Martin Hamilton's body was discovered by a dog walker in woodland near West Calder on 17 December. The 53-year-old, who was from Glasgow, was released from prison in September 2014 but was sought by police in April for breaching the terms of his licence. Police described him at the time as "potentially dangerous". His death was being treated as unexplained. Hamilton was nicknamed the Blackhill Butcher, after the Glasgow housing estate from which he operated. He had been on the police's most-wanted list before he was jailed in 2000 over a string of charges including drug dealing, torture, abduction and sodomy. Hamilton was sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison after being found guilty at the High Court in Inverness. The case was moved 200 miles from Glasgow amid fears that witnesses could be intimidated. Hamilton had evaded justice on 12 previous occasions when witnesses were too terrified to testify. In court, a sickening picture emerged of how Hamilton, also known as the Fat Controller, entrapped young men with offers of drugs. Two young drug addicts were imprisoned in a Glasgow flat, stabbed through the cheek and had boiling water poured over them. Another attack in Edinburgh included an attempt to cut off a victim's finger. Passing sentence, judge Lord Kingarth said: "You showed yourself capable of taking sadistic pleasure in the infliction of pain and the inspiration of real terror over long periods. You pose a substantial danger to the public." When Police Scotland issued an appeal to find Hamilton in April they said he may be dangerous and urged members of the public not to approach him. A further appeal was made in June. In October, an appeal was made on the BBC's Crimewatch programme and the Crimestoppers charity also offered a reward of Â£2,000 for information leading to his arrest. Det Supt Kenny Graham said the site near West Calder where the remains were found would stay closed off or several more days "whilst we complete further searches and specialists carry out their work". The nearby B7105 will also remain closed. Det Supt Graham said: "My condolences go out to the family of Martin Hamilton, who have had to receive such devastating news so close to Christmas. "A team of officers is dedicated to this inquiry, so we can seek to give them answers as quickly as possible. "We are continuing to conduct examinations with various scientific experts to establish exactly when and how Mr Hamilton died, and to ensure any evidence available can be captured from the scene and from the remains themselves."

Summary: Human remains found in West Lothian last week have been identified as one of Scotland's most wanted men.


The singer appeared on stage clutching the sparkly stationery for a production of Dick Whittington a day after returning from television commitments in Australia. The star told ITV's Loose Women the clipboard was for "safety reasons" to make sure she hit technical cues. She said producers at the the Milton Keynes theatre were "adamant about it". "They made me feel really comfortable about it. They were just - 'Go on, let the audience know that it's your first time even standing on the stage and just have fun with it'," she said. "The audience were lovely and the cast were amazing and everyone was really supportive, but I did know my lines." Ms Solomon said the show's producers knew she would not be available for rehearsals because of presenting commitments in Australia for ITV show I'm a Celebrity. "I landed, I woke up the next day, took the boys to school, went into panto," she said. "I'd had no rehearsals. The company were well aware and ... really supportive of the fact that I was going to be working up until the day that it started and they still wanted me to do it." She was grateful to co-presenter and boyfriend Joe Swash, who waded in to defend her on Twitter after criticism from EastEnders actor Aaron Sidwell. She said: "I'm so glad I've got such an amazing boyfriend."

Summary: Former X Factor finalist Stacey Solomon has defended the use of a clipboard on the opening night of a pantomime.


The former Liverpool midfielder struck a sweet 20-yard volley in the 37th minute after United had dominated the opening stages. Striker Leon Clarke should have scored with an early header and narrowly missed tapping in a cross from the lively Mark Duffy, before Spearing, then later booked, fired in his first goal since last February. Both sides kicked off the season with new managers; Phil Parkinson for Wanderers and one-time Bolton target, Chris Wilder, in charge of the Blades. And with nearly 4,500 visiting fans watching on this was not the start Wilder anticipated. However, Bolton had not lost a home league game to their South Yorkshire visitors since 1977. And they nearly doubled their advantage but for goalkeeper George Long's fine save to keep out a Darren Pratley header after 64 minutes. Parkinson's only disappointment was the early exit on a stretcher of skipper Pratley with a leg injury. Report supplied by the Press Association. Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Josh Vela (Bolton Wanderers). Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Liam Trotter replaces Jay Spearing because of an injury. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Dean Moxey. Attempt missed. Mark Beevers (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Jamie Proctor replaces Gary Madine. Foul by Mark Beevers (Bolton Wanderers). Che Adams (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Sheffield United. Stefan Scougall replaces Mark Duffy. Substitution, Sheffield United. Che Adams replaces Matt Done. Attempt missed. Josh Vela (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt missed. Mark Duffy (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top left corner following a fast break. Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Mark Davies replaces Chris Taylor. Foul by Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers). Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Mark Howard. Attempt missed. Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from more than 40 yards on the right wing is high and wide to the left. Attempt missed. Leon Clarke (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. John Fleck (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers). Mark Duffy (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Second Half begins Bolton Wanderers 1, Sheffield United 0. First Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 1, Sheffield United 0. Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers). Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Jack O'Connell. Attempt missed. Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) header

Summary: Jay Spearing scored the only goal as Bolton began life back in English football's third tier with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United.


Campaigners say its tests for people on disability allowances are "damaging and distressing" and have led to suicides. Atos, a sponsor of the Paralympic Games, said it ensures its service is "professional" and "compassionate". Protesters also targeted the Department for Work and Pensions in Westminster, where one person was arrested. The small break-away group, including two wheelchair users, blocked the doors of the office in a "surprise secret action", UK Uncut said. Protesters who got inside the DWP building have since been removed. The Metropolitan Police said one person was arrested for breach of the peace. Demonstrations have been held throughout the week, culminating in an attempt to bring the French firm's headquarters in Triton Square, Marylebone, to a close. Earlier Paralympics chief Lord Coe defended Atos and said the company had helped with the London 2012 accreditation process, recruitment of volunteers, and results delivery service. "They're partners and they help us to deliver this... Their work goes way beyond any of that visibility." The government - which makes decisions based on Atos Work Capability Assessments - has said it is trying to control the cost of disability allowances. It says more than Â£600m a year is being spent on overpayments to people who no longer qualify for the level of benefits they are receiving. It has said checks are important to make sure the benefit system supports people and does not trap them. Claire Glasman, Winvisible campaigner, has cerebral palsy and is on incapacity benefit. She said her group has campaigned for a mother with a spinal injury who was injured at work and found unfit to work but scored zero on her assessment meaning she must apply for Job Seeker's Allowance, find waged work or rely on relatives. Ms Glasman said: "We don't know how people are managing. "Women are particularly affected because we are the ones most likely to be doing unwaged caring work as well as coping with severe health problems." John Williams who has Crohn's Disease, epilepsy and a number of other conditions joined about 200 campaigners. He said he is having to live on benefits of Â£500 a month and rely on liquid food drinks. He said: "I want a fair system. It's absolutely appalling. It feels like Atos is working with the government to get the numbers down." Roger Lewis from Disabled People Against Cuts told BBC Five Live assessments were causing "huge damage and distress to disabled people". He said: "We now have a situation where we know that people have gone through the Atos assessments who have unfortunately died as a result. Some have committed suicide. Some have had heart attacks." He said a parliamentary group of MPs has been looking at coroners' reports where Work Capability Assessments have been cited as a contributing factor. The DWP said it did not have research data on the impact of assessments on people's mental health and that no links could accurately be made to suicides. A spokesman said 15% of "fit for work" decisions were overturned on appeal and the system was subject to an

Summary: Up to 150 disability rights campaigners have been protesting outside IT firm Atos, which carries out "fit for work" assessments for the government.


The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2013 questioned about 1,500 people. The survey said that 41% of people were in favour of the Scottish government policy to charge a minimum unit price for alcohol. The research found 35% were against the policy and 22% had no strong view either way. Of those who were against the policy, 17% of people said they were "strongly against". There was even less certainty among those in favour of the policy, with just 15% "strongly in favour". The research was part of an annual survey of social and political attitudes run by ScotCen Social Research since 1999. The questions on alcohol were funded by the Scottish government and managed by NHS Health Scotland. They want to track changes in attitudes to drinking alcohol from 2004 and 2007 when the questions were last included in the survey. Scottish government ministers claim minimum unit pricing for alcohol is vital to address Scotland's "unhealthy relationship with drink". They want to curb excessive consumption by raising the price of high-strength booze. However, the flagship legislation, which was passed in 2012, could be delayed for another two years after the Scotch Whisky Association's legal challenge was referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Scottish government wants to set a 50p rate per unit of alcohol, which would mean the minimum price a shop or supermarket would be allowed to charge for four large cans of beer would be £4.40, a bottle of wine would be £5 and a standard bottle of vodka £13. Between 55% and 66% of adults thought the suggested minimum prices for beer, wine and vodka were "about right". Just under half (46%) of the people surveyed thought supermarkets sold too much alcohol at very cheap prices. The Social Attitudes Survey also asked people how much price was an issue when buying alcohol. About 65% of adults said price did not prevent them from buying as much as they liked. Attitudes to minimum pricing varied across different groups with women more likely to support it than men. People educated to degree level were much more likely to approve of minimum pricing than those who were not. Support for the policy was lowest among higher risk drinkers and highest among non-drinkers. People who expressed the view that alcohol causes Scotland "a great deal" of harm were also likely to strongly support unit pricing. The three most commonly mentioned reasons for supporting minimum pricing were preventing health problems, stopping young people drinking and tackling problem behaviour. People not in favour of minimum pricing said it would not make a difference to heavy drinkers who would drink "whatever the price". They also thought the policy was unfair as it "punishes everyone for what some drinkers do" and it "punishes those who are less well off".

