Developers Extreme said the Â£55m scheme for the Peak Parkway site would also provide an ice rink, other leisure facilities and housing. The site has been confirmed as North East Lincolnshire Council's preferred location for the stadium. One opposition councillor said the development is too large and in the wrong area. Ian Barfield, Liberal Democrat councillor, said: "It just makes my heart sink. "It is not a question of the town not needing economic development. It just does not need it on what should be an area of green space dividing the town." Read more about this and other stories from across East Yorkshire and Humber Extreme Leisure said a number of consultations will be held before any planning application is submitted. Alistair Gosling, the company chairman, said: "This will provide inbound investment, local employment and better facilities for the locals and visitors of North East Lincolnshire." About 320 full-time jobs could be created, excluding construction jobs, he added. John Fenty, from Grimsby Town FC, said he was delighted with the proposals and was looking forward to the day "when the ground was broken". The Labour leader of North East Lincolnshire Council said news of the deal was "very positive". Councillor Ray Oxby added: "We have made it clear from the start that where there's the potential for public assets and resources to be involved, we must follow a strict and proper process to make sure we get the right result for the whole area."

Summary: Grimsby Town Football Club has signed a deal with a leisure provider to build a new 14,000-capacity stadium.


The 25-year-old had been with Silkmen since 2013 after starting his career at Stockport County. He was captain of the Macclesfield side that lost at Wembley in the FA Trophy final this season to York City. Halls is Chester's third close-season signing, after the arrival of strikers Harry White and Nyal Bell. White was signed from Solihull Moors, while Nyal Bell has joined on a half-season loan from Gateshead until 7 January. Jon McCarthy's side finished 19th in the table, narrowly avoiding relegation, having been seventh at Christmas. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Chester have signed full-back Andy Halls on a one-year deal after he turned down a new contract with fellow National League side Macclesfield Town.


The Regatta Quay development, which includes a 20-storey building known locally as the 'wine rack', was taken over by administrators in 2010. The Irish government owns the site after buying Irish bank debts. The administrators said completing the ??100m buildings was dependent on the property market. Work on Regatta Quay started in 2007, but it stopped as City Living Developments (Ipswich) Ltd, which had borrowed from the Anglo Irish and Allied Irish banks, went into administration. Ben Gummer, Conservative MP for Ipswich, said it was "almost a metaphor" for the British economy. "It's property speculation gone mad and a banking system which is bust, so it's going to take a lot of time to put that right," he said. "The administrators are actively trying to find a developer to take on the work, so things are moving now but I'd like to see them move quicker." Baker Tilly were appointed administrators for Regatta Quay by Ireland's National Asset Management Agency. The accountancy firm is also the administrator for The Mill development next to Regatta Quay. Regatta Quay has 118 flats built, with space for 150 more in the 'wine rack'. The Mill has 194 completed and 140 uncompleted flats. Nigel Millar, from Baker Tilly, said: "It's very difficult to say when building work could resume. "We'll certainly be in administration for two years. How long we'll be in administration depends on how sales progress." Savills, which is the estate agent for the sites, said sale prices for a two-bedroom apartment had dropped from about ??300,000 in 2008 to ??175,000. Andy Redman, from Savills, said: "If we can continue to sell at the rates we're achieving of 3-4 flats a month, then it may bring things forward, but it's dictated by market conditions."

Summary: Administrators say work will not resume on an unfinished block of flats on Ipswich waterfront until 96 completed apartments are sold.


The Reds impressed in last weekend's 2-0 win over Ballinamallard, leaving then eight points behind leaders Crusaders. "We were fantastic against the Mallards and we have to continue that when we play Portadown," said Lyttle. "We'll never give up on going for the title - our squad is in good shape and we'll just keep going for it." He added: "We are not worried about Crusaders, our focus is only on what we do. "We have brought in quality players and we have quality players coming back from injury so the squad if getting a bit bigger now. "Our aim on Saturday is simple - three points and a clean sheet." The Ports have bolstered their attack by signing striker Mikey Withers from Lisburn Distillery on an 18-month deal. Crusaders visit Coleraine while third-placed Linfield, who have brought in forward Michael McLellan from H&W Welders, welcome Carrick Rangers to Windsor Park. Ballymena United will be without the suspended Tony Kane for the Ferney Park clash against a Ballinamallard side sitting just one point above the bottom. The Mallards are under pressure from inform Warrenpoint Town, who remain the basement team but are eyeing safety after an unbeaten run of six league games. However, Warrenpoint's game at Dungannon has been called off because of snow while Glenavon's contest with Glentoran has also falling victim to the winter weather.

Summary: Cliftonville manager Gerard Lyttle hopes to maintain their Premiership title push with victory over Portadown at Solitude on Saturday.


It comes after an audit committee requested a probe into two of DSME's former chief executive officers over possible mismanagement. The world's second-largest shipbuilder has been trying to raise money to reduce its debts. The firm posted its biggest net loss of 3.19tr won ($2.8bn; Â£1.9bn) last year. DSME and South Korea's two other biggest shipbuilders, Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries, have all been hard hit by the slump in oil prices and global economic slowdown. They have struggled with reduced demand for tankers and container ships and have had to delay projects in offshore drilling and production. They are also facing rising competition from Chinese shipbuilders. According to reports, 150 officials went to DSME headquarters in Seoul and one of its shipyards on the island of Geoje. Computer hard drives, accounting books and documents were seized by officials, who are looking into whether it manipulated its 2013 and 2014 financial statements.

Summary: South Korean prosecutors have raided Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering as part of an investigation into alleged accounting irregularities.


Dubbed the "killer of killers", the long-glanded blue coral snake is known to prey on the likes of king cobras. Venom from the 2m-long (6ft 6in) snake native to South East Asia acts "almost immediately" and causes prey to spasm. New research published in the journal Toxin found it targets receptors which are critical to pain in humans and could be used as a method of treatment. Some other stories you may have missed: Can unisex toilets cut down queues? Shanghai finds out First dude or first laddie? What to call Bill if Hillary wins... I divorced my husband to work in the Calais 'jungle' "Most snakes have a slow-acting venom that works like a powerful sedative. You get sleepy, slow, before you die," said researcher Dr Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland. "This snake's venom, however, works almost immediately because it usually preys on very dangerous animals that need to be quickly killed before they can retaliate. It's the killer of killers." Cone snails and scorpions are some of a handful of invertebrates whose venom has been studied for its medical use. However, as a vertebrate, the snake is evolutionarily closer to humans, and so a medicine developed from its venom could potentially be more effective, says Dr Fry. "The venom targets our sodium channels, which are central to our transmission of pain. We could potentially turn this into something that could help relieve pain, and which might work better on us." The snake's venom glands extend to up to one-quarter of its body length. "It's got freaky venom glands, the longest of any in the world, but it's so beautiful. It's easily my favourite species of snake," said Dr Fry. It is the first vertebrate in the world known to have venom acting this way, according to Dr Fry. But the snake is rare: more than 80% of its habitat has been destroyed. "They're really rare. I've only ever seen two of them in the wild," he told the BBC. "Much of their homes have been cleared to make way for things such as palm plantations in South East Asia. Who knows what else was in that forest that could've potentially saved lives?" Dr Fry and his team, which comprises researchers from countries including China, the US and Singapore, is set to study relatives to the snake in Singapore. "We're trying to see if there are any relatives of the long-glanded blue coral snake that would possess any different properties. Some people say the only good snake is a dead snake but we're trying to do the opposite here." Reporting by the BBC's Yvette Tan.

Summary: A snake with the largest venom glands in the world could hold the answer to pain relief, scientists have found.


The National Housing Federation inquiry shows a worker paid the region's average wage - £23,405 - would need close to a £15,000 pay rise to qualify for an 80% mortgage. The average home in the region costs almost £166,000, more than seven times the average salary. In Harrogate, North Yorkshire, the average cost rises to 11 times salary. The NHF report shows Harrogate has an average house cost of almost £277,000, where the average salary is still £24,731. In comparison it found in Barnsley, Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire the average house cost less than six times the average salary. £277,000 Average house price in Harrogate £166,000 Average house price in Yorkshire and the Humber £38,000 The minimum salary needed for an 80% mortgage £23,405 Average salary in Yorkshire and the Humber The cost of renting or buying a home in the region was getting "further out of reach for many", according to the NHF. Jo Allen, of the NHF, said: "In some places people are completely priced out of their local communities. In others we see areas which need employment opportunities and investment in empty homes." The foundation represents independent non-profit housing associations in the United Kingdom. It uses the mean average for house costs and wages and assumes an 80% mortgage based on a lending ratio of 3.5 times salary. Salary data is based on the Annual Survey on Hours and Employment by the Office for National Statistics. Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine regions of England identified for statistical purposes.

Summary: Workers need to earn about £38,000 a year to afford a mortgage in Yorkshire and the Humber region, a report said.


