: In the game of snakes and property ladders, winning now looks a lot more difficult for young buyers.


From 1 April, there will be a three-year ban on killing fish outside estuary limits and strict controls on numbers in inland waters. The SNP's Joan McAlpine hailed a "reprieve" for haaf netting methods. However, Labour's Elaine Murray called it a "guesswork decision" while Conservative Alex Fergusson criticised the failure to delay the regulations. Concerns had previously been raised about the impact of the controls on the historic tradition of haaf netting on the Solway Firth which dates back to Viking times. Ms McAlpine claimed the regulations recognised the "unique cultural heritage" of the pursuit. She said Scottish government officials would work on a scientific project which would allow some salmon to be caught. "Nobody knows these stocks better than the haaf netters who have been working the Solway for generations," she said. "So they are ideally placed to participate in a project gathering evidence about fish numbers and other conservation material." She said the details of the plans had still to be revealed but she would be pressing for an early meeting with fishermen. Ms Murray said the regulations threatened the future of angling clubs as well as haaf-netting and related tourism. "Haaf netters and anglers across Dumfriesshire will find it extremely difficult to forgive or forget this disastrous order which has been pushed through by the Scottish government," she said. "What makes things worse is that there has been simply no proper scientific evidence given by the government to back up their decision to introduce a blanket ban on salmon taking in our region." She added that despite the offer of "belated scientific studies" there would be no direct compensation to counter the loss of earnings. "The ban will be felt in every part of the region, as fishing tourism will likely fall, something which is absolutely crucial for rural economies like ours," she said. Mr Fergusson tabled a motion to annul the measures but it was voted down. "It is clear that many stakeholders feel that the scientific basis for these measures is seriously unsound and that the measures are being pushed in order to be seen to be 'doing something'," he said. "My motion to annul the measures was simply designed to delay conservation measures being introduced in order to give the Scottish government time to bring forward a more robust scientific basis for them in a way that would ensure the buy-in of all stakeholders - something that is far from universal at present." A Scottish government spokeswoman said it was aware of the "cultural importance" of haaf netting and the "poor conservation status" assessed in the area meant it could continue on a "catch and release" basis. She said Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead had made clear they were looking to widen their science focus to include more specific work on the impact on such "cultural activities". "Marine Scotland is keen to undertake further scientific work on salmon catches that involves the continuation of existing activities to a degree and we are keen to involve the haaf netters in that programme," she added.

Summary: MSPs have given widely differing views of the impact in south west Scotland of new wild salmon stock protection rules.


Resuming on 111-4, Voges moved his overnight score on from 29, occupying 196 deliveries to frustrate Hampshire's attack, led by Kyle Abbott (5-59). As Voges, James Franklin and John Simpson fell to the new ball, it left them on 215-8 and Hampshire in hope of a win, with the lead at just 133. But the Middlesex tail held on and hands were shaken on a draw after tea. Middlesex were the only side to remain unbeaten over the entire 2016 season as they claimed their first title since 1993, but they looked in danger of beginning a new campaign with a loss when they got under way. Without the injured Fidel Edwards, Abbott - who took his total to 16 Division One wickets in two matches - led Hampshire's attack, with Brad Wheal (3-73) also contributing. Voges survived an lbw appeal on 29 before nightwatchman Steven Finn (16) was caught off a Wheal bouncer, but Simpson joined the former Australia Test batsman to stop any Hampshire momentum. However, with the new ball in hand, Abbott gave the hosts a glimmer of hope, having Voges caught behind and Franklin taken in the slips before Gareth Berg snared Simpson (22) for wicket-keeper Lewis McManus' fourth catch. It wasn't to be for Hampshire though as Toby Roland-Jones (25), Ollie Rayner (17 not out) and Tim Murtagh (19 not out) took Middlesex to a lead of 196 and safety at tea. Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams were brought on to bowl, signalling their intentions to agree on a draw, which brought both sides 10 points and moved Hampshire into second place in Division One behind Surrey. Hampshire captain James Vince told BBC Radio Solent: "The way the guys fought back from Middlesex being 220-2 in their first innings to get into a position where we were really close to being able to chase a gettable score on that wicket is an incredible effort from everyone. "The bowlers, having lost Fidel early in the first innings, were outstanding to put in a shift to get us into that position. "We did exactly what we wanted with the new ball and came within one wicket of probably setting up a 150-run chase in 40-odd overs. So it's huge credit to all the boys." Middlesex head coach Richard Scott told BBC Radio London: "We showed the old resilience of last year when we were up against it. "When the new ball came, a couple of quick wickets fell, but Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones and Tim Murtagh were magnificent. "We put ourselves under the pump this game. We dropped some crucial chances - if we'd have taken those chances we'd at least of had parity after the first innings. But that wasn't to be and I thought they played very well."

Summary: Adam Voges scored 92 as Middlesex's lower order kept Hampshire's bowlers at bay to earn a draw for the champions.


During a visit to County Down in June, Theresa May said a Leave vote would end an open north-south border. She also said it was inconceivable to suggest a Leave vote would not have a negative impact on the border. However, she said she wants to see no return to old style border controls. In her first interview as prime minister with a journalist from Northern Ireland, she said she wants to see free movement. As home secretary, Mrs May visited County Down in June and told the BBC: "If we are out of the European Union with tariffs on exporting goods into the EU, there would have to be something to recognise that between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. "And if you pulled out of the EU and came out of free movement, then how could you have a situation where there was an open border with a country that was in the EU and had access to free movement?" But speaking to BBC News NI at Downing Street on Friday, Mrs May said she agreed with the Irish government and Northern Ireland Executive about not seeing a "return to the borders of the past". She would work "closely together" with them to ensure free movement across the border, she added. Mrs May denied that she had changed her view. "What I said was that of course if we leave and there is a land border with a country within the European Union, that does bring a change to that relationship across the border," she said. "All parties are clear about the intent and will to ensure we have an arrangement that isn't a return to the borders of the past." Questioned on how the border would be policed or controlled after Brexit, Mrs May said: "We are discussing with the Irish government at the moment how we can develop these ideas in ways that are going to ensure that we deliver on the intention of all parties." One of Ms May's first acts as prime minister was to visit Belfast, and she has pledged that the Northern Ireland Executive would be fully involved in Brexit discussions. "We are going to make a success of Brexit, there are real opportunities for the United Kingdom," she said. "We need to grasp those opportunities around the world but the devolved administrations will all be - and the government in Belfast will be - involved and fully engaged in the discussions we are having." It is 100 days days since the EU referendum and the result has transformed the political landscape. The issue of Brexit is likely to dominate the Conservative Party conference which begins this weekend. The annual gathering in Birmingham marks Theresa May's first as leader and she will make her keynote address next Wednesday. Although the UK voted to leave the European Union, 56% of people in Northern Ireland voted to remain.

Summary: The prime minister appears to have rowed back on her comments during the EU referendum campaign that there could be Irish border controls if the UK left the EU.


Beerens, 28, netted twice against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday to add to a stunning strike in the previous home game against Bristol City. "I'm happy for myself," the Dutchman told BBC Radio Berkshire. "I know I can score more goals than I have so far, but as a team we're working on picking up more points." Beerens, an August arrival from Hertha Berlin, has missed just the one Championship match for the Royals this campaign and knows maintaining momentum will be key. "I'm happy I'm the one on the scoresheet for now," he added. "But we stick together as a team to get the job done. "We travel to Leeds on Tuesday and that's going to be tough, but we have to keep going and we know if we do that, we can get a good result."

Summary: Winger Roy Beerens says he is thrilled to be weighing in with goals as Reading look to keep hold of their position in the Championship top six.