Summary: A new study of Scotland's attitudes to alcohol has suggested people are slightly more in favour of introducing minimum unit pricing than against.


World number 10 Walden, 33, will meet England's Judd Trump in Sunday's final at Beijing University over 19 frames. It will be a second final in a week for Walden, who lost 10-6 to Mark Allen in the Players Championship on Sunday. World number seven Trump whitewashed Scotland's Stephen Maguire 6-0 in the second semi-final to reach his second ranking final of the season. Trump, 26, who was beaten 10-9 by Kyren Wilson in the final of the Shanghai Masters in September, won the opening frame with a 100 break and then raced to a 4-0 interval lead as Maguire, 35, struggled with his potting. Trump then cleared with 31 in frame five to move to the brink of victory, before completing the victory with a break of 46 in the final frame. Earlier, Walden edged a tight match against four-time world champion Higgins with a 131 break in the decider. Walden is aiming for the fourth ranking title of his career and a fourth tournament victory in China, following his wins at the 2008 Shanghai Masters, the 2012 Wuxi Classic and the 2014 International Championship. The China Open is the final ranking event before the World Championship, which begins in Sheffield on 16 April.

Summary: Ricky Walden is through to the China Open final after a 6-5 semi-final victory over Scotland's John Higgins.


Walker was a passenger in the Porsche driven by his friend when it hit a pole and burst into flames in November 2013. His daughter Meadow filed a wrongful death case in September claiming the carmaker took safety shortcuts. But Porsche has said the actor "knowingly and voluntarily assumed all risk" of being a passenger in the car. The star of the high-action Fast and Furious movies was "a knowledgeable and sophisticated user of the 2005 Carrera GT", Porsche said in legal papers filed last week. "PCNA [Porsche Cars North America] alleges that Mr Walker knowingly and voluntarily assumed all risk, perils and danger in respect to the use of the subject 2005 Carrera GT," said the manufacturer. It added: "The perils, risk and danger were open and obvious and known to him, and he chose to conduct himself in a manner so as to expose himself to such perils, dangers and risks, thus assuming all the risks involved in using the vehicle." Porsche also said in its defence papers that the car in which the actor was travelling, had been "abused and altered" and was "misused and improperly maintained". It adds: "At the time the subject 2005 Carrera GT was originally manufactured, sold and delivered, it comported with state of the art." After a four-month investigation following the crash on 30 November 2013, the police said the Porsche, driven by Walker's friend Roger Rodas who also died, was travelling at 94mph (151kph) in a 45mph zone when it hit a lamp post. Meadow Walker's legal claim contends the car was travelling much slower when it went out of control and that her father's seatbelt was defective. Ms Walker's legal documents allege the car lacked "features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash". In response to Porsche's defence, a representative for Ms Walker told TMZ: "It is beyond regrettable that Porsche is trying to deflect its own responsibility by blaming the victim, Paul Walker, for his own death by getting into the passenger seat of its Carrera GT. The statement continued: "Contrary to Porsche's assertions, the facts are clear: Paul was the passenger in a car that was not designed to protect its occupants, in a crash on a dry, empty straightaway in broad daylight and at speeds well below the vehicle's advertised capabilities." Mr Rodas' widow filed a similar case last year, but Porsche said the crash was his fault, rather than down to design flaw. .

Summary: Porsche says Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker was responsible for his own death in a high-speed crash of a 2005 Carrera GT.


He told the BBC he had been in talks with Labour MPs but added: "We've got to keep building the case". He admitted it would be harder to get the support if Labour ordered its MPs to vote against air strikes in Syria. Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, who opposes air strikes, said he had not decided whether to offer them a free vote. MPs could vote next week on whether to extend UK air strikes against IS into Syria, but the government has said it will not call the vote unless it is certain to win. Ministers need the support of enough Labour MPs to compensate for Conservative rebels who will vote against military intervention, and Mr Fallon said he had been briefing Labour MPs on the government's case. It's all about the numbers. Even though the government has a majority of 12, a number of Conservative MPs - perhaps a dozen - have strong doubts about extending air strikes to Syria. And the government will not risk a defeat in the House of Commons. In fact, it wants an emphatic win. The government won't get the support of SNP MPs, the third largest party in Parliament, so it needs a chunk of Labour MPs with it. Some Labour MPs had briefings with the MoD this weekend and are wrestling with the arguments, listening to constituents. It is why Jeremy Corbyn's decision is so important. If he allows a free vote, perhaps half his shadow cabinet and around 60 Labour MPs may vote for air strikes. If he insists on collective opposition there will be an almighty row within the Parliamentary Labour Party that could scupper the government's plans. One shadow cabinet minster has told me there's a chance Labour will not agree a position on Monday at all and will wait for the wording of the government's motion before deciding how to vote. It will be a crucial week. Asked if the numbers were in place to support action, Mr Fallon said "not yet", but that ministers were "working at it".. "You shouldn't extend military operations lightly," he said. "There are legitimate questions to answer and we're doing our best to answer them." He also rejected suggestions attacking IS, also known as Isil, would make the UK more of a target. saying: "There are always risks in war but there is a greater risk from not doing something about Isil and leaving our streets vulnerable to the kind of slaughter we saw in Paris." MPs rejected a vote for air strikes against Syrian government targets in 2013. However, it is taking part in air strikes against IS in Iraq after MPs backed the move last year. Mr Corbyn, who has set out his opposition to bombing, reiterated his position, saying he "seriously questions" the government's claim there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters on the ground. He said: "There also has to be a recognition that if we bomb in Raqqa we are going to take out civilian lives, we may not in effect do very much damage to Isil and actually may

Summary: The government does not yet have enough votes from MPs to back air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Syria, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said.


US biologists used homing pigeons to test the potential impacts of oil spills on birds' flight. "Lightly oiled" pigeons, they found, veered off course and took longer to return and longer to recover than birds with no oil on their feathers. The results are published in the journal Environmental Pollution. It is the first time that the effects of low level exposure to crude oil on long-distance bird flight patterns have been tested and suggests that even small amounts of oil could have serious impacts on migrating birds that are caught up in a spill. The researchers were surprised by their findings, as lead author Dr Cristina Perez explained: "The general notion would be that these birds are 'fine', but in fact we found that even lightly oiled birds are not uninjured." Dr Perez continued: "We expected that the birds would have difficulties with flight and be slower in their arrival, but we did not expect such an obvious flight path difference." The study used crude oil collected from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill which was applied onto the wing and tail feathers of some of the homing pigeons with paintbrushes. This pattern of oiling reflected that seen in wild birds from the spill. The pigeons were trained to repeatedly undertake flights of 161km between release points and their home loft, all the while carrying GPS data loggers. After release, most of the oiled birds took different flight courses which were longer in duration and distance than those of un-oiled birds. These longer flights, more than double the length of the un-oiled birds, avoided crossing lakes and made use of the updrafts from mountains. They chose to minimise the risk of overwater crossings and may have been using their knowledge of the environment to make the journey easier. Such options would be unavailable for migrant water birds that had become oiled on their first migration. Young birds, with their pre-programmed flight plans would have no idea of the environmental barriers, such as long overwater flights, that they would meet on their onward migration. Historically, the focus has been on understanding the impact on heavily oiled seabirds, but study co-author and project leader Prof Chris Pritsos stressed the importance of such work to understand the impact on lightly-oiled birds, which he pointed out "were observed oiled but still alive and functioning" after the Deep Water Horizon spill. Prof Pritsos stressed that these sub-lethal effects could seriously impact subsequent breeding attempts by migrant birds caught up in the spill. The team found that oiled pigeons failed to regain the body mass lost between flights, unlike the un-oiled birds. This is a bad sign for migrant birds as it suggests that they may not be able to refuel sufficiently on their migratory stopovers in order to continue their journeys. Oiled pigeons also delayed their journeys for longer than the un-oiled group; they even experienced physical difficulties in getting airborne. Dr Perez indicated that a combination of GPS data loggers and free-flying homing pigeons could be "considered for testing the effects of other environmental contaminants" for

Summary: Even light exposure to oil from disasters like the Deep Water Horizon oil spill makes flying more difficult for birds, a study has revealed.


Of the 12 seats that were up for election, the Conservatives gained one with Matt Lacey taking the ward of Claines from the Liberal Democrats. It means the Conservatives have 17 seats, Labour has 16 with the Lib Dems and the Greens holding one each. Wyre Forest District Council also remains under no overall control and Labour retained control in Redditch. It has 17 of the 29 seats in Redditch, after gaining two. Conservatives remain the largest single party in Wyre Forest, with 15 seats, while UKIP were the big winners on the day, gaining five seats. In Worcester, the council was controlled by the Conservatives until May 2013, with the support of two Lib Dem councillors. Then the Lib Dems switched their allegiance, along with one Green councillor, to hand control to Labour. Adrian Gregson, Labour councillor and current council leader, said: "There will obviously have to be some discussions on what happens next, with all the parties. "We've held all our seats and have increased our votes in some of those, but the people of Worcester have said it's a really tight vote here and in most places have rejected the main national parties." Conservative Simon Geraghty said: "I think it is time to have a discussion and see if we can do things slightly differently in Worcester."

Summary: No party has managed to gain control of Worcester City Council following the local elections.