The Brotherhood is an Islamist movement which has been declared a terrorist group by Egypt's military rulers. Reports suggested members of the group moved to London to escape a crackdown in Cairo and plotted a response to the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood leader. There has been no reaction yet from No 10 regarding the lawyers' announcement. The organisation's backing helped install Egypt's first civilian president, Mr Morsi, in 2012, but he was ousted in a military coup last year after widespread street protests. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt but now operates in many states and has influenced other Islamist movements around the world with its model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work. The prime ministerial review ordered by David Cameron back in April into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK was always going to be controversial. A number of Arab countries, notably the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, all see the Brotherhood as a threat to their rule and want the UK as their ally to ban it. There have even been veiled hints from the Gulf that trade deals with the UK could suffer if the review did not result in a ban. The report's author, Sir John Jenkins, UK ambassador to Riyadh, spent three months taking testimony from a number of sources, including secret intelligence, before delivering his findings to No 10 where they have remained unpublished since July. Whitehall insiders have been saying privately that - while there are concerns about some individual members - nothing has emerged to link the Brotherhood as an institution to any acts of terrorism. While the Brotherhood - or al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun in Arabic - says it supports democratic principles, one of its stated aims is to create a state ruled by Islamic law, or Sharia. Its most famous slogan, used worldwide, is: "Islam is the solution." In December 2013, the new Egyptian government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group after blaming it for an attack on a police station that killed 16 people. Mr Cameron commissioned the review into the group's UK links in April. The review was led by Sir John Jenkins, the UK's ambassador to Saudi Arabia - another country which has declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. At the time, Downing Street released a statement which said: "The prime minister has commissioned an internal government review into the philosophy and activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and the government's policy towards the organisation." Since Mr Morsi's overthrow, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters detained in a crackdown by the interim authorities which has been condemned by human rights campaigners.

Summary: A review of the Muslim Brotherhood's UK activity has cleared it of links to terrorism, its lawyers have said.


The victim, in his 30s, was attacked by a group of five or six youths in Grosvenor Street, Cheltenham, on Friday. He was known to his attackers, Gloucestershire Police said. All three boys were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH). The eldest, aged 14, was arrested separately from the younger pair. Police appealed for witnesses to the attack, which happened at about 17:30 BST.

Summary: A teenager and two 12-year-old boys have been arrested after a man was stabbed and hit with a baseball bat in a street attack.


With 80% of votes counted, his National Democratic Party (NDP) looked set to take 27 seats in the 51-seat National Assembly, an absolute majority. The National Assembly will choose a president within weeks of the parliamentary election. For Mr Bouterse to stay in power, 34 lawmakers will have to vote for him. His party currently looks short of achieving that figure, but Mr Bouterse said on Monday that he favoured entering into a coalition. "It depends on how many votes the population gives us, but regardless it would be good to form a stronger and more stable [government] with those who also think positively," he said. NDP supporters celebrated at their party headquarters as the preliminary results came in, waving purple flags, dancing and setting off fireworks. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the leader of the V7 main opposition coalition, told local media the result was "worse than I had expected". Mr Bouterse is a powerful but controversial figure in Suriname. He ruled for seven years after seizing power in a coup in 1980 before stepping down, but briefly ruled again after a second coup in 1990. In 1999 he was convicted in absentia by a Dutch court for cocaine trafficking, charges he has denied. As the Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty with its former colony, Mr Bouterse was never jailed. In 2012 the National Assembly, which was dominated by Mr Bouterse's party, voted to grant the president immunity for alleged human rights abuses committed under his military rule. He had been charged with involvement in the murder of 15 political opponents in 1982, which he denied. The probe was led by his now political rival Mr Santokhi, who was the police commissioner at the time.

Summary: Preliminary results from Monday's general election in Suriname suggest the party of incumbent President Desi Bouterse has a comfortable lead.


The Ivorian government has approved a near €6 million euros (£5.1m) budget for the team's campaign in Gabon. It is an increase of €600,000 euros (£507,000) from the last finals in Equatorial Guinea two years ago. Ivory Coast kick off their tournament against Togo on 16 January, before facing DR Congo and Morocco in the group stage. The two-time champions opened a training camp in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday where they will face Sweden in a friendly on 8 January and will complete their warm-up with a game against Uganda, another Nations Cup-bound side, three days later. The Confederation of African Football has revealed the winners of this year's Nations Cup will collect $4m (£3.26m) in prize money, which is a 64% increase from a previous $1.5m (£1.2m). Kicking off on 14 January, the tournament ends with the final on 5 February.

Summary: Defending champions Ivory Coast have been given extra financial support for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals.


In June, the government in England said agency spending was to be capped and it has now unveiled details of how that will work. From April, NHS trusts will not be able to pay more than 55% more to agencies than it costs to pay a member of staff for a shift. It comes amid mounting pressure on NHS finances. Figures released last week showed trusts had overspent by £930m in the last three months - with agency spending highlighted as one of the biggest factors. Ministers believe the move will save £1bn by April 2018 - the equivalent of shaving 10% from the £3.3bn annual agency bill. Reports have emerged of agencies being paid thousands of pounds to supply nurses and doctors for shifts. The new limit will start to be phased in from November - with the "shift rate plus 55%" limit kicking in in full from April. Agencies are being allowed to charge more to reflect the costs they face in terms of administration and National Insurance contributions. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "For too long, staffing agencies have been able to rip off the NHS by charging extortionate hourly rates which cost billions of pounds a year and undermine staff working hard to deliver high-quality care. "The tough new controls on spending that we're putting in place will help the NHS improve continuity of care for patients and invest in the front line - while putting an end to the days of unscrupulous companies charging up to £3,500 a shift for a doctor."

Summary: Ministers have set out details of how they aim to save the NHS £1bn on agency staff costs over the next three years.


More than 10,000 pupils were absent from high schools for more than 25 days in 2015-16, the equivalent of five weeks off. Meanwhile nearly 15,000 of students in Wales had no days off at all last year - the highest recorded. Overall absence levels in secondary schools were down to their lowest level since 2006-07. But the number of secondary and middle school pupils going on unauthorised holidays during term-time has increased. In Wales families are allowed up to 10 days of term-time holiday at the head's discretion. Last year 3.6% of all absences were because of holidays that had not been agreed by schools - an increase from 3.0% in 2014-15. Education secretary Kirsty Williams said the falling absence rates were a "testament to the dedication" of teachers, parents and councils. She said: "I am really pleased to see levels of overall absenteeism in secondary schools continue to fall and now stand at their lowest level for 10 years. "This is testament to the commitment and dedication of parents, teachers, and local authorities across Wales who are helping our young people understand that if they are going to fulfil their potential, regular school attendance is vital." Sickness remains the main reason 11 to 16-year-olds take time off school, accounting for 60.7% of all absences. Meanwhile the proportion of absence due to family holidays agreed by the school fell from 5.9% in 2011-12 to 1.8% in 2015-16. Earlier this year then education minister Huw Lewis wrote to councils to say it was wrong to tell head teachers to ban all term-time leave. His intervention followed a petition by parents last year against fines for taking holidays in term-time. South East Wales had the highest number of 11-16-year-olds missing school classes last year, while North Wales had the lowest. Newport recorded the highest absence rate with children missing 6.8% half school days, while Gwynedd and the Vale of Glamorgan had the lowest rate at 5.0%. Flintshire had the lowest rate of unauthorised absence at 0.4%, with Newport recording the highest at 2.1%. The Wales-wide unauthorised absence rate has remained static at 1.3% for the last few years. Figures show Wrexham, Flintshire, Powys, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Monmouthshire all saw slight increases in the unauthorised absences last year, The figures also show pupils eligible for free school meals were more likely to miss classes, while girls were more likely to miss school than boys.

Summary: The number of children missing school in Wales has fallen to an all time low, government statistics have shown.


Cook admits he considered his position after being beaten by Sri Lanka at Headingley and then by India at Lord's. Media playback is not supported on this device England eventually beat the Indians 3-1 to help banish memories of a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia. "Without my wife, I don't think I'd be standing here as captain," an emotional Cook, 29, told BBC Test Match Special. "You don't often say things like that - I don't know why I just have - but it's the way I feel. "You can bare your soul quite often to Alice and she's very good at getting me back on the straight and narrow. "That fourth night at Headingley was a tough place because we had let a winning position slip. Lord's was also very tough - the way we lost there in conditions that were suited to us. "But I'm quite stubborn - I believe in my ability. I stuck in there through the tough times. Sport tests your character and to bounce back as a team is testament to our character." Defeat at Lord's extended England's winless run to 10 Tests and prompted widespread calls for an out-of-form Cook to stand down. Media playback is not supported on this device But the left-handed opening batsman bounced back with three fifties in four innings as England beat India at Southampton before completing a remarkable comeback with victories inside three days at Old Trafford and The Oval. "I remember saying when we were 1-0 down that I still thought we were going to win the series," said Cook. "I had a lot of confidence in the talent and skill we had in the dressing room but I didn't think we'd win quite as emphatically as we have done. "English cricket needed a series win and to deliver like we have delivered puts a big smile on our face. "The bowlers all took wickets and almost all the batters scored runs, so it's almost the perfect game. "We haven't felt like this for a long time. We were laughing out there. You don't get many days like that. "We have to enjoy it and hope it's the start of a long road back." England seamer James Anderson was named man of the series after taking 25 wickets. He said he was motivated to do well by India's decision to report him to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for allegedly pushing and abusing Ravindra Jadeja during the first Test at Trent Bridge. Anderson was eventually cleared of misconduct by an ICC tribunal. "At Southampton, when stuff was going on before and after the game, the fact that we made such a conscious effort to concentrate on the cricket not only helped me but also the rest of the team," he added. "Since then, we've not let India back in the series, which is credit to everyone who has played." Listen to Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott review each day's play on the TMS podcast.

Summary: Alastair Cook said his wife, Alice, convinced him to remain as captain and lead England to a comprehensive series victory over India.


Grand leaves along with club hero Jason Walker, both aged 32, teenage defender Brad Carroll and 17-year-old goalkeeper Dan Eccles. Midfielders Mo Fafana, 28, Dan Pilkington, 25, Paddy Lacey, 23, and Alex Newby, 20, also exit. Four players have been offered contract renewals, including Newby's brother, 20-year-old Elliot. Fellow midfielders Alex Ray Harvey, 26, Andy Parry, 24 and 17-year-old defender Steve Williams make up the quartet who have been offered a new deal following an 11th-placed finish in the National League. Grand helped to captain the side to promotion to the fifth tier of English football, while Walker was the game-winning goalscorer as Barrow lifted the FA Trophy in 2010. Barrow have also said that talks are on-going to renew the contract of striker Andy Cook, 25, who scored 24 goals in 45 appearances for The Bluebirds this season, despite his willingness to pursue a career in the Football League. BBC Cumbria Sport understands that Barrow have offered to make the talisman - and third highest goalscorer in the National League this season - the highest paid player in the club's history.