Experts say tiger numbers are the most reliable indicators of the health of the population. But they also warn that it is more important to monitor individual tiger populations every year to really get a handle on their health. "Once-in-four-years country-wide estimates do not have much practical use. But everyone, including politicians and conservationists, seems to set much in store by these numbers," says Dr K Ulhas Karanth, one of India's top conservation experts. According to the latest tiger census, the tiger population rose from 1,706 in 2011 to 2,226 in 2014. The latest tiger estimation identified 1,540 tigers through images collected from 9,735 camera trap locations in 18 states. "Because of the extensive survey effort and camera trap results, which identified nearly 70% of the estimated tiger number; these figures are the most accurate ever," claims WWF India, one of the country's top conservation organisations. Sure, tiger numbers have definitely increased since 2006 when India upped investments under pressure from global and international conservationists in hiring more guards, protecting reserves and promoting voluntary village relocation. All this helped, say experts, in many parts of India, although over large swathes, tigers have been wiped out or are in low numbers. But many questions remain. What is the state of availability of prey in India's tiger reserves? Every tiger requires a breeding prey population of 500 animals in its territory to ensure a "food bank". Tiger populations thrive on abundant prey - a breeding female tiger produces a litter of three cubs every third year. Mortality rates can be high: Dr Karanth's studies show 20% or more higher mortality rates in a thriving tiger habitat in Nagarhole in southern India. "If we have 600 breeding tigresses in India, we will be adding 600 cubs to the population every year. So we should not be obsessing over individual tiger deaths and focus on population recovery," says Dr Karanth. India has some 200,000 sq km (77,220 sq miles) of tiger habitat. Well-managed habitats with abundant prey can support anything between 5,000 to 10,000 tigers in the long run. "We have a long way to go, but it is doable if we get our act together. This is no time to be complacent," cautions Dr Karanth.

Summary: How good is the news that India has almost a third more tigers than it did four years ago?


The 21-year-old, part of Britain's C1 team event winners on Friday, finished more than two seconds ahead of the Czech Republic's Tereza Fiserova in Tacen, Slovenia on Saturday. "To win two golds this weekend is really exciting," said Woods. It was a second European singles gold medal for Woods after her 2015 success.

Summary: Britain's Kimberley Woods won a second Canoe Slalom European Championships gold medal in two days with victory in the C1 women's canoe singles.


Three weeks on from the violence, the bullet holes that pockmarked the windows of La Bonne Biere are gone and Parisians have returned to its terrace. "It is time for us to gather together again, united, and to go forward in order not to forget," the owners said. The attacks on 13 November left 130 people dead and more than 350 wounded. Close-circuit cameras at La Bonne Biere recorded the moment two gunmen approached the cafe and opened fire at those sitting on the terrace. Piles of flowers and candles still line the pavement where the victims died, but for the first time in three weeks on Friday a handful of customers returned to the tables and chairs outside. A banner above the entrance reads "Je suis en terrasse" - I am on the terrace - a message of defiance popular among Parisians in the wake of the attacks. Manager Audrey Bily thanked supporters and said the cafe would "bounce back". "I would like to thank everyone who has supported us for your poems, your messages and posts that have so helped us," she said. "We are going to start again, to bounce back. We have carried out some work and repainted the walls to wipe away the signs of this nightmare. "The Bonne Biere cafe was a place where people meet and exchanged and shared. That is what we want it to be again today." A handwritten message on a blackboard outside the cafe offered condolences to the victims' families and thanked the emergency services at the scene that night. Paule Zlotnik, a neighboring shopkeeper, praised the cafe's decision to reopen. "It's time they open and that we continue life as it was before," he said. The Casa Nostra restaurant opposite the cafe, which was also hit, remains closed. The four other cafes and restaurants targeted in the attacks as well as the nearby Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people died, are also still closed.

Summary: A Paris cafe where five people were killed during the terror attacks last month reopened its doors on Friday - the first of the targets to do so.


One person was killed and thousands were evacuated as the fire spread fanned by strong winds. Officials said they would bring charges against the owner of an illegal landfill site, where the fire is believed to have started. Last year, a fire severely damaged Valparaiso, a World Heritage site. National Forestry Corporation Director Aaron Cavieres said the fire had been "pretty well contained" and that people who had been evacuated were being allowed to return to their homes. A red alert, the highest there is, remains in effect in case the wind should change and rekindle the fire. More than 500 hectares were burned since the blaze started on Friday. A 66-year-old woman died of a heart attack, thought to have been brought about by the fire. Nineteen firefighters were injured, five of them seriously. The fire was reportedly started at an illegal landfill, where molten metal was dumped. The blaze comes less than a year after 15 people were killed and more than 3,000 homes were destroyed in Valparaiso by another fire.

Summary: Firefighters in Chile say they have managed to control a huge forest fire around the port cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.


The 69-year-old from Brazil was a pillion passenger on a BMW motorbike. Her family have been informed. The ride of bike was seriously injured and was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the crash, at about 17:35 on Wednesday. The occupants of the other vehicle, a Nissan Navara, were uninjured. The road was closed for several hours. Road Policing Sergeant Rob Warnock said: "My thoughts, and that of my officers, are very much with the family and friends of the female who sadly died in this collision. "Several people witnessed this incident and I am acutely aware that they, and others who assisted at the scene, have also been affected by the tragic circumstances. "I would appeal to anyone who may have seen the crash or who may have seen either vehicle shortly beforehand and who hasn't yet spoken with police to do so to help us piece together exactly what happened."

Summary: A woman had died in a crash involving a motorbike and a car on the A939 road near Tomintoul.


Michael Young delivered his letter to Ms Sturgeon in person at Holyrood. His family is campaigning for the NHS to support the use of Translarna, a new drug available in other EU countries. The drug is currently being assessed by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), a process Ms Sturgeon said she could not interfere with. Michael, from Larbert in Stirlingshire, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy - a severe condition causing irreversible muscle damage. Few born with it survive to their 30th birthday. He took part in a clinical trial during the development of Translarna, a drug tackling the underlying causes of the disease which has been approved by the EU. Michael wrote to Ms Sturgeon explaining about his condition and asking for her to "help boys to keep walking". The first minister said she was able to explain to Michael that the assessment procedure had to be "entirely independent of government". She also criticised the pharmaceutical firm which developed the drug, PTC Therapeutics, for taking time to submit its proposal to the SMC. Ms Sturgeon said: "It was an absolute delight to meet Michael today, he's a really impressive and brave young man campaigning not just for himself but for other young boys with Duchenne. "We were disappointed that the pharmaceutical company took so long to put forward a submission on this drug to the Scottish Medicines Consortium and we have previously urged them to put forward a good quality submission with a fair offering of price. "This government has taken a number of significant steps to improve access to new treatments for patients with rare conditions." Robert Meadowcroft, chief executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: "We are delighted that Michael was able to deliver his amazing, heartfelt letter to Nicola Sturgeon in person, an opportunity that doesn't come every day. "The meeting means a great deal to the Youngs, and other families who live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy across Scotland. "It is wonderful that the first minister gave up her time in support of Michael, and we hope their meeting will lead to positive discussions with the Scottish Medicines Consortium about Translarna." The Scottish Medicines Consortium is expected to come to a decision on the use of the drug in March.

Summary: A nine-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy has met with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after he wrote to her campaigning for a new treatment.


A man walking his dog reported seeing the body in the water at about 09:00 BST, Humberside Police said. It was recovered from the water as an area near the pier gates was cordoned off by police. The male body is yet to be identified and the force is appealing for anyone with information to contact them. Withernsea lies about 18 miles east of Hull. The pier out into the North Sea was demolished more than 100 years, ago, but the gates were left standing on the promenade.

Summary: A body was washed up on a beach at Withernsea, East Yorkshire.


It features the Welsh dragon, the English lion, the Scottish unicorn and a stag for Northern Ireland. Rt Rev Gregory Cameron has also been able to incorporate his initials. The final batch of round £1 coins for public circulation were struck at the mint in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taff, in December. A new 12-sided £1 coin, billed by the Royal Mint as the "most secure coin in the world", is to be introduced in 2017. Rt Rev Cameron, an amateur artist and coin collector, said: "I am absolutely delighted and proud that I have designed the very last commemorative round pound coin. "In my design, the four heraldic beasts are equal - each has its quarter of the coin. "There is also some cross-over - parts of each beast cross over into the next. That makes it more dynamic and also symbolic as it shows four separate nations, all an equal part, yet interlinked as they protect Britain's sovereignty, the Crown. "As a Welshman, I put my initials GKC under the dragon." Royal Mint commemorative coins director Anne Jessopp said the commemorative "farewell" pound was all the more special, given it was the last.

Summary: A final commemorative round £1 coin has been struck using a design created by the Bishop of St Asaph following a Royal Mint competition.


5 January 2013 Last updated at 15:10 GMT Gordon Buchanan was sitting in a specially designed polar bear proof box called the 'ice cube' when a female polar bear spotted him. The hungry bear tries to break through the 'ice cube' but the specially designed Perspex plastic is too tough and she eventually gives up. Cameras inside the 'ice cube' captured the dramatic moment for a new series called The Polar Bear Family and Me, which starts on Monday 7 January on BBC Two. Check out the video above to see Gordon coming face to face with the polar bear.

