Mattia de Sciglio conceded the penalty in the 95th minute with a handball, just minutes after team-mate Jose Sosa was sent off for a second yellow card. Medhi Benatia had given Juventus the lead on 30 minutes, before Carlos Bacca equalised two minutes before half-time. Second-placed Roma, who have a game in hand, play Palermo on Sunday. Juventus, who are on track for their sixth successive Scudetto, have won 31 consecutive Serie A home games. The hosts, who lost to Milan in both the league and the Italian Super Cup final earlier in the season, had dominated the early exchanges, with Marko Pjaca and Dybala keeping Gianluigi Donnarumma busy in the Rossoneri's goal. Juve deservedly took the lead when Dani Alves chipped the ball to the adventurous centre-back Benatia who controlled it on his chest and smashed his shot past Donnarumma from close range. Milan hit back against the run of play, as Gerard Deulofeu counter-attacked up the left wing and played in Bacca who poked the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon to equalise on 43 minutes. The Rossoneri grew into the game in the second half but it was Juventus who had the better of the chances with Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic and Pjaca going close. The final moments proved the most exciting as first Sosa saw red in the 93rd minute for a bad tackle on Kwadwo Asamoah. Two minutes later Gonzalo Higuain's bicycle kick was inches wide and he then saw another shot tipped away by Donnarumma. Then came De Sciglio's handball and Dybala kept his nerve to slot his penalty past 18-year-old Donnarumma to spark wild celebrations. Match ends, Juventus 2, Milan 1. Second Half ends, Juventus 2, Milan 1. Goal! Juventus 2, Milan 1. Paulo Dybala (Juventus) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top left corner. Penalty conceded by Mattia De Sciglio (Milan) with a hand ball in the penalty area. Attempt saved. Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dani Alves. Attempt missed. Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Leonardo Bonucci with a cross. Second yellow card to José Sosa (Milan) for a bad foul. Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by José Sosa (Milan). Substitution, Milan. Leonel Vangioni replaces Lucas Ocampos. Attempt missed. Miralem Pjanic (Juventus) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick. Substitution, Juventus. Moise Kean replaces Marko Pjaca. José Sosa (Milan) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Paulo Dybala (Juventus) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by José Sosa (Milan). Sami Khedira (Juventus) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Sami Khedira (Juventus). Andrea Bertolacci (Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Paulo Dybala (Juventus) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Andrea Bertolacci (Milan). Attempt blocked. José Sosa (Milan) right

Summary: Paulo Dybala scored a 97th-minute penalty to give Juventus a dramatic win over AC Milan and extend their lead at the top of Serie A to 11 points.


The planned hub, which is still at the consultation stage, will be at the Europa bus centre/Great Victoria Street railway station. The two stations are the busiest in Belfast, with about eight million passengers a year passing through them. It is expected that figure will rise to 13 million in the next 14 years. Translink described the Belfast Hub as a "transport-led regeneration project" which will consist of a "world-class transport interchange and surrounding masterplan development". The site would cover 20 acres from the stations to the Royal Victoria Hospital. Half of that would be used for an integrated transport hub and the other half would be open to commercial development. Over the past 18 months, Translink has engaged with local stakeholders to help shape the development proposals and said this latest stage "invites the public to share their views on the proposals". Launching the public consultation, Translink group chief executive, Chris Conway, said: "The Belfast Hub will ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to attract more people to use public transport and active travel modes, supporting a key outcome of the draft programme for government. "Along with other key projects, it will enable a transformation in public transport making a positive impact for everyone in Northern Ireland. "Identified as one of the NI Executive's flagship projects, this impressive new facility will act as a catalyst for regeneration in one of the special action areas designated in Belfast City Council's city centre and regeneration strategy, providing new jobs, investment opportunities and supporting the growth and prosperity of NI." The public can contribute to the consultation in the following ways: The consultation stage is open until 2 December. Translink said a further consultation will take place in 2017 before a planning application is submitted.

Summary: Translink is consulting the public on proposals for a new transport hub in Belfast city centre.


Perry, 19, made his first team debut in the Football League Trophy in August before playing in the 1-0 win over Grimsby in the FA Cup in November. The Liverpool-born midfielder came through the Wanderers' academy and was a regular in the club's Under-23 side. However, Bolton, who were promoted from League One last season, have released full-back Callum Spooner.

Summary: Young midfielder Alex Perry has signed a first professional contract with Championship side Bolton Wanderers.


The rally followed sharp rises in European markets, which came after France and Germany proposed a fiscal union ahead of a summit on 9 December. A union would mean binding limits on eurozone government borrowing. Markets hope that the agreement will open the way for the European Central Bank to bail out Italy and Spain. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rose 2.6% to 11,523.01 points, while the broader S&P 500 index rose 2.9% to 1,192.57 points. US markets were also helped by data suggesting that recent consumer spending has been strong. The US National Retail Federation said sales during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend climbed 16% to a record $52.4bn. In Europe, the FTSE closed up 2.8%, Germany's Dax was 4.6% higher and France's Cac added 5.4%, led by banks and other financial stocks. These gains followed strong rises in Asian markets overnight. The stock market rally came despite ratings agency Moody's warning that the eurozone crisis threatens the credit rating of all the bloc's members. Moody's said the eurozone could still face a number of shocks as countries struggled with high debt levels, denying them access to markets and requiring further bailouts. "This would very likely cause those countries' ratings to be moved into speculative [junk] grade in view of the solvency tests that would likely be required and the burden-sharing that might be imposed if, as is likely, support were to be needed for a sustained period," Moody's said in its report. On plans for fiscal union, the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, said his government was working closely with the French on the proposal. "We are working intensively for the creation of a stability union," he said in a statement. "That is what we want to secure through treaty changes, in which we propose that the budgets of member states must observe debt limits." The minister acknowledged on Sunday that it may not be possible to get necessary treaty changes agreed by all 27 European Union members states. In the UK, Conservative backbench MPs in the coalition government have been demanding a referendum on the UK's EU membership as a condition of ratifying any new treaty, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will use it as an opportunity to demand new policy opt-outs from Brussels. There has been speculation that the 17 eurozone governments may go it alone - passing separate bilateral agreements on the new fiscal rules, thereby avoiding the need for EU treaty changes, and circumventing a UK veto. The unprecedented move comes as many eurozone governments, including Italy and Spain, have faced sharply rising borrowing costs in nervous financial markets. "We are in an economic war with a number of powerful speculators who have decided that the end of the euro is in their interest," claimed the French Agriculture Minister Brun Le Maire on Monday. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News The price for the Italian government of borrowing remains prohibitively high. Which implies that even if the Italian government isn't talking to the IMF about financial support, it may only be a

Summary: Wall Street rebounded from seven days of losses on hopes that eurozone leaders will stitch together a new deal to help the bloc's ailing economies.


It is called Project Pilgrim - with £4m of the funding coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund - its aim is to improve the medieval building's facilities. The proposals include building a new glass entrance, replacing the car park with a public space and installing solar panels on the Nave roof. Project Pilgrim manager Anne Cranston said it was to "make sure the building is here for future generations". Ms Cranston said: "From the city's point of view, there's so much regeneration going on in Gloucester and the cathedral is such an important tourist destination, we need to really work out what we can do to help with that." She said the first thing people would see on site would be archaeologists to "reassure ourselves we're not going to disturb anything vitally significant". "That's a very deliberate step on our part so that we don't hold up the rest of the construction programme. That'll just end up adding to the cost if we end up having to get the builders sitting there twiddling their thumbs," she said. She said the "expensive" project had been funded completely by grants - as well as the Heritage Lottery Fund, other organisations included the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral, the Somerfield Trust and many individuals. The project is expected to take three years to complete.

Summary: A £6m project to renovate Gloucester Cathedral has begun.


The entertainer's funeral will take place on Thursday 20 August at St Mary's Church in the suburb of Woolton. The Right Reverend Thomas Williams, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool and former Parish Priest of St Anthony's, Scotland Road, will officiate. Black, who emerged from the city's music scene to find fame in the 1960s before becoming a TV host, died after having a stroke at the age of 72. After the funeral, her body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried. Her late husband and manager, Bobby Willis, was cremated in 1999. The late entertainer's representative said further details would be released "once all the preparations have been finalised". A statement said: "Once again the family have asked for their privacy to be continually respected at this difficult time." The Blind Date and Surprise Surprise host died of a stroke after falling over at her Spanish home earlier this month.

Summary: Cilla Black is to be buried in her home city of Liverpool next week.


