The NSPCC twice referred Charito Cruz to social services at Kingston Council because of Mohammed Asad Niazi's abuse. In December Niazi, 30, was found guilty of bludgeoning Ms Cruz to death with a hammer in 2011 and jailed for 12 years. The council said it was now conducting a "domestic homicide review". An Ofsted report said the council had not adequately addressed "all the areas identified" in its internal management review, which has never been published but has been seen by BBC London. Duncan Clark, Kingston's director of children and learning, resigned with a Â£128,000 pay-off the day before the Ofsted report was published. The internal review found on one occasion a social services manager did not think the referral was serious enough to warrant a home visit. On the second occasion in September 2011 the manager did not read the referrals but took the documents home to read. That night, Niazi killed 37-year-old Ms Cruz by hitting her 50 times with a hammer. The council, Mr Clark and two social work managers criticised in the internal review have refused to comment. Kingston Council would only say it was conducting a "domestic homicide review" into the case, that new senior managers had been appointed and a "significant investment" had been made. A council spokesman said: "A number of significant actions have been taken in response to the findings of the Ofsted inspection and the improvement notice in order to improve safeguarding arrangements for children. "The council is implementing the improvement plan and there is good progress on delivering this agenda." Kingston's former acting head of social care, Olivia Butler, who ordered the internal investigation into what went wrong, said what she uncovered was "very poor practice and tantamount to negligence". According to the internal documents, Ms Cruz first emailed children's charity the NSPCC at the beginning of September 2011 as her relationship was breaking down due to Niazi's abuse. The charity asked Kingston Council to visit her at her home but a social work manager decided emailed advice was sufficient, the report stated. The situation worsened and Ms Cruz contacted the Child Safeguarding department on 23 September saying she was "shocked and scared" that her partner was showing their two-year-old daughter pornographic videos and encouraging her to play with cigarettes. A social worker phoned Ms Cruz the same day at which point Ms Cruz revealed Niazi, originally from Pakistan, had attempted suicide with an overdose of painkillers. The department's duty manager on 23 September, failed to ensure the conversation was logged on Kingston Council's computer system. Niazi emailed the NSPCC several times over two days asking for help controlling his emotions after smashing Ms Cruz's phone with the hammer he later murdered her with. On 25 September the police sent the Child Safeguarding department a referral informing them that Ms Cruz had visited them over the weekend, saying she was feeling unsafe and that they had visited Niazi warning him over his behaviour. The NSPCC also contacted Child Safeguarding the next morning with details of their contact with Niazi and asked the

Summary: Social work managers ignored requests to visit a woman being abused by her partner days before he killed her in front of their toddler, according to leaked documents.


In the course of a few days there have been high profile interventions from the Prime Minister, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, a universities minister and a representative from the European Commission. In special visits to the region they outlined in detail why they believed we were better off in than out. The Prime Minister spent almost an hour addressing students at University Campus, Suffolk. He admitted that we pay far more to Brussels from the East than we get back in grants, but he believed being a member of the EU was worth it. "In return we get money for British universities," he said. "Cambridge for instance gets 17% of its research grant from the EU. We get money back for our farmers and for regional aid and infrastructure projects. "For every pound paid in taxes one penny goes to the EU. I would argue that given we get the trade and the cooperation, this is worth the membership fee." David Cameron used a local example to illustrate one of the uncertainties of leaving: "Vivaro vans in Luton are a great product," he said. "We know at the moment they are exported all over Europe with no tariffs, no quotas, no taxes. Can you guarantee that those goods will be able to go to Europe without paying a tariff?" The importance of the EU to Cambridge was reinforced when Universities Minister Jo Johnson visited Cambridge and brought with him the European commissioner responsible for research, science and innovation, Carlos Moedas. "We want to ensure we sustain the momentum behind the Cambridge phenomenon and our national status as a global science superpower," Mr Johnson told his audience at Cambridge University, adding that the UK was one of the largest beneficiaries of EU science programmes. "To thrive in the information economy we need to be open to the world, we need to be innovative and we need to be building academic partnerships with our close neighbours, not turning our backs on them," he said. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, in his first visit to the region since taking over the leadership, visited Bedford. He spoke about the local economy benefiting from being a member of "one of the biggest markets on this planet". In such a diverse town, he focussed on the benefits of EU migration and claimed that if anyone's migrants were a drain on local services it was Brits who live abroad. "The simple fact is that there are two million EU citizens in the UK and around two million UK citizens living in the EU," he said. "For what it's worth, the majority of these people who are here from the European Union are working and paying tax and those who are British and living overseas tend not to be economically active, so Britain is clearly a net gainer from that situation. "The reality is, if you are a European migrant to this country you are several times more likely to be not claiming benefit than if you're a British person - so rather than putting a strain

Summary: With the date now set for the EU referendum, the remain campaign hasn't wasted time outlining its case to people in the East of England.


Police said they were called to Peterhead Academy following an incident involving two boys on Monday afternoon. The teenager was charged in connection with both possession of a knife and the assault. He has been reported to the youth justice management unit.

Summary: A 14-year-old boy has been charged after allegedly being found with a knife at an Aberdeenshire school after an assault.


The firm collects data from thousands of smartphone owners via an app. Of the four UK networks, EE was found to have the best 4G connectivity, while Three had the worst. However, Three also had the fastest download speeds when it was connected to 4G, the researchers found. Three was the last operator to roll out 4G in December 2013 and told the BBC it was continuing to extend its 4G network every day. "Almost everyone now uses a mobile phone service and it's not good enough that the UK is lagging behind so many countries with our 4G network coverage," said Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which. The State of the Mobile Network report also noted that O2 had the highest 3G and 4G latency - that's the amount of time data takes to travel along a network, measured in milliseconds. The firms have committed to investing in mobile networks. Last year, EE unveiled a Â£1.5bn three-year network investment plan that included the expansion of 4G and the commitment to reach 99% of the population with "superfast 4G". However, mobile phone providers have faced planning issues when creating the necessary infrastructure, said analyst Kester Mann from CCS Insight. "Network operators will maintain that they are investing millions of pounds each day in network coverage and capacity to satisfy the insatiable demand for mobile data services among UK consumers," he said. "They will also cite tough planning restrictions to allow taller masts to provide wider coverage, a challenge recognised in George Osborne's recent Budget. "These findings show that, although the UK is a leading market in the uptake of 4G services, there is still plenty of work to be done in network roll-out."

Summary: Smartphone users in the UK can only access 4G's data service about half of the time on average, according to a new report by OpenSignal and consumer watchdog Which.


The news comes on the day that the ASA upheld a complaint by Morrisons that three Aldi adverts were misleading. But Morrisons said that despite Wednesday's ruling, Aldi had launched another similar price comparison advert which was just as unfair. Aldi said in response to the new complaint that it believes its new advert fully complies with ASA rules. Morrisons latest complaint is about a price comparison TV advert tied to the Euro 2016 football competition. "It's clear they haven't changed their ways," a Morrisons spokesman said. On Wednesday, the ASA ruled that two Aldi TV adverts and one press ad that claimed consumers could make significant savings were misleading. One TV ad claimed a Â£70 Aldi shop would cost Â£98 at the "big four" supermarkets. Morrisons and two members of the public complained the adverts did not make it clear Aldi's own-brand products were being compared with branded products. However Aldi, said comparative advertising was a "well-established principle". The German discount supermarket chain said consumers were likely to interpret the comparison as intended - the branded and fresh products from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons shown versus the Aldi products shown. The ASA said: "We acknowledged that Aldi stated they had not intended the comparisons to represent a 'typical' weekly shop, but to be a comparison between the pictured products only. "Nonetheless, we considered that was how consumers would interpret the adverts rather than as a representation of the savings which could be made by switching from a largely branded shop to shopping in Aldi, and therefore assessed them on that basis." Aldi's UK and Ireland chief executive Matthew Barnes said it was "extremely disappointed" with the "ambiguous and inconsistent" decision. "The use of comparative advertising is a well-established principle and is firmly in the interests of consumers and encourages competition between retailers," he said.

Summary: Supermarket Morrisons is to make a new complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about discount chain Aldi.


A judge will now consider the deportation of Ethan Couch, 18. He and his mother were arrested in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta after a phone call for pizza tipped off police. Couch left Texas for Mexico after he allegedly broke probation. His lawyer had argued a privileged upbringing left him with no sense of responsibility. An arrest warrant was issued earlier this month for Couch after he failed to report to his probation officer. His disappearance came shortly after he had apparently been filmed at a party where people were consuming alcohol, police said. He could go to prison for up to 10 years if found to have violated his probation by drinking. His mother Tonya Crouch faces charges of hindering an apprehension. She and her son planned their disappearance and even held a going-away party, said police. It is not yet clear if she has also sought to delay her extradition. They were being held at immigration offices in Guadalajara and had been due to fly to Houston on Wednesday evening. Couch was on juvenile probation after killing four people in a 2013 drink-driving crash in 2013. He pleaded guilty and a judge sentenced him in juvenile court to 10 years' probation and a stint in rehab. A psychologist at his trial successfully argued that his privileged upbringing - an unrecognised condition known as "affluenza" - meant his parents had not taught him a sense of responsibility.

Summary: A fugitive who made headlines for using an "affluenza" defence after a fatal drink-driving crash has delayed his extradition from Mexico to the US.