Summary: A wildlife film maker had a close call with a polar bear in the Arctic, after it tried to hunt him.


It includes the Buckskin area of Basingstoke, where more than 80 homes were evacuated in February 2014 after groundwater flooding. Hampshire County Council can now access a Â£2.1m fund a year earlier than originally expected from 2016-17. Schemes for Romsey and Winchester can now access funding immediately rather than having to wait until 2020. Many residents in Buckskin were unable to return to their homes until the following winter after more than 77 million litres of water had to be pumped out. An independent report recommended a review of the area's drainage system and the "setting up [of] a threshold at which point actions should be taken". Hampshire County Council has already started the first phase of a feasibility study to mitigate flooding. The funding is subject to the approval of a business case. Cleansing and repairs to the existing infrastructure in Buckskin has already started while an electricity substation has been moved.

Summary: Central government funding has been brought forward for a number of flood defence schemes across Hampshire.


The Northern Irishman carded a third-round 68 for a 16-under-par total, with American Rickie Fowler his nearest contender on 10 under. McIlroy, 25, won from seven back at the PGA Championship at Wentworth in May. "I know leads can go quickly," he said. "That's why you can't let yourself think about winning." McIlroy was tied with Fowler on 12 under after 13 holes but eagles at the 16th and 18th helped him to the biggest 54-hole advantage at the Open since Tiger Woods led by six at St Andrews in 2000. But McIlroy - whose father Gerry and three friends placed a bet £400 at 500-1 10 years ago that he would win the Open by the time he was 25 - is well aware what the pressure of leading a major tournament can do to a player, having blown a four-shot lead on the final day of the Masters in 2011 and eventually carded an 80. Media playback is not supported on this device "I've been on the right side of it and I've been on the wrong side of it," said the 25-year-old, who has led from the opening day. "You've just got to stay completely in the moment and that's what I'm going to do for all 18 holes tomorrow." Fowler will tee off with his old rival in the final pairing on Sunday, having carded a third-round 68, and has not given up hope of overhauling him. "If I can get off to a good start and put pressure on, there is a lot of golf to be played," said the 25-year-old American, whose rivalry with McIlroy dates back to when they faced each other in the 2007 Walker Cup. "Being alongside Rory is an advantage. We are going to have a good time, so much can happen so quickly." Fowler drew level at one stage on Saturday but stumbled down the back nine before also carding a 68. Sergio Garcia is one shot behind Fowler and level with American Dustin Johnson but the Spaniard also held out hope of landing his first major title. Media playback is not supported on this device "I am a little bit disappointed with the way I played the last two holes," said Garcia, whose third-round 69 would have been better but for a bogey at the 17th and a scratchy par at the par-five 18th. "It is never easy being in the position of leader. Rory is a great player but you never know, anything can happen. "But you can't just attack everything because you are not going to hit good shots. You have to attack where you feel comfortable attacking." Meanwhile, world number one Adam Scott has not ruled out the possibility of somebody setting a record score for a major championship on the final day. The Australian carded a third-round 69 to finish 10 shots behind McIlroy but believes a score of 62 is achievable, if Sunday delivers good weather. "If we have similar conditions to today, there are low scores out there," said former Masters champion Scott. "If

Summary: Rory McIlroy is taking nothing for granted despite carrying a six-shot lead into the final round of the Open at Royal Liverpool.


Increased government spending will be responsible for one-third of the increase in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016-2017, latest government figures show. What this essentially means is that the government will primarily drive economic growth in the current financial year. This is likely to continue in 2017-2018 as well. The annual budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday seems to suggest as much. The government has allocated 480bn rupees ($7.1bn; Â£5.6bn) to a scheme which guarantees every rural household 100 days of work each year. This is the highest allocation ever made to the programme. The increased spending on the programme is intended to alleviate the negative impact of the government decision to ban high value notes in rural and semi-rural areas of India. A majority of transactions in these areas happen in cash, which has been in short supply since the rupee ban in November last year. The jobs guarantee programme is also intended to alleviate the impact of the rupee ban on the informal manufacturing sector which operates in cash and tends to employ many semi-skilled and unskilled people who migrate to cities from rural India. The government has also increased the allocation to an affordable housing scheme by more than 50% to 230bn rupees which is also expected to create some employment in rural India. Close to half of India's population is engaged in agriculture which contributes only around 18% of GDP. The allocation to 29 schemes sponsored by the central government has gone up by 21.6% and the allocation to the infrastructure sector has gone up by 13.5%. Over and above this, the government has increased the lending target to a scheme that gives loans at low interest rates to micro-finance institutions and non-banking finance institutions. These in turn lend money to micro and small business entities engaged in manufacturing, trading and services activities. Rural spending promise in India budget India admits rupee ban bad for economy To cut a long story short, the Modi government is trying to spend its way out of trouble, but it is not going overboard with it. A part of this pump-priming became necessary because of the government's rupee ban self-goal, which is expected to pull down economic growth in 2016-2017. The Economic Survey for 2016-2017 released on Tuesday, projected GDP growth at between 6.5-6.75% in 2016-2017, down from 7.9% in 2015-2016. The question is what economic growth could have been without the rupee ban. When pushed in to a corner, most governments try to spend their way out of trouble. Nevertheless, government spending is not always as effective as private spending. In the Indian case, a major reason is massive leakage. This means that a large portion of government spending does not reach those it is meant for and is instead, siphoned off by the bureaucracy expected to distribute it. One way to tackle this is for the government to concentrate on running a few important schemes on which it can spend the bulk of its money and focus its time and attention on. The Economic Survey

Summary: India's government is trying to spend its way out of the trouble caused by last year's decision to ban high value notes in a crackdown on corruption, writes columnist Vivek Kaul.


Popular attraction Waterhead, on the northern shore of Windermere, is home to a ferry pier, hotels and cafes. South Lakeland Council has agreed proposals to spruce up the area including new seating and an information board to identify key local landscapes. Plans also include widening part of the promenade and new bicycle stands. Lake District National Park planners will have the final say on the development, which if approved, work could start on later this year.

Summary: Plans to give a Lake District promenade a £250,000 makeover have moved a step closer.


The shower takes place every year, when the Earth moves into the path of debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet. The shower reached its peak in the early hours of Thursday morning, between 1.00am and 4.00am, when as many as 100 meteors were expected to be seen every hour. Astronomers expected extra-dark skies which created perfect stargazing conditions. Have you already caught a glimpse of the shooting stars? Or are you planning on seeing it later? YOUR COMMENTS: "I lay outside on our chairs facing the sky. It was very clear as we were in Manchester and we saw about 10 bright, fast meteors. We saw them with the naked eye as they were only visible for around one second!" Benj, Manchester, England "I stayed up to watch the meteors. I saw a few. When I saw one I got very over excited and had to be told to be quiet so I didn't disturb the neighbours." Alfie, Salisbury, England "I really enjoyed the meteor shower and I loved all the bright sparks." Michael, Hereford, England "I tried to stay up but I fell asleep accidentally! I watched Newsround this morning though and it was so cool." Francine, London, England "I normally see it on holiday where there is no light pollution. I live near a busy road so there might be a lot of light pollution." Sarah, Manchester, England Thank you for your comments, this chat is now closed.

Summary: The Perseid Meteor shower is lighting up the night skies and many kids across the UK are staying up late to enjoy it.