Summary: Captain Simon Grand will leave Barrow as eight players fail to have their contracts renewed.


Pedro Godinho, 22, died in hospital after being discovered in Canonsleigh Road, Leicester, on Sunday morning. Ezekiel Braithwaite, of no fixed address, has been charged with murder and attempted grievous bodily harm. Taome Stabanner, 21, of Rowena Court, Mountsorrel, has been charged with assisting an offender. Both are due to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court later. Mr Godinho's cousin, Rafael Godinho, said on behalf of the family: "Pedro was sadly taken from us. He was only 22-years-old, with a promising life ahead of him. "At this time, the family is working closely with Leicestershire Police. "Anybody who knows him would tell you what a good heart he had, he'd be the one to give you the shirt off his back."

Summary: A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder after another man was found fatally stabbed after an attack in a residential car park.


Former Swans striker Wilfried Bony scored his first goal for Stoke before Wayne Routledge headed the visitors level in a frenetic first half in which the hosts hit the post three times. The volume of Stoke chances eventually told as visiting defender Alfie Mawson turned Ramadan Sobhi's shot into his own net, and Bony then nodded in a third after Joe Allen's shot was saved. Mark Hughes' side are now 12th in the table while Swansea, despite some initial signs of improvement, remain second from bottom and five points from safety. It was a galling evening for the visitors, who had the chance to re-sign midfielder Allen from Liverpool in the summer. Instead it is with Stoke he is enjoying the most prolific season of his career, his two assists here adding to the four goals he had scored in his previous four appearances for the club. A fifth match unbeaten represents an impressive transformation from Stoke, whose dismal start to the season had left them at the foot of the table after five games. One thing missing from Stoke's revival had been a goal for Bony, so there was a sense of fate to the way the striker on loan from Manchester City put the Potters ahead against his former club. Allen provided the assist with a half-volley from a half-cleared corner - an example of the visitors' ragged defending that was symptomatic of a frantic start to the game. Bob Bradley's side were overrun by their dominant opponents, for whom Charlie Adam twice hit the post with shots from outside the penalty area. Marko Arnautovic did the same after rounding Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, but the visitors' narrow escapes merely felt like delaying the inevitable. Stoke's pressure was unrelenting and, after substitute Ramadan wriggled past Swansea's hesitant defenders and forced Mawson into an own goal, it was left to Bony to nod in from close range after more good work from Allen to seal victory and score against Swansea for a second successive season. Allen's performance saw him provide two assists in a Premier League game for the first time, while Bony scored for the first time since Boxing Day, having gone 23 games for club and country without a goal. Swansea's slump of nine matches without victory is their worst since their 2011 promotion to the Premier League. There were hints of improvement in Bradley's first two games in charge, a 3-2 defeat at Arsenal and a goalless draw at home to Watford. He will also have been encouraged by his team's initially spirited response to the relentless Stoke pressure - but Swansea's defects remain. They were porous in defence and weak in midfield, where Ki Sung-yueng and Leroy Fer offered precious little resistance against their vibrant opponents. Lone striker Fernando Llorente led the line willingly enough but he and substitute Borja Baston were starved of service - characteristically for a Swansea team with just nine goals from 10 Premier League games this season. Stoke manager Mark Hughes: "I was frustrated at times because we had all manner of

Summary: Stoke claimed a third successive Premier League victory as they overcame a Swansea side still without a win since the opening day of the season.


The undefeated pair have exchanged obscenities on social media in the run-up to their so-called "Bad Blood" title contest at Braehead Arena on 8 July. But Londoner Davies, 25, played down the hostility that continued at their media conference in Glasgow this week. "He's been told to sell the fight. I don't blame him for any of his antics," said the WBC Silver title holder. "I'm a cool guy. I believe that you live and you learn. I've been wild but now it's just about going to the gym, enjoying camp, enjoying the fight night. This isn't nothing, really. It's just business for me. "Social media is good to sell the fight. I'm not trying to sell the fight, I'm just trying to be me. "I was a lot more arrogant in my last fight. For this fight I'm in a whole different mood." Davies refused to react to the four-letter taunts from Commonwealth champion Taylor, 26, when they came face to face in a Glasgow hotel to promote next month's bout. At one point, Shane McGuigan-trained Taylor tried to remove Davies' sunglasses and the East Lothian fighter later told BBC Scotland he could "detect fear" in the Englishman's eyes. However, Davies played it down at the event, though reverted to online abuse later in the day. "I know that's not him," said Davies, who is trained by Tony Sims. "I know that he's been told to sell the fight and all that stuff, taking off my glasses and trying to provoke me. If I really got to know him, he'll be a cool guy. I'm not going to be angry. "I make of him what I've always made of him. He's a good fighter and on 8 July, we're going to have a good fight. "This definitely will be my toughest fight so far - well, I hope it is. My past two fights, I found them quite easy and I want a real challenge. I want to go in there with someone that's got the capabilities of beating me. That's what we're in the game for." Davies defeated Italy's Andrea Scarpa over 12 rounds at Wembley last November to win the WBC Silver belt and in March took three rounds to dispose of Derry Mathews, again in London.

Summary: Super-lightweight Ohara Davies feels Josh Taylor is acting out of character with his abusive comments towards him.


The Lincolnshire side reached round one for the first time by beating National League Wrexham 3-2 after extra-time in a fourth qualifying round replay. Stamford, who play in the eighth tier Northern Premier League Division One South, now face League One Hartlepool. "We're on a bonus for the FA Cup and we're determined to go to America," manager Graham Drury said. "At the minute we've got nearly £2,000 and if we beat Hartlepool in the next round I'll be saying to the chairman I want another £5,000 to go into that players' pot. "That's our goal, our dream, to send the boys to America." Drury, who led Conference North side Corby Town into the first round of the FA Cup five years ago, took over as manager of Stamford last season but was unable to save them from relegation from the Northern Premier League Premier Division. And he said was delighted to make club history by giving them some cup success. "When I came into Stamford at the back end of Christmas last year they'd won one home game in 18 months," Drury told BBC Radio Lincolnshire. "We've turned that round and made Stamford a bit of a fortress. We've lost one game here this season and we've played some top-quality sides. "We've stuck at it and we've got our rewards, and to take them to the first round proper, I'm a very proud man."

Summary: Stamford's players are hoping to earn enough money from their FA Cup run to fund an end-of-season trip to the US.


The 18-year-old took four wickets on the third morning as Middlesex collapsed from 249-5 to 293 all out, to trail by 122 runs on first innings. Toby Roland-Jones then struck three times, dismissing both Zafar Ansari and Aaron Finch for ducks, to help drag the hosts back into the match. But Curran's career-best 71 not out saw Surrey to a lead of 356, on 234-6. During a chaotic morning, Curran started the rot by bowling James Franklin in the third over as Middlesex lost their final five wickets for just 44 runs. Surrey reached 47 without loss with relative ease but, when Roland-Jones bowled Rory Burns (39), the visitors lost their next three wickets without adding a run. James Harris had fellow Middlesex opener Dominic Sibley caught behind off the next over before Roland-Jones returned to trap Ansari and Finch lbw, leaving the visitors 47-4. After Jason Roy made an attacking 37, spinner Ollie Rayner bowled the England limited-over batsman, then removed Steven Davies (20) to swing the match in the host's favour. But an unbroken 126-run seventh-wicket stand between Curran and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes (50 not out) left Surrey firmly in control. Middlesex head coach Richard Scott said: "It sort of ebbed and flowed today. We didn't create the partnerships that we needed at the end of our innings. "But, then we bowled really well in that middle session and took quick wickets. At one stage, we looked like we might bowl them out and set up a chase. "But, Curran and Foakes batted really well and frustrated us and it clearly shows on this pitch when you get a partnership going, it's hard to get people out. Surrey batsman Ben Foakes told BBC Radio London: "It's a very good day for us. There was a stage in the middle where it didn't quite go to plan, but Sam (Curran) batted really well and I stuck with him. "I think we're in a good position in the game and hopefully we can drive it home tomorrow. "Sam bowled really beautifully at the start of the day and to take four quick wickets on this wicket is I think really difficult. "To be able to blast them out was perfect for us and allows us to boss the game."

Summary: Sam Curran starred with bat and ball to help put Surrey in a commanding position against Middlesex at Lord's.