Bringing together the major influences that shaped the city's cultural output Beirut-based curator and designer Rana Salam pinpoints the impact of external wars and civil conflict on design with an insider's eye for detail. The French mandate ended in 1943, after 23 years of colonial rule, ushering in the new republic. But it was in the 1950s that architecture, interior and product design flourished fusing European and Arab influences. The economic emphasis shifted from agriculture to industry, tourism and trade, creating a new skyline, and growing consumerism encouraged brand advertising. A 1960s poster (pictured) for Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, which began flying the newly wealthy to international destinations. The French-designed poster suggests it's made of mosaic while appearing modern, and designer Jacques Auriac - also responsible for the creating iconic French cigarette packets - conjured up posters to destinations beyond the immediate region. Opening its doors in late 1967, the boutique L'Artisan du Liban et L'Orient was the response of May El Khoury, the wife of an eminent architect, to the trauma of defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The defeat eroded confidence and left a profound impression on the Arab psyche. Modernising overlooked local crafts and selling them in a chic setting might be interpreted as an act of cultural activism. It softened the humiliation of military defeat for the middle classes, who were attracted to the new Arab aesthetic and to the idea of patriotism through ethical consumerism. The desire to create a contemporary Islamic architecture marked architect Assem Salam's early career in reaction to the 1967 war. Along with Pierre Khoury he felt the construction of specifically Lebanese-Arab religious buildings would revive spirits crushed by the defeat and designed the Khashoggi Mosque (pictured above). After the civil war he founded an association for the preservation of historic buildings seeking to slow down the rush to reconstruct Beirut at the cost of cultural heritage. The nightclub known as B 018 was designed by Bernard Khoury in 1998 in the Quarantaine, the Beirut neighbourhood that saw some of the worst atrocities during the conflict. It has its roots in the 1980s in the thick of the civil war when gatherings were held at a semi-secret location code named B 018. The circular lid covering the subterranean club looks like a helicopter landing pad from above. The lid can also be raised revealing activity below. Khoury claims that in the absence of public spaces above ground his club was designed not for entertainment but to bring people together for therapy. The Egg, a scarred reminder of the civil war, stands near Martyrs Square. It was originally planned to be a cinema at the heart of the largest leisure and shopping complex in the Middle East, part of a modernist, avant-garde architectural movement, but it was unfinished when the civil war broke out in 1975. Fierce fighting around the building left the edifice pock-marked but still standing. This iconic building occasionally hosts cultural events. The Basilica of the Cathedral of Harissa, designed by Pierre Khoury, is pictured at the top of

Summary: The main exhibition at this year's Dubai Design Week, Iconic City: Brilliant Beirut, presents a cleverly conceived display of the Lebanese capital's design evolution from 1950 until the present.


State media said rebels shelled a mosque in the government-held district of Bab al-Faraj, killing 15 people. In the rebel-held east, government air strikes reportedly left at least 11 dead and destroyed a medical facility - the second to be hit in a week. The military meanwhile said a "regime of calm" would begin elsewhere at 01:00 on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday). A statement said it would last for 24 hours in Damascus and the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital, and for 72 hours in the northern countryside of Latakia province. It did not explain why the halt was only temporary, nor was there any mention of Aleppo, where a week of escalating violence has left more than 200 civilians dead. State television said rebels unleashed a barrage of rocket fire into the government-held western part of Aleppo just as people were coming out of Friday prayers. The Malla Khan mosque in Bab al-Faraj was hit, it said, causing heavy casualties. Some of the injured were in a serious condition and were likely to die, it added. Activists meanwhile reported that government aircraft carried out more attacks on rebel-held parts of the city, after hostilities had eased for a short time overnight. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said 11 people were killed, while the Local Co-ordination Committees, an opposition activist network, put the death toll at 14. The LCC reported that six died when government helicopters dropped barrel bombs - large cylindrical containers filled with explosives and shrapnel - on the Firdous district and four others in a barrel bomb attack in Mughair. The Syrian Civil Defence, whose volunteer emergency response workers are known as the "White Helmets", said that among the sites targeted by warplanes was a clinic in the Marja area. A nurse was among several people hurt. On Wednesday night, the al-Quds Hospital in the rebel-held Sukkari district was destroyed in air strikes that US Secretary of State John Kerry said appeared to have been "deliberate". Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which supported the hospital, said on Friday that 50 people, including six members of staff, were now believed to have been killed. "The attack on al-Quds Hospital has destroyed one of the last remaining places in Aleppo in which you could still find humanity. Aleppo is already a shell of what it once was, this most recent assault appears determined to eliminate even that," said MSF's head of mission in Syria, Muskilda Zancada. Ms Zancada also expressed concern at reports that government forces were preparing for a major offensive to encircle rebel-held areas of the city. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that Aleppo was being "pushed further to the brink of humanitarian disaster". Large parts of the city have been destroyed and its infrastructure has been severely damaged, leaving civilians without water and electricity for months. In an interview with the BBC, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Syria's leaders had to "go beyond their narrow personal perspectives" and call a halt to the destruction of their

Summary: Syria's divided second city of Aleppo had endured another day of deadly clashes.


The former Wales fly-half's long-range drop-goal was the highlight of an otherwise low-key first half. Bath's Harry Davies and David Denton had tries disallowed before Semesa Rokoduguni intercepted to score. But Rhys Priestland crucially missed the conversion and Bristol held on to move two points behind Worcester. Mark Tainton's side remain bottom of the table despite the victory, which ended their seven-game losing streak, while Bath are in the final play-off spot just a point above fifth-placed Leicester. Veteran Henson won 33 caps for Wales between 2001 and 2011 and got the better of the kicking battle with his opposing number 10 and countryman Priestland. Bath's Davies and Denton were denied scores by last-gasp tackles from Will Hurrell and Alby Mathewson respectively, on both occasions their feet ending up in touch. The Premiership's record try-scorer Tom Varndell was forced off against his wishes after failing a head injury assessment but, in front of their biggest crowd of the season, they stood firm to defeat Bath for the first time since December 2006. Todd Blackadder's side have now lost their last four away games in the league. Bristol interim head coach Mark Tainton: "Our defensive effort was massive and to beat our neighbours was fantastic as we stood up to them but the fight against relegation will go all the way to the end. "Gavin will be sore after his comeback but he controlled the game as he was accurate with both his place kicking and line-kicking. "He's a confidence player and grew into the game. He's a big man so he threatens the defence before releasing good off-loads and pop-up passes." Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder: "We beat ourselves as we didn't hold on to the ball enough and had plenty of opportunities to win. "The breakdown was messy where they did a good job at slowing us down, but there are no excuses as Bristol showed real tenacity and never stopped believing." Bristol: Woodward; Lemi, Hurrell, Piutau, Varndell; Henson, Mathewson; Bevington, Jones, Perenise, Tuohy, Evans, Eadie, Lam, Crane. Replacements: Crumpton, O'Connell, Ford-Robinson, Jeffries, Fenton-Wells, Williams, Pisi, Wallace. Bath: Homer; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Tapuai, Davies; Priestland, Cook; Obano, Batty, Lahiff, Stooke, Ewels, Ellis, Denton, Grant. Replacements: Van Vuuren, Marfo, Palma-Newport, Douglas, Mercer, Homer, Hastings, Clark. Referee: Greg Garner. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.

Summary: Gavin Henson kicked all Bristol's points on his injury return as they beat rivals Bath for the first time in 11 years to boost their survival hopes.


Following a delayed start 34 overs were bowled, in which Gloucestershire moved on from 31-0 overnight to 120-1. After a long delay, the two teams came back out under the lights at 21:00 BST, but the visitors remained untroubled. After 21 from Chris Dent, Bancroft got to 69 with Will Tavare still there on 43 as the visitors closed on 150-1. Having begun the day with fears of following on, on his 50th first-class appearance, Tavare's unbroken stand of 88 with Australian Bancroft, who passed his previous season's best of 53, leaves Gloucestershire just 59 runs short of that initial target. But against a Sussex side who are unbeaten in seven matches with Gloucestershire, there is little hope of the visitors improving on their record of just two wins from 18 visits to Hove.

Summary: Cameron Bancroft made only his second County Championship half-century of the season as Gloucestershire reached 150-1 against Sussex at rain-hit Hove.


Desmond D'Mello faces a fitness to practice hearing at the General Dental Council (GDC) next week. In 2014, more than 22,000 patients in Daybrook, Nottingham, were recalled, with 4,500 tested for viruses. Mr D'Mello faces 56 misconduct charges including hygiene failures and prescribing antibiotics without seeing patients. Dental nurse Caroline Surgey - who worked with Mr D'Mello at the Daybrook Dental Surgery - faces 28 similar charges. A spokesman for the GDC said: "The charges in full against Mr D'Mello allege that in June 2014, he failed to maintain adequate infection control by not wearing gloves, failing to change gloves between patients and other related hygiene issues. "It is also alleged that Mr D'Mello managed patients in an inadequate manner, including the way in which he issued prescriptions." This included allegedly prescribing antibiotics without seeing the patient or making a diagnosis. The pair's hearing is due to start on 8 August and last three weeks. Mr D'Mello was originally suspended in August 2014 over hygiene concerns. He later volunteered to stop working in the UK. Thousands were tested for blood borne viruses and five tested positive for hepatitis C. One of his patients, Amy Duffield, died shortly after treatment but a coroner concluded her death was not connected to the treatment.

Summary: Details of the allegations against a dentist involved in the "biggest recall in NHS history" have been released.


Joel Richards, 20, was left at Birmingham's City Hospital on Sunday where he died from his injuries. A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder at a service station on the M40 on Monday evening. West Midlands Police also stopped a car on the motorway near Oxford and arrested three men and a woman on suspicion of assisting an offender. Supt Tom Chisholm said: "This continues to be a fast paced inquiry and we have made five arrests over the bank holiday weekend. "However, our work is not done and we continue to investigate the circumstances that led to this young man's death. "We will still continue to liaise with Joel's family and our thoughts remain with them as they continue to come to terms with their loss."