The 24-year-old, her three sons and daughter are due to be evicted on Boxing Day due to rent arrears. Miss Morgan, from Lampeter, Ceredigion, said her family will get a Christmas thanks to assistance from a charity. "I don't know where me and my children are going to be on Boxing Day but I'm trying to stay positive," she said. Miss Morgan and her children, who are all under six, will have Christmas dinner at Victoria Hall in the town cooked by Home Start Ceredigion, which helps people from across the region. The charity also collects donated toys, books and gifts, meaning Miss Morgan's children will have presents to open. "The children just want Santa to come, so that's my main thing at the moment is to make sure they have a good Christmas Day. "Then they think 'we've been good this year' because they have - they've had a really really tough year." Home Start Ceredigion's manager Sharon Morris said: "We're trying to help as many families as we can because people don't realise that this kind of poverty and homelessness isn't just in cities it is going on in rural areas. "People get into debt and it's difficult to get out of it." Miss Morgan said the council was not able to help until she is actually homeless and she has a viewing for another home, but it is an uncertain time. "Me and the kids don't know where we'll be on Boxing Day - we might be sleeping outside my front door, we don't know." If she cannot find accommodation, Miss Morgan and her children will try and get help from a refuge in either Cardigan or Borth. Despite this, she said she is trying to be upbeat and said her family will enjoy their Christmas. "All I want for them is to enjoy two hours out of the day where we can be a family and enjoy other people's company and not be on our own."

Summary: As families across Wales enjoy their Christmas Day, mother-of-four Michelle Morgan faces the prospect of being homeless the next day.


The Belfast woman claims she was 15 when she embarked on a sexual relationship with Mr McPeake. The 72-year-old denies 12 counts of sex offences against her. She made her claim during her third day in the witness box. The abuse is alleged to have happened from summer 2009 until February 2010. She alleged in Belfast Crown Court she became sexually involved with McPeake during a group trip to the Republic of Ireland, and that when the group returned to Belfast, her relationship with Mr McPeake progressed onto intercourse. The woman was questioned at length about the allegations she had made against Mr McPeake. When she was asked about an alleged pregnancy scare, the woman said she "panicked" as she was only 15 and that Mr McPeake had lost his temper when she told him. This, and all her other claims, have been refuted by Mr McPeake, who makes the case that no sexual activity occurred between him and the then schoolgirl in 2009 and 2010. A defence lawyer questioned the woman about her claims of sexual activity on two cross-border trips as well as alleged incidents she said occurred at the McPeake School of Music in Belfast, at another music workshop in the city and in his car. Telling the jury it was Mr McPeake's case there was no sexual activity, the lawyer accused the woman of being a disruptive influence during one of the cross-border trips, where she made a nuisance of herself and had to be chastised by Mr McPeake for her bad behaviour. This suggestion was rejected by the woman, who said that at that time they were in a relationship and she was in love with him. She was also asked about comments she made about wanting to wreck his life the way he had wrecked hers, and also comments she made to Mr McPeake's son via Facebook about his father. Breaking down in tears, the woman said she was "angry and hurt" about what Mr McPeake had done. She said: "All I wanted was an apology, to say he was sorry and that he was wrong. I just wanted an apology from him." When she was accused by the defence lawyer of making false allegations about Mr McPeake, she answered: "They are not false, they are true." And when she was told by the lawyer "I have to suggest to you there was no sexual activity between you and the defendant", she replied "there was." The trial is due to resume on Monday.

Summary: A 20-year-old woman who claims she was sexually abused by traditional Irish musician Francis McPeake has claimed in court he "lost his temper" when she told him she thought she might be pregnant.


McCarron picked up a hamstring injury in training, while McMahon is struggling with a quad injury which has been slow to respond to treatment. Both are rated extremely doubtful for the first round tie, a repeat of last year's quarter-final, which Tyrone won. Conor Meyler has recovered from a hamstring injury and is set to start. McMahon's injury has kept him out of his last five club games and he is unlikely to feature as the Red Hands begin the defence of their provincial title against the Oak Leafers. "Cathal McCarron has picked up a hamstring injury which is concerning, because it only happened about a week ago," said manager Mickey Harte. "He has had a good couple of years for us and has a lot of ability in that sector of the field. "Justin has picked up a lot of niggly injuries throughout his career. He has quad injury at the minute and has had it for four or five weeks. "He's so versatile and so capable, and it's unfortunate, but we still have a lot of good players in the squad, a lot of versatile players."

Summary: Tyrone look set to be without key defenders Cathal McCarron and Justin McMahon for their Ulster SFC opener against Derry at Celtic Park on 28 May.


Protests have been held at the Little Plumpton site since shale gas extraction was approved in 2016. More officers are needed as activity increases, costing an extra £200k this financial year, said a spokesman. Last month, the Home Office said the force would "continue to have" resources "to keep communities safe". Planning permission for energy firm Cuadrilla to carry out fracking at the Preston New Road site was initially declined by Lancashire County Council, but that decision was overturned by Communities Minister Sajid Javid in October. Protests have been held regularly at the site since initial works began in January. Energy firm Cuadrilla has said drilling would start in the spring. It would mean that, for the first time, UK shale rock will be drilled horizontally, which is expected to yield more gas. However, the process has prompted environmental concerns. A force spokesman said the additional £450,000 a month policing cost would be kept under review and published. "We also estimate we will have spent up to £200k additional costs in the current financial year. "The increase is because activity at the site is increasing and so are the number of officers there."

Summary: Policing the fracking operation in Lancashire will cost the force an additional £450,000 a month while it continues, say police.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Uruguayan, 27, who is serving a four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup, will sign a five-year deal. Suarez, who scored 31 league goals last season, will travel to the Spanish club next week for a medical. "Luis is a very special talent and I thank him for the role he has played," said Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers. Suarez - last season's Premier League top scorer and winner of the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year awards - signed for Liverpool from Ajax in 2011 for £22.7m, and had four years left on his contract. The move to Barcelona takes him closer to his wife Sofia's family. "I hope you can all understand why I have made this decision," said the striker, who is banned from "all football-related activity" until the end of October as he serves his third suspension for biting an opponent. "This club did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife's family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right." Suarez thanked the "wonderful" Liverpool fans in a letter - tweeted from his account - for supporting him "in good times and bad". When he is eventually eligible to play again, Suarez is expected to wear the number nine shirt in a formidable Barcelona front line including Argentine Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar. The club is looking to rebuild under new coach Luis Enrique after its first season without a major trophy in six years. If the transfer fee is confirmed at £75m, it will be the third biggest in football history after Gareth Bale (£86m Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013) and Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m Manchester United to Real Madrid, 2009) "It is with a heavy heart that I leave Liverpool for a new life and new challenges in Spain," said Suarez. "Both me and my family have fallen in love with this club (Liverpool) and with the city, but most of all I have fallen in love with the incredible fans. "You have always supported me and we, as a family, will never forget it. We will always be Liverpool supporters." Media playback is not supported on this device In his statement, released on Liverpool's official website, Suarez concluded: "Thank you again for some great moments and memories. You'll Never Walk Alone." The transfer means Liverpool do not have to deal with the fall-out from a Suarez suspension for the second season running. They supported the player after another biting attack - on Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield in April 2013 - which led to a 10-game ban, and he signed a new contract in December. "The club have done all they can over a sustained period of time to try to keep Luis at Liverpool," added Rodgers. "It is with great reluctance and following lengthy discussions we have eventually agreed to his wishes to move to Spain for new experiences and challenges. We wish him and

Summary: Liverpool have agreed to sell striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona for a fee thought to be about £75m.


Strictly speaking, though, it is not a tax at all. The government says it is simply removing the "spare room subsidy" which put social sector tenants in a better position than those in the private rental sector. Ministers argue the changes will encourage people to downsize to smaller properties, and in doing so, help cut the £23bn annual bill for housing benefit, free up living space for overcrowded families, and encourage people to get jobs. But housing charities have warned that the result will be higher levels of rent arrears and greater homelessness. The government estimates that over half a million tenants are affected by the new rules, which took effect in April this year. More than half of those affected have a disability causing them "significant difficulty in one or more areas of the individual's life", the Department for Work and Pensions has said. The government predicts that savings to the taxpayer will amount to £505m in 2013-14, and £540m in the year after. What has changed? The new rules affect housing benefit, which is paid to less well-off tenants to help with rent. Typically claimants receive between £50 and £100 a week. But since April 2013 families deemed to have too much living space by their local authorities receive a reduced payment. Under the government's so-called "size criteria", families are assessed for the number of bedrooms they actually need. Who is affected? This change affects council tenants, and those who rent from housing associations, who are housing benefit claimants. It does not affect private sector tenants who are already subject to certain rules. The government estimates that 660,000 households will have their benefit cut, roughly a third of social sector claimants. Only those of working age will see reduced payments. But there are some other exemptions too. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said the 5,000 approved foster carers in the UK would continue to receive rent payments towards an "additional room" as long as they have fostered a child or become an approved foster carer in the previous 12 months. And families with adult children serving in the armed forces will also be exempt from the changes, even when they are on overseas deployment. They will be treated as if they were continuing to live at home. How much have people lost? If tenants are deemed to have one spare room, the amount of rent eligible for housing benefit will be cut by 14%. If they have two or more spare rooms, the cut will be 25%. The government says that means an average loss of about £14 a week for council tenants. Those who rent from housing associations are facing an average loss of about £16 a week. Tenants can downsize, but problems have arisen in some areas where there is a shortage of smaller homes. Campaigners say those affected face being forced to move long distances to find a property, or move into the private sector, where rents could be higher. How many bedrooms are you allowed? The new rules allow one bedroom for each adult

Summary: A change in housing benefit rules, introduced in April 2013, has been dubbed the "bedroom tax" by Labour and, for many, the name has stuck.