The same stream of commuters rushing through the barriers; the same frustrations at delays on the tube. But this morning a small group of people quietly gathered at the 7/7 memorial plaque. A station announcement told people there would be a minute's silence. At exactly 08:50 BST, the moment the blasts went off, commuters across the concourse stopped where they were, and there was a hush. Tube workers stood together, heads bowed. Survivors comforted each other and shared a moment of quiet reflection on what they had experienced exactly a decade ago. Twenty-six people were killed on a Piccadilly Line train after it left the station, the worst toll of the attacks. This wasn't the official national silence - that would come later at 11:30. But at the affected stations - King's Cross, Russell Square, Edgware Road and Aldgate - there was an added poignancy for those about to board trains. Among those at King's Cross was city worker Emly Skiba, on her way to Canary Wharf, who found herself moved to tears at the tribute. "I hadn't planned to be here, I just happened to be passing. But it suddenly struck - so many people died," she said. As people began to disperse, a young woman emerged from the crowd and laid a handful of handpicked flowers, before moving silently on. Brightly coloured flowers were heaped high at the spot in Tavistock Square where the final bomb exploded on a packed number 30 bus, almost exactly an hour later. At 09.47 BST, the time of the blast, a tight huddle of people gathered on the pavement, spilling out into the road. Doctors from the nearby British Medical Association - who were the first on the scene that day - returned to remember the 14 people they were not able to save. The parents of one of the victims, Anthony Fatayi-Williams, whispered a prayer. Across the road, a bus driver pulled up and quietly watched from his cab. On the Tube, the mood among passengers was solemn but defiant. Jan Nova, an Estonian fashion designer living in London, was reading coverage of the 7/7 anniversary in the Metro on his Circle Line commute to work. "Of course sometimes when you get the Tube, you think about it," he said. "But none of us can know when and where something might happen, and so you have to carry on." Other Londoners showed their solidarity this morning by taking part in the "walk together" initiative, getting off their Tube or bus a stop early and walking in memory of 7/7. It was an echo of that day, when thousands stranded by the crippled transport network walked home. Among this morning's trekkers was 35-year-old Lins Drabwell, who chose to walk the whole 8.4 miles (13.5km) from her home in Bromley to her office in London Bridge. She said doing the "walk together" on the 10th anniversary was "an easy decision". "I remember 7/7 so clearly. Our office was near Edgware Road. We could see the station from our office window, and the emergency services going

Summary: At first glance it was a rush hour like any other at King's Cross station.


The Space Vision app gets children to tap increasing faint black and white squares on a grey background to make aliens pop up and make a noise. Their ability to keep track of the squares can be used to screen for vision problems and developers hope it will ease the burden on the NHS. The co-founder of Vision Games, said it was an "exciting prospect". Luke Anderson started the company with Dr Stephanie Campbell with support from the Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Emerging Technologies at the University of South Wales. Early tests picked up vision problems, such as lazy eye, in children as young as two. Mr Anderson said: "We're living in a time where there's increased pressure on the health service and if you can get patients monitoring their own vision at home that takes stress off hospital systems." The app, once publically available, would initially flag up any vision problems it identified to the user and advise them if they needed to make an appointment with a GP or optician. In the long-run, Mr Anderson said the data could be synced with family GPs so doctors could access the information to make an assessment. Mr Anderson, a consultant eye surgeon at Cwm Taf University Health Board, said the idea came from the "extremely difficult" experience of trying to assess children's eyesight using charts. They often struggled to get young children to sit still, so developing a game children would take an interest in helps them gather more data. Areas of vision tested include colour, motion, black on white and differentiating between shades of grey. The app is about to undergo larger clinical tests after a small initial run, but Mr Anderson said if everything went to plan, it could be downloadable within 18 months. Mr Anderson said getting children to sit still "was still a problem," adding: "But, looking at my children, the time when they're quiet is when they're sitting there on a tablet or a phone. "So we just naturally took the science and tried to implement it on that platform. The use of technology for efficiency within the NHS is an exciting prospect."

Summary: A game for tablets is being developed in Wales which parents can use to test their children's eyesight at home.


The incident happened at about 16:30 BST on Tuesday at a junction in the Moseley area of the city. It was initially reported to police as a serious road collision but enquiries led the West Midlands force to believe the victim, 35, was deliberately targeted and "left for dead". A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. See more stories from Birmingham and the Black Country here Police say the Washwood Heath resident has been released "under investigation" while enquiries continue. The injured man has undergone surgery for a serious head injury and his condition is described by police as critical.

Summary: A man was left critically injured after being intentionally driven at in a Birmingham street, police say.


Austin Okwor is reported to be part of a team investigating corruption within the judiciary. He is being treated in hospital for his wounds. The attack happened in Port Harcourt on Saturday night, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said. Last year several judges were arrested on suspicion of corruption in a nationwide sting operation. President Muhammadu Buhari has prioritised the fight against corruption but critics say his administration has targeted only his political rivals. Mr Okwor was surrounded by a gang who opened fire on him, Nigeria Bulletin reports. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said Mr Okwor had received threatening text messages in recent months. "This incident underlines the hazards which operatives of the commission are daily exposed to in the discharge of their duties," Mr Uwujaren said in a statement. In April President Buhari's office ordered an investigation after the head of the national intelligence agency was suspended over corruption allegations. The president acted after anti-corruption officers found more than $43m (Â£34m) in a flat in the main city, Lagos.

Summary: A leading anti-corruption investigator in Nigeria has survived being shot multiple times, officials say.


They will also face Montpellier, now coached by former Scotland team boss Vern Cotter, and Leinster, who were second in the Pro12 table last season. Montpellier finished third in the French Top 14. The first pool match will be on either 12/13/14/15 October, with the final on Saturday 12 May in Bilbao. Glasgow reached the quarter-finals for the first time last season after home and away victories over both two-time European champions Leicester and French giants Racing 92 in the pool stages. The Warriors finished runners-up to group winners Munster, and were beaten by eventual champions Saracens in the last eight. Glasgow beat Montpellier home (21-10) and away (15-13) when they met in the pool stages of the 2014-15 Champions Cup, and also overcame Exeter twice in their group the previous season, winning 20-14 at home and 15-10 at Sandy Park. Leinster are familiar foes in the Pro12, with Warriors beating the Irish province 33-25 at home last season, before losing 31-30 at the RDS in Dublin in late April. The last time they met in Europe in 2011-12, Leinster prevailed home and away to finish top of the group on route to their third European title in four seasons. Glasgow were distant runners-up, having also beaten Montpellier at home and drawn away in the same campaign. Glasgow's new forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, who worked alongside Cotter with Scotland before moving to the Warriors this summer, said he had a sense of inevitability about the draw. "We talked to Vern about this a fair bit during the Six Nations - we were convinced it was going to happen!" he told the Warriors website. "We've worked together for a long time, so we know what the strengths and the style of play of Montpellier will be, although we said we would double-bluff each other. "It's a really exciting group and we're looking forward to it. Leinster, Exeter and Montpellier all want to play a good brand of rugby."

Summary: Glasgow Warriors have been drawn against English Premiership champions Exeter Chiefs in their four-strong European Champions Cup pool.


Members of the Aslef union have backed three days of action next week in a dispute over driver-only operated trains. But Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which has claimed all Southern services could be halted, have argued the strike would breach customers' rights. A separate Southern network strike by RMT members has entered its second day. Southern has said the hearing, which started earlier, will continue into Thursday with a judgement expected at 14:00 GMT. Aslef members have also launched an indefinite ban on overtime which, coupled with the RMT action over changes to the role of conductors, led to about half of Southern's services being cancelled on Tuesday. The long-running RMT dispute, which has seen several strikes throughout 2016, is set to continue in the run-up to Christmas. Southern refund: What you need to know Southern commuters' tales of 'hell' Your questions answered Maria Caulfield, the Conservative MP for Lewes, has warned of the impact a strike by Aslef drivers would have in Sussex. She said: "Southern has said if the Aslef strike goes ahead next Tuesday, they won't provide any trains whatsoever." She said Gatwick Express and Thameslink services would be unaffected, but in areas only served by Southern there would be no trains. The latest strike began on Tuesday and is due to finish at 23:59 GMT on Thursday. A spokesman for Southern said the company had "led the way" in trying to resolve the dispute but claimed the RMT would not move on the "fundamental issue" of helping Southern "modernise" its train service. Gary Hassell, from the RMT, said: "We are definitely prepared to talk, as far as I'm aware Southern haven't spoken to us for months. "But we won't be stopping the strike because we've got a mandate from our members." 00:01 Tuesday 6 December to 23:59 Thursday 8 December (RMT) 00:01: Tuesday 13 December to 23:59 Wednesday 14 December (Aslef) 00:01 Friday 16 December to 23:59: Friday 16 December (Aslef) 00:01 Monday 19 December to 23:59 Tuesday 20 December (RMT) 00:01 Saturday 31 December to 23:59 Monday 2 January (RMT) 00:01 Monday 9 January to 23:59: Saturday 14 January (Aslef)

Summary: The parent company of Southern rail has gone to the High Court in an attempt to stop a drivers' strike.