Summary: Five people have been arrested after a man left at a hospital died of stab wounds.


Gwynedd council is a considering charging a premium on holiday homes. Councillor Jason Humphreys, however, fears the authority will lose out as people sidestep the charge by classing their second homes as self-catering businesses. Gwynedd said it was powerless to stop owners making the change. Some Welsh councils have voted through hikes in council tax charges for second homes, including Anglesey and Pembrokeshire, with other councils still consulting on a change. Since 2006, the number of self-catering units in Gwynedd has risen from 78 to 968. Changes to the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 mean councils have the ability to charge a premium on top of the existing council tax payments for second homes from the 2017-18 financial year. But self-catering units are classed as businesses and so their owners pay business tax to the Treasury rather than council tax. According to the law, self-catering units have to be made available for letting for 140 days a year, and owners have to prove they have been let for at least 70 days. Mr Humphreys, chairman of the council's corporate scrutiny committee, told the Post Cyntaf programme there was no mechanism for monitoring the situation. He called for AMs and MPs to demand a law change to make it compulsory for anyone seeking to reclassify their holiday home as a self-catering unit to apply for planning permission. But Peredur Jenkins, cabinet member responsible for resources, said the council had no power to stop owners from designating their properties as self-catering units. The council previously warned the potential "loophole" could leave authorities worse off. Mr Jenkins said Gwynedd was pressing the Welsh Government to consider changing the planning regulations to give local authorities the power to determine whether owners could re-classify their properties. The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the second home tax as an unfair "money-spinner", with shadow local government minister Janet Finch-Saunders calling it a "spiteful wealth tax". She said it was a "a direct tax on people with second homes, many of whom already pay twice for services they rarely use". An estimated 23,000 homes in Wales are empty or used as second homes.

Summary: Calls have been made for a law change to stop second home owners avoiding additional council tax by turning their properties into self-catering lets.


The 25-year-old, recently dropped from the Great Britain team, alleged that Sutton made sexist comments and told her to "go and have a baby". "I want to change the culture and their treatment of women," she said. "I hope by shining a light and sharing my experiences, the relevant people can investigate and make changes." UK Sport, which funds British Cycling's elite performance programmes, said it had been in contact with British Cycling to ensure the allegations were investigated. "We take allegations of sexism extremely seriously," it said. "As a recipient of funding, British Cycling should assure us this will be dealt with fairly, swiftly and transparently. "We expect the highest levels of professionalism from athletes and staff and have zero tolerance to sexist behaviour." Varnish has been been invited to meet the equalities officer of British Cycling to discuss her concerns. A British Cycling spokesman said: "A gold medal is valued by us, no matter who wins it and we are equally proud of all our Olympic and world champions." He added that medals won by the Great Britain cycling team are "testament firstly to the dedication and talent of our riders" but also a "tribute to a significant investment in passion, commitment and resources by our performance staff". Sutton, 58, denies any wrongdoing and says British Cycling did not renew her contract because her times had slowed over the past three years. Media playback is not supported on this device Varnish added: "I remain open to sharing my experiences with both British Cycling and/or UK Sport, and will happily engage with any investigations into the comments that Shane Sutton has made to me, and other riders." The Worcestershire-born rider also said she would like to compete for Britain again, adding that she was not too old and "not a waste of UK Sport's money". Earlier, Olympic champions Victoria Pendleton and Nicole Cooke both criticised British Cycling following Varnish's claims. "I know exactly how miserable they made me," two-time Olympic gold medallist Pendleton told the Daily Telegraph. "I never really felt I had the same respect as my male team-mates." Cooke, the 2008 Olympic road race champion, told the Guardian: "I have my own experiences of Shane and sympathise with Jess. "Speak out and your dreams will be destroyed and years of hard work wasted. Or put up with it and hope." "I spoke out from the age of 19 and I know what happens." Olympic gold medallist Joanna Rowsell Shand said on Monday that she was "surprised" at Varnish's claims of sexism.

Summary: Jess Varnish says she spoke out against British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton with the hope of changing attitudes at the organisation.


Cummings grabbed the only goal from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute after Grant Holt had been pulled down in the box by Gregor Buchanan. Goalkeeper Alan Martin produced a smart save to prevent Andrew Shinnie doubling the lead. Holt and Cummings also threatened as the Sons did little at the other end. A third clean sheet made it five wins from five for leaders Hibs. Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Hibernian 1. Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Hibernian 1. Daniel Harvie (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian). Grant Holt (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Craig Pettigrew (Dumbarton). Attempt missed. Darren Barr (Dumbarton) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Darren McGregor (Hibernian). Attempt missed. Dylan McGeouch (Hibernian) right footed shot from long range on the left is close, but misses to the right following a corner. Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Craig Pettigrew. Substitution, Hibernian. Jordan Forster replaces Andrew Shinnie. Foul by Paul Hanlon (Hibernian). Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Dumbarton. Donald McCallum replaces Grant Gallagher. Substitution, Dumbarton. Mark Docherty replaces David Smith. Foul by Darren McGregor (Hibernian). Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Hand ball by Josh Todd (Dumbarton). Corner, Dumbarton. Conceded by Darren McGregor. Foul by Brian Graham (Hibernian). Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Attempt saved. Brian Graham (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Dumbarton. Garry Fleming replaces Ryan Stevenson. Attempt blocked. Paul Hanlon (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. John McGinn (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Joseph Thomson (Dumbarton). Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Joseph Thomson. Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Josh Todd. Attempt saved. Brian Graham (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian). Josh Todd (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Craig Pettigrew (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian). Attempt missed. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Substitution, Hibernian. Brian Graham replaces Jason Cummings. Substitution, Hibernian. Dylan McGeouch replaces Marvin Bartley.

Summary: Hibernian extended their perfect start in the Scottish Championship as a Jason Cummings goal proved enough to beat Dumbarton.


World number five Kvitova, 25, beat five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in Saturday's second semi-final. Earlier, Radwanska, 26, overcame Spain's world number three Garbine Muguruza 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5. It will be Radwanska's first final at the event in her seventh appearance. The world number six made the decisive break in the 12th game of the third set to finally break the Spaniard's resistance. "It was a great match from the beginning to the end, lots of ups and downs, so many rallies and a lot of running," Radwanska said. Radwanska had taken a 3-0 lead in the first-set tie-break before eventually losing it 7-5. "I didn't know I could come back after that first set - I am just so glad I could win that match," she said. In the second semi-final, Kvitova broke in the seventh and ninth games to take the first set against Sharapova, who had won all three of her round-robin ties despite arriving in Singapore after a long injury lay-off. The world number four hit back to take a 5-1 lead in the second set, but 2011 champion Kvitova rediscovered her rhythm to claim the victory in straight sets.

Summary: Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic will meet Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the final of the WTA Finals in Singapore on Sunday.


Army bomb experts examined the object before it was removed from the scene. The alert on the Glengalliagh Road area of the city began at about 22:34 BST on Thursday. The road has now been re-opened.

Summary: A security alert in Londonderry has ended after police declared a suspicious object to be a hoax.


The 52-year-old is returning to Formula 1 from his position as technical boss of Audi's World Endurance Championship programme, which ends this season. Swiss Zander previously worked for Sauber between 2006 and 2007, and has held senior design positions in a number of other F1 teams. His most recent F1 role was as deputy technical director of the title-winning Brawn team in 2009. He also previously worked for Honda, Williams and BAR. Sauber have faced financial problems in recent years and are currently last of the 11 teams in this year's world championship. But the Swiss team have hopes of moving up the grid next season following their takeover earlier this year by a Swiss finance group called Longbow. Zander said: "One of my tasks will be to define a stable and efficient technical organisation that evolves the potential of creativity and, therefore, the basis for the development of successful Formula 1 cars. "Initially we obviously want to improve and establish ourselves as a team in the mid-field. It is a challenge which I await with excitement and enthusiasm." Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said: "This is a very important step in order to guide the team into a new and successful era. "Zander fits well into our team. He has a lot of know-how in Formula 1, as well as in motorsport in general. "In our factory in Hinwil, he will have the possibilities to work technically at a very high level. We are convinced we will make progress with him." Zander joined Audi in 2010 and led the team to five consecutive wins in the Le Mans 24 Hours from 2010-14.

Summary: Sauber have appointed Jorg Zander as their new technical director.


Manager John Hughes had recently been quoted as saying the 46-year-old was likely to pursue another opportunity. Latapy confirmed his departure in a statement on the Caley Thistle website without revealing his destination. "I have never hidden my ambition to one day be my own man in management terms and believe now is the time," he said. "My journey here has been fantastic and I have enjoyed every minute of my time in Inverness, culminating in us finishing third in the SPFL and winning the William Hill Scottish Cup, a massive achievement for any club let all alone ICTFC." Latapy, who thanked Hughes for giving him the opportunity to be his assistant 18 months ago after a spell in a similar role with Boavista in Portugal. The former Trinidad and Tobago midfielder had been Hughes assistant at Falkirk before a spell as his country's national head coach. Caley Thistle chairman Kenny Cameron said: "Whilst we are particularly sorry to see Russell depart for pastures new, we fully appreciate his desire to further develop his undoubted talents in a new environment. "Russell will always be remembered here at ICTFC, as a member of a great winning team." Cameron hinted that Caley Thistle were prepared for such an eventuality. "I recognise that any form of organisational change brings with it its own range of challenges," he added. "I am, however, confident in our abilities to mitigate these challenges and look forward to working with the board and the club management as we seek to secure future successes for ICTFC."