Based on the true story of the sinking of the Essex in 1820, the film, In the Heart of the Sea, portrays the whale as a merciless monster that pushes its shipwrecked victims to the brink of madness. Did such a terrifying creature ever exist? Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution say it probably did - but 15 million years ago. They've identified an ancient genus of sperm whale that, unlike its modern cousins, had enormous teeth. "Modern sperm whales only have teeth in their lower jaw, partly because their main food source is squid," says Alex Boersma, lead author of the new research published in the open access journal PLoS One. "To see a fossil sperm whale like ours that has these big prominent teeth in both the lower and upper jaws suggests they were feeding on something very different - possibly other marine animals." The fossil was part of a collection amassed in the 1920s by Remington Kellogg, a palaeontologist who helped introduce protections for whales and became the first chairman of the International Whaling Commission. The specimen was placed in the vast stores of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington where staff noticed that the label was incorrect. It said the bones belonged to an extinct walrus instead of a sperm whale. Confusion reigned until 90 years later when Nick Pyenson, the curator of fossil marine mammals and research co-author, decided to take another look. But examining the fossil posed its own problems. It weighed around 300 pounds (140kg) and was thoroughly encased in rock. "We could see places where people had tried to excavate the bone and where it had gone wrong because it's very hard to do," says Pyenson. Fortunately, a relatively recent tool to science made things easier. The fossil was scanned using lasers and the 3D data taken from the surface enabled the two scientists to study detailed digital models that could be rotated without having to move the rock itself. "This specimen is huge and the first time we rolled it over to see the underside, it took four people and we sacrificed a couple of fingers," says Boersma. "Having that 3D model was crucial." It was also critical to establishing the fact that the fossil contained upper teeth. "The discovery was pretty late on in the process and we had already written most of the manuscript," says Boersma. "We were looking at the computer model and talking over the phone and Nick said, 'I think it has upper teeth'. "We had to re-evaluate our paper which was exciting and stressful at the same time because it opened up our research to new possibilities and was the moment we realised that this whale was different to anything else in the fossil records." And although the fossil was incomplete and fragmented, the 3D models also helped Boersma create artistic impressions of what it may have looked like in the flesh. "This is where art meets science," says Pyenson. "3D lets you be creative and work with the resources you have in a very

Summary: In Hollywood's version of the events that inspired the classic novel Moby Dick, a giant sperm whale terrorises the crew of a whaling ship and eventually destroys the vessel.


The Electoral Commission said the wording proposed by ministers - "should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?" - could be perceived as biased to the status quo. It has proposed adding the words "or leave the European Union?" The government has said it will accept the changes although the final decision will be made by Parliament. However, the development has been welcomed by those campaigning to exit the EU. The vote on the UK's membership of the European Union is due to take place before the end of 2017. If the changes were made the options for voters in the referendum would be "Remain a member of the European Union" or "Leave the European Union" rather than the Yes/No options in the existing wording. The watchdog said it was recommending the rethink after consulting members of the public, campaigners and academics. While in its current form, the question was "easy for people to understand and answer", the watchdog said that by only setting out the "remain" option and the "yes" response, it could "encourage voters to consider one response more favourably than the other" - that option being the status quo. This, it warned, could potentially raise issues about the legitimacy of the eventual result, particularly in the eyes of those campaigning to leave the EU. The amended question, it argued, "would not cause comparable concerns about neutrality, whilst also being easily understood". "Any referendum question must be as clear as possible so that voters understand the important choice they are being asked to make," said its chair Jenny Watson. "We have tested the proposed question with voters and received views from potential campaigners, academics and plain language experts." "Whilst voters understood the question in the Bill some campaigners and members of the public feel the wording is not balanced and there was a perception of bias. "The alternative question we have recommended addresses this. It is now for Parliament to discuss our advice and decide which question wording should be used." Ms Watson said it was standard practice for the watchdog to recommend changes to referendum questions and it showed the process was working normally. MPs will consider the issue when they return from their summer recess next week as part of legislation paving the way for the vote. But ministers said they would table changes to the EU Referendum Bill to enact the new wording. "The prime minister's objective has always been clear - to give people a very clear and simple choice," a No 10 spokeswoman said. "We believe that will still be achieved with the recommendation from the Electoral Commission today." UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the change was welcome, tweeting: "I'm in no doubt that the Yes/No offering was leading to great confusion and that Remain or Leave is much clearer. That, combined with a more explicit question, is the right direction of travel." Should the wording be changed, it will cast doubt on the approach of the embryonic Yes and No campaigns. Although the campaigns have yet to be formally launched, it

Summary: The elections watchdog has recommended a change to the question to be put to voters in a future EU referendum.


Greg Docherty volleyed Accies in front after Alexandre D'Acol's header was blocked following a free-kick. Saints goalkeeper Zander Clark saved well to deny Docherty a second, then at the other end Danny Swanson hit the bar. Liam Craig equalised in the final 10 minutes when he pounced on the rebound from Blair Alston's shot. St Johnstone rang the changes in the wake of their Betfred League Cup defeat by Aberdeen but were forced into another switch early in the game. Richard Foster was injured with just a minute gone and could not continue. He was replaced by Aaron Comrie. All that on top of the fact they were missing Steven McLean, who does not play on synthetic surfaces. The incentive was there for both clubs - a win would have taken Saints second - but you would not have believed that given the opening spell. Media playback is not supported on this device The goalmouth thrills were slow in coming although Graham Cummins was left totally unmarked on the end of a free-kick from the left side, only to screw his header beyond the right-hand post of the Accies keeper. Remi Matthews, though, was not quite as comfortable with a low shot from Craig which he spilled, only to be rescued by a team-mate. But then work from the training ground undid St Johnstone. Ali Crawford floated a free-kick for D'Acol to head back across the goal. A Saints head won the second ball but it fell only for Docherty, who lashed it into the net. It was his first goal of the season. And moments later Docherty was the hero again, clearing off the line a goalbound header from Joe Shaughnessy. Now the game was alive. The players had to endure pounding rain in the second half but it encouraged pace on the plastic pitch and Swanson capitalised with flashes of class, including a double nutmeg which set up a Saints chance. Accies, too, knew how to play the conditions. Dougie Imrie zipped a shot across the goal which was a hair's breadth away from a touch from Eamonn Brophy on the slide. The game ebbed and flowed until its death, but you did feel a Saints equaliser was coming. Alston nearly grabbed it, but Matthews denied him with a spectacular save, only for the rebound to be driven into the net from the edge of the box with great composure. Both sides went in hunt of a late winner at the end of a second half which was both entertaining and competitive, but a draw was just about right. Hamilton's Martin Canning: "There wasn't a lot in it and in the second half they had us pinned back a bit. "But it's been the story of the season for us so far; we have a great opportunity to go 2-0 up and we don't take it. "I feel like I'm repeating myself. The guys are putting in a lot of work but we are not putting the ball in the net enough." St Johnstone's Tommy Wright: "I didn't think we

Summary: Hamilton moved off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership but had to settle for a point at home to St Johnstone.


A motion supporting the name change was passed at a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council on Thursday. The council will now write to the environment minister to seek clarification on how to go about the change. All previous attempts to change the name have failed. The London prefix was added to Derry when the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James I in 1613. In 1984, the name of the nationalist-controlled council was changed from Londonderry to Derry City Council, but the city itself continues to be officially known as Londonderry. The issue was addressed in the High Court in 2007 when the judge ruled that only legislation or Royal prerogative could change the city's name. On Thursday, Sinn Féin councillor Eric McGinley brought the motion to the council. "In the previous Derry City Council there was a clear policy to change the official name of the city back to Derry. "Unfortunately that proposal was defeated by the DUP and SDLP so we're simply revisiting the issue and yesterday's decision now seeks again to change the official name." Mr McGinley added that the proposal was not about airbrushing London from the history of the city. "We have a clear view that the city needs a clear brand, one single name, one single identity would help promote the city around the world." DUP councillor David Ramsey said the motion was simply another attempt to stir up tensions. "If republican and nationalists politicians in the city are serious about equality and a shared future we should be celebrating our connection with London. "We should also be celebrating our diversity of our British and Irish cultures and history which includes the historical name Londonderry after the stonemasons who built the city. "It creates sectarian tension and how does this reflect upon the nationalist republican goal to achieve a shared future?" DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton condemned the proposal and claimed Sinn Féin had introduced it to distract from their "illogical position on welfare which is taking £2m per week away from frontline services". He said the matter had already been ruled upon by the courts. "In 2007, Mr Justice Weatherup ruled that the city charter could only be changed by prerogative or legislation," he added. "The council is irrelevant to the name of the city. "Therefore no matter how much Sinn Féin want to change the name of the city, they know that they cannot." Ulster Unionist councillor William McCandless said the "official name of the city is Londonderry". He said it was a name that "unites the two communities - London for the British tradition and Derry for the Irish tradition". "Indeed many unionists are quite prepared to use 'Derry' as a shorthand term in everyday speech, but they are in no doubt that for official purposes the full name of the city is Londonderry," he added.

Summary: A proposal by Sinn Féin to change the official name of Londonderry to Derry has been described as "sectarian" by unionists.