The tourists resumed on 99-3 but slipped to 148-8 as five wickets fell for 15 runs, Junior Dala taking 5-34. Ben Stokes' brisk 27 helped England to 190 all out, setting the hosts a nominal 473 to win, but they were 5-0 after two overs when the rain came. England begin the first Test against South Africa in Durban on Boxing Day. The visitors had dominated the first two days of this opening warm-up game, but Zambia-born seamer Dala accounted for overnight batsmen Joe Root (39) and Gary Ballance (25) who added 50 for the fourth wicket. Keeper Jonny Bairstow was caught behind for a first-ball duck off left-armer Dieter Klein at the other end, before Moeen Ali (20) and Stokes, batting at 10, steadied the ship. However, it was spectacular thunder and lightning which ultimately denied them the opportunity to try to bowl the hosts out and force victory. England's final warm-up before the Tests is another three-day game against South Africa A at Pietermaritzburg, beginning on Sunday.

Summary: England's warm-up match against a South Africa Invitation XI was abandoned as a draw as heavy storms wrecked the third and final day in Potchefstroom.


Two generals said the jihadist group had suffered the losses as troops and allied fighters, backed by US-led air strikes, advanced on several axes. Up to 5,000 IS fighters were believed to be in Mosul ahead of the assault. Despite the territorial gains, commanders have warned that securing Mosul could take weeks, if not months. About 50,000 Iraqi security forces personnel, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen are involved in the operation. More than 100 US military personnel are embedded with them, advising commanders and helping direct coalition air strikes. Other US troops are providing fire support from nearby bases. Lt Gen Stephen Townsend, the commander of US forces in Iraq, said on Wednesday that the coalition forces had delivered more than 2,100 aerial bombs, artillery and mortar shells, rockets and missiles since 17 October. "This relentless campaign of strikes has removed hundreds of fighters, weapons, and key leaders from the battlefield in front of the Iraqi advance," he added. On Thursday, the head of the US military's Central Command, Gen Joseph Votel, told the AFP news agency: "Just in the operations over the last week and a half associated with Mosul, we estimate they've probably killed about 800-900 Islamic State fighters." The Iraqi government informed US commanders on Wednesday that 57 Iraqi soldiers had been killed and about 250 wounded. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are thought to have suffered about 20 to 30 fatalities. Despite the removal of hundreds militants from the battlefield, Gen Townsend warned that IS defences were likely to grow stronger the closer they got to Mosul. The group had "used an extraordinary amount of indirect fire - mortars, artillery and rockets - and an exceptional number of VBIEDs (Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices)," he told reporters during a visit to the Qayyarah airbase. Fierce resistance by jihadists has held up soldiers in the Shura area, 40km (25 miles) south of Mosul, prompting elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces to pause their advance near the village of Bazwaya, only 6km east of the city. CTS commander Brig Gen Haider Fadhil told the Associated Press his forces would wait for other units to reach Mosul's outskirts before entering the city. But he stressed: "The operation has not been stopped and is proceeding as planned." Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had trained 90 Iraqi medics in "mass casualty management" as part of its preparations for the Mosul operation, with a special focus on responding to chemical attacks, AP reported. IS has previously used chemical weapons in attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, and there are fears that it might do so again inside Mosul, where more than a million civilians live. Some 11,700 residents have fled since the offensive began and, according to the UN's worst-case scenario, as many as 700,000 others could follow suit. "There's been quite a dramatic upturn in the last few days," said Karl Schembri of the Norwegian Refugee Council, who warned that there were currently only spaces in camps for 60,000 people. The WHO is working on the assumption that 200,000 of

Summary: Hundreds of Islamic State militants are thought to have been killed since Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake Mosul last week, the US military says.


Boom Supersonic expects a prototype of its passenger plane to make its first test flight by the end of 2018. Subsonic and supersonic tests will take place in the US. If the full-size 55-seat plane is then approved, the first passengers could be travelling at supersonic speeds across the Atlantic by 2023. Rolls-Royce warns against 'hard Brexit' Boeing launches new version of 737 jet Airbus unveils upgraded A380 jumbo Blake Scholl, the founder and chief executive of Boom, said at the Paris air show that the design of the XB-1 demonstration plane had passed a performance and safety review ahead of manufacturing. Boom said five unnamed airlines had placed 76 orders for its passenger plane, which resembles Concorde but has a delta wing that sweeps almost to the tip of the nose. It will also ditch the afterburner engine used by the British-French supersonic pioneer that was not only extremely loud but also very thirsty. "By using a modern turbofan engine like Boeing and Airbus, you can make the aircraft both quieter and significantly more fuel efficient," Mr Scholl told the BBC. The company claims that airlines flying its plane will be able to charge similar prices to a business class fare on the lucrative London-New York route of about $5,000 return. Concorde tickets used to cost up to about three times that amount. Time-poor travellers, meanwhile, will jump at the chance of getting to or from those two cities in about half the time a subsonic plane takes, according to Boom. "Airlines are excited for something new and different to offer their passengers," Mr Scholl said. Although Concorde had the backing of both the British and French governments, he said it was not economic because the imperative then was to beat the Soviet Union into the supersonic age, rather than build a practical or affordable plane. "Being a private company that has to raise investment means we have to have a business case that is profitable for airlines and affordable for customers," Mr Scholl said. Although many remain sceptical that Boom can deliver its promises, the company said in March that it had raised the $33m that would allow it to build and fly the demonstration plane. One believer in the project is Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, who announced late last year that he planned to buy the first 10 passenger jets made by Boom. His Virgin Galactic space travel venture will also provide manufacturing and engineering services, as well as flight test support.

Summary: Supersonic air travel could be back in little more than five years if a plane that aims to replace Concorde takes to the skies.


A new report said the gap between the hourly earnings of the two sexes widens after women become mothers. Their hourly pay rate falls 33% behind men's over a 12-year period, it added. But in Northern Ireland, there is an established trend of women earning more than men. In 2010, typical (median) female full-time hourly earnings, excluding overtime, in Northern Ireland moved slightly ahead of male earnings for the first time. That has continued over the last five years, except for 2012 when typical female and male full-time hourly earnings were the same. In 2015, typical female full-time hourly earnings, excluding overtime, were 101% of male earnings compared to a ratio of 91% for the UK as a whole. The pattern of women earning slightly more than men is not uniform across the income distribution. Men have higher earnings in the 90th percentile (among the top 10% of earners), and at the 40th percentile and below. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has suggested that the gap in favour of full-time female workers overall is partly to do with a higher proportion of public sector jobs in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK. There are more women employed in this sector than men and these jobs tend to be higher paid, in general, than in the private sector. At a wider, all-employee level, there is still a gap in favour of men because there are more full-time male employees. All of the above data is from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

Summary: Full-time female workers in Northern Ireland are defying the gender pay gap to earn more than their male counterparts, official figures have shown.


A man in his 40s was found fatally shot near the Colnbrook bypass, Slough, on Monday. A relative said Reuben Gregory had lived with his sister Kathleen in the area for more than 50 years. It is believed they lived in a caravan. She described them as "very, very quiet inoffensive people". "They are just very peaceable people, living a very simple life. That's the way they have always lived, that's the only life they know." The family member, who did not want to be named, said the siblings had been targeted 30 years ago in a burglary during which Ms Gregory was tied up. Emergency services teams, including armed officers, found the man at 03:30 BST. Mr Gregory, in his 70s, and Ms Gregory, in her 50s, remain in custody. Det Ch Supt Chris Ward, of Thames Valley Police, said investigators were treating the shooting as an "isolated incident". He added: "I must stress that this incident is not being treated as related to terrorism and there is no threat to the wider public." On Monday, officers arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of burglary in connection with the incident. The man, who is said to be local to the area, is in police custody.

Summary: An elderly man and his sister arrested on suspicion of murder live together in "secluded" Berkshire woodland, a relative has claimed.


As part of a discussion paper on the future of Defined Benefit (DB) pensions, it said financially "stressed" companies might be allowed to water down previous promises. About 5% of businesses are in that category, according to the green paper. As many as eleven million people are members of private sector DB schemes, which link pensions to salaries. In particular, some companies might be allowed to adjust the way they up-rate pension payments annually to compensate for inflation. Instead of using the Retail Prices Index (RPI), it could be that some companies would be allowed to use the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) instead, the government said. Since CPI is usually lower than RPI, it would save firms money. However, such a change could cost the average pensioner up to Â£20,000 over the course of their retirement, according to the discussion document. Most public-sector Defined Benefit pensions schemes moved to the CPI measure in 2011. Steve Webb, who was a pensions minister under the Coalition government, said allowing such a change would be worrying. "There is a significant risk that relaxing standards on inflation protection - with the best of intentions for exceptional cases - could be exploited and lead to millions of retired people being at risk of cuts in their real living standards," he said. In the paper, the government also raises the idea of temporarily suspending any sort of inflation indexation at all, when pension schemes are in serious trouble. Yet it admits this could raise "moral hazard issues", whereby companies might be tempted to deliberately increase their deficits to save money on pension pay-outs. Most DB pension schemes remain "affordable" for employers, the government said, even though most are currently in deficit. So the government's message to employers is unequivocal: most can clear their pension deficits if they want to. It said the total deficit of all DB schemes in January 2017 was Â£197bn, down from Â£459bn in August 2016. "Our modelling suggests that these deficits are likely to shrink for the majority of schemes, if employers continue to pay into schemes at current/promised levels," the paper declares. "While DB pensions are more expensive than they were when they were set up, many employers could clear their pension deficit if required." DB schemes have declined over recent years, as employers have switched to more affordable defined contribution (DC) schemes, where pension payouts are linked to investment returns. The pensions industry is now being asked to comment on the ideas in the green paper.