Dayow Mohamed Hassan, 44, was buried neck-deep and pelted to death with stones by al-Shabab fighters. He was convicted of being in an adulterous relationship with a woman and impregnating her, despite having two wives, an official said. Al-Shabab occasionally passes such sentences for sexual offences in areas it controls in Somalia. In 2014, a teenage boy was stoned to death after being convicted of raping a woman. In 2008, a young girl was killed in a similar manner after being convicted of adultery. In the latest case, a woman filed a complaint of rape against Hassan, but the court tried him for adultery as it is easier to prove, says BBC Somali's Mohamed Mohamed. Hundreds of people watched him being stoned death in Ramo Adey village in the south-central Bay region, said Moalim Geedow, the al-Shabab governor for the area. "The man had a third woman who was a divorcee... He deceived her, saying that he went to a sheikh [religious leader] and that he married her," Mr Geedow told Reuters news agency. "However, when the woman got pregnant, the two families debated and there was no trace of valid matrimony. The court ruled he did not marry her legally and he was stoned to death." Al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow the weak UN-backed government in Somalia and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law. It has lost control of many towns and cities to a 22,000-strong African Union force supporting the government. But the group, linked to al-Qaeda, still has a strong presence in many rural areas.

Summary: Somali militants have stoned a man to death after an Islamic court convicted him of adultery.


Police were called to the gorge, near Blair Atholl, at about 17:50. Officers have been joined by the fire service, ambulance crews, a helimed and the local mountain rescue team for the search. A spokesman for Police Scotland said: "There is currently no sign of the individual who is missing."

Summary: Emergency services are carrying out a search after a person went missing in the Falls of Bruar in Perthshire.


The 35-year-old man, who has not been named, was walking on Coopers Green Road in Uckfield at about 01:00 GMT on Saturday. A vehicle believed to have been involved was later traced by police to a nearby address. A 26-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has been released on bail until 28 February.

Summary: A pedestrian has been struck and killed by a car in Sussex.


Police said four men, aged 72, 58, 56 and 55, were being held in the probe into financial irregularities at LCC. Liverpool City Council's chief executive Ged Fitzgerald and leader of the Tories at LCC Geoff Driver are among those arrested. The probe is into a council contract. Lancashire Police said the arrests at addresses in Preston and Merseyside were made on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and witness intimidation, but not on suspicion of fraud. The investigation, which was launched in 2013, relates to allegations of financial irregularities over the tendering of a Â£5m contract with One Connect Ltd, a joint venture between the council and BT to run some services. The deal included running the council's fleet of vehicles which was agreed by LCC's Conservative administration, which was then led by Mr Driver. The contract was revoked later that year by the new Labour administration. The Conservatives regained control of LCC in the elections earlier this month, and Mr Driver, 72, is expected to be named as leader of the council at a meeting on Thursday. Mr Fitzgerald was the chief executive at LCC before he left to take up the same post at Liverpool City Council. In January Lancashire's police and crime and commissioner Clive Grunshaw said the investigation into the allegations had cost Â£2m and 22 police officers were working on it. LCC said it was not making any comment although it was aware of the police statement. A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: "We do not comment on personnel matters relating to individual employees."

Summary: A council chief and the leader of the Conservatives on Lancashire County Council (LCC) have been arrested as part of a long-running fraud investigation, the BBC understands.


The Pilgrims, second in League Two, will return to England on Thursday. "We're going there to train for three days in preparation for the remaining games of the season," Argyle manager Derek Adams told BBC Radio Devon. "I've done it before as a manager. It's about getting us focused with 18 games to go, and allowing us to train in hot weather and a very good area." Adams added to his squad during the January transfer window, and believes the trip will help integrate his new players. Jakub Sokolik, Nathan Blissett, Antoni Sarcevic, Ryan Taylor and Matthew Kennedy were brought in as Argyle look to strengthen their promotion challenge. "It's been in the planning for a while and we've been able to factor it in," said Adams. "We've got new players in and it's about trying to get them to know what the other players are about, and also to get my ideas across to them." Sarcevic, signed from Shrewsbury during the final days of the window, added: "It's nice to get away from everything and get a good few days in Spain. But it will be hard work."

Summary: Plymouth Argyle are preparing for Saturday's derby against Exeter with some warm-weather training in Spain.


Keith Towler has backed a decision to make the council answerable to a board under Welsh government control. It follows a controversy after claims that children were locked in the rooms. Mr Towler said he had already been given a "cast-iron guarantee" the rooms were now out of use. Education Minister Leighton Andrews announced that the council must answer to the Pembrokeshire Ministerial Board after he said he had "little confidence" in certain senior council officers. The issue of how Pembrokeshire safeguards some children has led to a major row with the Welsh government. A complaint was made in June 2009 about children being locked in the room, which had no natural light or ventilation, at the pupil referral unit in Neyland. Mr Towler told BBC Radio Wales that the "time-out" room at Neyland was "no longer being used nor any room like that". "I've had an absolute cast-iron assurance that the room will never be used again. "The door has been taken off and it's not being used. "Families need to know that it's unacceptable and that the situation will never happen again in Pembrokeshire," he added. He added that he had met Pembrokeshire council and he felt that "some progress" had already been made, but the intervention by the education minister was important. "(Answering to the special board) is a necessary step by Leighton Andrews," said Mr Towler. "The position I've taken is we've got to make sure all the procedures are as safe and as robust as they can possibly be for children and the Welsh government and the council working together will help to achieve that." On the improvements he had seen Mr Towler said: "The council is working to make sure that everybody understands what listening to children really means in a safeguarding sense". He added that "internal matters" resulting from when allegations of abuse were made had still to resolved, and he would not comment on those at the moment. "It's clear the right things are happening and I've met with one of the families involved in the (pupil referral unit) in Neyland to try to get a feel of how local people are feeling." Mr Towler said there would be no summer leave for people working to put things right at the council. "Parents need to be reassured things are being done on the right level," he said. Last September, ministers sent a panel of experts called the Pembrokeshire Ministerial Board into the council, after issuing the local authority with a final warning. Mr Andrews said on Monday what the board and a range of inspectors have since told him "do little to allay our concerns". Council leader Jamie Adams said the local authority was "making good progress" on the issue. "We remain committed to doing everything that can reasonably be expected to keep children in Pembrokeshire safe."

Summary: The children's commissioner for Wales says families need to know pupils will never again be put in padded "time-out" rooms after a row in Pembrokeshire.


The 27-year-old Kenyan hit the front with about 300m to go after compatriot Alfred Kipketer sprinted clear on the first lap of the race. Rudisha finished in one minute 42.15 seconds, ahead of Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi and fast-finishing American Clayton Murphy. "I am so excited," said Rudisha. "It is the greatest moment of my career." Makhloufi ran a new national record of one minute 42.61 seconds and Murphy clocked a personal best of one minute 42.93 seconds in a bizarre race. Kipketer set out fast, going through the first 200m in just 23 seconds. But the 19-year-old, who had beaten Rudisha in the Kenyan national trials, faded to finish seventh in Rio. "Running 1:42, it's just fantastic," added Rudisha. "I had no doubts before. The feeling in my body was good. It is great to win such a big competition." BBC Sport's chief sports writer Tom Fordyce in Rio: "He is the greatest 800m runner of all time and he may also be the nicest man in his sport. Rudisha may not be at the same holy level as that unforgettable night in London, but he remains both a joy to watch and an unstoppable force. "After the injuries he suffered after 2012 - missing the worlds in 2013, requiring a serious knee operation less than two years ago - this victory was never preordained. He just makes it look that way."

Summary: David Rudisha became the first athlete since New Zealand's Peter Snell in 1964 to retain the men's 800m Olympic title.


Lee's film revisits Michael Jackson's life story in Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, while Herzog has made a documentary about online culture. Festival organisers announced the dramatic and documentary premieres days after revealing the competition titles. Kristen Stewart, Anna Kendrick and Danny DeVito are among the actors in the festival's line-up. The festival kicks off on 21 January in Park City, Utah. Stewart appears in Certain Women, alongside Laura Dern and Michelle Williams, who also stars in Manchester by the Sea with Casey Affleck. Kendrick stars in The Hollars, about an aspiring New York City artist who returns to his Middle America hometown on the eve of his mother's brain surgery, while DeVito appears in the whimsical Wiener-Dog, about a dachshund who appears to be spreading comfort and joy. Festival director John Cooper said: "We have seen an increase in younger audiences in recent years, showing that the next generation of independent film fans is culturally adventurous, and drawn to the diverse line-up we offer each year." Trevor Groth, director of programming added that their selection of films revealed "that what resides at the core of captivating stories are fascinating, and at times heroic, characters". He added: "In shining light on these people, independent filmmakers are doing what they've always done best: connecting the dots of human existence with a deeply charged emotional current."