Thomas Anthony Carlin was dressed in uniform as he attended Belfast's Royal Courts of Justice again on Thursday. He declined to apologise for his actions at an earlier hearing. He also rejected an offer of legal representation and asked to have a jury decide on his behaviour towards Lord Justice Gillen. But another judge refused his request, instead listing the case to be heard by him next week. Mr Justice Horner said: "I'm going to arrange for a trial to take place on this issue of whether or not there has been contempt in the face of the court. "I will hear it, there will not be a jury." He also warned the policeman that, if found guilty, he could be fined or sent to prison. Mr Carlin's alleged outburst came at the end of a ruling in a house repossession case in the High Court on Tuesday. The 43-year-old had been representing himself in the legal battle with Santander bank over a property in County Antrim. At the end of the hearing, he allegedly got up and moved towards the bench, claiming he was going to arrest Lord Justice Gillen. Security and court staff intervened before he was led from the courtroom. He was arrested on suspicion of two counts of common assault, but subsequently released without charge. The Police Ombudsman was also notified. Mr Carlin is alleged to have interrupted proceedings without justification, refused to resume his seat, approached the presiding judge, threatened to arrest him without lawful excuse and physically interfered with a court tipstaff. He had been given until Thursday to secure a lawyer, apologise and provide an explanation for his behaviour. But shortly after entering the courtroom again, Mr Carlin made his position clear. He told Mr Justice Horner: "I believe for me to apologise to the court would be abandoning my defence." The offer of legal assistance from a law firm that deals with the Police Federation was also turned down. Mr Carlin further said: "I acted in my capacity as a police officer, I believed a crime had been committed (and) it was outrageous in nature. "I believe the tipstaff and court staff who intervened... obstructed me in the execution of my duty." At one stage Mr Justice Horner asked if he denied the alleged behaviour set out in writing. "I completely dispute those facts," the officer replied. The judge then cautioned him: "You realise that should you be found guilty of contempt in the face of the court you will be liable for a number of penalties including imprisonment." Mr Carlin responded that he would comply with the findings of a jury. However, he was told to turn up on Monday for a trial to be decided by Mr Justice Horner alone.

Summary: A policeman who allegedly approached one of Northern Ireland's most senior judges and threatened to arrest him is to go on trial for contempt of court.


Luckily, Nikos Giannopoulos knew exactly what that something would be when he walked into the Oval Office: a fan. And thanks to that one, rather unusual object, the photo of the special education teacher, the US president and the first lady has gone viral. The 29-year-old had travelled to Washington from his home after being named Rhode Island Teacher of the Year. Along with teachers from every state, he was invited to the White House to meet Donald Trump - and he made very specific decisions about what to wear. In a Facebook post, he revealed he wore a rainbow pin, in "gratitude to the LGBTQ community", a blue jacket and black fan to "celebrate the joy and freedom of gender nonconformity", and an anchor necklace in honour of the Rhode Island. It was the fan - which belonged to Mr Giannopoulos's partner - which really stole the show. He told NPR that, despite the president's immediate appreciation for the fan, which he praised as "stylish", Mr Giannopoulos was told by White House staff to put it away for the official picture. But he decided to quietly keep it by his side until it was time for the photo. "I just asked the president, 'Do you mind if I use the fan for the photo?' He said, 'Absolutely go for it.' So I popped my fan and did my pose." The result? A viral photo which has been "liked" thousands of times.

Summary: It takes a certain something to steal the limelight when standing next to the world's most powerful man.


Some 2.1 million Audis affected worldwide include 1.42 million in western Europe, with 577,000 in Germany, and almost 13,000 in the US. Czech-based Skoda said 1.2 million of its cars were involved, but has yet to give a country or model breakdown. Separately, German prosecutors started a probe against VW's former boss. Former chief executive Martin Winterkorn will be investigated over "allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data," German authorities said on Monday. The Audi models affected include the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5 models, a spokesman told the Reuters news agency. VW said last week that 11 million cars within the group could be affected. The scandal was revealed after the US Environmental Protection Agency found that some diesel cars were fitted with devices that could detect when the engine was being tested and could change the car's performance to improve results. The German company apologised for breaching consumers' trust, and on Friday announced that Matthias Mueller was replacing Martin Winterkorn as chief executive. Mr Mueller promised a "relentless" investigation to uncover what went wrong. There were also unconfirmed reports on Monday that senior R&D heads working across the car group had been suspended. Reuters said the suspensions involved staff from the Audi, Porsche and the VW brands. Meanwhile, Volkswagen shares continued to fall, closing down 7.3%. They are now down about a third since the scandal broke. The scandal has badly tarnished VW's name, left it exposed to up to $18bn in US fines, and wiped a third off its stock market value in a week. German authorities have demanded that VW set out a timeline by 7 October on how it will ensure its diesel cars meet national emission standards without using cheat technology. There were widespread German media reports at the weekend that the government ignored warnings two years ago that VW was using the software. However, on Monday, a government spokesman denied this. 11 million Vehicles affected worldwide â‚¬6.5bn Set aside by VW $18bn Potential fines No. 1 Global carmaker in sales I'm a VW owner - what should I do? What next for VW? Car emissions tests: Not fit for purpose? VW boss Winterkorn's highs and lows VW scandal explained

Summary: Audi and Skoda say they have a total of 3.3 million cars fitted with the software that allowed parent company Volkswagen to cheat US emissions tests.


Euan Walker also let a yacht float out into the North Sea. He pleaded guilty to wilful fire-raising, wilful fire-raising to danger of life, and reckless behaviour between 16 and 20 March in Musselburgh. The 29-year-old was jailed for 20 months when he appeared for sentence at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. The court heard the most serious incident happened in a car park in Musselburgh's Mall Avenue. Damien Witowski returned to his Fiat Camper van at about 20:00 on 20 March and went to sleep. At about 00:05, another motorist driving past saw the van on fire and phoned the fire service. The blaze was extinguished and it was found that Mr Witowski "had actually slept throughout the incident". Defence advocate, Lily Prais, told Sheriff Fiona Tait her client had turned to alcohol and drugs after separating from his girlfriend. He had struggled to come to terms with his behaviour, she said, which was entirely out of character. He had shown genuine remorse and had been completely unaware there had been anyone in the camper van. Walker, she said, had never been in trouble before and was now living with his family in Edinburgh, who were very supportive. Sheriff Tait told Walker that given the nature of the charges and, in particular the charge involving the camper van in which Mr Witowski had "fortunately escaped", a custodial sentence was inevitable.

Summary: A man has been jailed for setting fire to six cars in East Lothian, including a camper van in which a man was sleeping.


Henrique Capriles said 37% of the 195,000 signatures needed to trigger the next phase of the recall referendum were collected on the first day. Those who endorsed the petition have until Friday to have their identity checked. Mr Maduro's term runs until 2019. But the opposition wants to oust President Maduro, whom they blame for Venezuela's economic problems, before the end of his term. Venezuela is in the midst of an economic crisis which has brought the South American country to the brink of collapse. What has gone wrong in Venezuela? Chavez backer decries anarchy It has the world's highest inflation rate and chronic shortages of basic food and medicine. Mr Capriles said the massive presence of voters on the first day of the validation process was a clear sign that Venezuelans wanted a change of government. "What we saw today were queues across the country," said Mr Capriles on Monday night. "That's a warning for Maduro." Those who endorsed the petition will have until Friday to have their identity cards and fingerprints checked at centres set up by the National Electoral Council (CNE). The petition had almost two million signatures but election officials said 600,000 of those were fraudulent. Only 1% of the electorate, or 194,729 voters, however, need to endorse the referendum in this first phase. Mr Capriles said 71,557 signatures had been authenticated on Monday alone. But the opposition still has to overcome a number of hurdles before a recall referendum can be held. If enough signatures on this initial petition are validated, opposition leaders will have to hand in a second petition signed by almost four million people. Only when the electoral authorities have established that the requirements have been met on that second petition will the recall referendum be held.

Summary: The process of validating signatures on a petition calling for a referendum to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from office is proceeding apace, an opposition leader says.


Steven Preston went missing on 18 September 1992 from his home in Wirral. New information suggests Mr Preston, then 23, may have "been murdered and buried in a specific area near junction 5 of the M53", said Supt Ian Hassall. Officers are carrying out an "extensive land search" in the Eastham area of Wirral, Merseyside Police said. Supt Hassall said Mr Preston was last seen by his mum, Isobel, as "he waved from his bedroom window to her when she left for work at 08:45" BST from their home in Heath Road, Bebington. "Isobel said there had been no arguments and Steven had left home without his jacket or prescription for medication he was on", he said. He was reported missing five days later but was never found. "Today a painstaking search is being carried out following information recently obtained by detectives, which suggest that Steven may have been murdered and buried in a specific area of land near to junction 5 of the M53 motorway", Supt Hassall added. Mr Preston's sister, Jane, said she was "anxious to find out what happened to her brother after all these years." She said he was "a gentle, kind and funny lad" who "didn't have a nasty bone in him." "He adored my mum and it destroyed her when he disappeared. She knew instantly that he wouldn't have just left and never contact her again and that something awful must have happened to him", she said. Supt Hassall appealed for information, saying: "Sadly, Steven's mother, Isobel, and half-brother, Michael Connolly have died since his disappearance, never knowing what had happened to him. "A young man in 20s doesn't just leave home and vanish into thin air. Somebody, somewhere must know where he is, or what happened to him."

Summary: New information suggests a man who disappeared almost 25 years ago may have been killed and buried on land in Merseyside, police say.