Summary: Firms in financial trouble could be allowed to reduce the generosity of pensions, the government has suggested.


Residents living near Queens Park in Bolton reported hearing a repetitive "loud tapping" in the early hours this week leaving council officials baffled. One resident even recorded the sound, the Bolton News reported. Police officers called to investigate "suspicious banging" eventually traced the noise to construction work on a nearby railway line. Complaints began on Monday 28 November with the sound being heard for up to four hours a night. Bolton Council, which runs the park, said it had "no idea" where the noise was coming from. "We don't do anything in the park at night," said a spokesman. Greater Manchester Police said they were called at 04:08 BST on Tuesday by a resident on Mayor Street who reported "suspicious banging" in the park. "The noise was traced to industrial work being carried out on the railway tracks. "The incident has now been closed." The Bolton to Lostock railway line runs just south of Queens Park.

Summary: A mystery surrounding a "banging noise" heard coming from a Greater Manchester park at night has been solved.


The 75-year-old was rumoured to be favourite to perform the duty which has previously been carried out by other sporting greats such as Muhammad Ali and Cathy Freeman. The three-time World Cup winner has been suffering from muscle pains and had hip surgery earlier this year. "I'm not in physical condition to take part in the opening ceremony," he said. Coverage of Friday's opening ceremony at Rio's Maracana Stadium begins at 23:35 BST on BBC One. The problem is that if he sits in a chair you need a winch to get him out of it Pele added: "Only God is more important than my health. In my life, I've had fractures, surgeries, pain, hospital stays, victories and defeats. And I've always respected those who admire me." The former Santos player added that it was his "own decision". Pele's spokesman Pepito Fornos added: "He is walking with a cane. The problem is that if he sits in a chair you need a winch to get him out of it. "His doctor thought it best that he continues physiotherapy, that he rests and we hope that he will be able to appear at the [Olympic] closing ceremony." Earlier this week, Pele said he was asked to light the cauldron by the organisers, however he had "an international commitment with an English company". The former footballer added that if he could change his travel plans it would be an "honour" to carry out the task. In June, Pele was awarded the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - the movement's highest honour. He was named "Athlete of the century" by the IOC in 1999 despite never competing at a Games because professional players were barred from doing so during his playing days. Pele, who won his first World Cup winner's medal at the age of 17, is regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time. Since retiring in 1977, he has taken up ambassadorial roles both in and outside football, and was involved in politics as minister of sport in his home country for a three-year period from 1995. And in 2012 Pele was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for his "significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes", having worked as a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment. Earlier on Friday, hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads in Copacabana - protesting against the government and the cost of hosting the event - which resulted in a change of route for the Olympic torch relay. The Olympic torch began its final journey to the Maracana beneath the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Brazil football legend Pele will not light the Olympic cauldron at Friday's opening ceremony in Rio.


The bid, to be filmed for a TV show, involves laying 74 miles (119km) of track from Fort William to Inverness. Love Productions, the programme makers, hope the "slightly bonkers" undertaking will be as popular as its Great British Bake Off. Engineers and construction workers have also been sought for the project. Construction is planned for two weeks over the summer and is to be filmed for Channel 4. The working title for the show is The Biggest Little Railway in the World. Producer of the project, Charlotte Armstrong, told BBC Radio Scotland's Out of Doors programme the new show would celebrate British enthusiasm for model railways. She said: "It's massively ambitious. We want to bring together Britain's model railway enthusiasts and all the different skills they have, but also local volunteers, engineers and people with construction experience." The programme would also celebrate a Victorian era idea to build a full-scale, working railway through the Great Glen. The full interview with Ms Armstrong is to feature in Saturday's Out of Doors, which is broadcast on Radio Scotland from 06:30.

Summary: Model railway enthusiasts and volunteers are being sought for an ambitious plan to lay a model railway track along Scotland's Great Glen.


The Scottish Premiership club parted company with Mark Warburton on Friday. McLeish, who was manager for five years until 2006, insisted there has been no contact with his former club. But the 58-year-old told Sky Sports: "When you get asked to come to a club like Rangers then its for sure a decision to turn that down." McLeish, who was sacked by Egyptian Premier League club Zamalek in May, has emerged as the bookmakers' favourite. And he was a television guest as Rangers, with caretaker Graeme Murty in charge, defeated Greenock Morton 2-1 to reach the Scottish Cup quarter-finals. Asked if he was likely to be the new manager, McLeish replied: "You never know. It is purely coincidence that I'm here today. "You called me a couple of weeks ago to come and do this game and I then find there's been some events happening at Ibrox the last couple of days." McLeish was also asked if Rangers had been in touch since Warburton departed on Friday. "No," he said. "Obviously there's a lot of speculation, but at the moment there's nothing I can update you on apart form the fact that I'm here and it looks more than a coincidence, but it is a coincidence." McLeish won two Scottish titles as Rangers manager and the Glasgow club also won five knock-out trophies during his tenure - the Scottish Cup twice and League Cup three times. The man who has also managed Motherwell, Hibernian, Scotland, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Genk hinted that a return to Ibrox would be an attractive prospect. "I am a Rangers man, so you obviously have to keep that in consideration," he added. Rangers chairman Dave King has claimed that the club accepted Warburton's resignation after the manager's representative had talks with Nottingham Forest, while the Englishman denies he resigned. The Glasgow side lie third in the Scottish Premiership, 27 points adrift of city rivals and holders Celtic, and King said Warburton's team had not reached the targets expected of them. Former Rangers players Gordon Smith and Barry and Derek Ferguson have described McLeish as the ideal candidate to take over.

Summary: Alex McLeish admits he would find it difficult to turn down Rangers should he be asked to become manager at Ibrox for a second time.


A brick was hurled through the window of the house, followed by a petrol bomb and a pipe bomb, which did not explode. Supt Gordon McCalmont said it was a "reckless act at the hands of what we believe to be a loyalist paramilitary gang". A meeting to discuss ongoing tensions in the area was held on Tuesday. On Saturday night, shots were fired at a house at nearby Rossdowney Drive where a toddler was asleep in a upstairs bedroom. The latest attack happened at about 10:30 BST on Monday, and the victim said he did not know why his house was targeted. "I don't know why anyone has anything against me because I don't really know anybody," said Andrew Logue. The 62-year-old, who is originally from Carndonagh in County Donegal and has been living in the mainly unionist estate for three months, said he was still in shock. "I couldn't believe someone would do that to the likes of myself," he told BBC News NI. "It doesn't bother me what religion you're from. We all get cut, we bleed the same colour." On Tuesday night, political, community, religious and statutory leaders in the area issued a joint statement after discussing the ongoing tensions. "For those who are responsible for the use of violence against any of our people or any part of our city, we say 'put away your guns and bombs and bring to an end the misery that you are imposing on our community'," they said. "The city has always shown leadership in how it deals with community tensions and, following today's meeting, everyone has reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that this city speaks with one voice and if you hurt one of us, you hurt us all. "We would appeal to anyone who has any information in relation to any of the recent attacks to give that information to the PSNI." Earlier, Supt McCalmont said the bomb had been left "in the heart of the local community". "This was a concerning attack that took the form of a brick hurled through a window, followed by a petrol bomb and then a pipe bomb," he said. "Thankfully, the pipe bomb didn't explode, or we could have been looking at something very different today." After the attack, a number of people were moved out of their homes to a local community centre. Sinn FÃ©in MP Elisha McCallion called on community leaders to defuse the situation. "An urgent approach involving all the relevant agencies and community representatives is required in order to address this issue before someone is seriously injured or even killed," she said. Foyle DUP MLA Gary Middleton described the attack as "reckless and senseless". "Paramilitary activity has no place in our society today and those who still continue to cling to criminality and violence are to be unequivocally condemned for their actions," he said. SDLP councillor Martin Reilly said it was "a despicable attack" that could have had devastating consequences. "Those behind this depraved attack have no place in our city. Their violence has been rejected by people

Summary: Police are investigating a possible sectarian motive for an overnight attack in Londonderry's Waterside area.


She officially opened the games, which is marking its 150th anniversary. And she was photographed pouring whisky from a quaich to anoint the new Aboyne Games caber, and meeting competitors. The monarch is thought to be in residence at nearby Balmoral, the Royal Family's Scottish holiday home.

Summary: The Queen has made a surprise visit to the Aboyne Highland Games in Aberdeenshire.