Henson was part of Wales' 2005 Six Nations Grand Slam team coached by Ruddock, kicking a famous match-winning penalty against England. The back, 35, has returned to Wales for the first time since 2012 to play for the region Ruddock coached in 2003-04. "Hopefully he can play, but also become the leadership figure at the Dragons I am sure he is capable of at this stage of his career," Ruddock said. "He would still be very ambitious and want to prove he can still perform at the very highest level. "I hope Gavin could reflect on his career, on what has worked for him and what hasn't. "Some of those experiences that have been positive for him hopefully he can use those to help shape the way forward in the Dragons." Henson last played in Welsh domestic rugby for Cardiff Blues in 2012, after making his name with Swansea and the Ospreys between 2000 and 2009. In between, Henson - who won 33 caps for Wales and one for the British and Irish Lions - has played club rugby for Saracens, Toulon, London Welsh, Bath and Bristol. Ruddock's one season in charge of the Dragons was their most successful, and he hopes the Welsh Rugby Union's takeover of the region this summer will pay dividends. "It was definitely time for a change and probably long overdue," Ruddock added. "Since my time there the Dragons have huffed and puffed and not lived up to the standards we thought they were capable of. "It sounds like the right things are being done with the [new] pitch coming in already, that sounds like a fantastic move." The Dragons also have a new head coach in former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman. "Bernard is a good young coach who had cut his teeth in France and in the All-Ireland League where I am currently coaching with Lansdowne," said Ruddock. "He was with Clontarf and did well there. "He's worked under a lot of good coaches during his time and would have had a good understanding of the game." Ruddock's son Rhys captained Ireland on their summer tour against USA and Japan, while his older son Ciaran is captain of All-Ireland side St Mary's College. "That was a big day for him and the family to see Rhys captain Ireland," said Ruddock, whose wife Bernadette is Irish. "Ciaran has just been made captain where he will be playing against my team, so that has become all of a sudden an even tougher job!" After coaching stints in Wales, England and Ireland with international, regional, provincial and age-grade sides, Ruddock is settled in Dublin, guiding Lansdowne in the All-Ireland League and working part-time in private business. "I have learned a lot of lessons along the way, good and bad and am trying to help a lot of youngsters in Lansdowne," said Ruddock. "At 58 next month, I still think I am in my prime! "What I love about the All-Ireland League is that you can go to places like Young Munster in Limerick and Cork Constitution and there is

Summary: Mike Ruddock believes Gavin Henson can be a success at Newport Gwent Dragons.


An application for £6.8m has been made to the UK Government for a station and interchange, including parking and bus stops, at Bow Street near Aberystwyth. The Welsh Government has provided £1.7m, including expenditure, to date. The station closed as a result of the Beeching cuts and there have been campaigns for it to be reinstated. Proposals for a new station have been shown at a public event and it is hoped it will open in 2019. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: "We've been working very closely with the local authority, local interest groups and the railway industry to ensure that proposals result in the station and interchange development starting on the ground in April 2018."

Summary: A village in Ceredigion could soon have a new railway station if the Welsh Government is successful in its funding application.


The 23-year-old hit three consecutive birdies as he secured a two-shot lead over Japan's Hideki Matsuyama. Americans William McGirt, Jimmy Walker and Ryan Moore are tied in third place with 14 under in Hawaii. World number one Jason Day is in 13th place after a three-under 70, while Scotland's Russell Knox is seven shots off the lead with one round remaining. "I left a lot our there. That is always a good thing because I can just go work on it and improve," Thomas said.

Summary: American Justin Thomas shot his third-straight 67 to take the lead on day three of the Tournament of Champions.


The singer-songwriter is one of 85 people from Northern Ireland who have been recognised for their achievements. The Belfast-born musician, whose full name is George Ivan Morrison, will be known as Sir George. He described his new title as a "huge honour". Some of the 69-year-old star's biggest hits include Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance and, fittingly, Here Comes the Night. His knighthood has been granted for "services to the music industry and to tourism in Northern Ireland". In a statement on Friday, Morrison said: "Throughout my career I have always preferred to let my music speak for me, and it is a huge honour to now have that body of work recognised in this way. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans who have supported me on my musical journey." Morrison was born into a working-class family in east Belfast in 1945 but his exceptional talent has made him a global recording star. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "one of the greatest singers of all time". The son of Harland and Wolff shipyard worker, he grew up in a small terraced house in Hyndford Street, in the shadow of the shipyard's famous cranes. His father's extensive record collection exposed the younger Morrison to a huge range of American musicians, including Hank Williams, Ray Charles, and Muddy Waters. Those early influences filtered into Morrison's own eclectic style which mixes soul, blues, jazz and country music with pop and rock. As well as selling millions of records worldwide, he has won six Grammys and a Brit award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. His relationship with stardom and the media has not always been comfortable. In 1993, he became the first living recipient not to attend his own induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, more recently he has accepted other accolades in person, including honorary degrees from both of Northern Ireland's universities. Last year, he was granted the freedom of his native city and celebrated the honour by playing a free concert at Belfast's Waterfront Hall. In total, 53 men and 32 women from Northern Ireland have been honoured by the Queen for their achievements in a range of fields and for their contribution to public life. The second highest honour, Companion of the Bath (CB) was given to the top civil servant at Stormont's Department for Social Development, William Haire, while the chief executive of Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Robert Adair, becomes a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). Also honoured is one of Northern Ireland leading exponents of the Chinese lion dance, Yuk Shan Lui. PSNI Assistant chief Constable Will Kerr receives an OBE. Former East Antrim MP Roy Beggs is awarded an MBE, as is BBC news cameraman Peter Cooper, who recently retired after 40 years. Other recipients include:

Summary: Van Morrison has been given a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.


The other contestants to have been announced so far are; Peter Andre, Carol Kirkwood, Katie Derham, Georgia May Foote, Kellie Bright, Ainsley Harriott and Jeremy Vine. More are still to be announced. Mr O'Donnell said that he is nervous, despite his many years in show-business. "It's really happening," he said. The singer said he is uncertain if he is up to the standard required. "I can put a few steps together, but can I dance to the level I need to dance? Well, that's a whole other ball game." Earlier this year, the Kincasslagh man decided to take a short break from touring. "I told myself that I would only consider doing something if it was both different and exciting. Well, what could be more exciting than Strictly Come Dancing? I love to dance and boy am I looking forward to getting started and being the best that I can be," he added. Daniel O'Donnell, who has sold more than 15m albums, first rose to fame in 1983 and has had considerable success in Ireland, the UK, the US and Australia. Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One for its 13th series in September 2015.

Summary: Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell has been confirmed as the eighth contestant on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.


Irish, currently bottom of the table, trail the Falcons by four points. With four points for a win, plus potential bonus points for tries and losing margins, the Falcons could form a points buffer with two games to play. "We want to play in these games because it's exciting and it brings out the best in people," Wilson told BBC Sport. "We're professional rugby players and we get paid to perform in these high pressure environments. Nobody wants to play in dead rubbers, just turning up and playing." Newcastle are expecting a large crowd at Kingston Park, with 5,000 tickets sold by the beginning of the week. The importance of retaining top-flight rugby in the north east is not lost on the squad, who have had almost two weeks to contemplate the match during the European break. "It's been bigged up to be a big game and rightly so," Wilson added. "With the gap at the bottom it is a big game and no getting away, but these are the games we want to play in." While the precarious position of both sides has helped sell tickets, the Falcons can feel disappointed to still be in the battle against drop after their mid-season revival. Six straight home wins after the turn of the year, four of them in the league, lifted Dean Richards' side up the table. But narrow defeats since then by Worcester, Bath and Wasps have placed jeopardy on their place in the elite. "There's a sense of frustration that we're in the position we are," Wilson added. "I think if you look back six or seven weeks, we were on the back of six wins on the bounce at home where we beat Bath, Quins, Leicester and Northampton - we didn't think we'd be in this situation. "It shows how competitive the Premiership is, and you can't take any team lightly but we know we can compete with the best teams. "It's a case of knowing we've got to perform. It's not rocket science, just doing the simple things really."

Summary: Newcastle Falcons are relishing the importance of Sunday's bottom-two Premiership showdown with London Irish, says back row Mark Wilson.


The three Grade II-listed thatched houses at Silvergate caught fire late on Saturday afternoon. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service incident commander Simon Mason said crews may remain at the scene for a second night. A National Trust spokeswoman thanked firefighters who "worked tirelessly". Residents from two houses have gone to stay with family and friends, while the third family has been re-homed in a holiday cottage, the National Trust said. "We do not know the cause or full extent of the fire yet but, most importantly, there have been no reports of any injuries and all of the tenants were able to get out of the cottages," said the trust's spokeswoman. "We are enormously grateful to the crews who reached the cottages quickly, worked tirelessly to tackle the fire and have maintained a constant presence." About 70 firefighters attended the blaze as it ripped through the roofs of the cottages. "We expect to be on the scene for the remainder for the day and maybe over the night," said Mr Mason. An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched.

Summary: Three families lost their homes when fire engulfed a row of National Trust cottages on the Blickling estate in Norfolk.


The notorious 18th Century Welsh privateer, Black Bart, signed a pirate code promising that crippled members of his crew could leave the ship with a share of the treasure as a pension. What they did with the booty was up to them. No-one expected them to use it all up buying an annuity. No-one stopped them from giving cash to whoever they chose to give it to. Similarly, 100 days ago, the chancellor gave current savers the right to do what they wanted with their pension pots once they made landfall on the wrong side of 55 years of age. The move has prompted a wave of interest, with hundreds of thousands a week phoning up to find out more. Many have discovered that exercising their freedoms is a frustrating process, fraught with delays. But according to the Treasury more than 85,000 people have dipped into their pension plans so far, cashing in £1.3bn. Are they like the wary ex-pirates who had to hide their treasure chests and keep a low profile, knowing that any carousing would attract the attention of the King's officers? They are not. These are the ones who have celebrated with a dream holiday or bought a new car or ordered a kitchen extension, although some - more sensibly - have paid off mortgages and other debts. The average withdrawal is just over £15,000, probably not much different in value to the 800 pieces of eight promised by Black Bart. Now the insurers who manage pensions have revealed more about the choices being made. What appears to be happening is that those with small pension pots, of only a few thousand pounds, are rushing to cash them in. Those with larger pots are more likely to buy an income for their retirement. But there has been a 75% drop in purchases of old-style annuities. Instead, in the first two months of the freedoms £720m was spent on income drawdown policies, which give you a regular income plus the ability to dip into the underlying cash when you need it. Some will take that as an encouraging sign that the over-55s are taking more care with substantial pension plans which really could provide an income for life. Source: HM Treasury/ABI Even so these are shark-infested waters. People have to watch out for high charges and scam merchants. They have to think about tax as well, because the chancellor is entitled to his share of the treasure. Pension income has always been taxable, but the revenue can be brought forward by decades if people dip into their funds. The first 25% withdrawn is tax-free, but after that you pay normal income tax. Some who cash in large sums could find they are pushed into the 40% tax bracket. Pension experts are forecasting that excitement about the reforms will result in a tax windfall for the Treasury this year of hundreds of millions of pounds. Not to imply, of course, that there is any likeness between George Osborne and Black Bart the pirate, who met his end in 1722 in a

Summary: In a way the pension freedoms you hear so much about have taken us back to the old pirate days when some of the first pensions were paid.