Bashir Naderi, 20, has lived in Wales for 10 years, after his mother paid traffickers to bring him to the UK. His deportation was temporarily halted by a judge hours before he was due to board the plane in October and a 14,000-signature petition was handed into the Home Office in January. But girlfriend Nicole Cooper said they are "devastated" his leave to remain in the UK has been refused. She added their solicitor delivered the news on Wednesday but the couple are still waiting to see the Home Office documents. The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases. "I was in work and my mum rang me at 3pm to say the solicitor had contacted Bash," Miss Cooper told BBC Wales. "We had a call from the solicitor giving more detail, she was in London. It was that he hadn't been granted leave by the Home Office. We're waiting to see the document she received. "Bash's solicitor is still fighting this, there are grounds for another appeal." Mr Naderi fled from Afghanistan at the age of 10 after his father was killed by the Taliban. He went to school in Cardiff and speaks with a local accent. "He's not taken it well," added Miss Cooper. "He is devastated and has been upset about the whole thing. "We genuinely weren't expecting it, we thought we had a good chance." Among the thousands of people to sign the petition were Welsh singers Charlotte Church and Cerys Matthews, as well as local MP Jo Stevens.

Summary: A bid to stop a Cardiff man from being deported to Afghanistan has failed.


The two-time Olympian, 38, told BBC Sport the country must be punished over its ongoing doping crisis. "The scale, co-ordination and leadership of a doping system like this is arguably the most heinous crime possible against the Olympic movement," said the former skeleton racer. "So, somewhat reluctantly, I am led to one conclusion: exclusion from Rio." Many Great Britain Olympic and Paralympic stars have endorsed a letter sent by The Times to the IOC urging the organisation to ban Russia from Rio. The signatories include swimmer Rebecca Adlington, 400m hurdler Sally Gunnell, long jumper Lynn Davies and 11-time Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. The letter, which was organised by the newspaper, has been sent to the IOC's executive board, which will make the decision on whether to have a blanket ban on Russia's participation. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has already excluded Russia's track and field team from the Games. Pengilly, a member of the IOC's Athletes' Commission and one of four British IOC members, conceded: "I say reluctantly [that Russia should be banned] because there are very probably clean Russian athletes, and they will suffer, and this is nothing short of terrible. "It's an incredibly tough decision. There's no fair outcome for everyone." But he insisted: "The Russian flag should not be flown at the Rio Olympic Games." In 2013 Pengilly received praise for raising the issue of doping before the vote to decide a host of the 2020 Games, questioning both Spain and Turkey during their bid presentations in Buenos Aires. Russia could face a blanket ban after a damning report compiled by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren claimed it operated a state-sponsored doping programme from 2011 to 2015. The IOC is exploring "legal options" before deciding whether to implement "a collective ban" on all Russian competitors for the global showpiece, which starts on 5 August. A decision by its executive board could come on Sunday. "Clean athletes, the Olympic Games and the wider Olympic movement have been mocked," Pengilly said. "However, Russia is an important sporting nation - we want and need them fully involved in the future, but only when they can do it cleanly. "Therefore, I firmly believe that we should offer support and assistance to the Russian Federation so they can escape from this ugly culture and cycle." Russia will find out in August if it is to be banned from the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has "opened suspension proceedings" following the publication of the McLaren report earlier this week. Paralympian David Weir has accused the IPC of being "naive" in their handling of doping allegations. The wheelchair athlete, who won four golds at London 2012, told BBC Sport: "It looks like they are being naive and maybe thought that Paralympians don't cheat, but they are all public funded and there are sponsors so if you want that margin gain maybe you will cheat. "The IPC should have put their foot down straight away." Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev said he was "saddened" by the "unacceptable" prospect of

Summary: Russia should be banned from Rio 2016, says British International Olympic Committee member Adam Pengilly.


Laird shot a second round 68 in San Diego to stay within reach of KJ Choi and Gary Woodland, who were nine under. England's Rose and Paul Casey missed the cut by a shot, along with American and world number four Rickie Fowler. American Mickelson was a further shot behind, while Australia's defending champion Day missed out by three. World number two Day's preparations were hampered by illness and the he missed the cut for the first time in nearly eight months. Mickelson finished with three straight bogeys as his challenge was ended. "I think I tried to force the issue a little bit," he said. "When I wasn't under par early, I kind of started to press a little bit. But that stuff happens."

Summary: Scotland's Martin Laird moved to within two shots of the lead as Jason Day, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose missed the cut at the Farmers Open.


The pair, co-founders of the Leon restaurant chain, led a government commissioned independent review of school food, published two years ago. Their report formed the basis of revised rules on school dinners in England, brought in earlier this year. John Vincent said the aim was to bring about a cultural change in schools. It was vital to boost the uptake of school dinners to promote "a virtuous cycle of quality" and simply changing the rules on what could be served was not enough, said Mr Vincent. Introducing free school meals for all infant pupils and more cookery lessons in schools would help, he argued, but "treating individual children as customers, sorting out the queues and making the food great", were key. Ultimately the pair believe better nutrition in schools will help both boost attainment and improve the nation's health. Mr Vincent called the work "a massive privilege and a character building task". "This recognition is a tribute to all of the people who work hard every day to provide health, pleasure and improved attainment to our children," he said. In 2012 the pair were asked to examine nutrition in England's schools and suggest improvements. Their School Food Plan, was published a year later. Mr Dimbleby said they had become involved at a time when improvements in school catering were already under way. A campaign fronted by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver had already brought about changes to the quality of food served in English schools - but less than half of children actually ate them, with many preferring packed lunches of variable nutritional quality. Their current aim is to showcase best practice in school catering and bring about "a golden age for school food". "I think it's reflective of the fact that the sector, which used to work quite disparately, doing lots of good things, has really come together and there's an amazing, positive, constructive atmosphere of improvement across the country," said Mr Dimbleby. "I think the MBE is recognition of that, rather than anything John and I have done." Mr Dimbleby said he was always impressed by what he saw when he went into schools. "There's real change happening, in five years time the whole sector will be completely transformed." Under the new rules, which came into force in January, meals must include at least one portion of vegetables or salad every day and no more than two portions of fried foods or pastry-based foods a week. The regulations are mandatory for local authority schools as well academies set up before 2010 or after June 2014. However academies set up between 2010 and June 2014 are exempt, a source of frustration to campaigners. The government maintains it has encouraged these academies to sign up voluntarily to the new standards and that hundreds have already done so. In total, about 11% of recipients on the honours list have been recognised for their work in the education sector. Others include Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, who becomes a CBE. Among the 30 head teachers on the list are Nicholas Weller, executive principal

Summary: Restaurateurs Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent have been made MBEs in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for their work in improving school lunches.


The England Under-19 international had a medical on Friday and agreed a five-year deal with the Premier League club. The 18-year-old will start pre-season with the Reds but is expected to go out on loan, with Championship side Derby thought to be interested. "It's a dream come true. It's a bit surreal and it hasn't really hit me yet. But I'm buzzing and just excited to get started," said Gomez. "The club has got great history, it's a great club and one that I've always been following from when I was young. "Here was somewhere I wanted to go and get better and learn, and play good football. It was an easy decision." Gomez won the 2014 European Championship in Malta with the England Under-17 side. He made 24 appearances for Charlton last season and is the Anfield club's fourth summer signing, after midfielder James Milner, striker Danny Ings and goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.

Summary: Liverpool have signed highly rated Charlton defender Joe Gomez for £3.5m.


The proposal formed part of a public consultation by Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) into a shake-up of health services in the county. The plans have been criticised by opponents as "perverse logic". CCG chief officer Tim Goodson said all the responses to the consultation would be considered. Read more on this and other stories from across the south of England The consultation took into account 18,500 questionnaires, 2,000 people at drop-in sessions, 1,000 people interviewed over the phone and some paid focus groups. The most contentious element - to create a single special care baby unit (SCBU) covering the whole county for premature babies - was rejected by two-thirds of people. More than 25,000 people have already signed petitions against the closure of Kingfisher children's ward at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. Another proposal to offer planned care from a single hospital and emergency care at another was supported by half the respondents but people were split over whether the A&E should be at Bournemouth or at Poole. Councillor Alan Gordon of Crossways parish, near Dorchester, said: "This is part of a long succession of financial cuts to the health service and it's about time these cuts were reversed. This is perverse logic and what we should be thinking about is funding the health service properly." CCG chief officer Tim Goodson said: "We want to consider all the responses we've had and the strength of feeling by members of the public, not just on the paediatrics and SCBU issue but some of the community issues and around the acute care stuff." A final decision on the proposals will be made later this year.

Summary: Plans to cut children's hospital services in Dorchester and create a premature baby unit in east Dorset have been met with strong opposition.


At least 22 staff and patients were killed in the bombing in the city of Kunduz a week ago. The US has said the strike was a mistake and that it was trying to target Taliban insurgents. MSF has called the attack a war crime and called for an international committee to investigate. Those injured in the strike and the families of those killed are eligible for "condolence payments" from the US. "The Department of Defence believes it is important to address the consequences of the tragic incident at the MSF hospital," a Pentagon spokesman said. Funds will also be made available to repair the hospital, the Pentagon added. President Obama has apologised to the MSF president and the Afghan leader for the incident. MSF is still trying to trace more than 30 staff and patients who remain unaccounted for.

Summary: The Pentagon is to pay compensation for those killed and injured in a US strike on a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in northern Afghanistan.