It follows proposals put forward last year in a review for an overhaul of police pay, conditions and allowances. The Police Federation says it is "disappointed" by the announcement. What are the key changes? The recommendations of the mammoth two-part Winsor Review of police pay had one simple aim: to stop paying police officers for the time they have served and start paying them for their skills and the challenges they face. In other words - the days of paying an officer more just because he had done 28 years would go. The first part of the review said police were being paid under a system that had been devised for a world that no longer existed. Forces have shifted resources increasingly into specialised units. That's because (broadly speaking) expert teams - be they officers working on burglary intelligence or those who deal with child abuse - should be able to amass the knowledge needed to solve more crimes more quickly. Winsor said that reforming pay and conditions would help chiefs to focus resources where they were needed, while preventing some officers from seeking out the easiest of posts. The second part of the review called for chiefs to be able to make officers redundant - a fundamental shift in the employment protection enjoyed by sworn officers. it also called for physical fitness tests and direct entry into senior ranks for recruits with relevant outside experience - be it military or business management skills. He also wanted accelerated promotion to inspector for the best recruits, to encourage more top graduates into policing. Police pay is set through a national negotiating board - and disputes go to a arbitration tribunal. There were a number of sticking points during the negotiations: The government said that pay needed to be based on skills and how they were used, rather than number of years served. It said forces needed this flexibility because of the different challenges each area of the country faced. Although forces were broadly on track to make spending cuts of up to 20% by March 2015, that was not guaranteed. Starting salaries will be cut by up to £4,259 from April, making the starting salary £19,000. This salary will be given to those with the least or no relevant experience - such as those who join at 18. But some recruits will start on £22,000 if they have some experience, such as time spent as a special constable. The change in starting salaries will save an estimated £140m over five years. But the deal also means that many constables will have the opportunity to move to the top of the pay scale - currently around £36,000 - more quickly, . The Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers says this cut in starting salary fails to reflect the dangers inherent in the job and that police constables have lost out because of an unfair comparison between their jobs and those of other public sector workers. From April, chief constables will have discretion over whether to pay officers regional allowances. Currently, all officers in the

Summary: The Home Secretary is implementing a range of major reforms to police pay in England and Wales after two years of tense negotiations between officers and government.


Major Richard Rimmington told an inquest he had always wondered if he was the last person to see Pte Cheryl James alive at the Surrey barracks. Pte James was on guard duty when he drove into the camp on 27 November 1995. When asked if he saw anything notable about her, he said "not at all." The 18-year-old from Llangollen in Denbighshire was one of four recruits to die at the base in seven years. She was found dead with a bullet wound to the head. Maj Rimmington told the hearing in Woking: "At the gate I saw one person, it was a female, a female in uniform doing guard duties. "I showed her my ID card and probably said 'good morning how are you'." He said a colleague arrived five minutes later to find the gate unmanned. Maj Rimmington said he was surprised no-one came to talk to him about Pte James's death. "After the initial inquest had concluded I thought they must not have needed me," he said. An open verdict into Pte James's death was recorded in the first inquest into her death in December 1995. A second inquest is taking place after High Court judges quashed the findings. Paul Vernam, former Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) at Deepcut, said he also saw Pte James at the gate and corrected her for not calling him "Sir" but that there was nothing unusual about her response. "It was quite normal speech, I was in my car, I wasn't shouting at her or anything like that," he added. Mr Vernam said he was shocked to be told Pte James had killed herself minutes later. He said he did not know at the time that it was expressly against orders for females to go out on guard duty alone. Alison Foster QC, representing Pte James's family, said: "There is...if a single female is on lone guard, an obvious opportunity for her to be overborne, would you agree?" Mr Vernam answered: "Not really no, I would suggest that the soldiers when by themselves were in daylight and I don't see a threat in daylight hours." Ms Foster asked: "If a woman is on her own and armed is she more vulnerable to an armed male intruder than a man, purely on physical strength?" "Yes," Mr Vernam replied. Richard Simonds, a former Major at Deepcut, said he saw Pte James "lying in the woods" near the gate with two officers standing nearby, when he arrived for work. "I said, 'Is she dead?' They said they didn't know." He continued: "It was a female lying in foetal position with knees drawn up, lying on her right-hand side and there was a weapon lying very close to her. "There was some blood around her head and a bullet wound to her forehead." He told the inquest he checked for a pulse but there was "nothing at all". "Once I found there was no pulse and she was beyond help it didn't seem dignified to do violent CPR or anything like that so we backed off," he said.

Summary: A former army instructor who spoke to a young soldier at Deepcut barracks moments before she died has said no-one interviewed him after her death.


A former Rhodes Scholar who once wanted to be a monk, the 57-year-old attracted early criticism for gaffes and was famously called a misogynist by former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard. A series of public blunders, questionable calls and U-turns on key policies have since resulted in a decline in his popularity. In February 2015 he survived a challenge from MPs within his own party that had threatened to remove him from the top job less than 18 months in. But in September he was challenged once again by former communications minister Malcolm Turnbull - and ousted in a hastily-arranged vote. Tony Abbott was born in 1957 in England to Australian parents who returned to Sydney a few years later. After graduating in economics and law from the University of Sydney, where he was also a leading student boxer, he attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, studying politics and philosophy. He briefly trained as a Catholic priest, before working as a journalist for the Australian newspaper. He then worked as an adviser to the Liberal Party, before entering politics in 1994 when he was elected to represent the affluent Warringah district of Sydney. Under former Prime Minister John Howard, he served as an employment minister between 1998 and 2001 and as minister for health and ageing in 2003. In 2009, he narrowly beat incumbent Malcolm Turnbull in a party leadership vote, winning 42 votes to Mr Turnbull's 41. Many pundits were shocked by the result, given Mr Abbott's gaffe-prone history. As leader of the opposition, Mr Abbott's aggressive approach earned him several nicknames. His tactics led some to call him "Tear-down Tony" or "Mad Monk" - a reference to his time spent training as a priest. He has also consistently voted against relaxing laws on abortion, same-sex marriages and stem cell research. His stance on social issues, and his poor polling among women, has led some to say that Mr Abbott has a "women problem". In October 2012, Ms Gillard's blistering speech in parliament accusing him of misogyny went viral online. He took on Labor's Kevin Rudd - who ousted Ms Gillard as Labor leader - in the September 2013 polls and secured a convincing win. Ahead of the election, Mr Abbott had argued for tough border controls, lower taxes and a smaller government. He supported Labor's policy of processing asylum seekers offshore, and went further - calling for asylum boats to be turned around and for those in Australia approved as refugees to be limited to temporary visas. He has followed through on these promises, to great controversy, setting up a military-led border patrol called Operation Sovereign Borders. He has also been seen to be taking strong action against the threat of Islamist militants, raising the terror level in September 2014 and pushing through legislation that makes it easier to restrict Australians from travelling to certain areas. Australia has also entered the fight against the so-called Islamic State with air strikes in Iraq and Syria. He was applauded for pushing for an investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17,

Summary: Tony Abbott was already a polarising figure when he became prime minister of Australia in 2013.


The closure of Imperial Tobacco's Horizon factory in Nottingham was announced two years ago and will lead to over 500 job losses. Most of the staff will leave next week, with 70 staying on for 18 months as part of the "decommissioning process". The site's closure has been blamed partly on attitudes to smoking. Chris Needham, regional organiser for the GMB trade union, said at its height, the firm employed 7,000 staff and made 52 billion cigarettes each year. Mr Needham said operations would move to Poland and Germany, which will increase profits by Â£320m. "We're talking about generations that have been manufacturing in Nottingham since 1860," he said. "The Horizon factory has been part of Imperial Tobacco, worldwide, producing profits in the billions." Mr Needham said 16 to 17 billion cigarettes - or "sticks" as they are known by staff - were produced last year. "The issue is about quantities," he said. "And the stigma of smoking has been one of the major factors. "They [the company] are moving to the Asian markets where the stigma is not as great. Iraq, Syria, Russia, China - these are places I'm sure will be targeted by Imperial Tobacco." Janet May Dangerfield, who worked at the firm in the 1970s after she left school at the age of 15, expressed her sadness at the firm's demise. "I'm very shocked and sad because I always thought that would always be there," she said. "I can remember my first day. I was very nervous but straight away, all the older ones - I think they were called the 'front girls' and 'second front girls' - took me under their wing." When she moved into the "vast" Horizon factory, Mrs Dangerfield said the size of the site made her and other employees look like "little mice". Bosses at the factory previously blamed falling sales and an increase in the illegal tobacco trade for their decision to move out of the UK. History professor John Beckett, from the University of Nottingham, said the business was actually a "major contributor" to the funding required for the city's Queen's Medical Centre. "It's been in decline ever since the first reports in the 1950s that smoking was bad for your health," he said. "Gradually, much of the production has been moved abroad, much of it into countries where it's cheaper such as Poland... and the demand here has almost collapsed." A company spokesman confirmed the plans for closure, but did not offer anyone to comment on the latest developments.

Summary: The last pack of English-made cigarettes has rolled off the production line as the country's only tobacco factory prepares to shut.


14 February 2016 Last updated at 09:45 GMT Although she did not win Lord Sugar's investment - he judged the project too risky - she has continued work on her app, which she hopes will make online dating more fun. One analyst said companies would have to work hard to challenge the dominance of Match - which owns brands such as OKCupid, Plenty of Fish and the UK market leader Tinder. "Whatever competitors do, they will need to be cash rich and able to support the business to stand a chance of success," says Paolo Pescatore, director of Multiplay and Media at CCS Insight. "But there is scope for new players to emerge that focus on a specific niche." Read the full story: The dating apps taking on Tinder

Summary: Apprentice star Vana Koutsomitis is preparing to launch the dating app she first pitched on the BBC show.


Mr Ruck, 59, is currently in a critical but stable condition after suffering head and leg injuries. The incident happened at 19:40 BST on Saturday on New Street, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire. A man from nearby Burry Port has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by failing to stop at a road traffic collision, police said. Mr Ruck is the author of four books and a columnist for local newspapers. He had been walking when the incident happened and was taken to Swansea's Morriston Hospital for treatment. Dyfed Powys Police has appealed for witnesses to the incident.