Summary: Russell Latapy has left his post as assistant manager with Inverness Caledonian Thistle saying it is time to become a boss in his own right again.


Labour MP Yvette Cooper said it was not "appropriate" or "statesmanlike" for him to use such language about a "complex and sensitive" issue. Shadow minister Kate Green said it was "offensive, hurtful... and divisive". Mr Cameron said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had told the migrants at the camp "they could all come to Britain". At the weekend, the Labour leader visited the Grande-Synthe Camp, near Dunkirk, and The Jungle in Calais, where more than 7,000 people are sleeping rough, describing conditions there as "disgraceful". Jeremy Corbyn had a good go at David Cameron over the Google tax deal, using a crowd-sourced question from Jeff (or possibly Geoff), who wanted to know whether he could join a scheme allowing him to pay the same rate of tax as the internet giant. But some commentators felt the Labour leader lost focus when he switched to other subjects for his final two questions. "We've had no answer on Google, and no answers on Jeff," said Mr Corbyn, before turning to what he calls the "bedroom tax" and a High Court ruling that it is "discriminatory". For his final question, he called on the PM to launch an inquiry into arms export licences to Saudi Arabia amid UN reports of coalition air strikes on civilians in Yemen. The prime minister responded to that last point by saying the UK had some of the strictest rules for arms exports in the world. He added that Britain was "not part of Saudi-led operations" in Yemen. But it was one of those weeks when reaction to what was said at PMQs overshadowed anything that was said during the session, as Labour seized on Mr Cameron's "bunch of migrants" comment. Mr Cameron was coming to the end of a clash with Jeremy Corbyn about Google's tax deal with the government, when he decided, as he often does, to broaden out his attack to other issues. The Labour leader had just accused him of failing to stand up to Google. Mr Cameron replied: "The shadow chancellor's pointing - the idea that those two right honourable gentlemen would stand up to anyone in this regard is laughable. "Look at the record over the last week - they met with the unions and they gave them flying pickets. "They met with the Argentinians, they gave them the Falkland Islands. "They met with a bunch of migrants in Calais, they said they could all come to Britain. "The only people they never stand up for are the British people and hard-working taxpayers." Several Labour MPs objected to Mr Cameron's "bunch of migrants" comments on Twitter, describing them as "shameful" and "inflammatory" and the PM as "odious". A Labour spokesman said Mr Cameron's use of the phrase "demonstrates an attitude that is wholly unacceptable to a humanitarian crisis on our doorstep". Yvette Cooper, who is chairing Labour's refugee task force, said Mr Cameron should use "much more statesmanship-like" language on such a "complex and sensitive" issue, particularly given ongoing commemorations of Holocaust victims. She got to her feet immediately after Prime Minister's Questions to raise

Summary: David Cameron is facing Labour calls to apologise for calling refugees at a camp in Calais "a bunch of migrants" at Prime Minister's Questions.


Rouken Glen Park in East Renfrewshire, which was originally gifted to the people of Glasgow in 1906, was named the UK's Best Park of 2016. The shortlist for the Fields in Trust award included Castle Gardens in County Antrim, Pontypool Park in Torfaen, and Preston Park Rockery in East Sussex. Fields in Trust was established in 1925 by King George V as the National Playing Fields Association. Rouken Glen Park is a 143-acre historic park located next to Thornliebank, Giffnock and Newton Mearns, about six miles to the south of Glasgow city centre. The award came after the completion of a Â£3m transformation project in the park. Fields in Trust chief executive Helen Griffiths said: "It's a beautiful green space and well-deserving of the accolade. The number of parks nominated this year and the votes cast across the competition show just how much the public cherish their local green spaces. "The people of East Renfrewshire have sent a clear message that they love their local park and I hope that East Renfrewshire Council will recognise this by working with us to safeguard Rouken Glen Park as a place for community sport, play and recreation forever." East Renfrewshire Council parks manager Donnie McManus said: "We would like to thank everyone who voted for the park. Also a big thanks to all the staff who work tirelessly in the park, keeping it up to a very high standard. "This award shows that the public of East Renfrewshire and the many visitors to the park hold it in such high esteem." Councillor Vincent Waters, East Renfrewshire's convener of environment, added: "Rouken Glen has always held a very special place in the hearts of all its visitors and now it's official - it's the best park in the UK. "This is a fantastic accolade to win and is just reward for all the hard work our dedicated staff and volunteers have put in to improving the park over the last few years. "It has unrivalled natural beauty and there is something for all ages to enjoy. Rouken Glen has been loved by all for more than 100 years, and will continue to attract thousands of visitors to East Renfrewshire in the years to come."

Summary: A Scottish park has been recognised with a top UK award.


The Fiji international, 25, faces a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday. He is accused of "lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground" when tackling Gareth Owen in the 51st minute. World Rugby's recommended bans for those found guilty of such offences range from four to 52 weeks. Ospreys' next match sees them host Dragons on New Year's Day at the Liberty Stadium. If banned, Matavesi could also miss the Pro12 trip to Leinster on Friday, 8 January as well as their crucial European Champions Cup game that follows at Clermont Auvergne on Friday, 15 January.

Summary: Ospreys centre Josh Matavesi has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle during Boxing Day's 27-26 Pro12 win at Scarlets in the west Wales derby.


Bates, 29, will feature for the county in the 50-over competition alongside former England captain Charlotte Edwards, who joined them in December. The right-hander will also rejoin Southern Vipers in the Women's Super League after the World Cup. She scored 232 runs at an average of 42 as the Vipers won the inaugural Super League title last season.

Summary: New Zealand women's captain Suzie Bates will play for Hampshire women ahead of the Women's World Cup in June.


The Staffordshire Regiment Association said it paid Â£64,000 to buy a 10-year lease on The King's Head in Lichfield. The regiment was founded in 1705 when Col Luke Lillingston raised a force that later became the Staffords. Capt Dave Donnelly said: "It's brilliant. We believe we have bought a piece of history." He said the purchase was prompted by a "mad idea" by ex-warrant officer Derek Watts, from Wolverhampton, who went on social media to drum up support. Within a fortnight, he had managed to raise enough pledges to buy the pub. "We have reunions in the pub annually, so we didn't want it becoming a bed and breakfast or anything like that," said Capt Donnelly. "The support to get this off the ground has been immense. We don't know how many associations run pubs, but what is unique is that we were actually founded there." The pub will reopen - following a refurbishment - on March 25, 312 years to the day from when the regiment was formed. It will serve two ales created in honour of the regiment - one named Col Lillingston and the other named Watchman, after the association's mascot - and will be managed by a former regiment man. It will be opened by Lichfield's Lord Mayor and a descendent of Col Lillingston. The association will march from Lichfield Cathedral to the pub and will play the Last Post.

Summary: Veterans of a historical Army regiment have bought the lease on the pub where it was founded.


The midfielder has only started two games since joining from Inverness Caledonian Thistle in September, but he hopes to become a regular next term. "I'm hoping to hit the ground running," 21-year-old Christie said. "We've got a lot of big games before the leagues starts, so it's important to impress the manager straight away." Christie was sold to Celtic last summer but immediately sent back to Caley Thistle on a season-long loan cut short by a knee injury in November. Now the manager who signed him, Ronny Deila, has been replaced with Rodgers. "I've been really looking forward to working with him ever since he was announced," said Christie of the former Liverpool and Swansea City boss. "I think this kind of appointment shows how big a club Celtic really is, with the manager we can still attract. "I think in terms of the way the club wants to go, it's shows we're very very positive. "My mindset going into training next week is it's like a clean slate and your job to impress him every day in training and try to get in his thoughts of the season ahead." Christie is unconcerned by the recent comments by Rangers' new signing, Joey Barton, who has already stirred up the rivalry ahead of the first Old Firm fixture of the season on 10 September. Barton said Celtic captain Scott Brown was "not in my league" as a player. "He likes to build it up a bit more, maybe make it more exciting," Christie said of the former Burnley midfielder. "But, to be fair, it's not anything that's going to effect us, or any of our camp. "He can focus on Rangers and we'll focus on us. "It doesn't really affect me. I think the way he goes about his publicity is probably good because it attracts attention. "Maybe that's what he wants, or Rangers wants, but for us, it's nothing really."

Summary: Ryan Christie hopes to make an immediate impression on new manager Brendan Rodgers and force his way into the Celtic team for the coming season.


Andrew Whitby, 51, from Teddington, south-west London, was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. He underwent the operation after experiencing health problems associated with a lifelong heart defect. He appealed for people to sign the organ donor register, describing transplantation as "life-changing". Figures published by the NHS on Monday show the number of people in the UK donating organs after death has fallen for the first time in more than a decade. Mr Whitby was born with a hole in the heart, which doctors predicted would mean he was unlikely to live more than a few years. He defied expectations and lived normally until the age of 20, when his health began to deteriorate. Mr Whitby developed problems with his lungs and eventually one collapsed, which led to the decision to attempt a heart-lung transplant. When the procedure was carried out in 1985 at Harefield Hospital in north-west London, he was only the ninth person to undergo it in the UK. Heart-lung transplants are relatively rare because there are few suitable donor organs available and priority is normally given to people who only need a heart transplant. Mr Whitby used the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his transplant to draw attention to the need for organ donors. He said: "My heart-lung transplant has improved and extended my life beyond measure. "We need more people to sign the organ donor register - without donors, where would that leave people like me?" Andre Simon, director of transplantation at Harefield Hospital, said: "Andrew's world record shows how a person's life can be completely transformed through the gift of organ donation."