Police said the suspect was 26 years old and born in the United Arab Emirates. They said he acted alone and he was overpowered by passersby. Mayor Olaf Scholz said the attack was motivated by "hate" but did not say it was a terror attack. There are unconfirmed reports that the man shouted "Allahu akhbar", Arabic for "God is great" while attacking people. Police said they were still seeking to confirm his current nationality. Mr Sholz said he was a failed asylum seeker. The man attacked customers in the supermarket at random, ran outside and was chased by customers and by people outside the shop. They brought him to the ground before he was detained by plain-clothes police officers. Mobile phone footage on German media that is purportedly of the attack's aftermath shows several people chasing a man and throwing chairs at him. A 50-year-old woman and four men aged between 19 and 64 were stabbed, while a 35-year-old man was injured while helping overcome the suspect. The attack happened in the Barmbek region in the north of the city in a branch of Edeka, Germany's largest supermarket chain. Police say the man's weapon may have looked like a machete but they are, for now, assuming it was a kitchen knife. One eyewitness made a gesture about 50cm (20 in) long when asked on German TV how big the knife was. Asked whether this was a terror attack, a police official told the BBC: "We are at an early stage of the investigation... At the moment we can't rule anything out. We are investigating all avenues." Speculation in German media said the attack may have been part of a robbery attempt but police said that that motive could not be confirmed. One eyewitness, who ran from the scene into a nearby shop as the situation unfolded, told German broadcaster NTV that it seemed "hectic and confused, not like a properly planned attack".

Summary: A 50-year-old German man has been killed and six people injured in a knife attack in a Hamburg supermarket.


Harrison played the 1962 Rickenbacker 425 guitar on British TV shows like Ready Steady Go! in 1963, prior to the band's US invasion in 1964. The Beatle, who died in 2001, also used the instrument during the recording of I Want to Hold Your Hand and This Boy. He bought the guitar during a visit to the US. Its pre-sale estimate was up to $600,000 (£356,000) said auction house Julien's. It topped the previous sale of a VOX guitar played by both Harrison and Lennon in May last year which fetched £269,000) but fell far short of the record $965,000 (£591,000) set by a Bob Dylan guitar in December. The auction also included a handwritten placard with doodles signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono from their 1969 anti-war protest in Montreal, which fetched $187,000 (£111,000). A Hofner bass guitar rented by Sir Paul McCartney in the mid-1960s sold for $125,000 (£74,000). A white jumpsuit worn by Elvis Presley during a 1971 concert fetched $197,000 (£117,000).

Summary: An electric guitar played by The Beatles' George Harrison has sold for $657,000 (£390,000) at an auction in New York.


Mr Jammeh has denied similar allegations in the past. He will be seeking re-election for a fifth term and for the first time he will be facing a single major opposition candidate. HRW urges external pressure on The Gambia to prevent further violence. In a report published on Wednesday, the group says two Gambian activists have died in custody, with dozens of critics of President Jammeh in jail. They are being denied medical or legal help, the report says. The Gambia, a popular tourist destination because of its beaches, has never experienced a democratic transition of power since independence. Mr Jammeh took over in a 1994 coup. His critics accuse him of running a repressive state, an allegation he denies. Most of the major Gambian opposition parties last week picked a single candidate - businessman Adama Barrow of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Mr Barrow's nomination is the result of the biggest opposition alliance in Gambia since independence, the AFP news agency reported. HRW says the prospect of political change in December has prompted Mr Jammeh's government to step up oppression against critics. It claims a torture squad, linked to the presidential guard, is terrorising opponents ahead of the election. The group wants freedom benchmarks to be imposed now - by the United States, the European Union and The Gambia's West African neighbours - to prevent more bloodshed. Last week, The Gambia said it would pull of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after accusing the tribunal of persecuting and humiliating Africans. The small West African nation joined South Africa and Burundi in saying it will withdraw from the court.

Summary: President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia is using violence to silence critics in the lead-up to presidential election in December and pressure is needed to stop it, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.


It is a relationship that these days may be closer to a case of gritting one's teeth rather than a smile, at least when it comes to trade. As it is for most countries in Asia, China is North Korea's biggest trading partner. Except that of course that there's one major difference: North Korea would completely collapse without China's economic help. That's why the US has been persuading Beijing to help the international community ensure that the new round of sanctions would hit North Korea where it hurts - cutting off access to Pyongyang's biggest customer is one way to send a powerful message. The latest sanctions - imposed because of North Korea's nuclear programme - aims to cut its coal exports to China by 60%. But there have been international sanctions and censure in place before, and despite those measures, China has continued to buy products from North Korea. Chinese companies buy North Korean coal and textiles, for example, while at the same time selling food, arms and energy to Pyongyang. Partly this is out of an allegiance to an old but volatile ally, but also partly out of a desire to ensure the balance of power in the region is tipped in Beijing's favour. Many analysts say China's refusal to play ball means that the sanctions strategy isn't working. But as Gordon Chang, author of "The Coming Collapse of China" tells me, it's not that the sanctions on North Korea haven't been working - "it's that China doesn't get punished when it doesn't implement the sanctions". While it's true that in recent years China hasn't been particularly strict about enforcing sanctions on North Korea, there's some evidence to show that trade between the two neighbours is slowing. China's trade with North Korea has been falling this year, some 13% from a year earlier according to data in May from the Korea International Trade Association. Exports were down 15.6%, while Beijing's imports fell by 9.8%. But Mr Chang points out that this is as much about the slowing of China's economy as it is about sanctions. "Demand for commodities has slowed, and China is buying less of everything," he said. "And it's not that big a sacrifice for China - it doesn't really need this coal anyway." In an article for the Conversation website, Kelvin Gray of the University of Sussex said that even if coal exports fall "one area where North Korea has kept its exports [to China] healthy is clothing". Machines and raw materials are sold to North Korea from a Chinese company, the North Koreans provide the labour, (probably for a fraction of the price it would cost in China) and then the finished goods end up back in China. The profits that the North Korean regime makes from this sort of trade is difficult to calculate - but it is almost certainly in the hundreds of millions. It's a relationship that Beijing is unlikely to sever - and not for the usual argument that you hear about North Korean refugees flooding the Chinese border should the state

Summary: There's a famous saying attributed to the founder of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong, that China and North Korea are as close as "lips are to teeth".


The pound also strengthened against the dollar and euro, while Wall Street's rally continued for a second day. Some investors say last week's sell-off was overdone, while others are betting on central banks to rescue the global economy if needed with more stimulus. "It never was the end of the world," said strategist Jeff Weniger. The senior portfolio strategist at BMO Private Bank in Chicago. said: "To have these kinds of reactions was ridiculous." The FTSE 100 share index closed up 3.6% at 6,360.1 after a flurry of last-minute trading. At the close of trade on Thursday last week, before the referendum vote, the FTSE 100 ended the day at 6,338.10. "The plethora of bargains on offer, plus a welcome period of calm in the UK/EU relationship has provided the opportunity for markets to recover in impressive fashion," said Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at spread betting firm IG. he added. However Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital, warned reality was likely to bite soon. "What we're seeing in the FTSE is hope in Britain being able to ride it out by remaining part of the single market. This looks like wishful thinking." The FTSE 250 - which contains more UK-focused companies - closed 3.2% higher on Wednesday, but still remains more than 7% below its pre-Brexit level. Germany's Dax index ended the day 1.8% higher while France's Cac 40 closed up 2.6%. The pound rose 1.2% against the dollar to about $1.35, although it also remains well below levels reached before the referendum. The pound had risen as high as $1.50 on Thursday as traders anticipated a 'Remain' vote, but by Monday it had plunged to a 31-year low against the dollar. Sterling rose 0.8% against the euro on Wednesday to â‚¬1.2159. Before last week's referendum it had been trading around â‚¬1.30. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rose 1.64% and the broader S&P 500 was up 1.7% in the strongest two-day rally since February. The indexes have recovered more than half the losses suffered last week after the UK's referendum vote. Shares in Asia had also posted gains. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said investors had been reassured by hopes that Britain's EU exit wouldn't happen immediately, meaning the status quo was unlikely to change in the short term. "Whilst that doesn't remove the uncertainty with respect to the eventual outcome, it also means that markets are going to have plenty of time to settle into their new-found reality and equilibrium," he said. But Adam Jepsen, founder of Financial Spreads, urged caution: "Any investors who think the markets have calmed down should think again. It is far more likely that we are in the eye of the storm." Shares in the UK's financial sector - which had been particularly hard-hit in the wake of the referendum - continued to recover, with Prudential up 5.5% and Barclays 4.9% higher. The increases came despite credit rating agency Moody's cutting its outlook on the UK banking sector to "negative" from "stable" late on Tuesday. Moody's also downgraded