Summary: A 19-year-old man has been arrested over a suspected hit-and-run that left writer Julian Ruck seriously hurt.


The Planet Earth presenter said his work took him away for months at a time when his two children, Susan and Robert, were growing up. Sir David told the Radio Times: "If you have a child of six or eight and you miss three months of his or her life, it's irreplaceable. You miss something. "Perhaps you can't have your cake and eat it." Attenborough said his wife, Jane, who died in 1997, had been very "understanding", however. A month after celebrating his 91st birthday, Sir David told interviewer Louis Theroux that he thinks about his own mortality "all the time", because "it's more and more likely that I'm going to die tomorrow." Asked if he expects anything to happen afterwards, he said simply: "No." On the subject of global warming, Sir David warned: "We should be very, very worried about it.... the land is being scorched, deserts are spreading, and the seas are warming - all those factors cause great changes in our fortunes." When asked which animal he felt a kinship with, Sir David replied: "That has to be an ape. Because our kinship is a reality. I don't feel it with a mosquito or, indeed, a whale." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Sir David Attenborough says his only career regret is missing out on time with his children.


The group, known as Iffley Open House, had previously occupied a former car showroom on Iffley Road, owned by Wadham College, on New Year's Eve. They were asked to leave and then moved into the disused Osney Mill site in February. The university said the former power station was unsafe won a court order to evict the group. Creative Solutions It added that the building was due to be redeveloped by the Said Business School. Some of the squatters said they were offered sleeping space at a local church, but most will now be back on the streets, the group said. Volunteer Miranda Shaw said: "One good thing is that it has created enough of a stir that there are big conversations happening. "We will be coming together in the coming weeks to meet churches, councils, the university, service providers and police. There is the intention to find creative solutions." Oxford University has always maintained that it is sympathetic to plight of the homeless and has been working towards resolving the situation.

Summary: Squatters who had taken over a disused power station owned by Oxford University have vacated the building.


The result meant The Bees are without a win in their last four matches and they have slipped to 18th in League Two. Allen told BBC Radio London: "I thought it was a slow start but Orient started very well. As the game grew, we got stronger and stronger. "Second half we were the dominant team, but I don't think we created too much. We had to keep our concentration." Barnet lost 5-1 at Portsmouth the previous weekend and then drew 2-2 with Morecambe. "We've had a long week," added Allen. "We played well at Portsmouth but ran out of legs. Losing 5-1 hurts and hurts anyone with a brain. "On Tuesday night against Morecambe we played very well and were very dominant. "But we freshened it up here and brought some new players, with fresh legs into the squad."

Summary: Barmet manager Martin Allen says his side did not create enough chances in their 0-0 draw with Orient.


Richard Hilary, 66, is accused of committing 15 offences while he was a teacher at the Wavell School in Farnborough. The alleged victims were under the age of 16 at the time. Mr Hilary, of Northend Lane, Droxford, has been bailed to appear before Basingstoke magistrates on 2 May.

Summary: A man has been charged with sexually attacking girls while he worked at a secondary school in Hampshire in the late 1970s and early 1980s.


A application has been submitted to extend the Advanced Manufacturing and Research Centre Campus (AMRC) on the site of the old Sheffield Airport. The centre is already home to a number of high technology companies, including a £110m Rolls Royce jet engine factory. If approved, the new site would be developed over the next 10 years. Located on the Rotherham and Sheffield border, the site closed to commercial flying in 2008, although it is still the base for South Yorkshire Police's helicopter. The business park, which is home to a training centre and a nuclear research facility, opened in 2012. A new £43m "flexible factory" is being built in a partnership between the University of Sheffield and companies including Boeing. As well as new research facilities, offices and workspaces would be also be built. James Newman, chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said he hoped the expansion would encourage more businesses to invest in the area. "They will be right in the nerve centre of advanced manufacturing," he said. "All around them will be people doing top research in nuclear, in aerospace and in other high-tech industries." "If we can bring high-tech jobs then that's what we want."

Summary: Plans to expand a University of Sheffield research centre could create more than 1,800 new jobs, it has been claimed.


A hardback edition of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I & II will be released on 31 July, the day after the play has debuted on stage in London. Following Wednesday's news, pre-orders have propelled it to number one on the Amazon and Waterstones book charts. The play sees Harry as a father and an overworked Ministry of Magic employee. The script is from an original new story by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will tell the "untold part" of the boy wizard's story, including the story of the lives of his murdered parents, Rowling has said. In a statement, Waterstones said it expected pre-orders to break all records and were already exceeding those for Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman over the comparable period. Last year, Go Set a Watchman was the first title whose pre-orders reached the heights of those for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. James Daunt, chief executive of Waterstones, also told Radio 4's Today the "prospect of an eighth volume is extraordinarily exciting". "I challenge the notion that plays aren't a fabulous, an extraordinary, thing to read - that bloke Shakespeare wrote a few that were worth it, and indeed many of our modern playwrights do too. "Because theatre is a very local phenomenon, play scripts do sell well, they just do so in the immediate locality of the theatre. They are wonderful entertainment, more people should do it." The special rehearsal edition of the script book will comprise the version of the play early in the production's preview period and is therefore subject to being changed before the official opening. The edition will, therefore, only be available for a limited time, said the publisher, "to be replaced by the definitive collector's edition at a later date". David Shelley, chief executive of the publishers Little, Brown Book Group said on Wednesday: "We are so thrilled to be publishing the script of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. "JK Rowling and her team have received a huge number of appeals from fans who can't be in London to see the play and who would like to read the play in book format - and so we are absolutely delighted to be able to make it available for them." The play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, has already proved to be a success with an initial round of 175,000 tickets sold in October within 24 hours of booking opening. Producers released a second batch, available to fans who had registered for priority booking. A third set is still to go on sale but the date is yet to be announced. Previews of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child begin in May at London's Palace Theatre, with both plays set to open on 30 July. Jamie Parker, currently starring in the West End show Guys and Dolls, will star as an adult Harry in the production. Noma Dumezweni, known for her 2006 Olivier Award-winning role in A Raisin in the Sun and for stepping in

Summary: The script from the forthcoming Harry Potter play has leapt to the top of bestseller lists, a day after its July release was announced.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 35-year-old striker received his 'Guldbollen' - Golden Ball - award on Monday at a ceremony in Stockholm. The statue will go outside Stockholm's Friends Arena, where Ibrahimovic scored four goals against England in 2012. Ibrahimovic said: "It's huge for me. Most people do not get a statue until they have passed away." The Swede has won the award every year since 2007 - and also came top in 2005 before losing out to Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg a year later. Ibrahimovic retired from international football after Euro 2016. He scored 62 goals in 116 games for Sweden and has won the domestic league title in four different countries. "After all the hard work for 15 years in the national team - and 20 in my club career - it feels like it is appreciated," added Ibrahimovic, who joined United in the summer from French champions Paris St-Germain. "The guy from Rosengard [a district of Malmo where the majority of residents come from an immigrant background] will get his own statue in the capital. A big thank you to everyone." Swedish Football Association president Karl-Erik Nilsson said: "The statue is a way for us to thank Ibrahimovic for his amazing efforts for Swedish football, but it is also a symbol for everyone to always be reminded and inspired by all he has done."

Summary: Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have a statue erected in his honour after being named Sweden's top player for a 10th successive year.


The striker's only goal this season, having been transferred from Derby County, came in the 5-1 win over Malta. "Of course, for a striker, I think it is always a bit of a concern, but I don't really think too much about that," he said of his goal drought. "This can probably be a little bit of a release for me." Martin has played six times for his English Championship club since scoring one and also winning a penalty in Attard. "Coming away on international duty away from the pressures of club level and try to perform here, it is a different set-up, a different vibe and a different feeling," said the 27-year-old. "So hopefully I can use this as a bit of a catalyst for me and I can continue that and take it back to club level." Scotland coach Gordon Strachan surprised many observers - including the player himself - by handing a starting place to Martin as he earned his ninth cap against Malta. "I think I was perhaps a bit fortunate to start the last game," the striker said ahead of Saturday's home qualifier against Lithuania. "I wasn't expecting it really. "I think there were others in line for it who were just as deserving. "Leigh Griffiths was unfortunate with the injury he had, especially with the start of the season he had and how he played last season." Martin is hopeful that his style of play will again be what Strachan is looking for against Lithuania. "I felt like I did okay and I managed to score and won the penalty for us somehow," he said. "I've had a few opportunities now - done okay in some and not so well in others - but I think there's more to come from myself. "It is about consistency of performance and, if I keep getting picked, hopefully that will come. "We'll have to see how the manager thinks, but hopefully I've done enough." Martin admits that the Scots will be favourites to beat Lithuania but warns that the visitors will prove tricky opponents. "Perhaps the public think that Lithuania aren't going to be too good and we know different to that," he said. "I think they are going to be an extremely tough team, but I think, after such a convincing result in the first game away from home, a full crowd will be expectant of a win on Saturday."

Summary: Chris Martin hopes that his goal in Scotland's last World Cup qualifier will be enough to retain his place despite a barren spell with Fulham.