Summary: A man has celebrated 30 years since his heart-lung transplant - thought to be the longest anyone has survived after the procedure.


EY says a "long period of low inflation" means average earnings could rise faster than the cost of living as early as this month. It believes low inflation and a strong pound will keep an interest rate rise on hold until the end of 2015. The auditor also thinks the UK economy will see "decent but unspectacular" growth of 2.9% this year. Most of that growth will continue to be driven by consumer spending, according to the firm's forecasting group, the EY ITEM Club. It adds that spending power will be helped by average wage increases of 1.7% this year, overtaking its 1.6% average inflation forecast for 2014. Its latest report reads: "We expect wage growth to overtake CPI inflation as early as April." "Until now the recovery has been financed by a fall in the amount households save, but it appears to be moving to a firmer footing," said Peter Spencer, the club's chief economic advisor. "The consumer upturn will be given a boost from real wages and rising employment, while investment is finally kicking in." Falling petrol, energy and food prices, driven low by a strong pound, will help keep the cost of living down for a sustained period, Mr Spencer added. "We are set for a long period of low inflation as pressures from commodity prices... remain largely absent." With inflation under control and a stronger pound, the club predicts the Bank of England will keep interest rates on hold at 0.5% until the third quarter of 2015, at which point rates will rise very gradually. The EY ITEM Club also suggests the recent resurgence in the UK housing market will be dampened by tighter mortgage lending criteria, due to take effect from 26 April. It says the new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules, which impose stricter checks on whether borrowers can repay home loans, are "crucial to keeping the lid on the market", particularly in London. As a result, the report predicts prices will rise by 7.4% this year and 7.2% next year, slowing further to 4.2% in 2016 as the government's Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme ends. "The FCA will assume crucial importance to ensure... affordability is scrupulously checked," said Mr Spencer. "If these controls are rigorously applied this will eventually constrain London prices, and head off problems when interest rates rise." Meanwhile, the growing demand for labour should push up wages and could also see the UK overtake Germany as the country with the highest employment in the G7 group of leading economies, the group claims. It predicts the UK unemployment rate, currently at 7.2%, will fall to 6.5% by the end of the year and 6% by the end of 2015. The EY ITEM Club, also expects business investment to grow by 9.1% this year in another boost to productivity and wages.

Summary: Wages are set to rise by more than inflation for the first time in almost six years, says an economic forecaster.


Airbus UK Broughton's Ryan Wade, 28, was banned for three "approved competition" matches from 21 April. A hearing on 5 April found he "brought the game of association football or the association into disrepute". Johnson, 28, was jailed for six years for grooming and sexual activity with a girl aged 15. The former Sunderland player has lodged an appeal against his sentence. BBC Wales understands the nature of the tweets was deemed offensive and were sympathetic towards Johnson. The Welsh Premier League said the three-man panel sat at the headquarters of the Football Association of Wales. Wade has been suspended from all football-related activity and fined Â£150, as well as a Â£50 contribution towards costs. The club, based in Broughton, Flintshire, said in a statement: "The club carried out our own investigation and disciplinary process at the time and that has now concluded." Wade signed for Airbus almost four years ago and has made 28 appearances this season, scoring four times.

Summary: A Welsh Premier League footballer has been banned for tweets he posted after the trial of ex-England international Adam Johnson.


The Basque side are marooned near the bottom of La Liga - they are above the relegation zone on goal difference - and a limp performance in Friday's 2-0 defeat against lowly Las Palmas was the final straw. This is how his 364 days in charge went. After three days of speculation, the news was finally confirmed with a brief statement from the Basque club on Monday afternoon. "Real Sociedad would like to thank David Moyes and [his assistant, also departing] Billy McKinlay for the professional conduct, commitment and dedication which they showed during their roles in the running of the first team," the club said. "At the same time, we would like to wish them all the best in their future ventures, both professional and personal." The Scot leaves behind a team marooned near the foot of La Liga, and a limp performance in Friday night's 2-0 defeat against lowly Las Palmas was the final straw. The dismal display, as much as the result, forced club president Jokin Aperribay into holding crisis talks over the weekend. Aperribay did not want to rush into a hasty decision on the back of one bad game, but even after the dust had settled a couple of days later he still felt that a change was necessary. The official announcement was supposed to have been made on Sunday evening, but it was delayed for a few hours because Moyes's flight back to Bilbao from Manchester was cancelled. But once he returned to Spain on Monday and met personally with Aperribay, there was no need to delay the inevitable any longer and the former Everton and Manchester United coach's spell in La Liga was brought to a swift end. After La Real's recent struggles, the trip to Las Palmas was always billed as a significant encounter for Moyes's regime, but the general feeling was that his job was safe unless his team delivered a disastrous display. Unfortunately for the former Everton and Manchester United boss, 'disastrous' is pretty much the right word to describe the way his team performed - or didn't - against a Las Palmas outfit which had previously only won one game all season. The hosts were clearly superior, deserved their goals from Jonathan Viera and Sergio Araujo, and were rarely seriously threatened by Moyes's team. It took no time at all for furious criticism to emerge from La Real fans - along with serious demands for the manager's head. Until Friday night, the majority of Real Sociedad fans were, while frustrated with their team's results and sceptical about Moyes's ability to turn things around, not yet ready to express outright hostility. But that all changed immediately after the loss against Las Palmas. 'Moyes' was a trending topic on Twitter in Spain after the game, with very few of the accompanying comments offering sentiments of support. Indeed, many of them finished with the hashtag #MoyesDimision ('Moyes resign') or #MoyesVeteYa ('Moyes go now'). The media was similarly critical, with a summary of the game in local newspaper Diario Vasco complaining that "when this team

Summary: David Moyes has been sacked as Real Sociedad boss.


Student Melanie Road was 17 when she was attacked as she made her way home from a night out in Bath in June 1984. Her body was found in front of garages. Christopher Hampton, 63, of Staple Hill, Bristol, appeared before the city's crown court earlier on Tuesday. Mr Hampton was remanded in custody and told he will face trial on 9 May next year. The father-of-three, who is being held at HMP Bristol, spoke only to deny the single charge of murder. Prosecuting, Kate Brunner QC told the court the trial was expected to last up to four weeks. Melanie had been out with her boyfriend and friends to the Beau Nash, a nightclub in Kingston Parade. She left the club at 01:30 BST on June 9 and was last seen alive by her friends a short time later in Broad Street. Last year, Melanie's mother Jean and sister Karen spoke about the impact the murder has had on them. Mrs Road wrote an open letter to coincide with the 30th anniversary of her daughter's death, appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Summary: A man has denied murdering a teenager who was stabbed to death more than 30 years ago.


Between the first quarter of 2016 and the same period this year, the amount of goods sold in Scotland rose by 0.2%, compared with British growth of 2.1%. Meanwhile, the value of shop sales north of the border grew by 1.8%, while Britain saw a rise of 4.8%. The figures were included in the latest Retail Sales Index for Scotland. Scotland outperformed Britain in the first three months of this year, however, in both value and volume terms. The first quarter saw the volume of sales in Scotland fall by 0.4%, while the figure for Britain showed a drop of 1.4%. And while the value of sales across Britain flat-lined, Scotland saw growth of 0.5% between January and March. Commenting on the figures, Scottish Retail Consortium director David Lonsdale said: "The improvement in the headline figure for the total value of retail sales in the first quarter of this year is encouraging at first glance, but it looks less rosy once falling shop prices are taken into account. "Indeed, shop prices have fallen each month for the past four years which demonstrates that retailers are having to work ever harder to maintain let alone grow sales values." Euan Murray, from Barclays Corporate Banking, said: "Increased supply chain costs and issues could go some way to explaining the falling figures in this quarter - from the bad weather in Spain affecting food imports to the weak value of sterling, you don't have to look far for a reason. "The sector has also had the added pressure of a later Easter, which could have resulted in less consumer spend in quarter one." He added: "With 36% of UK e-retail sales via mobile, retailers must invest in their online and mobile shopping platforms to improve the user experience and drive growth. "However, with inflation in the UK set to accelerate faster than earnings growth for the first time since 2014 and consumers planning to spend less on every category with the exception of grocery, it is looking like it's going to be an uphill battle for the high street."

Summary: Retail sales in Scotland have grown much more slowly over the past year than in Great Britain as a whole, according to new figures.


Hayes, 29, has scored six goals in 22 matches for the Scottish Premiership side this season, including one in the Europa League. He won the 2010 Scottish First Division title with Inverness and then the 2014 Scottish League Cup with Aberdeen. Cardiff have already signed utility player Greg Halford from Championship rivals Rotherham and striker Ibrahim Meite from non-league Harrow Borough. Now they are trying to add Hayes, who has two caps for the Republic, as manager Neil Warnock looks to revamp his squad in the January transfer window.

Summary: Cardiff City are targeting Aberdeen's Republic of Ireland winger Jonny Hayes.


Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis stopped issuing all marriage licences the day after the US Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage. The American Civil Liberties Union has sued her on behalf of four couples, two gay and two straight. In court on Monday in Covington, Kentucky, Ms Davis said issuing the licences would violate her religion. "If... I authorise that I'm saying I agree with it, and I can't," she said. The state's governor, Steve Beshear, said county clerks must issue marriage licences to same-sex couples immediately after the Supreme Court's ruling. Two clerks in the state refused. They can only be removed from office by the state legislature. US District Judge David Bunning will not rule on Ms Davis' case until August, he said. Mr Bunning could order Ms Davis to issue licenses, impose a fine or put her in jail. Ms Davis wants Mr Beshear to pass a law protecting county clerks and allow people to get marriage licences online. The governor refused to call the legislature back into session to do so.