Summary: Films by Spike Lee and Werner Herzog will be among those premiering at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.


Ramute Butkiene's remains were discovered after an unpleasant smell was reported coming from a room rented by boyfriend Vytautas Jokubauskas. Jokubauskas, 57, of Mayor's Walk, Peterborough, was found guilty of her murder by a Southwark Crown Court jury. Judge Nicholas Loraine Smith sentenced him to a minimum of 20 years in prison. Jokubauskas, who had denied murder but admitted manslaughter, also pleaded guilty to preventing the burial of a corpse at an earlier hearing. The torso of Ms Butkiene, 42, was found in the locked room on 5 June this year. Jokubauskas had strangled Ms Butkiene with the cord from her dressing gown around a week ealier, the court heard, after accusing her of seeing another man. He then dismembered her body before watching war films and drinking whisky with her torso stuffed into a suitcase next to him. Jokubauskas buried her arms and legs in nearby wooded areas and disposed of her head before going on the run, jurors were told. He was tracked down and arrested on 7 June, just a few streets away from where he had left his girlfriend's body. During interview, he told police "I am a killer" and said he had strangled his girlfriend "just a little" to scare her. Speaking after the sentence, Det Insp Pushpa Guild said: "This was a gruesome crime against an innocent woman, all because of a moment of jealousy. "In a moment of rage, Jokubauskas killed Ramute and then butchered her in an attempt to cover his tracks."

Summary: A "jealous" man who murdered his partner before dismembering her and stuffing her torso into a suitcase has been jailed for life.


The 26-year-old finished a career-best second in his Ford Fiesta in the French round in October, his second podium of the season. Evans is seventh in the Championship standings but his future is unclear. "We will see what comes and will look with what happens next year afterwards," he said. "There has been a lot of chat about it [my future], but really to be honest nothing has changed. "At the beginning of the year I wasn't in a position with a contract for next year anyway. "There has been a lot of speculation, I don't see how one rally can change everything, but for sure we want to do our best for myself and the team and it's the team's home event." M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson has yet to make a decision on his drivers for next year, with Evans' current deal expiring at the end of 2015. Media playback is not supported on this device But Wilson admitted that a good result in the Wales Rally GB will help the Welshhman when the team hold contract talks at the end of the World Rally Championship. "I am not making a decision on drivers until after this event but in real terms if he has a great result here then that will help, but ultimately that's not going to be the final decision," said Wilson. "There is a lot of other stuff going on that is related to the whole business, and that is why I have not been making a decision, but it's not to say I am not going to have Elfyn in the team next year,. "But we have got so much other stuff going on behind the scenes and the programme being extended to extra events - it is how we work out the resources." Dogellau-born Evans, alongside co-driver Daniel Barritt, took part in the ceremonial start in Llandudno on Thursday evening ahead of Friday's first stage. The son of former British Rally champion Gwyndaf Evans is in his second WRC season and was fifth in last year's Wales Rally GB. "It's been a bit of a mixed and difficult year for us but there's plenty of positives to draw from it as well," Evans added. "We're hoping for the chance to come back and build on that next year. "In terms of competitiveness and stage times we've come leaps and bounds but maybe the results don't quite reflect that for various reasons." Evans is back in Wales for the final round of the World Rally Championships, which Frenchman Sebastien Ogier won for a third year running in September. Ogier has tipped Evans and Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke to do well at Wales Rally GB, which starts in the forests of mid-Wales on Friday. "It's always been a special event," Evans said. "You can still enjoy it at the same time and it's a pretty strange feeling rallying at home after spending 12 rallies away all over the world. "It feels good coming back to familiar stages and familiar conditions. We're sure to enjoy this weekend."

Summary: World Rally Championship driver Elfyn Evans will fight for a podium at Wales Rally GB and potentially for his future with his M-Sport team.


He was speaking in the first leaders' debate of the Irish general election. He was responding to Fianna Fáil's Micheál Martin who said he would not form a coalition with Sinn Féin as he does not trust them on security. He said: "Politicians here could learn a lesson from the unionists, who have more reason to distrust Sinn Féin." Mr Adams referred to past and present leaders of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who have led a power-sharing government with Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland since 2007. "Ian Paisley can go into government with Martin McGuinness, and Peter Robinson can go into government, and Arlene Foster can go into government with Martin McGuinness," Mr Adams said. The Sinn Féin leader was challenged by one of the debate moderators, Pat Kenny, that the D'Hondt system forces the parties in Northern Ireland together. The D'Hondt system is a type of proportional representation used to allocate seats and ministerial posts. Mr Adams said it was the citizens of Northern Ireland make the decisions about who goes into government by them giving a mandate. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was asked whether the bookmakers' predicted outcome, a Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil coalition, was the most likely outcome. He replied that voters have a choice between "the party that wrecked the country, or two parties with different perspectives who have worked together to set the country on the path to recovery". He said Fine Gael/Labour will provide stability. When the debate moved to the Irish economy, Labour leader Joan Burton accused Sinn Féin of "fuzzy economics" which would kill jobs. The Irish deputy prime minister said she is mystified by Sinn Féin's plans to cut the Universal Social Charge (USC), claiming it would reduce tax only for people earning less than €20,000 (£15,515). USC is a tax that was introduced in December 2010 as a temporary measure by the late finance minister, Brian Lenihan. It was applicable to all gross incomes over €4,004 (£3,106) Still on the issue of taxation, Mr Kenny said Sinn Féin would impose a 65% marginal tax rate and "wreck the economy". Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin claimed Fine Gael would bring in US-style tax rates and run down public services. Ms Burton said low and middle income families need to "see the back of the USC", which Fianna Fáil brought in. Analysis - Colletta Smith Amidst the shouts and accusations in the first leaders debate of this Irish election, the Sinn Féin leader gave some high praise to an unlikely party. Mr Adam's praise for the leadership of the DUP comes days after Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster told the BBC's Spotlight programme of the personal difficulty she found in working with Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Mr McGuinness spoke at the funeral of the man that Mrs Foster believes tried to kill her father. She concluded her comments by saying that she would work with the deputy first minister because "the past is the past". Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has been keen to distance his party from the possibility of a

Summary: Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has told his political rivals in the Republic of Ireland they could "learn a lesson" from unionists in Northern Ireland.


Steven Knowles' tweets were described by a hearing as "threatening" and "extremely offensive". The Health and Care Professions Council heard in December 2014 and January 2015 he also called Mr Hunt a murderer and wished health problems on his family. Mr Knowles said the issue had meant he could not find work in the NHS. The panel heard Mr Knowles sent six messages while working as a operating department practitioner at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, Nottinghamshire. Before the decision Mr Knowles told the panel he had devoted 30 years to his job and wanted to go back to providing a valuable service. But the panel criticised his behaviour, finding he "lacked a full appreciation of the wider impact of these threatening tweets on his intended target, his colleagues and members of the public, or the wider effect of such misconduct on public confidence in the profession". Mr Knowles said he would not appeal against the decision.

Summary: An NHS employee who tweeted "I would gladly blow your brains out" to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been suspended for 13 months.


James Tarrant, 66, from Essex, walked into a police station in Breda in the Netherlands on Saturday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. He fled the UK after being arrested in 2009 when drugs, a gun and cash were found at a house in Waltham Abbey. He was jailed for 15 years in his absence. Extradition proceedings have begun to bring him back to the UK. The Metropolitan Police first detained Tarrant after finding cannabis blocks, two kilos of cocaine, a handgun, ammunition, body armour and approximately Â£5,000 at a property in Essex. But he disappeared while on conditional bail. Tarrant was one of eight "most-wanted" British criminals thought to be hiding in the Netherlands, and was featured on BBC programme Crimestoppers in December. Dave Allen, head of the NCA's international crime bureau, said: "These fugitives really do have nowhere to hide and I would urge any of the remaining individuals to save yourself the trouble and hand yourself in." Tarrant was arrested as part of Operation Return, a joint NCA, Crimestoppers, Bel M (Dutch Crimestoppers) and Netherlands law enforcement scheme to locate UK fugitives believed to be hiding out in and around Amsterdam.