Summary: The FTSE 100 has surged through the level it closed at last Thursday, recovering all of the ground it had lost in the wake of the Brexit vote.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 73-year-old, who guided England to three Test series wins against Australia, believes their "exciting" crop of young players are the key. Brearley, captain in 31 Tests from 1977-81, said Alastair Cook is "decent, straightforward and honest", but added: "I'm not sure how much flair he has. "Can you win the Ashes without that flair? No." He added: "One of the exciting things is the flair in the young players from number five to number eight - Joe Root is a terrific player, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali." By winning in 1977 and 1978-79, Brearley was the last skipper to lead England to home and away Ashes success until Andrew Strauss, more than 30 years later. His most famous win came when he returned to the captaincy part way through the 1981 series, leading his country to a 3-1 victory over Australia. As the 2015 series approaches, Brearley has been talking to Michael Vaughan - an Ashes-winning captain in 2005 - about the challenges facing Cook's side, and the demands of leading your country. After losing 5-0 down under in 2013-14, England are seeking to regain the Ashes this summer, but Brearley feels they may struggle. He said: "Australia are a very tough team. On paper, they're a better team than us. They've certainly got better bowling than we have. "But we're playing at our home grounds, which makes a difference. If we can get that spirit going, and people play to their best, then we've got a chance." England's Test captain Cook was replaced as one-day skipper by Eoin Morgan last December, and left out of their World Cup squad earlier this year. "There's an advantage for Alastair Cook in not having played in the World Cup and the recent one-day matches," Brearley said. "He's been able get away, reorganise, remind himself of his technique and come back fresh. "But it will be difficult for him if things don't go well to start with - and if he doesn't feel he's got the same spirit that the team have had in the one-day matches recently, and if he doesn't quite feel in charge." Brearley sees Cook as one of England's quieter captains - but does not view that as a problem. He said: "Alastair Cook is not a big extrovert. He's not somebody who is going to change things in dramatic ways. "Tony Greig [Brearley's predecessor as England captain from 1975-77] was a bit like that. He was a 6ft 5in blond-haired South African, who made big gestures, who reacted to the crowd, who said things to the opposition, who stirred up Dennis Lillee. "I don't think you have to be like that. One of the important things as captain is that you have to be yourself. "I think Alastair Cook is a leader who is conscientious, he works at it, he's fair-minded to the players." He currently averages 54.11 after 27 Tests and Root's performances at number five have impressed Brearley to the point that he feels the 24-year-old Yorkshireman

Summary: England need the flair of their younger batsmen to win an Ashes series, says ex-skipper Mike Brearley.


Beggars Group and Merlin both indicated their approval of Apple's new offer. On Monday, Apple reversed its decision not to pay artists for songs streamed during a free trial period offered to users, following criticism from singer Taylor Swift. Beggars Group said it was "happy to endorse" the new deal with Apple. The company manages some of the best-known indie labels, with artists such as Adele, Radiohead and Basement Jaxx on its XL Recordings label. In a statement, chairman Martin Mills said: "We are happy to endorse the deal with Apple Music as it now stands, and look forward to being a big part of a very exciting future." Digital rights group Merlin looks after more than 20,000 independent record labels. In a letter published by Billboard, Merlin chief executive Charles Caldas said: "Apple has made a decision to pay for all usage of Apple Music under the free trials on a per-play basis, as well as to modify a number of other terms that members had been communicating directly with Apple about. "With these changes, we are happy to support the deal." Mr Caldas stressed that it was for individual labels in the group to decide if they wanted to join the service. Apple is preparing to launch Apple Music on 30 June. It had originally planned not to pay artists for songs streamed during a three-month free trial offered to users, but changed its decision after Taylor Swift wrote an open letter criticising the company. Google has responded by offering subscription-free access to its music-streaming service, Google Play Music, in the United States.

Summary: Apple has reached an agreement with two leading indie music groups, paving the way for thousands of labels to join its new streaming service.


Between October and December 65,610 people made full cash withdrawals, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said, a 42% fall from the previous quarter. Rules allow those aged 55 and over to have full access to their pension pots with the first 25% tax free. The FCA collects data from providers covering about 95% of the sector. A total of 127,094 of pensions were accessed for the first time - either partially drawn down as an income or taken totally in cash in the final three months of 2015. This was a 36% decrease from the previous quarter. The figures also showed customers aged 55 to 59 had the highest rate of withdrawals as a percentage of their pension pot. Some 11% of this age group took an income of 10% or more of their pot. A Panorama investigation earlier this week found that some companies are exploiting new pension freedom rules to get access to pension savings. Undercover footage showed one unregulated consultant giving advice and suggesting high risk investments.

Summary: The appetite for people to take their pension savings as cash waned at the end of the year, according to the City watchdog.


Farieissia Martin, 22, had denied killing 21-year-old Kyle Farrell, who was knifed in the chest at the house in Charlecote Street, Dingle. But a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found Martin guilty. She is due to be sentenced on 9 June. Mr Farrell died in hospital after suffering a single stab wound early on 21 November 2014. His family said he was a "devoted father and loving son" who will be missed by all his family and friends.

Summary: A woman accused of stabbing a man to death at her house in Liverpool has been convicted of murder.


The Asia-focused lender said on Thursday the move would help it save some $100m (Â£66.2m) in 2016. It also said it plans to shed another 2,000 positions in its retail banking division, on top of the 2,000 already announced. The bank issued three profit warnings last year. It posted a 16% fall in operating profit in October last year due to a restructuring of its South Korean business and an increase in bad loans. The bank's Hong Kong-listed shares were up more than 2% on Thursday as investors welcomed the cost-cutting news. Standard Chartered told its investors in November last year it would try to deliver $400m in cost savings this year. It said on Thursday it was on track to deliver those savings. Some 2,000 job cuts had been announced or completed in its retail sector over the last three months, the lender said, "with a reduction of a further 2,000 expected during 2015." The bank also said in November that it would close up to 100 bank branches in 2015 in Asia, Africa and the Middle East in an attempt to boost its profitability. On Thursday it said it had made "good progress in closing 22 branches in the second half of 2014" and that it was on track to close up to 100. Steven Chan, an analyst at Maybank Kim Eng Securities in Hong Kong said the moves "would certainly help improve the bank's profits."

Summary: Standard Chartered has said it will axe jobs and shut its equities business in a continued effort to cut costs and boost profits.


The music industry body said that 26.6 million downloaded albums were sold, a 24% rise on the previous year. However, CD album sales fell by 13% to 86.2 million discs. Overall, 6% fewer albums were sold than in 2010. The BPI blamed the decline on piracy and accused the government of taking too long to tackle the problem. Digital downloads have recorded rapid growth over recent years. In 2007, only 6.2 million albums were bought as files over the internet according to The Official Charts Company. The year 2011's tally was more than four times that amount. Fifteen albums sold more than 100,000 digital copies, with Adele's 21 proving the most popular. However, shoppers still showed a preference for CDs, buying more than three times the number of albums on disc than downloads. The BPI said that "physical ownership" still played an important role, but said "a backdrop of chronic piracy" posed risks to the music industry. "While other countries take positive steps to protect their creative sector, our government is taking too long to act on piracy, while weakening copyright to the benefit of the US tech giants," said Geoff Taylor, the BPI's chief executive. "The UK has already fallen behind Germany as a music market. Unless decisive action is taken in 2012, investment in music could fall again - a creative crunch that will destroy jobs." The government is pursuing a plan that would involve rights holders sending lists of internet addresses suspected of illegal downloads to internet service providers (ISPs). 1. 21 - Adele 2. Christmas - Michael Buble 3. Doo-Wops & Hooligans - Bruno Mars 4. 19 - Adele 5. Mylo Xylo - Coldplay 6. Loud - Rihanna 7. Born This Way - Lady Gaga 8. Who You Are - Jessie J 9. + - Ed Sheeran 10. Talk That Talk - Rihanna The ISPs would then send a letter to suspected account holders, saying that their account had been identified as being used to download copyright infringing material. They would offer advice on how to prevent such illegal activity, but would not make demands for money or threaten disconnection. By contrast, France has passed a law that allows pirates to be blocked from the net from one year after three infringements. A spokesman for the UK Department for Culture Media and Sport said: "We will continue to work with industry on how they can better tackle online piracy but this is not an issue that ISPs or rights holders alone can deal with". "All elements of the internet industry - payment companies, advertisers, search engines, ISPs and rights holders - need to play their part in tackling unlawful activity online." While piracy may be partly to blame for the drop in album sales, the data also suggests changing buying habits. Sales of singles rose for the fourth successive year to 177.9 million copies, versus 86.6 million in 2007. Downloaded copies accounted for 98% of the sales. Each of the top 20 singles of the year sold more than 500,000 copies. One industry watcher said this underlined the

Summary: Digital download music sales continued to rise in the UK in 2011, but not by enough to prevent an overall decline in album sales, according to the BPI.


An appraisal of stock has found some items have an uncertain provenance while others are in a "poor condition". Curators have compiled a list of items that could go at Brecknock, Powysland, Llanidloes and Radnorshire museums. A decision will be taken by councillors at a meeting on Thursday. "The museums accept that one of its key functions is to acquire artefacts and to keep them for posterity," said the report. "In recent years staff have followed a strict collecting policy, however, historically a number of items, often with uncertain provenance and sometimes in extremely poor condition have been taken into the collection. "The main driver for the collection review was to reappraise items and to assess their suitability for long-term preservation. "There are no financially motivated reasons for disposal of any items."

Summary: Old bottles, bikes and blacksmith's bellows are among the items that could be disposed of amid plans to cut back on museum collections, according to Powys council.