Summary: A Christian official has defended her refusal to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples in Kentucky.


The Afghan government welcomed the move, as it sees him as one of the few senior Taliban figures willing to negotiate a peace deal to end unrest. Mullah Baradar is one of the four men who founded the Taliban movement in Afghanistan in 1994. He became a linchpin of the insurgency after the Taliban was toppled by the US-led invasion in 2001. He was captured in the Pakistani city of Karachi in 2010. By David LoynBBC News, Kabul More than 30 Taliban members have been released from Pakistani jails in recent months, but Mullah Baradar is the one that the Afghan government is waiting for. A political adviser to the Kabul government team which addresses the issue of Taliban peace negotiations, Ismail Qasim Yar, said the government is ready to negotiate, but there is little room for manoeuvre. He made it clear that there can be no change to the constitution, one of the demands of the Taliban. But he said that since Mullah Baradar was "inclined towards a political solution," then his release might make a solution possible. Mullah Baradar held several senior positions in the Taliban government before its fall in 2001. He then fled to Pakistan and for some years was the Taliban's military commander as they regrouped to fight a guerrilla war. He was reportedly arrested in a secret raid by CIA and Pakistani agents. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad says releasing one of the founders of the Taliban and a mastermind of the Afghan insurgency would seem a counter-productive step for the Kabul government and the US-led coalition. But Mullah Baradar has been seen as one of the few senior Taliban figures who has shown a willingness to negotiate, our correspondent says. The government in Kabul has been pressing for him to be free. Afghan diplomats had suggested Pakistan was trying to hinder the reconciliation process by backing more hardline elements within the Taliban. The Taliban opened a political office in Doha in June, but it was quickly closed after President Karzai complained that they had flown a flag and put up a plaque as if they were a government in exile. Profile: Mullah Abdul Ghani BaradarWhat next for Mullah Baradar? Since then the US, UK, and Turkey have all attempted to mediate to reopen talks. President Karzai has appealed to the Taliban leadership to return home and negotiate openly, but has not offered guarantees of security. Even if a political settlement is agreed, which will be hard, it may be difficult to deliver it, says the BBC's David Loyn. The Taliban is no longer the monolithic structure it once was, and a new younger generation of insurgents - particularly those fighting in the allied Haqqani network - may not be willing to stop the war. Some members of the former leadership, such as Mullah Zaeef, who had been living openly in Kabul, have faced harassment and raids on their homes. There are also concerns among women's rights activists that the fragile gains made since 2001 could be jeopardised for a peace deal with the Taliban.

Summary: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, co-founder of the Afghan Taliban, has been freed from jail in Pakistan.


Bertie Acheson, who was 72, died after a confrontation with the intruder at his home in Glenmore Gardens, Coleraine, in April 2012. Paul James Manolito Toland, originally of The Cedars, Antrim, had pleaded guilty to Mr Acheson's manslaughter. After his release he must serve a further four and half years on licence. Toland, a father of four, has 18 previous convictions for burglary. He was confronted by his victim after he broke into the couple's home to steal money. There was a struggle and Mr Acheson, who cared for his disabled wife Sheila, suffered a heart attack and died on his kitchen floor. Speaking after the sentencing, the senior investigating officer in the case said the Acheson family had been left "devastated" by his loss, particularly his widow. Det Ch Insp Ian Harrison said the fact that Toland was sentenced on what would have been Mr Acheson's 75th birthday had a "double impact" on the pensioner's loved ones. "A person who I deem to be dangerous has now been taken off the streets and people can now feel safe in their homes," the officer said. "Paul Toland was a predator. He preyed on the vulnerable and elderly and equally infirm couple who had been married for 44 years. His actions resulted in the death of Bertie Acheson, for just over Â£300." An earlier court hearing was told that the couple were woken up by the sound of breaking glass in the early hours of 20 April 2012. Mr Acheson went to investigate. His widow later told police she overheard a verbal altercation between her husband and an intruder, during which money was demanded. Mrs Acheson claimed she also heard the sound of a scuffle and gasping for breath. She managed to raise the alarm, but when ambulance personnel and police arrived at the scene, her husband was already dead. Toland had originally been charged with Mr Acheson's murder, but at a court hearing in October, a defence lawyer asked that his client be re-arraigned. Toland told Belfast Crown Court that he was not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. He also admitted the robbery of Mrs Acheson, who had Â£335 stolen from her purse during the burglary. Det Ch Insp Harrison paid tribute to the courage and resilience of the pensioner's family throughout the "long and protracted inquiry". The officer said that Toland had been in the couple's house the previous month to repair a vacuum cleaner and had been paid in cash. "We believe that Toland's greed brought him back to the house in the expectation that he could break in and steal whatever cash he could get his hands on," Det Ch Insp Harrison added. He appealed to the public not to store cash at home saying they were exposing themselves to "unnecessary risk". "In memory of Bertie Acheson, and to avoid the pain still being suffered by his family, please do not keep large amounts of money at home," the officer said.

Summary: A man has been jailed for four and a half years for killing a pensioner during a botched burglary at an elderly couple's home in County Londonderry.


Almost a third of Susan Harmer's prize-winning flock were left dead or injured at her farm in Offham, near Lewes. Twenty-five were mauled, including a ram and pregnant ewes, in the overnight attack earlier this month. "Sheep were strewn everywhere, with a pile of them in one corner where the dogs had trapped them and attacked them," Ms Harmer said. "These are sheep which we have for their whole breeding lives - about 10 years - and we get very fond of them. "They're not just a commodity, they're our livelihood. This is a huge emotional loss." Ms Harmer said the attack was the worst her farm had faced this year. She appealed to dog owners to put their animals on a lead before entering a field and to not put them out at night. Sussex Police are investigating the attack, which happened overnight on 4 December, and have urged anyone with information to contact them.

Summary: The fourth dog attack in a year on a flock of sheep in Sussex has "wiped out years of work", a farmer has said.


The referendum will take place on 10 March, but Bath Conservative MP Ben Howlett said he was concerned about a "lack of awareness" about the issue. Mr Howlett also said he is worried about the public's level of engagement. Bath and North East Somerset Council said the referendum had been publicised in press releases and tweets. It also said it was the subject of a two-page article in the winter edition of the council magazine which was distributed to all households in the region. A further news release and polling cards will also be sent out to all households this week, the authority added. Supporters of the referendum say Bath needs a mayor to give local government more visibility. Directly elected mayors were created by the Local Government Act 2000 as one option for local government, as long as the idea was backed in a referendum. Mr Howlett said he was "personally concerned" that an elected mayor was not appropriate for an area "as diverse" as Bath and North East Somerset, and that it could "lead to an increase in the cost of local politics". "The level of misinformation on this issue is worrying - many people seem to still believe this is about a mayor of Bath and not understanding it would cover all of Bath and North East Somerset. "I hope in the coming weeks more information will be forthcoming to enable residents to make an informed decision," he added.

Summary: An MP has criticised "the level of misinformation" about a referendum on an elected mayor for Bath and North East Somerset.


Each image, a billion light-years across, shows evidence of dark matter clumps scattered through the cosmos. The team from the Canada-France Hawaii Telescope inferred the dark matter's existence by the way it bends light. The images were presented at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, US. The four images were taken at four different seasons of the year, each capturing a swath of the sky about as large as a palm held at arm's length. They are a big step forward in understanding both dark matter itself, and the means by which dark matter influences the way normal matter clumps into the galaxies we see in the night skies. Together, they represent the images of more than 10 million galaxies, whose light gives the only hints of the large-scale structure of dark matter. BBC Universe: Dark matter BBC Universe: Dark energy "Light coming toward us from a distant galaxy is bent by the gravity of a lump of matter in the middle," explained Catherine Heymans of the University of Edinburgh. "Einstein's theory of general relativity tells us that mass bends space and time, so when light comes toward us through the Universe, if it passes some dark matter, its light gets bent and the image we see gets bent and distorted," Dr Heymans told the meeting. "Dark matter is leaving its signature on the images of very distant galaxies." The survey is some 100 times larger than the previous largest map of the web of dark matter, gathered by the Hubble telescope's Cosmic Evolution Survey, or Cosmos. In the new image, the full-scale distribution of vast clumps of dark matter can be seen around galaxy clusters, connected by wispy filaments of dark matter and trailing off to enormous voids where no matter exists. Thankfully for theoretical astrophysicists, these images line up neatly with theory. "Our theories of dark matter say that it should form a giant intricate cosmic web and that's exactly what we see in this data, a cosmic web that's housing the galaxies that we can see," Dr Heymans told BBC News. Dark matter at these huge, cosmological scales is only one part of the story, however, and Sukanya Chakrabarti of Florida Atlantic University presented work showing how the "dark matter halo" that surrounds individual galaxies can be characterised. Building on work first presented at last year's meeting, Dr Chakrabarti showed how the ripples in the gas trailing behind spiral galaxies are giving an ever-better view of how dark matter is distributed around galaxies, and how it may influence how they form. Rachel Mandelbaum of Princeton University said that the findings were significant, tackling the mystery on two fronts. "Both of these results represent two important ways of studying dark matter but in very different regimes," she told the meeting. "They're important in themselves, but they're also important as a proof-of-concept for the future, allowing us to see how powerful these methods will be with other data sets to do additional work." And a great deal of work is still needed. Dr Heymans conceded that we

Summary: Researchers have released the biggest images yet detailing dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up 85% of the Universe's mass.