The hope is that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will set up processing centres for people to apply for resettlement in the region. The centres would be located in several Central American countries. Over 68,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended by US immigration authorities in 2014. Violence and endemic poverty in several Central American countries have been driving migrants north to the US. Refugees cannot make applications for relocation while in their home country, so they must travel to neighbouring countries to apply for relocation to a third country. The hope is the processing centres would provide at least temporary safety while asylum claims were processed, and would mean people being relocated to other countries other than the US. "We are hopeful that this process can be an effective tool for assessing individuals' humanitarian relief claims and avoid a very dangerous journey to the United States," said a senior administration official. In recent days, the White House has been working behind the scenes to tamp down rebukes from members of the president's own party over deportation raids that took place over the holidays. The raids saw over 120 immigrants placed in line for deportation over New Year's weekend. Just hours before Mr Obama's final State of the Union address on Tuesday, more than 140 House Democrats signed a letter urging the administration to halt the raids. The official, speaking to the BBC, said the UN plan was not a reaction to this and had been in the works "for months". When asked if the raids would be suspended, the official said: "The administration's priorities for removal have not changed since 2014. The actions that occurred two weekends ago are consistent with those priorities we established in 2014." Each year, the US Congress establishes a cap for the number of refugees it would like to see resettled in the US each year. The current cap sits at 85,000 people from around the globe. By comparison, the crisis that peaked during the summer of 2014 saw over 68,000 unaccompanied children apprehended by US immigration authorities on the southern border over fiscal year 2014. Mr Biden has been a proponent of development projects for Central America, including asking Congress for $1bn for development projects in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Congress ultimately approved $750m as part of the massive budget passed in December. While less than what the Obama administration had asked for, the official said the funding was "substantial and that's going to make a significant difference here".

Summary: The US is looking to the United Nations for help in dealing with thousands of migrants fleeing to the US to escape violence in Central America.


The celebrated singer, who died in January aged 69, is joined by Adele, Calvin Harris, Coldplay and Jess Glynne on the five-strong shortlist. Adele was named British artist of the year in 2015, one of the two awards she won at last year's event. This year's awards, to be broadcast live on BBC One, will be held at the ExCel in London on 12 December. Bowie's nomination follows his surprise omission from the album of the year shortlist announced last month. Blackstar, his final release, had been tipped for inclusion but was shut out by Rick Astley's 50, Adele's 25 and three other titles. Kaiser Chiefs, Craig David, John Legend and Robbie Williams are among the performers at this year's ceremony. It was announced last week that pop singer Izzy Bizu will be crowned BBC Introducing artist of the year at the event. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: David Bowie has been posthumously nominated for the British artist of the year prize at the BBC Music Awards.


The 32-year-old has joined the Conference Premier leaders from Northampton on loan until the end of the season. "He'll come into the squad if his clearance [comes] through" said player-manager Andy Morrell. Artell has not played since October because of an Achilles injury. Despite his lack of games and with centre-half Martin Riley out with a hamstring injury, Morrell has not ruled out Artell starting should he eligible in time. "He hasn't played a game for a while but he's a good pro. He knows what to do, where to be on the pitch," Morrell added. Another midweek loan signing, striker Dele Adebola is available to make his debut after being granted international clearance. Wrexham will be without midfielder Jay Harris who has been handed a four-match suspension following his red card at Barrow. "We're going to miss Jay Harris for four games. It was a bit of a foolish thing to do with the state of the game," Morrell said. We'll pick a team that we think will go and beat Alfreton - another tough game "It happens, you've got to deal with it [and] it's a chance for someone else to stake a claim. "Kev [Kevin Thornton] did great [and] scored a goal [against Barrow] so more than likely he will be involved as will Glen [Little]. "We'll pick a team that we think will go and beat Alfreton - another tough game."

Summary: Wrexham are hopeful on loan defender David Artell will receive international clearance in time for Saturday's home game against Alfreton Town.


14 June 2016 Last updated at 08:14 BST The first is a slimmer version of its Xbox One console, the Xbox One S, which will launch in August. The second is Project Scorpio, which will offer virtual reality and 4K gaming, and will be released by Christmas 2017. E3 is a huge gaming show that happens every year and it's where lots of tech companies announce their latest games and consoles. BBC reporter Chris Foxx is at E3. He has what you need to know about the latest Xbox news...

Summary: Microsoft has announced two new Xbox consoles at the E3 gaming show in Los Angeles, America.


In October 2016 the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation began test excavations at the site in Tuam. The commission was established following allegations about the deaths of 800 babies in Tuam and the manner in which they were buried. It said it was "shocked" by the discovery. The Tuam home was one of 10 institutions in which about 35,000 unmarried pregnant women are thought to have been sent. A child died nearly every two weeks between the mid-1920s and 1960s. In a statement on Friday, the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation said the remains were found in "at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined earlier this year". It added: "These remains involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges from approximately 35 foetal weeks to two-three years." The home operated from 1925 to 1961 and a number of the samples are likely to date from the 1950s, the commission said. The commission said it is continuing its investigation into who was responsible for the disposal of human remains in this way and has asked that the relevant state authorities take responsibility for the appropriate treatment of the remains. The coroner has been informed.

Summary: "Significant quantities" of human remains have been discovered at the site of a former mother and baby home in County Galway.


Nicholas Edwards wrote to her in 1985 to complain about plans to cut the budget for regional development grants. The money was widely used to attract investment and jobs to Wales. The archives also show UK Treasury concern at overfunding of Scotland and Northern Ireland under the Barnett formula, a political issue to this day. In the mid-1980s, Wales secured one fifth of inward investment into the UK despite having only 5% of the population. But with the then Conservative government trying to cut public spending, the Treasury tried to cut back regional spending in England. That could have hit the Welsh Office budget and the secretary of state Nicholas Edwards joined his Scottish counterpart George Younger to protest. In a letter to the Treasury chief secretary (and fellow Welshman) Peter Rees - copied to the prime minister - Mr Edwards complained about the implications for his budget. He wrote: "I agree strongly with the points George Younger has made in his letter. They apply equally in the three territories. The political effects in Wales, as in Scotland, would be most damaging." Mr Edwards demanded to be present at meetings between the Treasury and Department for Trade and Industry when the issue was discussed. The archives do not record any reply and Mr Edwards - now Lord Crickhowell - cannot recall the episode. But, in another parallel with today's politics, the archives show Treasury concern at overfunding of Scotland and Northern Ireland under the so-called Barnett formula that is also used to calculate changes in the Welsh budget. Peter Rees, later Lord Rees of Goytre, wrote to Mrs Thatcher: "Even our predecessors never saw it as any more than a stop-gap arrangement on the road to political devolution, certainly not as the permanency it has now become. "Be that as it may, the block system is now publicly construed, in the territories, as apolitical entitlement to public expenditure. The longer we let it run the harder it becomes to challenge that perception, and the greater the risk of political repercussion when we do. " MP David Willetts, then a Downing Street adviser, wrote: "Scotland and NI have their snouts well and truly in the public expenditure trough. The challenge is to find a politically acceptable way of putting them on the same diet as the English." The files reveal that the Treasury considered suspending the formula. Mr Rees wrote to Mrs Thatcher: "The 'fallback' approach to securing savings is to suspend the operation of the comparability formulae for the Scottish and Northern Ireland blocks - though not for Wales, where over-provision is not suspected." Thirty years on, the UK political parties have vowed to keep the formula as part of a deal to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom. Mrs Thatcher's ministers considered launching the controversial poll tax in Wales before England, according to other files just released. The documents released by the National Archives also show Conservative government advisers feared a repeat of the 1984-85 miners' strike the following winter. They also revealed there were plans to hide art treasures in

Summary: Margaret Thatcher was warned by her Welsh Secretary that funding cuts would have "most damaging" political effects, newly-released UK cabinet papers show.


Media playback is not supported on this device One day, for Great Britain? Hell, in one hour, around one small oval of track in east London, British athletes won three golds in such dizzying, dreamlike succession that all context and precedent disappeared off into the dark London sky. You tried to grab a record book before they all got thrown on the bonfires. In the 16 Olympics from 1928 to 1996, only once did Britain win more than five golds in an entire Games. Not since 1908 had GB won five in a day, and that was an event so unrecognisable it included tug-of-war and real tennis. The greatest single hour, the best night, unarguably, in the long history of British athletics. The best day in British sport? It sounds like hyperbole, so apply what logic you have left. Saturday's medal count, taken just on its own, would constitute Great Britain's ninth most successful Olympic Games tally in 118 years of competition. In three different sports, by men and women, on water and on dry land, the golds kept on rolling in, roared on by partisan crowds at stadiums across the city and its hinterland and by millions on television, radio and electronica. From Eton Dorney to the velodrome at the north end of Stratford's Olympic Park to within toasty distance of the Olympic flame itself, there was the same expression on British faces: I can't believe I'm here, I can't believe I'm watching this. What do you have to compare it to? England's World Cup win in 1966 was precisely that - England's. So was Jonny Wilkinson's iconic drop-goal in Sydney nine years ago. Media playback is not supported on this device This one truly belonged to Britain - a collective grin of national pleasure, a domino-chain of sporting success that had you clapping and cheering new heroes like you'd loved them all their lives. The rowers had started the celebrations with gold in the men's four and the women's lightweight double sculls before track cycling's women team pursuiters added track cycling gold. That was quite good enough. But those lucky enough to be among the 80,000 at the athletics were about to hit the jackpot in quite unprecedented fashion. We knew after the morning's long jump and javelin that Jess Ennis would, barring pestilence and plagues of locusts, be crowned Olympic heptathlon champion. We hoped that Mo Farah might do what no British male had ever done and win a global 10,000m title. A few even lumped some cash on Greg Rutherford to win the long jump, although a gamble was exactly how it felt. That all three came off in 46 minutes left you laughing with disbelief at the madness of it all. When Britain failed to win a single track and field title. Having waited 104 years for an athletics gold, three arrived in the city in such quick succession that the waves of noise barely stopped rolling. When you looked up at one point and saw the women's 100m was about to start, there was genuine surprise.