Dean Melnyk, 20, and Andrew Brown, 23, were given minimum terms of 20 years for killing Kevin MacKay, 40, in Ecclefechan last August. A court heard how they took the law into their own hands hours after the funeral of their friend Jamie Abba. Lord Armstrong told the pair they had been convicted of a "brutal attack". By Willie JohnstonBBC Scotland Ecclefechan was quiet this morning as, 80 miles away in Edinburgh, a judge passed sentence on Dean Melnyk and Andrew Brown. Most people were inside sheltering from the heavy rain; making sure they avoided me and my camera back to film the scene of the crime for TV. But in a village whose population is less than 1,000 two unnatural deaths in less than a fortnight is going to have an impact and there is no doubt that impact has been severe. There is tension here. Police Scotland have worked hard to prevent it bubbling over into further violence, and still are. Ten months ago, there was understandable shock and grief at the loss of 18-year-old Jamie Abba, apparently after taking a dodgy ecstasy tablet. But no-one foresaw the next tragic consequences as Dean Melnyk and Andrew Brown turned vigilante killers of the man pinpointed for supplying the fatal drug to their young friend. Their attack on Kevin MacKay was frenzied, their brutality shocking. One man who did venture out to speak to me today - albeit off-camera - said the murderers deserved 30 years and should never show face in Ecclefechan again. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Melnyk and Brown believed that Mr MacKay had supplied the pill that killed 18-year-old Mr Abba, who was known as Jabba. So the two men travelled from Lockerbie to Ecclefechan in Dumfries and Galloway and repeatedly stabbed him in a frenzied revenge attack last August. Judge Lord Armstrong sentenced the two men to life imprisonment. Passing sentence, he told Melnyk and Brown that they would both have to serve a minimum of 20 years before becoming eligible for parole. He added: "You have been convicted of carrying out a brutal attack which resulted in the death of Kevin MacKay. "This incident did not happen on the spur of the moment. "It was pre-meditated - you wrongly took justice into your own hands." He said they had travelled to the south of Scotland village with bladed weapons to carry out the attack. "The court has heard that your victim suffered 80 injuries which were inflicted on the vital organs of your victim," he said. "The court has also heard evidence that without immediate medical attention, your victim could not have survived more than five to 10 minutes. "This was an intensely violent attack. The only sentence for murder is life imprisonment." Melnyk, of Lockerbie, and Brown, of Ecclefechan, were convicted of murder following proceedings at the High Court in Glasgow in April. Speaking after the sentencing, Procurator Fiscal Jennifer Harrower said: "There is no doubt that Andrew Brown and Dean Melnyk went looking for their victim with the sole intention of doing

Summary: Two men who murdered a man they blamed for supplying an ecstasy tablet that killed their teenage friend have been jailed for life.


The 40-year-old German replaces Alex Neil, who left the club in March. Farke, who spent his playing career in Germany's lower leagues, replaced Huddersfield boss David Wagner at Dortmund's second team in 2015. Norwich's sporting director Stuart Webber was part of the Terriers' backroom team when Wagner joined. Edmund Riemer, Farke's assistant at Dortmund, has been appointed assistant head coach at Carrow Road. "I had a really good time with Borussia Dortmund, but Stuart Webber has told me all about Norwich City, its traditions and history, and I know what a great club it is," Farke told the club website. "The more I know about Norwich City, the more excited I get. I'm very glad to be here and can't wait to get started." Norwich finished eighth in the Championship table this season, 10 points outside the play-off places.

Summary: Championship club Norwich City have appointed Borussia Dortmund reserve-team coach Daniel Farke as their new head coach on a two-year deal.


Revenue for the first quarter dropped 64% to 14.8bn Taiwanese dollars ($456m; Â£315m), while the net loss was 2.6bn Taiwanese dollars, compared with a profit the year before. The firm has been struggling to compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung. It is pinning hopes on its new HTC 10 phone to revive fortunes as well as its virtual reality headset Vive. "The media and consumer buzz around HTC, including for the keenly-awaited launches of the flagship smartphone and Vive virtual reality system, clearly demonstrate our leadership in innovation and have provided a great boost to the HTC brand," said Cher Wang, chairwoman and chief executive of HTC in a statement. Chief financial officer Chialin Chang added the company was hoping that the smartphone business would break even in the third quarter. The HTC 10, which comes with an "ultraselfie" front camera designed to reduce the risk of blurry shots, and the Vive headset were both only launched in April and so are not reflected in this current quarter. The success of those two products will dictate the success of the company, said analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight. "The next quarter will be critical because we'll start to see the effect of Vive and the HTC 10 phone. The company has really got to work hard to show signs of progress," he said. "The combination of Apple's incredible success and Samsung's determination to outspend all its rivals on marketing puts HTC in a precarious position." Five years ago, HTC was the world's fourth bestselling smartphone maker with a market share of about 9%. But in 2015, it fell to 17th place with a share of about 1%, according to research firm IDC.

Summary: A sharp plunge in sales has pushed the Taiwanese phonemaker HTC into a loss for the three months to March.


Mr Kenyatta beat Mr Odinga comfortably by 50.07% to 43.28% on 4 March, avoiding a run-off by only 8,100 votes. But Mr Odinga has accused the electoral authorities of manipulating the result. Police fired tear gas to disperse about 100 supporters of his Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) who had gathered outside the Supreme Court. The police had warned them that they would not be allowed to do so. Some of the crowd were wearing t-shirts bearing slogans including "I support the petition" and "Democracy on trial". The presidential, legislative and municipal elections held 12 days ago were the first since the 2007 poll which set off ethnic and political violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed. Mr Kenyatta and his running mate, William Ruto, are facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly fuelling the unrest. They deny the charges. Lawyers for Mr Odinga said their petition to the Supreme Court included allegations of vote manipulation, as well as problems with the registration of voters and an electronic vote counting mechanism. "I have no hesitation whatsoever in lawfully challenging the election outcome," Mr Odinga told reporters outside his offices in Nairobi. "These failures dwarf anything Kenyans have ever witnessed in any previous election," he added. However, the prime minister urged his supporters not to resort to violence. "We cannot begin what is supposed to be a new era under a new constitution in the same old ways," he added, referring to the charter adopted in 2010. The Minister of Lands, James Orengo, a senior Cord official, said the party had a constitutional right to file the petition and a "strong case". "Expect a new election, and this time around no monkey-business. I think we're going to win and win in the first round," he told KTN TV. "I can assure you that we have the evidence, and we have the will and the preparedness to prosecute the petition," he added. Mr Orengo nevertheless promised that Cord would respect the Supreme Court's ruling if it went against the party, and urged Mr Kenyatta and his supporters to declare that they would do likewise. In his acceptance speech last Saturday, Mr Kenyatta described the election as "free and fair" and a "triumph of democracy". The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has also insisted that the vote was credible and that it is ready for any legal scrutiny. International observers said the election was largely free, fair and credible, and that the electoral commission had conducted its business in an open and transparent manner. Mr Odinga was the runner-up to Mwai Kibaki in the 2007 presidential election, which he also said was stolen.

Summary: Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has filed a Supreme Court appeal against Uhuru Kenyatta's narrow victory in the presidential election's first round.


The "old English white" Jaguar E-Type Series III was driven by comedy characters Del Boy and Rodney in an episode of the BBC series. In the 1981 episode, the pair borrowed the car from John Challis's character Boycie for a "night on the tiles". It had been expected to fetch £85,000 in an auction at Blenheim Palace but sold for £115,800. Finished with a blue leather interior, the 1973 Series III Roadster, owned by a Swansea businessman, includes a die-cast model signed by both David Jason and John Challis. A 1961 Jaguar car once owned by the company's founder was also due to be auctioned. The Mk X, built in Coventry, belonged to Sir William Lyons and was made to his personal specifications - with a leather interior and rear picnic tables in walnut.

Summary: A vintage Jaguar sports car made famous when it featured in Only Fools and Horses has sold for more than £115,000.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 17 June 2015 Last updated at 20:43 BST Evans was announced as Jeremy Clarkson's replacement on Tuesday. McCarthy, who lives in Mountnessing, told the BBC he hoped the Stig would return in the new format.

Summary: The "original Stig", Essex-based Perry McCarthy, has backed new Top Gear presenter Chris Evans to create "something special" when the show returns.


They'll headline the British Summer Time festival on 20 June. The band, who got back together for a pair of reunion shows in the park six years ago, join Taylor Swift, Kylie and The Who on the bill. Speaking at a news conference in a London Chinatown restaurant, frontman Damon Albarn joked: "I love it because I can cycle to work". They'll be the only band ever to play Hyde Park four times after this performance. Bassist Alex James says that "since we made our last record as a four-piece we have probably only done 20 gigs. "So for me every time we play together it feels special but in order to keep doing it we need something news to do." Blur are also working on their first studio album as four-piece in 16 years, The Magic Whip. Guitarist Graham Coxon said they started recording in Hong Kong when a gig was cancelled. He said: "we thought we'd put a few days, five or six days, to good use". The album is influenced by the band's time in Far East. Damon Albarn confirmed one song was about time he spent in North Korea: "it's my impression of the place, in a very abstract veiled way. "When you listen to it is pretty self explanatory what it's about". The singer also said it was nice to work with a basic set-up when they first started to make the album to see what they could create. He told the news conference that "we didn't have much stuff so it was like recording when we first started doing stuff. It was a really small studio, it was really hot and claustrophobic. "We just went in there and knocked about some ideas." The album will be released on 27 April. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Blur are heading back to Hyde Park with their first album in more than a decade.


The woman was arrested and had her passport confiscated after she claimed she was raped by two British men. The Dubai Public Prosecutor's office said it had closed the case after "careful examination of all evidence". It said investigations showed "the act happened with the consent of the three parties in question". A video on one of the suspect's mobile phones was found to be "key evidence". Officials said there would be no legal action and all three parties were in the process of receiving their passports and were free to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The woman's father said he had received "conflicting stories" saying that his daughter had been released, but he said the Foreign Office had not confirmed anything yet. The woman, in her 20s, reported the alleged rape at a police station in late October, a statement from the prosecutor's office said. She was reported to have been holidaying in Dubai. The two male suspects were also arrested, questioned and had their passports confiscated, but no charges were filed against them. The campaign group, Detained in Dubai, said it was pleased with the decision. "We expect that the international outrage that this case deserved, influenced authorities to drop the charges, in order to spare the UAE of such negative press. "Others in the past have not been so fortunate but we hope that this landmarks a fresh approach to similar cases in the future." The public prosecutor's office said Dubai's legal system takes reports of all crimes "very seriously, including and especially violence against women, and conducts thorough investigations of all incidents". In Dubai all sex outside of marriage is illegal. If authorities become aware of a sexual relationship, those involved risk prosecution, imprisonment and/or fine and deportation.