3 July 2016 Last updated at 12:00 BST BBC reporter Imogen Sellers spoke to Commander Phil Richardson, from 815 Naval Air Squadron, about its history ahead of its decommissioning in March. Enthusiasts were also given the chance to meet Ed Sutton, from the US Air Force Reserve, and Major Darius Stachurski, from the Polish Air Force, which was taking part for the first time.

Summary: Aviation fans were able to see the Lynx helicopter fly for the last time after 40 years of Royal Navy service.


Julian Lewis asked Sir Craig Oliver to appear before the Defence Committee to discuss reports a missile veered off course, amid claims it was hushed up. The MP said the ex-journalist declined, saying he had been working on the EU referendum at the time of the test. Ministers have not confirmed or denied anything went wrong with the test. The government has said it will not divulge "operational details" of what happened during the test but has insisted it has "absolute confidence" in the UK's Trident system. Former defence minister Lord West told MPs he had been led to believe there had been a "minor hiccough" with the missile's automated communications system and it had been prematurely ditched into the ocean as a precaution. Mr Cameron was still prime minister when the test was conducted shortly before the EU referendum and Mr Lewis has been pressing for details about what he and his staff knew about it. The Times claimed on Tuesday that the Obama administration had asked Mr Cameron not to reveal details of the test. It cited sources which it said had told the paper the missile had successfully fired but encountered problems with its US-supplied software. Raising a point of order in Parliament after the meeting, Mr Lewis said it was "regrettable" that neither Sir Craig, who was director of communications under Mr Cameron nor Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon had taken up his invitation to appear before his committee. The MP has expressed concerns that, in the past, the Ministry of Defence has publicised details of successful tests but, in this case, there had been a total news blackout which could be seen as a cover-up. "Yesterday I told the House in good faith that Sir Craig Oliver vehemently denies he or any other member of David Cameron's media team ever knew about the aborted Trident test last June," he told MPs. "He had said that to my parliamentary office staff in terms bordering on rudeness. "However, when he was invited to appear before the defence committee today, he told the committee clerk that he did not wish to attend as he said he had left No 10 to work for the Remain campaign before the test firing took place." A spokesman for the former prime minister has said suggestions that his media advisers were involved in a cover-up over the test or had suggested one were "entirely false". CNN quoted an unnamed US defence official on Monday as saying the unarmed II D5 missile - fired from HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida - did deviate from its intended trajectory as part of an automatic self-destruct sequence. Appearing before the committee, Lord West said it sounded like the problem occurred once the missile was airborne and the Royal Navy could not be held responsible. "The submarine was put in the right position and was in the right mode - everything was done correctly in terms of the correct firing checks. "The missile fired properly and went up into the air... From everything that is said, it

Summary: A Tory MP says a former aide to David Cameron declined a request to answer questions about what the ex-PM knew about last year's Trident missile test.


The 46-year-old, who has won 12 medals, including two golds, will be hoping to create history as the sport makes its Paralympic debut. London Games Maker Anne Dickins is also included alongside 2012 competitors Nick Beighton and Emma Wiggs. Debutants Ian Marsden and Rob Oliver complete the GB squad. All of the squad had secured their places thanks to their performances at the British Championships in Nottingham earlier this month, but had to wait for the British Paralympic Association to verify their selection. Chippington appeared at her first Games in Seoul in 1988 and also competed in the pool in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens. After retiring from swimming she took up canoeing in 2011 and has won world and European titles in the KL1 class. Media playback is not supported on this device Dickins, 49, from Guildford, took up the sport after a chance meeting with a coach while volunteering in 2012. The former endurance cyclist suffered a freak debilitating back injury in 2011 and recovered from a viral illness to win world gold in the KL3 category last month. "I thought I couldn't do any more sport because of my injury, so to give back to sport I thought I would do some volunteering," she told BBC Sport. "Not for one minute did I ever think I would be competitive in any sport, let alone one I hadn't done before. It's just been such a crazy, incredible four years." Beighton, who lost both legs while serving in the Army in Afghanistan in 2009, rowed at the London Paralympics while Wiggs, who was left paralysed overnight while on a gap year in Australia, aged 18, was part of the sitting volleyball squad. Marsden is a former world champion powerlifter, while Oliver broke his leg playing football in 2008 and had his leg amputated after 17 operations. Great Britain is one of only two countries, along with Australia, to have qualified places in all six Paralympic events. Squad: Nick Beighton (Men's KL2), Jeanette Chippington (Women's KL1), Anne Dickins (Women's KL3), Ian Marsden (Men's KL1), Rob Oliver (Men's KL3), Emma Wiggs (Women's KL2).

Summary: Former swimmer turned canoeist Jeanette Chippington has been officially named to compete in her sixth Paralympics for Great Britain.


Media playback is not supported on this device They were denied a shot at the gold medal after making an illegal change-over in their semi-final win over Ukraine. Pendleton was penalised for taking over half a bike wheel too early at the start of the second lap of the two-lap race. Britain have won seven out of 10 track cycling gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics Men's individual sprint: Jason Kenny (Gbr) Women's individual sprint: Anna Meares (Aus) Men's team sprint: Great Britain Women's team sprint: Germany Men's keirin: Sir Chris Hoy (Gbr) Women's team pursuit: Great Britain Men's omnium: Lasse Hansen (Den) Women's omnium: Laura Trott (Gbr) "We were probably just a bit too eager," Pendleton told BBC Sport. "It's one of those things. "It was very unfortunate; it was a mistake made in a fraction of a second." China then finished ahead of Germany in the gold medal race, but were also relegated for an infringement at the change-over, leaving Germany as champions. China were left with silver, while Australia beat Ukraine in the bronze medal race. The announcement that Pendleton and Varnish had been relegated to eighth place was greeted by loud boos at the packed London Velodrome. Dave Brailsford, British Cycling's performance director, argued the pair's case with the judges in the centre of the track for more than 10 minutes before the news was relayed to spectators. British cyclists won gold in seven out of 10 events and a total of 12 medals on the track at Beijing in 2008, Pendleton and Varnish were on course to keep the run going in London. They broke the world record in their heat, in a time that was quickly bettered by China in the next race, and were second fastest in the semi-finals, again behind only China. "It happens so quickly when you are full speed in a team sprint. Jess moves up and that's my cue to take over but it was a metre or so too early, unfortunately," said Pendleton. "It was on the change. Jess got stuck a bit on the start and perhaps it put her a little bit on edge and perhaps she was trying to make up for the difference she lost. "Maybe she judged the straight a bit wrong and I just saw the gap and just went for it because that's my cue. "I'm desperately disappointed for Jess. She has done an incredible job in getting this far. Her team sprint today was the best of her life so far. "It's the Olympic Games, it's the biggest thing. To spend four years getting ready for it only to lose in a fraction of a second is gut wrenching." Mark Cavendish on BBC One "I'm sorry for disappointing all the people that have come to support us and perhaps not offering the ride that we would have done." Pendleton, who is retiring from cycling after the Olympics, competes in the keirin on Friday and will begin the defence of her individual sprint title on Sunday, but Varnish's Games are over. London

Summary: Great Britain's Olympic track cycling campaign got off to a disastrous start when Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish were disqualified from the final of the women's team sprint.


Steven Finn (3-27) reduced the hosts to 136-4 after England had set them 416 - the second highest chase ever - to win. Earlier, Jonny Bairstow hit 79 - his best Test score for three years - and Joe Root 73 as England reached 326 in their second innings. England are heavy favourites to earn a rare away win, but key batsman AB de Villiers remains unbeaten on 37. He was reprieved six overs before the close when Bairstow missed a tough chance to stump him off the bowling of Moeen Ali. Alastair Cook's men have won only one of their last 15 overseas Tests, but they have consistently outplayed the world's top-ranked Test side in this match. The Proteas, meanwhile, have concerns over captain Hashim Amla, who again failed with the bat, and talismanic fast bowler Dale Steyn, who did not bowl after injuring his shoulder on the third day. England resumed on 172-3, 261 runs ahead, looking for quick runs to set South Africa a challenging target, and in that context Bairstow's rapid innings was extremely valuable. Playing with impressive fluency on a wicket on which scoring has generally been difficult and slow, the Yorkshire batsman struck nine fours and three sixes. It was a significant knock from Bairstow, who is still seeking to establish himself as a permanent fixture in this England side ahead of rival wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler. But he could not record his maiden Test century, holing out off part-timer Stiaan van Zyl - who finished with 3-20 - as he unselfishly tried to accelerate with a declaration in prospect. Earlier, Root added just 13 runs to his overnight score before edging Kyle Abbott to slip, continuing a pattern of failing to convert fifties into hundreds - the number four has just three centuries in 2015, despite having passed 50 13 times. Ben Stokes' lean run with the bat continued as he edged Piedt to slip for five - the eighth time he has failed to pass five in his last 13 innings - but Chris Woakes contributed 23 in a useful cameo. The hosts began well with the bat, with first-innings centurion Dean Elgar and Van Zyl cracking eight boundaries in the first nine overs as they raced to South Africa's first 50 partnership for the opening wicket in nine innings. But Stokes removed Van Zyl just before tea, nipping a delivery between bat and pad. Then it was over to Finn, who continued his fine wicket-taking form since being recalled to the side in the summer with a superb burst in the evening session. First he induced the out-of-form Amla to chase a wide delivery and edge behind, then he had Elgar slash a full delivery to Root, who held a sharp catch at second slip. And in the final over of the day, he ended the resistance of Faf du Plessis, producing a beautiful delivery which squared the batsman up and was edged to Cook at first slip. Finn now looks a heavy favourite to retain his place ahead of Woakes if James Anderson

Summary: England need six wickets on the final day to complete victory in the first Test against South Africa in Durban.