Summary: There was a point in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening, at about 9.20pm, when you wanted to put the world on pause and just revel in it all for a moment before the next wonderful thing caught you round the chops.


In a letter to media buyers, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has threatened to strike from 2 May. It's to do with a row over pay - writers say they have been losing revenue in recent years, 23% in the last two years alone. Also, because so many series are getting shorter but writers contracts remain the same length, many of them find themselves locked into a contract without other work. "Should this [strike] occur, writing for television, feature films and digital series will cease," the letter says. This would be catastrophic for the major networks, which were hugely affected when the WGA went on strike for 100 days in 2007. Many TV networks struggled to fill their schedules, which led to an increase in repeats and reality TV shows. In light of the letter, five days of negotiations are due to begin on Monday. If they don't go well - loads of your favourite shows could become victims of the strike. Unlike the last time, many viewers will now be able to turn to streaming services to plug the gap in new content. However for traditional TV networks and film studios, a new strike would cause chaos. Shows which are unscripted, don't use union writers or have already wrapped filming, wouldn't generally suffer. But here are some examples of shows which would. The genre that would be impacted most immediately would be the live entertainment and late night chat shows. Unlike UK talk shows fronted by the likes of Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross air weekly, most US chat shows - which are also broadcast in the UK - air every night. As you can imagine, that requires a heck of a lot of material, and therefore a heck of a lot of writers. The likes of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon would struggle to stay on air. During the last strike, talk shows hosted by David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien all ran repeats instead of airing new programmes. Many stayed off air until the strike was over, while some returned and filled air time by ad-libbing or airing previously-recorded segments. O'Brien, Letterman and Jay Leno even started to pay some of their regular writers out of their own pockets to provide new material during the strike. In 2007, some networks stockpiled episodes to try and minimise the impact of the writers' strike. A few soap operas like Days of Our Lives and All My Children had their scripts completed to last them through to January, when the strike was due to end. Dramas such as The Wire and The Shield also completed filming their current seasons and so were unaffected. But others floundered. Some shows were cancelled altogether, despite having ended on a cliff hanger (you can imagine how viewers reacted to that). Others had their seasons cut short (Pushing Daisies), had new episodes delayed (24, Entourage) or their season length shortened (30 Rock, Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory). Many of the shows due to begin this summer

Summary: There could be another writers strike in the US - putting dozens of your favourite TV shows at risk.


The baby, named Sion by officers, was recovered from the River Taff on 23 June. It is believed he died at birth. The force said its main concern was to provide the mother with the emotional support she may need. Police also want to find Sion's mother so he can be "laid to rest with his family name". Det Insp Mark O'Shea said: "With the passing of time we hope that Sion's mother, or a family member, may feel more comfortable to come forward and enable us to support them and allow Sion to be laid to rest with his family name. "We understand that Sion's mother has been through a traumatic time and I can reassure you that we have professionals in place with specialist skills who can provide you with support." Suzanne Hardacre, head of midwifery at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said staff understood the mother might be frightened to come forward but urged her to get in touch. "We are here to help you. We have a range of health care professionals available to give you any emotional support or medical attention you may need. Any care you receive from us will be in total confidence." "Please contact us on this telephone number 02920 742679 anytime of the day or night, we want to make sure you are ok."

Summary: The mother of a newborn baby who was found dead in a Cardiff river has been urged to come forward as police say the boy will soon be buried.


The tech-heavy index rose 68 points, or 1.3%, to 5,132.95 Meanwhile the Dow Jones closed up 180 points, or 1% to 18,115 while the S&P jumped 21 points, or 1%, to 2,121.22 As traders digested the Federal Reserve's statement from Wednesday, they were encouraged by its insistence that rates will only be increased gradually. "The Fed's likely to raise rates later this year, but maybe not as aggressively as some market participants worried," said Michael Baele, managing director and senior portfolio manager at US Bank Private Client Reserve. The Nasdaq closing high was more than 25 points above its last record on 27 May. On the economic front, new figures showing an uptick in inflation and fewer jobless claims sketched a picture of modest improvement. US consumer prices registered their largest increase in two years on higher oil prices. The CPI rose 0.4% in May, after a 0.1% rise in April. The US Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 267,000 for the week ending 13 June. It was the 15th consecutive week that claims held below 300,000, a threshold usually associated with a firming labour market. In corporate news, shares in Martha Stewart Living, which owns the Martha Stewart publishing and homeware brands, jumped more than 20% on reports that Sequential Brands was close to buying it. Another company to do well was Harley Davidson, which rose more than 4%, after UBS upgraded the company. On the downside, technology giant Oracle shares dived more than 4% as it reported disappointed net income for the quarter.

Summary: (Close): US stock markets rallied on Thursday with the Nasdaq closing at a record high.


It sparked a major police operation in the town last week before the man was eventually traced in Scunthorpe. The public was warned not to approach the missing Midpark hospital patient and children kept in some schools. NHS Dumfries and Galloway said it would be looking at the circumstances of the incident and aim to "minimise the likelihood" of it being repeated. A statement from the health board confirmed it would be looking into how the patient had been able to abscond. "NHS Dumfries and Galloway have well established processes for undertaking reviews of incidents that occur," it said. "As per these guidelines, a review of the event will be undertaken." However, it said that there had been no immediate changes to operations at the unit. "NHS Dumfries and Galloway have well established standard operating procedures in place that are regularly reviewed in line with national legislation," said the statement. "However, no known changes have been made to the procedures following the event." The health board added that it would make every effort to avoid any similar incidents. "NHS Dumfries and Galloway can give assurance that standard operating procedures are in place and regularly reviewed to comply with national legislation around the treatment offered to patients, while maintaining a person-centred approach," concluded the statement. "The procedures will aim to minimise the likelihood of such an incident re-occurring."

Summary: A health board is to carry out a review after a patient absconded from a Dumfries mental health unit.


The musician was sued by Daniel Ramos after the photographer said West attacked him outside an LA airport. Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing Ramos, says the case has now been resolved a week before the trial was due to start. She has released a photo of the pair shaking hands and smiling. The lawsuit said that West attacked Ramos in 2013 after the paparazzo asked the rapper why he wouldn't talk to photographers. "Celebrities are not above the law, and they have no right to physically attack someone simply because they were asked a question," Allred wrote in a statement. Shawn Holley, West's lawyer, has not made a comment about the settlement. In a statement, Allred says the other details relating to the legal agreement will not be made public, but the apology was an important part of the deal. West, 37, pleaded no contest last year to misdemeanour battery over the attack. Misdemeanour generally means a less serious crime, while battery refers to any kind of unlawful physical contact. He remains on probation. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Kanye West has settled a lawsuit with a paparazzo with a handshake and an apology, the photographer's lawyer says.


The band were named best international artists, beating Eminem, Coldplay and Pharrell Williams. They also performed Steal My Girl at the ceremony in Sydney. Katy Perry and 5 Seconds Of Summer were also on red carpet selfie duty... to the max. See Liam trying to look happy, but not massively succeeding, in this Vine video (posted by 18styles). Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: One Direction posed for many MANY selfies at the Aria Awards in Australia before picking up yet another award.


A 70-year-old man infected with the mosquito-borne virus died in February, Puerto Rico's health secretary said. The US territory has recorded more than 600 Zika cases, with 73 of those involving pregnant women. Zika has been linked to severe birth defects, especially in Latin America, such as babies being born with under-developed brains. Health secretary Ana Rius said all 14 pregnant women infected with Zika who have given birth have healthy babies. Seventeen people on the island have been in hospital, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. Five are thought to have developed a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre because of Zika, although that link is unproven. Zika outbreak: What you need to know Would it be wrong to eradicate mosquitoes? "The patient died of complications related to severe thrombocytopenia," the CDC said. "Although Zika virus-associated deaths are rare, the first identified death in Puerto Rico highlights the possibility of severe cases, as well as the need for continued outreach to raise health care providers' awareness of complications that might lead to severe disease or death."

Summary: The first known death in the US to the Zika virus has been recorded in Puerto Rico, say health officials.


Donal Hassett, 57, was accused of acting as the property fixer using fake paperwork to rent four homes which were later turned into cannabis factories. He was convicted at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday of conspiring to produce cannabis. The prosecution described their drugs operation as an "organised, sophisticated drugs syndicate". Cannabis was produced between January 2015 and March 2016 in four properties across the West Country, the court heard. Hassett, of Southdown Road, Bath, was suspended from the Conservative Party when he was charged. He is currently an independent councillor. Conservative leader Tim Warren said in a statement on Wednesday that "the party, and he personally, felt very let down by Donal Hassett". A council spokesman said: "The council takes this matter extremely seriously. "We expect the highest standards from all our members and Cllr Hassett's behaviour falls far short of this." Hassett was remanded in custody until sentencing. Six others, five men and woman are due to be sentenced for their part in the drugs ring.