Media playback is not supported on this device In a repeat of the 2015 quarter-final, McGill gained revenge despite falling 5-4 behind after the first session. A high-quality encounter saw world number 30 McGill and 2005 champion Murphy make two centuries each. Five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan opened up a 6-3 lead over qualifier David Gilbert in the first round. O'Sullivan made breaks of 82, 74 and 71, but world number 22 Gilbert showed his ability with a superb 125 clearance. They play to a finish on Monday from 10:00 BST. Alan McManus progressed with a 10-7 victory over fellow Scot Stephen Maguire, who lost in the first round for the fourth consecutive year. McManus will face Ali Carter in the second round on Thursday. In Sunday's evening session, Welshman Mark Williams took a 7-2 lead over fellow former champion Graeme Dott of Scotland, while England's Sam Baird led Michael White of Wales 5-4. Both matches resume on Monday (19:00 BST). Murphy, 33, becomes the third world champion after Peter Ebdon and Stuart Bingham to exit the competition. This is only the second time that the previous year's finalists have both fallen at the first hurdle. The last occasion was in 1980 when Terry Griffiths and Dennis Taylor both lost in the second round after receiving first-round byes. McGill, 25, comes up against Ebdon's conqueror Marco Fu in the next round. "I'm obviously disappointed but having a child on the way has change my perspective on things," said Murphy. "It is just a game of snooker. "My preparation could not have been better. My game was in better shape than last year. "If Anthony can keep his composure, keep himself under wraps and play with enjoyment, he will take some stopping." McGill made his debut at the event last year, beating Stephen Maguire and ousting then defending champion Mark Selby, before falling to Murphy in the last eight. Despite making only his second appearance at the Crucible, the Scot showed no sign of nerves and looked comfortable around the table. His ruthlessness among the balls - managing breaks of 119, 117, 97 and 85 - underlined his quality. "When I came here last year, I had no ambitions of winning and I just wanted to enjoy it," said McGill. "It is an honour for me to play here and a lot of people around the world want to do it. It is a privilege."

Summary: Last year's finalist Shaun Murphy suffered a shock 10-8 first-round loss to qualifier Anthony McGill at the World Championship in Sheffield.


The 30-year-old joined the Blades in the summer but made just one appearance, before being loaned out to former club Walsall last month. He played seven times for the Saddlers and boss Dean Smith had been keen to retain his services. Butler joins a Doncaster side that is currently one point above the relegation zone.

Summary: Doncaster Rovers have signed Sheffield United defender Andy Butler on loan until January.


One of the six, who are aged between 18 and 30, was Tasered by police. Eight homes in west, east and north London and one business have been searched. It is understood the arrests relate to a possible plot involving Islamist extremists, with potential UK targets. Three of those held are brothers - one an ex-police community support officer. He served with the Metropolitan Police for more than two years before resigning in September 2009. The force said he had not been "deployed in any specialist or sensitive roles". The brothers, aged 18, 24 and 26, were detained in Abbey Road, in Stratford, east London, during an operation involving armed officers. The BBC understands they are Jahangir, Mohammed and Moybur Alom. Richard Dart, a Muslim convert who uses the name Salahuddin al Britani, was also detained in the raids, it is understood. He features in a YouTube video which criticises the Royal Family and British military action in Muslim countries. The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were not linked to the Olympics or Paralympic Games. It is understood that police involved in the long-running operation decided to act on Thursday on the grounds of public safety. The UK terrorism threat level is unchanged from "substantial", which means a terrorist attack is a "strong possibility". There are two higher levels - "severe", meaning an attack is "highly likely", and "critical", meaning an attack is "expected imminently". Some - if not all - of those arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism are British nationals, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says. They include a 21-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, who were detained at separate addresses in Ealing, west London, while a 29-year-old man was arrested in an Ealing street. The woman is married to one of the men. All six have been taken to a police station in south-east London. The 24-year-old man who was Tasered during his arrest in Stratford did not need hospital treatment, police said. An eyewitness to the Stratford raid, Mark Window, told the BBC he had been woken up by an explosion at 04:15 BST. "I looked out my window, saw loads of mini-explosions going off still, loads of black-clad figures milling around," he said. "One was halfway up a ladder, through a window, and you realise it's some sort of police operation going on instead of kids messing about with fireworks which is what you think when you first wake up." Trainee taxi driver Stephen Maguire, 23, said he heard the police from his bedroom in Eastbourne Road, which overlooks the front of the house. "I heard the biggest bang ever and I saw a massive cloud of smoke and torches going up at the windows," he said. "It sounded like they were gunshots but they weren't."

Summary: Five men and a woman suspected of terrorism offences have been arrested in London as part of an intelligence-led investigation involving MI5.


The Shaymen held on until the 75th minute when the 28-year-old forward netted from Bradley Goldberg's cross. Halifax were then denied an equaliser as Hamza Bencherif saw his shot, following a nice turn, hit the post. The away side are a point above the drop zone, with Boreham Wood overtaking them after they drew with Barrow.

Summary: Adam Cunnington's second-half strike was enough to earn Bromley victory as Halifax dropped closer to the relegation places.


The German Grand Prix was once a cornerstone of the calendar, a historic race on a unique and special circuit, packed out with enthusiastic spectators. But that status is under serious threat. For one thing, the demise of the Nurburgring - which shared the hosting duties - means the event is held only once every two seasons. And its future beyond the end of Hockenheim's current contract in 2018 is uncertain to say the least. The German GP used to be overrun with fans - and not just in the Michael Schumacher era; way before then, too, going back decades, from the golden days of the old Nurburgring and its 14 unbelievable miles and 180-odd corners through the Eiffel forests, and into the Hockenheim era. Now, though, the race seems to have lost its appeal. The last time it was held, in 2014, only 50,000 or so fans turned up - and Hockenheim's atmospheric concrete 'stadium' section, which used to be packed, was dotted with gaps. This year, organisers are hopeful of reaching the 60,000 they need to break even. But that's still less than half the numbers who thronged Silverstone for the British Grand Prix earlier this month. Is it down to seven-time champion Schumacher's absence? If so, what did the German fans find so alluring about him that they do not now about four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, title challenger Nico Rosberg and a dominant home Mercedes team? Is it part of the perceived general decline of F1's appeal to younger audiences? If so, why are crowds going up at Silverstone, and staying strong at other historic venues, such as Italy, Canada and Brazil? And why are German TV figures rising, not declining? Or is it that Hockenheim has had it character largely removed, with its long, flat-out blasts out into spooky pine forest replaced by yet another characterless 'Tilke-drome' from Bernie Ecclestone's favoured track architect? It's not a completely terrible race track. The long, curving straight between Turns Two and Six provides for decent overtaking opportunities, there are a couple of demanding fast corners and the racing is usually OK, sometimes very good. But it lacks spirit, challenge, jeopardy and, most of all, a sense of specialness - a reason to be excited. Just as, to a lesser extent, did Magny-Cours before the French Grand Prix - the oldest race of all - dropped off the calendar after 2008. Is Germany going the same way? One has to hope not. But keeping it on the calendar will not be easy. Andrew Benson, Chief F1 Writer Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Something strange has happened to Formula 1 in Germany.


Once considered a long shot, Trump is now president of the United States. Scepticism over Trump's candidacy stemmed not only from his controversial platform on immigration and outrageous campaign style, but from his celebrity past. But the 70-year-old businessman had the last laugh when he defied all predictions to beat much more seasoned politicians in the Republican primary race. And he has now gone a step further by winning the presidential election, after one of the most divisive and controversial contests in living memory against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Mr Trump is the fourth child of New York real estate tycoon Fred Trump. Despite the family's wealth, he was expected to work the lowest-tier jobs within his father's company and was sent off to a military academy at age 13 when he started misbehaving in school. He attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and became the favourite to succeed his father after his older brother, Fred, chose to become a pilot. Fred Trump died at 43 due to alcoholism, an incident that his brother says led him to avoid alcohol and cigarettes his entire life. Mr Trump says he got into real estate with a "small" $1m loan from his father before joining the company. He helped manage his father's extensive portfolio of residential housing projects in the New York City boroughs, and took control of the company - which he renamed the Trump Organization - in 1971. His father died in 1999. "My father was my inspiration," Mr Trump said at the time. Mr Trump shifted his family's business from residential units in Brooklyn and Queens to glitzy Manhattan projects, transforming the rundown Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt and erecting the most famous Trump property, the 68-storey Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. Other properties bearing the famous name followed - Trump Place, Trump World Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower, and so on. There are Trump Towers in Mumbai, Istanbul and the Philippines. Mr Trump also developed hotels and casinos, an arm of the business that has led to four bankruptcy filings (for the businesses, not personal bankruptcy). Mr Trump also built an empire in the entertainment business. From 1996 until 2015, he was an owner in the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. In 2003, he debuted an NBC reality television show called The Apprentice, in which contestants competed for a shot at a management job within Mr Trump's organisation. He hosted the show for 14 seasons, and claimed in a financial disclosure form that he was paid a total of $213m by the network during the show's run. He has written several books, and owns a line of merchandise that sells everything from neckties to bottled water. According to Forbes, his net worth is $3.7bn, though Mr Trump has repeatedly insisted he is worth $10bn. Trump has been married three times, though his most famous wife was his first - Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech athlete and model. The couple had three children - Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric - before they

Summary: Long before he was a contender for the US presidency, Donald Trump was America's most famous and colourful billionaire.