Summary: A convicted drugs trafficker who has been on the run for five years has handed himself into Dutch police.


Nearly 600,000 migrants have reached the EU by sea so far this year, many of them travelling from Turkey to Greece before seeking to head north. Turkey made a number of demands in exchange for helping to stem the flow. In a press conference in Brussels, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said he felt "cautious optimism" over the deal. Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse reported that an Afghan man was shot dead while trying to enter Bulgaria from Turkey late on Thursday. He was part of a "large group" of migrants trying to enter Bulgaria, AFP reported, quoting the interior ministry. In the Brussels summit, European officials agreed to: Turkey had also asked for â‚¬3bn (Â£2.2bn, $3.4bn) in aid, something German Chancellor Angela Merkel said EU states were considering. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said talks over the sum to be given to Ankara would continue with Turkish officials over the coming days. Mrs Merkel will travel to Turkey at the weekend. "There is still a huge amount to do," Mrs Merkel said. "But you cannot say that we've achieved nothing." EU sources had said several countries were cautious about rushing into an agreement with Turkey too quickly. Among them were Greece, Cyprus and France. BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris says most EU leaders are convinced that efforts to contain the migration crisis will not succeed without closer co-operation with the Turkish government. The BBC's Matthew Price is sending social media broadcasts from Calais on the EU migration crisis. You can follow his reports here. The pull of Europe: Five migrant stories Merkel under pressure: Chancellor's migrant policy faces criticism at home Focus on Turkey: Why the EU views Syria's northern neighbour as key Crisis in graphics: Migration numbers explained Earlier on Thursday, Mrs Merkel said all EU countries must be prepared to send security staff to the bloc's external borders. She said it would be unfair to ask EU countries seeing the majority of initial migrant entries to secure borders as well. "It's quite obvious that only a few countries today take the majority of refugees and if these countries now are asked to secure the external borders on top of that, I don't think it would be what we could call a fair distribution of effort," Mrs Merkel said. She described the current situation as "very disorderly". In other developments: 593,432 migrants have arrived by sea in 2015, says IOM 3,103 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean 76% arrived in Greece via the eastern route 70.1% of arrivals in Greece were from Syria 10,043 migrants arriving in Italy were unaccompanied children 710,000 migrants have crossed EU borders this year, according to Frontex figures Turkey is hosting some two million migrants, most of them fleeing the war in neighbouring Syria. Turkey has also called for the establishment of an international "safe zone" for refugees inside northern Syria - but Mr Tusk said Russia's involvement in Syria made the idea more difficult. Also in Brussels, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron said he would present four

Summary: EU states have struck an action plan for Turkey that it is hoped will ease the flow of migrants to Europe.


The gulf in class between the teams was evident as Bernard Brogan's goal helped the Dubs lead 1-13 to 0-6 by half-time. Dublin led by 13 when Fermanagh scored a dubious goal as Sean Quigley pushed Stephen Cluxton over his own goal-line. Paul Flynn quickly netted for Dublin although Tomas Corrigan hit a late second Erne goal after a mix-up. Corrigan's goal came in injury-time as Cluxton and a Dublin defender left the ball to each other after a Fermanagh shot had been blocked which allowed Corrigan to nip in and slam into the empty net. Media playback is not supported on this device The three late goals lifted the atmosphere at Croke Park with Dublin fans annoyed by Quigley's controversial goal and Fermanagh's supporters delighted by the spirit shown by their team. Peter McGrath, rightly, praised his team's refusal to submit to the heavy defeat that looked likely for the majority of the contest. But while Dublin Jim Gavin will note his team's late sloppiness, the job in hand of qualifying for a semi-final meeting with either Mayo or Donegal on 30 August had been achieved. Some bookmakers had rated the Dubs as 1-200 to win Sunday's contest and pundits had suggested that a Fermanagh victory would have represented the biggest shock in GAA history. In the event, Fermanagh had 59% of the possession in the first half but were still decidedly second best as Dublin's pace, movement and shooting, had them chasing shadows for the most part. Quigley's first score cancelled out late Dublin inclusion Paddy Andrews's opening point but two Ciaran Kilkenny efforts helped the Leinster champions lead 0-4 to 0-1 before Brogan netted a glorious opening goal. Brogan was given far too much space by marker Niall Cassidy as he was picked out by a glorious long ball from Jack McCaffrey before coolly slotting past Thomas Treacy. Fermanagh did fire eight first-half wides but several of the shots were speculative whereas the Dubs were able to work the ball into genuine scoring positions seemingly at will. Barry Mulrone did show his colleagues how to hit the target as he struck a couple of fine efforts from play. However, Dublin's slick play was emphasised by their 1-13 first-half total all coming from play as Brogan hit 1-4 and Dean Rock and the impressive Diarmuid Connolly both contributing 0-2. It was largely more of the same in the third quarter with free-taker Rock, Brogan and Andrews all on target on multiple occasions. Media playback is not supported on this device Brian Fenton's point in the 59th minute increased Dublin's advantage to 1-21 to 0-11 as the game seemed to be petering out only for Cluxton's controversial own goal to stir some passions. Quite how the Fermanagh goal was allowed to stand is anyone's guess as Quigley clearly pushed a bemused Cluxton over the line with the umpire eventually waving his green flag after consulting with referee Padraig O'Sullivan. Quigley's subsequent laughter indicated his amazement that the goal had been allowed to stand. Dublin, however, didn't see the funny side and

Summary: Dublin earned their expected place in the All-Ireland Football semi-finals as they clinched a comfortable 2-23 to 2-15 win over a battling Fermanagh side.


Andrew Boyce's late equaliser had cancelled out Sido Jombati's delicate free-kick, but the home earned all three points in stoppage time. Wycombe defender Joe Jacobson's free-kick on 13 minutes drew a decent save from James McKeown. Garry Thompson had another good chance for the hosts on 50 minutes, but wastefully blazed his half-volley wide from 25 yards. Wycombe led five minutes later, though. Luke Summerfield brought down Jacobson on the edge of the box, and Jombati stepped up to place the ball beyond McKeown for the home side's first goal in 112 days. Cameron Dawson was forced into a sharp double save after 69 minutes, diving to his right to stop Summerfield's fierce shot, then saving Kayden Jackson's follow-up with his legs. Ten minutes later, though, Grimsby deservedly equalised when Boyce passed the ball beyond Dawson after Wycombe failed to clear a corner. But Stewart popped up to tap home from two yards after substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa's flick-on bounced off both posts for Wycombe's first points of the season. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Wycombe Wanderers 2, Grimsby Town 1. Second Half ends, Wycombe Wanderers 2, Grimsby Town 1. Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kayden Jackson (Grimsby Town). Attempt blocked. Ashley Chambers (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Goal! Wycombe Wanderers 2, Grimsby Town 1. Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) hits the left post with a header from the centre of the box. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Rhys Browne replaces Tom Bolarinwa. James Berrett (Grimsby Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by James Berrett (Grimsby Town). Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Nick Freeman replaces Matt Bloomfield. Corner, Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by James McKeown. Attempt saved. Garry Thompson (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Sam Wood (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kayden Jackson (Grimsby Town). Foul by Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers). James Berrett (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Sam Wood (Wycombe Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Goal! Wycombe Wanderers 1, Grimsby Town 1. Andrew Boyce (Grimsby Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner following a corner. Corner, Grimsby Town. Conceded by Aaron Pierre. Attempt blocked. Kayden Jackson (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Omar Bogle (Grimsby Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, Grimsby Town. Conceded by Anthony Stewart. Corner, Grimsby Town. Conceded by Dan Rowe. Attempt blocked. Omar Bogle (Grimsby Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Ashley Chambers replaces Sean McAllister. Substitution, Wycombe

Summary: Anthony Stewart scored an injury-time winner against Grimsby to earn Wycombe Wanderers their first victory since March.