Summary: A Bath councillor has been found guilty of being involved in a cannabis drugs ring.


Tony Alliss died of gunshot wounds in woods near Stroud in 1991, following a long-running boundary dispute. His neighbours - father and son Terence and Graig Maule - were cleared of murder and a civil claim for damages against them also failed. Gloucestershire Police will see if there is any "compelling" new evidence that could lead to a reinvestigation. A spokesman said: "The case was last subject to a comprehensive review by the constabulary five years ago resulting in a complete revisit of the forensic and ballistic issues by experts. "Following the review the case was put before senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyers who decided the evidential test was not met." Mr Alliss's family have welcomed the development as they have campaigned for years for the case to be reopened. His sister-in-law Mary Alliss said she hoped it would lead to a full reinvestigation instead of "just a review of the same old evidence". A judge at Bristol Crown Court ruled in 1991 that there was no case to answer, clearing Terence and Graig Maule of involvement in the killing. Mr Alliss's son Leigh brought a civil action against the Maules in 2002, which was rejected by the High Court. His widow Marilyn and brother Bob called in 2008 for a "not decided" verdict to be introduced into English law.

Summary: Police are to review an investigation into the death of a man at his Gloucestershire farm 27 years ago.


The company's decision last week to grant the equivalent of a 50% pay rise to six top executives sparked outrage. Quebec's government agreed to a CA$1.34bn ($1bn; Â£800m) bailout in 2016, a year after it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "not pleased" with the pay hike. But he welcomed the change of heart. Protesters gathered outside the firm's headquarters in Montreal on Sunday, hours before Bombardier relented and said the rises would be deferred to 2020. They will be payable only if the firm achieved performance goals, it said. "Over the past 75 years, our fellow citizens have always been by our side," said Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare on Sunday night. "It is because of this deep relationship that we are sensitive to the public reaction to our executive compensation practices." He was one of the six executives who were set to receive payments of CA$43.7m ($32.6m; Â£26.1m) in 2016. That was up from CA$30m the year before, according to regulatory filings. Bombardier originally justified the pay increases as a necessary measure to retain top talent. But two Quebec cabinet ministers pressured the company last week to heed the backlash. The Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard tweeted that he was "satisfied" with Sunday's climb-down by the firm. The Quebec government last year invested CA$1.34bn in Bombardier's C-Series aircraft programme in return for a nearly 50% stake. In February, the federal government agreed to give the company CA$372.5m in interest-free loans. In 2016, Bombardier also announced lay-offs for 14,500 people, including about 20% of its workforce in Belfast. The redundancies came as the firm secured orders with Delta Air Lines and Air Canada and made its maiden commercial voyage with Swiss Air Lines.

Summary: Canadian plane and train manufacturer Bombardier has said it will defer some hefty executive pay increases following a public outcry.


John McGrogan, 65, of Blackridge, began abusing the girls when they were aged six and 11. The offences were committed between 1981 and 2005 at addresses in Edinburgh. The former playground supervisor was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. He was earlier placed on the sex offenders register. A judge heard how the victims finally revealed their ordeals in 2014 after McGrogan was convicted of child porn offences. Lord Burns told McGrogan he had "exploited" the duo for his own "gratification". He added the victim impact statements given to him had made "harrowing" reading. McGrogan will also be supervised for a further four years on his release. The first girl was aged 11 when she was raped. The other was attacked between the ages of six and 11. Both told how, during the abuse, McGrogan would try and spoil them by buying sweets or computer games. Tony Lenehan, defending said McGrogan's regret for what happened was "sincere".

Summary: A West Lothian pensioner who admitted raping two primary schoolgirls has been jailed for for eight and a half years.


There is a buoyancy about the Labour campaign at the moment, his public performances have improved, and his team believe he has more to gain than to lose from taking part in this big set-piece campaign event. And for today at least, it gives Labour a tactical advantage, ammunition to portray Theresa May as cowering and afraid of making her arguments. Tory sources say there is no chance that she will change her mind and join him in the last minute dash to the debate. One source said: "This election isn't about who can squabble with six other politicians - it's about who can negotiate against 27 other nations." But it makes her vulnerable to the charge that she is evading scrutiny, despite the fact that, like the other leaders, she has been taking regular questions from journalists and will take part in another big public Q&A on Friday night. It's the direct head-to-head debate with Jeremy Corbyn that she, just like David Cameron in 2015, has refused to take part in. Exactly as in the wider election campaign, the incumbent, the frontrunner has everything to lose, the insurgent opponent, everything to gain. Earlier I wrote that Jeremy Corbyn had nothing to lose in taking part in tonight's big debate, he is clearly enjoying being the insurgent in this campaign, with some of the polls tightening and his message getting a wider hearing. He has indeed, a lot to less to lose than the incumbent, Theresa May who is the frontrunner. But Labour sources also suggest he had an additional motivation. I'm told that Mr Corbyn and his team wanted to move on from a day of damaging headlines about his lack of grip on his childcare policy, "quick fast". His decision to take part after weeks of refusing to do so has certainly changed the subject. That's denied by sources close to the Labour leader, who say their feeling from Tuesday morning was to take part, but logistical issues meant that the team and Mr Corbyn weren't able to make the final decision until this morning.

Summary: After flirting with the idea for the last few weeks, Jeremy Corbyn's confirmed he will take part in the seven-way party leaders' debate tonight in Cambridge.


People living in Staffin were in dispute with landowners because of rent rises, insecurity of tenure and the eviction of families from land. The unrest was part of a wider period of land rights struggles known as the Crofters' War. Staffin Community Trust is working with Atlas Arts on the project. The organisations have selected sculptor Henry Castle and design collective, Lateral North, to work on the project to create a contemporary work of art. They were selected from more than 40 applications from all over the world. Lateral North's previous work includes a Scottish exhibition at the Venice International Architectural Biennale last year. It involved a virtual reality experience of Boreraig on Skye using mobile phones fitted inside mock animal heads Bath-born Castle is involved in a long-term project at Rubislaw Quarry in Aberdeen and, since early 2015, he has been working on a body of work to develop a site-specific sculpture at The Forest of Dean. Castle was elected to the Royal British Society of Sculptors earlier this year. Tom Smith of Lateral North and Castle visited Skye last week. Smith said: "We are delighted to be involved in a commission which represents such a significant period in the history of the Highlands and Islands. "From initial conversations with Staffin residents, we have realised the strong relationship and extensive understanding the community has of its crofting history. "By delving deeper into the stories of Staffin we hope to uncover significant moments which have taken place during the crofters' uprising and produce a body of research that is reflective of its people and place." Castle said: "My recent visit to Staffin has revealed to me a particular sense of this very strong community, which embodies a living history of its past. "Through thorough research and personal experience of spending time in Staffin, I look forward to developing a body of work which celebrates and explores aspects of the place in a way which is as fresh to this unique community as it is to those who know little or nothing about its history." Dugald Ross, of Staffin Community Trust, said the community was awaiting with interest the outcome of the artists' research. Emma Nicolson, director of Atlas Arts, said the artists would respond "sensitively and imaginatively" to the task of creating a memorial. Waged throughout much of the 1800s, the wider Crofters' War was a dispute between landowners and communities distressed by high rents, their lack of rights to land, or facing eviction to make way for large-scale farming operations. The process of moving families out of inland areas where they had raised cattle for generations to coastal fringes of large estates, or abroad to territories in Canada, had started with the Highland Clearances in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Both the clearances and the "war" were marked by violent clashes between people facing eviction and landowners and the authorities. One of the bloodiest incidents of the later unrest was the Battle of the Braes on Skye in 1882. After being attacked with stones by a crowd of men and

Summary: Artists have been selected to take forward plans for a memorial to recall a crofters' uprising in the north east of Skye more than 130 years ago.


Joshua Dale, 14, from Nottingham was knocked off his bike in 2012. Friends and family raised £25,000 for a skate park that Joshua had dreamt of building, and it opened a year later. The county council, which also part-funded it and managed the project, said once built, the family's charity was responsible for maintaining it. Joshua's mother, Faith Dale, who runs the Joshua Dale Skate Park Fund, said they had been "forced to close" it because it is "no longer safe to use". She said the ramps were rotting with 28 large holes appearing on them, there was a build up of moisture on the structures and "inferior plywood" had been used. "It is incredibly sad," she said. "I would love to come here in the summer and see it full with children of all ages... but we don't feel it is a safe structure anymore." She accused the county council of carrying out "an inferior build" and said they had been told repairs would cost about £28,000. Nottinghamshire County Council, which had put £50,000 towards the area, said it was "concerned about the allegations" it had not been built to a high standard. In a statement the authority said: "We built a quality design that has been used across the county for the past 10 years and maintenance for the park, once built, lies with the user group." The council said it would have a discussion with the charity and contractors.