The hotel is considered a modernist masterpiece and a perfect representation of 1960s Japanese style. A pair of glass towers designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, son of the Okura's original architect, will replace it. Built in 1962, the hotel has been favoured by world leaders, celebrities and was even James Bond's preferred abode in You Only Live Twice. US President Barack Obama joined a roll call of other US leaders when he stayed there in 2009. A farewell concert was held in the hotel's lobby on Monday. The main building will be torn down next month but an annex will remain open. The hotel's management say that the redevelopment is necessary for the hotel to keep its five-star rating. "It is difficult for us now to provide a top Japanese hotel due to the building's age," an Okura spokeswoman told the AFP news agency. The new hotel will have 510 rooms housed in towers reaching 41 storeys. It is due to open in 2019. However, the decision to demolish the hotel has been controversial, with a social media campaign and petitions launched to save it. The British design magazine Monocle described the closure as "a heartbreaking and irreparable loss". Academics have also said that the Okura's design is unique and irreplaceable. "It is a destruction of culture. This building is a one and only, which truly integrates Japanese aesthetics with a Western-style hotel," Tadashi Yamane a professor of urban design at Tokyo City University told AFP.

Summary: Tokyo's iconic Okura hotel has closed ahead of its demolition and redevelopment for the 2020 Olympics.


Lamborghini, which is owned by Volkswagen, said Italy had beaten a bid from Slovakia to build the car there. Reports say the sports car maker received â‚¬90m ($98m; Â£64m) of tax breaks and other incentives from the government to produce the car in Italy. Executives from Lamborghini joined the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at a signing ceremony in Rome. The Urus SUV was unveiled as a concept car in 2012 and is expected to go on sale in 2018, with a planned production level of 3,000 cars a year. That will more than double production at Lamborghini's factory near Bologna and is expected to create 500 jobs. Other car markers have been attracted by the strong growth and in the SUV market. In January, Jaguar Land Rover said it would build its first Jaguar SUV at its Solihull plant in the West Midlands. And in February Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, also announced plans to launch an SUV.

Summary: Lamborghini confirmed the launch of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and signed a deal to build the car in Italy.


The striker, on loan from Aberdeen, latched onto Scott Fraser's pass for the opener and grabbed his second with a high-class solo run and smart finish. He dispatched a penalty for his treble by the 30th minute and United could have had several more by half-time. Sean Welsh's penalty gave Thistle hope but United saw out the win comfortably. The hosts were sluggish in the first half of their Championship opener against Queen of the South on Saturday but there was nothing to fault the way they started this tie. United had too much pace and ingenuity for their top-flight opponents, the outstanding Scott Fraser and Tope Obadeyi causing havoc with their movement. Obadeyi, twice, and Blair Spittal might have added further goals by the interval but United boss Ray McKinnon manager must have been happy with the three they did score. Smith showed the benefit of a regular start on loan, taking his goal tally to four for the Terrors, the same number he scored in nearly 90 appearances for Aberdeen, though a high percentage of those outings were as a substitute. His first was a sublime finish, gathering a delicious Fraser pass, controlling the ball then steering it behind Ryan Scully. For his second, Smith picked up possession just inside the Thistle half, run away from Callum Booth then held off the defender to score when he got back to him in the box. The 20-year-old completed his hat trick with a penalty struck straight down the middle after Ziggy Gordon blocked Blair Spittal's shot with an arm. Thistle were given a glimpse of a way back from a penalty of their own when Chris Erskine was pushed over by Mark Durnan and Welsh scored with 25 minutes left, but United's defence held firm. United boss Ray McKinnon: "We played some very good football in the first half, especially the forward play, and when the penalty was given against us in the second, I was really pleased with how we reacted. We showed some resilience. "Some of the link-up play and finishing was pretty special. Cammy's composure and movement for the goals was outstanding, he has done really well since coming in on loan. I am delighted for him. "There were huge positives all over. Young left-back Jamie Robson was outstanding, Scott Fraser was outstanding, Blair Spittal was excellent and Tope Obadeyi playing as a lone striker was fantastic." United hat-trick hero Cammy Smith: "The standard has been set after that. We looked dangerous every time we went forward and could have had a few more goals, but we have to be happy with our night's work. It is a great victory for us. "It wasn't like [Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes] was pushing me out the door. We had a few chats and thought going out on loan would be best for my development. I am here to play games and long may it continue." Thistle boss Alan Archibald: "It was awful right from kick-off - a really poor performance. I didn't see that coming. "It was the total opposite

Summary: Cammy Smith's hat-trick inside 20 first-half minutes saw Championship side Dundee United beat Partick Thistle to reach the League Cup quarter-finals.


Striker Emmanuel, 27, scored 19 goals in the National League for Bromley last season and played for the Whites between 2012 and 2014. Centre-back Howlett-Mundle, 19, has previously had spells at Crystal Palace and Scottish sides Hearts and Montrose. Forward Jackson Jr, 19, had stints at Whitstable Town and Worthing last season and has agreed a two-year deal. Meanwhile, 32-year-old former Welling player-manager Loui Fazakerley, who is a fitness coach at Crabble, has been registered as a player for the coming campaign. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Dover Athletic have re-signed Moses Emmanuel and brought in Jahmal Howlett-Mundle and Ira Jackson Jr.


Baby cheetahs are so prized as exotic pets that entire litters are seized from their mothers when they may only be four to six weeks old. Each tiny animal can fetch as much as $10,000 on the black market and end up being paraded on social media by wealthy buyers in Gulf states. But the trade exacts a terrible toll on a species that claims a superlative status as the fastest land animal on the planet but which now faces a serious threat to its survival. According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, some 1,200 cheetah cubs are known to have been trafficked out of Africa over the past 10 years but a shocking 85% of them died during the journey. Dr Laurie Marker, the trust's director, describes the horrific conditions involved in shipping the animals from their habitats in northern Kenya, Somaliland and Ethiopia by land and sea to the Arabian Gulf. "They're probably just thrown into a crate, living in their own faeces, travelling for days without proper food, and many of them end up dead on arrival at wherever that place would be, and maybe one or two living out of a pile that are dead." And those that do make it into the hands of new owners usually die rapidly because they are denied the chance to exercise and are given an inadequate diet. Dr Marker says that they're often kept in "chicken coop-sized pens" which are far too small for them. "And this is an animal that is the fastest land animal that is used to living in huge home ranges of 800 sq km. Most of those cheetahs don't make it over a two-year period of time in captivity." With the total of adult cheetahs living in the wild now numbering less than 7,000, the concern is that seizures of an estimated 200-300 a year could drive some of the remaining populations, which are already diminished, to extinction. The poaching comes on top of the long-running destruction of the cheetahs' habitats. The animals tend not to thrive in the confines of national parks where other predators dominate, so they live outside protected areas and are more exposed to conflict with people. The threat to the cheetah will be raised at the CITES COP17 conference being held in Johannesburg over the next fortnight. One criticism of the conservation movement is that it has recently been doing a better job highlighting the plight of the giants of African wildlife, the elephants and the rhinos, compared with other iconic species whose existence is equally at risk. As a vet working in Kuwait, Jill Mullen saw for herself how easily cheetah cubs were imported despite the existence of controls under the CITES convention. Now back in the UK, she told me how her surgery would see as many as six cubs in a single day. All of them would be suffering from dehydration, malnutrition and a common virus known as panleukopenia against which the cubs have no immunity. Usually, only one of the six would survive. "I would stand on the

Summary: Pitiful scenes of cheetah cubs lying emaciated and bewildered highlight one of the cruellest but least-publicised examples of illegal wildlife trafficking.


The town of Tonbridge is celebrating the end of World War II in Europe with four days of events next month. Pam Mills, of the Royal British Legion, is trying to locate as many people as possible from photos of an original street party held in the town on 8 May. They show children "in fancy dress with smiles on their faces", she said. "You look at it and you instantly smile and you think, 'that's great, let's do it again'." The black-and-white photos show residents from the Ives Road, Audley Avenue, Clare Avenue and Pembroke Road areas. Ms Mills has been using social media and local contacts to get in touch with people connected to the original street party, which will be recreated with an afternoon tea party on 7 May at The Humphrey Bean pub in Tonbridge. One of the residents at the VE Day party was Billy Gowin, 82, who was 11-years-old. He said he remembered the day well because his older brother Ted, who was in the Royal Engineers regiment and had been missing, returned home from a German prisoner of war camp just hours before the start of the party. "My brother was guest of honour at the party... he judged the tug-of-war and lit the bonfire in the evening," he recalled, adding that it was a "very exciting day" as his mother knew that her other sons would also be coming home. BBC South East are collecting viewers' memories, photos and films of VE Day. Please email: southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or call: 0345 300 3747.

Summary: Organisers of a Kent street party to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day are arranging a reunion with people who attended a party in 1945.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 25 April 2015 Last updated at 13:34 BST Here are some of his finer moments on BBC Radio Derby, including his Elvis impersonation.

Summary: Colin Bloomfield was known for his radio sports commentator but he also had a keen sense of humour.


The 28-year-old, world champion in 2013 and twice a world cup series winner, is named pending a recovery from hand and wrist injuries sustained in February. Senior academy rider Paddy Sharrock is set to make his elite level debut. In the junior women's event, Beth Shriever heads to Rock Hill with five wins in the junior women's class of the UEC BMX European Cup so far this year. Kyle Evans, who won the seventh round of the UEC BMX European Cup in Verona over the weekend, has also been selected. Olympic podium coach Grant White is confident Phillips will overcome injury sufficiently and said: "Having worked with Liam for nine years and helped him develop into one of the world's best, I am confident in his ability to perform at this event despite setbacks and the team at British Cycling are doing all they can to aid his recovery." Elite Men: Kyle Evans, Liam Phillips Paddy Sharrock Junior Women: Beth Shriever, Blaine Ridge-Davis Junior Men: Kye Whyte Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.

Summary: Liam Phillips has been included in the Great Britain squad for the UCI BMX World Championships in South Carolina.