Media playback is not supported on this device Laura Robson and Kyle Edmund were both beaten in straight sets, with James Ward, Alex Ward, Brydan Klein and Naomi Broady also out on the opening day. Evans, 26, won 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in three hours and 17 minutes. British number ones Andy Murray and Johanna Konta play on Tuesday. Fifteen British players made the main singles draws - the most at the All England Club since 2006 - though that number was significantly reduced on a tough opening day for the home hopes. But, in the most remarkable story of the day, British qualifier Willis - ranked 772 in the world - was a straight-set victor over world number 54 Ricardis Berankis. "He's a good guy, friendly, harmless," Evans said of Willis. "Not a bad bone really. He's a bit of a clown. What you see is what you get with him. "He's just a bit of a joker, just enjoys himself. You know, he's a really nice guy, one of my good friends." Media playback is not supported on this device Evans has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance in the past year, climbing more than 650 places up the world rankings since dropping to 772nd in May 2015. Questions were raised about the Birmingham player's commitment to the sport when he did not turn up to a Futures event, while he also struggled with a knee injury. But he has rediscovered his fitness and form in the past 12 months, helping Great Britain win the Davis Cup and claiming three ATP Challenger titles. Now he has been further rewarded with his first win in the men's singles at Wimbledon. With just five places between Evans and world number 86 Struff in the rankings, it was not surprising to see a tight match on court 18. Evans took the first set before the pair traded tie-break wins, then the Briton shook off an injury scare in the fourth to secure his progress to huge acclaim. "It was a good one, tough one," said Evans. "I really enjoyed it, every part of the match, even the second set. It was good to get the win in the end, get another Brit through." Edmund, the British number three, went down 6-2 7-5 6-4 to France's Adrian Mannarino, the world number 55. Defeat means the 21-year-old is still waiting for his first win in the men's singles at Wimbledon. The Yorkshireman had the honour of being the first home player to walk out on to court, but was unable to provide a winning start for a partisan crowd on court two. Ranked 13 places below his opponent, he lost his serve early in the first set and never recovered in an edgy display. Mannarino, who reached the last 16 here in 2013, broke again in the opening game of the second set, before Edmund finally started to cause the French number nine some problems with his crunching forehands. There was a brief glimmer of hope for Edmund when he broke

Summary: Dan Evans and Marcus Willis were the only Britons to win on the opening day of Wimbledon as six other home players lost their first-round matches.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 28 January 2015 Last updated at 07:43 GMT But apart from sounding impressive - the train in this clip has a really important job. It's used to clear away old 'ballast', the rocks and stone that support the train tracks, and replace it with new stuff. It's travelling overnight between Norwich and London at the moment to make sure the train line is in good shape. You can see it in action above.

Summary: At half a mile long, it's Britain's longest ever train - and can be found travelling through the night with a small army of workers onboard.


Thea Brookes (30 not out) and Paige Scholfield (38) shared a 69-run eighth-wicket partnership to leave the hosts needing eight runs from the final over. However, Hayley Matthews bowled Rebecca Grundy and then Beth Langston was caught, with Lightning all out for 158. Thunder had posted an imposing 164-8 after Amy Satterthwaite's half-century and Deandra Dottin's quickfire 42. A close run chase from Lightning had looked unlikely when captain Georgia Elwiss (20) was run out at the non-striker's end and the hosts slipped to 57-4. England spinner Sophie Ecclestone's 3-23 then reduced Loughborough to 88-7 but Brookes and Scholfield looked to counter-attack - striking eight fours and a six as they brought up their fifty partnership from only 28 balls. Despite Scholfield being reprieved on 36 when she was dropped by Nat Brown, she was bowled by Dottin off the next ball as the enthralling game swung one final time in Lancashire's favour. Both sides now have one victory and one defeat after their first two matches, but Lightning remain above Thunder thanks to their bonus-point win in the league's inaugural match on 30 July.

Summary: Lancashire Thunder edged to a nail-biting six-run victory over Loughborough Lightning at Haslegrave.


Gunfire was heard near the apartment block in the city of Toulouse, with reports police had met resistance but that the suspect was now dead. The siege of the building where Mohammed Merah, 23, is holed up has lasted more than a day. Interior Minister Claude Gueant had said Merah wanted to die "gun in hand" and there was no contact overnight. It was not certain he was alive, Mr Gueant said. Agence France-Presse quoted police sources as saying that officers were moving step-by-step through the flat, wary of booby-traps, and as yet there was no sign of Merah. Mr Gueant earlier told French radio: "We have one priority: to take him alive so that he can surrender to face justice. We hope he is still alive." However, he said it was "quite strange that he did not react" to the explosions that were set off overnight to intimidate Merah. "We heard two shots, we don't know what they were," Mr Gueant said. "Despite redoubled efforts throughout the night, there has been no contact with him." A number of explosions, beginning late on Wednesday, had prompted deputy mayor Jean-Pierre Havrin to tell local media that "negotiations have finished and the assault has begun". However, sources from the French interior ministry later said this was only the start of an operation to put pressure on Merah. "[The blasts] were moves to intimidate the gunman, who seems to have changed his mind and does not want to surrender," interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told Reuters. Merah had given conflicting messages about surrendering. Anti-terror chief Francois Molins had said: "He's explained that he's not suicidal, he doesn't have the soul of a martyr and he prefers to kill but to stay alive himself." Officials said Merah was armed with a Kalashnikov high-velocity rifle, a mini-Uzi 9mm machine pistol, several handguns and possibly grenades. Street lights were switched off in the vicinity of the building on Wednesday evening. The five-storey block of flats has been evacuated, and police also moved residents from nearby buildings. Police had surrounded Merah's building after two officers were shot at when they tried to get into his flat early on Wednesday morning. Elsewhere in the city, police are hunting for accomplices and have detained several members of Merah's family. Mr Molins said on Wednesday that Merah had planned to kill again. "If he's telling the truth, he would have left his house this morning and he would have once again killed any soldier that he came across," he said. Mr Molins said the suspect had expressed no regret for the killings, but had said he wanted to kill more people and "bring France to its knees". Merah has said he acted to "avenge Palestinian children". He claimed to have received al-Qaeda training in Pakistan's Waziristan area, and also said he had been to Afghanistan. Mr Gueant defended intelligence services for not preventing the attacks, describing Merah as a "lone wolf". "The domestic intelligence agency tracks a lot of people who are involved in Islamist radicalism. Expressing ideas... is not enough to

Summary: The siege of a gunman suspected of seven killings in southern France is nearing its end, police sources say.


The minister and farming representatives met Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London. "I was adamant that action is needed now and that the intervention price must be raised," said Mrs O'Neill. Farmers have warned they will go out of business if they do not receive higher prices for milk. They have held protests at supermarkets to show their frustration that they are currently paid less than the cost of production. Mrs O'Neill added: "I and farming industry representatives from Northern Ireland were also adamant that pursuing opportunities in opening new markets tomorrow will not address the crisis our farmers are facing today." The minister and the representatives were joined at the meeting by their counterparts from Scotland, Wales and the UK's farming unions. The meeting was called to address a number of issues facing the farming industry, especially the dairy sector. "It is clear that European support for our farmers is vital right now," said Mrs O'Neill. "The dairy sector in Northern Ireland, which is heavily reliant on exports, has been hit hard by adverse exchange rates and poor market conditions. "Farm gate milk prices are now below the cost of production. Assistance is required. Our circumstances are unique and extreme. "While it is good that my counterparts in Wales and Scotland are committed to influencing Liz Truss to act speedily, I am clear that raising the intervention price threshold is the key lever to effect positive change in the short term." The minister intends to ask the EU Commissioner Phil Hogan to raise the intervention threshold price when she meets him in September. She will also attend the specially-convened Agriculture Council in Brussels on 7 September. Environment Secretary Ms Truss said: "I recognise the seriousness of the current situation for the dairy industry and for farming as a whole. "Our hard working farmers and the Â£100bn food and farming industry are vital for our economy and our countryside. "I want to see this situation taken seriously by the EU who have the means to help farmers manage this volatility and build resilience." Earlier, Mrs O'Neill said: "The Northern Ireland dairy farming industry is probably in the worst condition it has ever been." Ulster Farmers Union president Ian Marshall also attended the meeting. He said a united front would help influence the European Commissioner Paul Hogan in attempts to get Brussels to intervene and support the price of milk "When the unions went out and spoke to Phil Hogan a number of months ago, certainly Northern Ireland was a lone voice," he said. "The landscape has changed now in that other member states are certainly applying pressure to the commissioner and we have no doubt that he's coming under immense pressure to revisit the discussion on intervention."

Summary: Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has urged the European Union to act swiftly to support farmers.