Summary: A skate park built in memory of a teenager who died after his bike was hit by a car has been shut after three years because it is "unsafe".


Justice Ginsburg, 80, officiates this weekend at the wedding of Michael Kaiser, 59, president of the Kennedy Center performing arts space, and economist John Roberts, 32. Mr Kaiser is a personal friend of hers. In June, the Supreme Court overturned a law that banned recognition of same-sex marriages by the US government. The ruling granted legally married gay men and women access to the same federal entitlements available to opposite-sex married couples. Justice Ginsburg, who was appointed to the nine-member high court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, voted in the majority in that case. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 13 states and Washington DC, and since the court's decision, the federal government under President Barack Obama has taken several steps to grant same-sex marriage couples the same legal status as opposite-sex couples. The ceremony will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Associated Press reports. Justice Ginsburg told the Washington Post newspaper she believed none of the Supreme Court justices had been asked previously to conduct a same-sex ceremony for fear it would compromise their ability to hear a case on the issue.

Summary: US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is poised to become the first judge on the country's highest court to perform a same-sex marriage.


The proposed space, part of the Central Square scheme near Cardiff Central rail station, would see the St David's House building on Wood Street demolished. Three fully-let office buildings and a transport interchange, including office and residential units, have already been given the go-ahead. Cardiff council's cabinet discussed the public space plan on Thursday. Councillors gave the authority permission to dispose of leasehold interest in land north of Wood Street to enable the 270,000 sq ft (25,083 sq m) office block and square to be built. The proposal will also include a new office development, which could accommodate 3,000 jobs, on the site of the old Western Mail and Echo building on Park Street. The new BBC Wales Cymru headquarters, at the heart of the new Central Square development, is already under construction while a new transport hub has been given full planning permission. Council leader Phil Bale said: "As anyone can see, the transformation on the south side of Wood Street facing the railway station is well under way with the BBC Wales HQ and No 2 Central Square beginning to take shape alongside No 1 Central Square which has been open for over a year. "Now there are some really exciting plans coming forward for the north side of Wood Street on the old Western Mail and Echo site, which has been empty for several years, and on the St David's House site which fronts Wood Street." Councillor Elizabeth Clark, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Cardiff council, said: "The Labour run Cardiff council need to provide more detail on the use of the public square. "For example, how will pedestrians, cyclists and the proposed metro be accommodated? It's important to get all this right."

Summary: A new public square has been proposed as part of plans for the next phase of Cardiff city centre's regeneration.


Julie-Anne Wood started her career in her hometown of Milford Haven in 1999. She has now become the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's head of maritime operations and oversees the co-ordination of search and rescue around the UK coast. Up until now the role has always been held by a man. Ms Wood, who started out as a part-time coastguard watch assistant, said what once had been a male-dominated industry had changed. "[It's] very different these days. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has incorporated women in everything they do," she said. "In my experience, there have been no restrictions." Of her new position, she added: "'It's a huge responsibility and a position that I'm very honoured to hold." Before she became a coastguard, Ms Wood ran her own business providing safety training to fishermen and merchant seamen in Wales. When an opportunity to become a coastguard watch assistant came up, she took the job and said she "never looked back". Over the next nine years she climbed the ranks and now has one of the most senior roles in HM Coastguard, heading up the National Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham, Hampshire, and the 10 Coastguard Operations Centres around the UK.

Summary: A coastguard from Pembrokeshire has made history by becoming the highest-ranking woman in Her Majesty's Coastguard.


They were put on the market in March and bought by the Sedgwick family, who bought the town's North Pier in 2011. Present owners Crown Entertainment Centres sold the pair of piers to Peter Sedgwick, who currently operates rides on both piers. Central Pier - which is 341m (1,118ft) long - houses a distinctive 33m high (108ft) Ferris wheel. The Central Pier and Blackpool South Pier, which is 150m (492ft) long, do not benefit from listed status, despite opening in 1864 and 1892 respectively. At the time the sale was announced, a spokesman for the National Piers Society - which promotes the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers in the UK - described them as "in good order and trading successfully". Richard Baldwin, director at Bilfinger GVA Retail, Hotels and Leisure, which completed the sale on behalf of the leisure operator, said: "After considerable interest in both piers, we are delighted to have completed these two sales in such a short timescale. "The conclusion of these sales... is a clear illustration of a strengthening in the alternative leisure markets, which is extremely encouraging." St John Stott, director at Crown Entertainment Centres, said: "Peter Sedgwick is an experienced, longstanding leisure operator and we are delighted to have sold both the Central and South Piers to him." The North Pier was badly damaged in storms in 2013 which cost about £1m to repair. Mr Sedgwick said: "To add these two iconic piers to our portfolio is extremely exciting and we hope to capitalise on a group ownership of all three Blackpool Piers to ensure that many thousands of visitors continue to enjoy these wonderful attractions for years to come."

Summary: Blackpool's Central and South piers have been sold for about £8m to a family with close ties to the town.


Vicki Russell told the CBC that Air Canada bumped her from the 1 April Toronto-to-Miami flight that she had booked two months in advance. As a result she missed her connecting flight to meet the cruise ship. Ms Russell has since received C$800 (US$592; Â£463) compensation from the airline. She says everything went according to plan until an agent told her about two hours after she had checked in and received her boarding pass that the flight was overbooked and she did not have a valid ticket. Despite showing her travel documents and getting the tour company to email her trip receipt to prove her ticket was valid, the flight left without her. "It was extremely upsetting," Ms Russell told the CBC. "The woman could not have been more rude, hostile. In all my years of travelling, I have never had a travel person treat me so badly." She was sent to Air Canada customer service at the airport to find a new flight to Miami. By the time she was seen by an agent, no flights were available that would allow her to make the connection. She also had to wait to get back her checked luggage. She filed a complaint for missing her "dream vacation" with Air Canada the next day. The $10,000 National Geographic cruise, organised by Lindblad Expeditions, tours the famous Pacific Ocean archipelago's varied islands and habitats. A spokeswoman for Lindblad Expeditions said on Friday they have been in contact with Ms Russell throughout the situation and have rebooked her expedition at no charge, including airfare from Miami to Galapagos. Air Canada confirmed that the flight had been oversold. But the carrier said their agents spent "a great deal of time" looking at options for Ms Russell, including exploring "outside the box" solutions for getting her directly to the Galapagos Islands despite her flight ticket being issued only to Miami. They noted they refunded her initial fare and paid compensation. "This is a very regrettable situation and we are sorry this occurred," said an Air Canada spokesman in a statement. The practice of airlines bumping passengers from flights has been under scrutiny since the footage of United Airlines passenger David Dao being forcibly removed from a flight made headlines worldwide. Following that incident, Canada's federal government reiterated its pledge to table a passenger rights law this spring. It is expected to include compensation rules for those denied boarding due to factors within the carrier's control. The Canadian Transportation Agency receives an average of about 50 complaints a year from passengers saying they were denied boarding.

Summary: A Canadian woman missed a "trip of a lifetime" Galapagos cruise after being bumped from a flight.


It has proposed setting up a new Scotland-wide statutory board to co-ordinate the activities of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The government said services already provided in the Highlands and Islands would be protected. A new service has also been proposed for the south of Scotland. The activities of Scottish Enterprise and HIE include the running of Scottish Development International, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council. The Scottish government carried out a review of enterprise and skills support earlier this year. It examined the roles, responsibilities and relationships of HIE and Scottish Enterprise. HIE supports businesses and promotes economic growth in the Northern Isles, Western Isles, Highlands, Moray and Argyll. It began as the Highlands and Islands Development Board 50 years ago. HIE was established in 1990. The CairnGorm Mountain ski resort and its funicular railway is among the assets it manages. A report on the first phase of the review of enterprise and skills services has been released. The contents of the report are due to be debated at Holyrood on Wednesday. Concerns about the future of HIE have already been raised by Highlands MSPs David Stewart and John Finnie. Mr Stewart said he would oppose any move to merge HIE with Scottish Enterprise. Earlier this month, in a response to a question from Mr Finnie, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish government would make sure HIE could continue to provide its services. Following the release on the new report, Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: "We are proud of our enterprise and skills agencies, and in recent years their efforts have contributed to real improvements in our economic performance. "But we know that further improvement is required - our ambition is for Scotland to rank among the top-performing OECD nations for productivity, equality, sustainability and wellbeing. "Since the review was announced, the EU referendum result has made the economic context more challenging. It requires that we renew our focus and prioritise our efforts. "This review has focused on how we can build on existing strengths and successes to further improve the enterprise and skills support system in Scotland. "This will ensure a system in which all of our agencies work both hand in glove with each other and collaboratively with our business, academic and civic partners to optimise economic impact across the whole of Scotland." Scottish Conservative economy spokesman Dean Lockhart said: "While I am pleased that the SNP have followed our lead once again in suggesting a South of Scotland enterprise agency, a lot more needs to be done. "Our enterprise agencies are already doing a great job in encouraging business growth, but as Audit Scotland have said, it's the Scottish government that is holding them back. "They need far more support in the work that they do, and a clear plan on exactly how the Scottish government want them to deliver its economic strategy."

Summary: The Scottish government has set out plans to reform Scotland's enterprise and skills agencies.