Summary: A British woman, who was charged with having extra-marital sex in Dubai after reporting she was raped, has had all charges against her dropped.


The charges were laid in 2014 after a number of women complained to Toronto police that Mr Ghomeshi had been physically violent towards them. He denies all the charges, saying his actions were consensual rough sex. If convicted, the 48-year-old - who was sacked by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 2014 - could be sent to prison for life. At CBC he hosted the popular arts show Q. A crowd of reporters and onlookers met Mr Ghomeshi as he arrived at court in Toronto on Monday. He faces four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking. A number of women earlier accused him of punching, strangling and battering, and three of the alleged victims later became plaintiffs in the case. Throughout the investigation, he denied the allegations and later pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The CBC began an inquiry into Mr Ghomeshi's sexual activities after Canada's Toronto Star newspaper began investigating allegations by an ex-girlfriend that he had engaged in non-consensual, violent sex with her. After being shown "graphic evidence" that Mr Ghomeshi had physically injured a woman, the broadcaster fired him in 2014.

Summary: Canada's former popular radio host Jian Ghomeshi has gone on trial on charges of sexual assault and choking.


The FTSE 100 edged up by just 1.88 points to 7,292.37. On a day nicknamed "Super Thursday" because so many retail updates were released, the biggest faller was Primark owner Associated British Food, with shares down 4.52%. Dixons Carphone, Next, Shire and Carnival were the other big fallers. Total sales at Primark rose 11%, with like-for-like sales "good". However, it said like-for-like sales were down in Germany and the Netherlands. Tesco's shares fell 1.3%, despite the UK's largest supermarket reporting a 0.7% rise in UK like-for-like sales over Christmas. Investors welcomed news of better-than-expected sales at Marks and Spencer in its clothing division, sending the High Street giant's shares up 1.3%. Underlying sales in the clothing and homeware division rose 2.3% - well above analysts' expectations for about 0.5%. In the FTSE 250, shares in JD Sports jumped 7.5% after it reported a strong increase in sales and raised its full-year profit forecast. Also on the FTSE 250 Debenhams rose by 5.4%, while Dunelm lost 6.9%. On the currency markets, sterling rose against the dollar earlier on Thursday as the US currency weakened following a news conference from US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday. The dollar fell after Mr Trump failed to give any further detail on his economic plans. However, it subsequently fell back on the news that Prime Minister Theresa May will give a major speech about her Brexit plans next Tuesday. The pound was down 0.04% against the dollar at $1.2206, and down 0.81% against the euro to â‚¬1.1447.

Summary: (Close): London's main share index has closed at a record level for the 11th day in a row - a feat it has never managed before.


He is credited with the BJP's win in the recent election in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. He replaces Rajnath Singh, who is the home minister in the new government. A controversial politician, Mr Shah is accused of sanctioning the killing of a Muslim civilian in 2005, when he was the home minister of Gujarat state. In 2010, Mr Shah resigned after he was charged with murder and kidnapping of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and arrested in connection with the killing. He spent more than three months in jail after which he was released on bail. Mr Shah denies the charges. Mr Shah, a general secretary of the BJP, was chosen its new president by the parliamentary board consisting of top party leadership on Wednesday. Announcing his appointment, the outgoing chief Rajnath Singh said Mr Shah was chosen unanimously by all members of the board. The 49-year-old is reported to be one of the youngest presidents of the party. He has a reputation for being a good organiser - in the run up to the general election, he was appointed to head the BJP's campaign in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh where he helped the party win an unprecedented 71 of the 80 seats for the party. During the campaign, the Election Commission barred him from addressing rallies after finding him guilty of giving "hate speeches" against the Muslim community. The ban was lifted after Mr Shah apologised and promised not to "use abusive or derogatory language". A long-time member of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, Mr Shah has known Mr Modi for more than three decades. Correspondents say his appointment to the top post will give Mr Modi complete control over the party and the government.

Summary: Amit Shah, a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been appointed the chief of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).


Government figures show 375 doses, sent to addresses in England, Wales, and Scotland, were seized in 2016, compared with just five in 2013. Taking the pills while pregnant without medical approval is illegal in the UK. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said as awareness of the online pills increased, more women were using them. The figures, from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - which regulates medicines in the UK - show there were 375 pills seized last year, up from 270 in 2015 and 180 in 2014. The seizures were made during the MHRA's annual week-long raids, known as Operation Pangea, at places like postal hubs where foreign post is kept before being distributed to local post offices. NHS abortion treatment is free and widely available in Britain, but remains mostly illegal in Northern Ireland. However, the UK currently has the harshest punishment for self-induced abortion of any country in Europe, bar the Republic of Ireland. Under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, anyone taking the pills could, in theory, be punished with a life sentence - no matter what the gestational period. Two women have been jailed for using the abortion pill bought online in the UK. In 2012, 40-year-old Sarah Catt was jailed for eight years for terminating her pregnancy with pills she had bought online when she was 39 weeks pregnant. Natalie Towers, 26, was sentenced to two-and-a half-years in 2015 after using the pill to terminate her pregnancy while she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant. Bpas and other women's groups are supporting a bill, proposed by Labour MP Diana Johnson, to be debated in the House of Commons next month, which seeks to decriminalise abortion. Some women have revealed why they were driven to using abortion pills purchased online. "I was hoping to have a termination in the comfort of my own home without judgmental eyes and without worrying about my husband knowing. I fear what would happen if he did," one woman said. "I have three children and my third is 11 months old. I considered an abortion when he was conceived and had a terrible pregnancy and [I am] still suffering from post natal depression." Another, a foreign student living in the UK, said she felt "desperate". "I cannot afford this country's prices of procedure, and the place in line for supported abortions is just too long and not guaranteed. "I feel absolutely horrible and desperate." Clara Watson, education officer for the charity Life, said the promotion of buying abortion pills online was dangerous. "Some women aren't suitable for the abortion pill and may suffer from blood clots, there may be other underlying health issues, they may not know how far along they are. It's too risky," she said. Ann Furedi, Bpas chief executive, said women who bought the pills were often "desperate" and in "difficult circumstances". "At Bpas, we do all that we can to make abortion services as accessible as possible. However, it is clear that for some women the barriers to clinic-based treatment feel insurmountable," she said.

Summary: The number of abortion pills being bought online in Britain is increasing, data shown to the Victoria Derbyshire programme suggests.


A spokesman for the Exeter and Greater Devon District Coroner's office confirmed there would be no inquest into the death of Gareth Jenkins, 25. Lt Jenkins, from Colwyn Bay, Conwy, collapsed at the Commando Training Centre, Lympstone, Devon, while on a 30-mile (48km) march in May. The former Eirias High School pupil played for Colwyn Bay Rugby Club.

Summary: A Royal Marines trainee who collapsed on a training exercise on Dartmoor died of natural causes.


Unite union members based at plants in Cowley, Goodwood, near Chichester, Hams Hall in the West Midlands and Swindon, turned down the offer by 56.6%. Workers have already staged four walkouts during the dispute, which is over the closure of a final-salary pension scheme. BMW said the offer was "fair" and it was disappointed at the ballot result. Unite representatives will meet on Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the dispute, which has seen the first-ever strikes by the company's British employees. Three 24-hour strikes scheduled in May were suspended while workers considered the offer, which the union did not recommend to its members. Unite national officer Fred Hanna said: "It is clear that it did not go far enough or deal with the concerns many of our members have over BMW's pension plans. "We would urge BMW bosses to reflect on the result and listen to the workforce by further engaging in meaningful talks with Unite." A BMW spokesman said: "We are now considering the implications of the ballot result and we will be meeting with the union in due course to discuss next steps. "We believe the offer, which resulted from lengthy negotiations with the union since September last year, was fair. "It was designed to improve competitiveness, which is in the long-term interests of all our employees in the future."

Summary: Workers at car giant BMW have voted to reject an offer aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over pensions.


Higgins found the net near the end of the second period and Steve Saviano made it 2-0 in the third period, Higgins then completing the scoring. The victory completed a good weekend for the Giants, who beat Nottingham Panthers 7-4 in Belfast on Saturday. Derrick Walser's side now prepare for a busy schedule of Christmas fixtures. That sequence begins with the second leg of their Challenge Cup quarter-final against Manchester Storm at the SSE Arena on Tuesday evening, the score standing at 3-3 after the first leg. Edinburgh Capitals are the visitors to Belfast for back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday. Sunday's triumph saw the Giants close the gap on league leaders Cardiff Devils to eight points, with Belfast having two games in hand. Stephen Murphy started in the Giants net while Ryan Martinelli sat out the game through injury. Media playback is not supported on this device Three goals in the third period saw the Giants take victory on Saturday, with Colin Shields, Blair Riley and Chris Higgins all on target. The Giants led 3-2 after the first period but the Panthers were level at 4-4 after the second period of play. Brandon Benedict, Jim Vandermeer, Alex Foster and Riley were the Giants' scorers in the opening two periods. Jeff Brown grabbed a double for the visitors, with Brian McGrattan and Dan Spang also finding the net for Nottingham.

Summary: Chris Higgins scored twice as the Belfast Giants kept up their Elite League title challenge by defeating Coventry Blaze 3-0 on Sunday night.