Media playback is not supported on this device The home team led 13-0 after 28 minutes thanks to Conor Murray's try and eight points from the boot of Johnny Sexton. But Wales hit back with Taulupe Faletau's try converted by replacement fly-half Rhys Priestland, whose 72nd-minute penalty edged Wales 16-13 ahead. Sexton's third penalty squared things and Priestland's late drop-goal attempt was off target in a breathless finale. With the clock in the red and fans' nerves shredded, both teams strove for the decisive score rather than settle for the draw. But the defences held out and when referee Jerome Garces finally called a halt, there was a collective exhaling of breath around the ground. It means Wales have not won back-to-back games in Ireland since 2000, while the Irish dream of a third consecutive title has not been fatally damaged. But Grand Slams and Triple Crowns will have to wait for another season after a first draw between the two sides in Dublin since 1974. With Ireland having lost Sean O'Brien and Rob Kearney in the week, Wales had to draft Liam Williams in at full-back after Gareth Anscombe's late withdrawal. And within 20 minutes replacement fly-half Priestland was on after Dan Biggar limped off with a foot injury. The Irish dominated the first half hour, with Wales unable to maintain possession and struggling to keep debutant CJ Stander and Tommy O'Donnell in check. Scrum-half Murray was the beneficiary as he dummied over from close range to help establish a 13-0 lead. But Priestland's boot, and Faletau's opportunism after the ball squirted out of an advancing scrum, somehow saw Wales back within three points at the break, and the boots of the fly-halves ensured the game ended level after a nerve-shredding second half. Wales' dominance at the scrum was the cornerstone of their fightback, but Ireland looked more creative behind and with Stander and Jamie Heaslip outstanding in the back row, met Wales' predominantly physical challenge head-on. Jamie Roberts ran straight for Wales and tackled hard and often, while Simon Zebo and Sexton cut lines for Ireland, with one second half break by the fly-half the outstanding moment of the match. Wales face Scotland at home on Saturday, 13 February - a side smarting from their latest Calcutta Cup defeat and who have not won in Cardiff since 2002. On the same day Ireland will take on the misfiring French at Stade de France, having beaten them as recently as last October when they won a World Cup pool match 24-9 in Cardiff. Ireland: Zebo; Trimble, Payne, Henshaw, Earls; Sexton, Murray; McGrath, Best, White, McCarthy, Toner, Stander, O'Donnell, Heaslip. Replacements: D Kearney for Earls (71), Madigan for Sexton (75), S. Cronin for Best (75), Furlong for White (63), Ryan for McCarthy (63), Ruddock for O'Donnell (48). Not Used: J Cronin, Marmion. Wales: L Williams; North, J Davies, Roberts, T James; Biggar, G Davies; Evans, Baldwin, Lee, Charteris, Jones, Warburton, Tipuric, Faletau. Replacements: Priestland for Biggar (21), L Williams for G. Davies (71), Jenkins for Evans (52), Owens for Baldwin (63), Francis

Summary: Ireland let a 13-point lead slip as Wales fought back for a draw in a compelling Six Nations match in Dublin.


Fire crews were called to L & M Spray in Gladstone Street at 10:20 BST. Leicestershire Police closed the street alongside Crafton Street, Humberstone Road, Clyde Street, Wharf Street South and St Matthews Way due to smoke billowing across the city. St Matthews Way has been reopened but two fire engines remain at the scene. A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue spokesman said the cause of the fire is unknown at the moment. He added an inspector has deemed the factory building "unsafe" and that it may have to be demolished. Witnesses have told the BBC the road closures have caused chaos for buses and vehicles travelling around the city. The BBC has attempted to contact L & M Spray but has not received a response.

Summary: A large fire at a spray paint factory has closed a number of roads in Leicester city centre.


Robin Clark, 44, was shot in the leg in the car park at Shenfield station on 24 January, by a gunman in a balaclava. He spent several weeks in hospital but has since returned to his job at RP Martin in London. British Transport Police says a man from Essex has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Summary: Police investigating the shooting of a city trader at a station in Essex have arrested a 51-year-old man.


The council said a decision would be made on the Princes Jetty location on Princes Parade after a feasibility study later this year. Plans for a terminal in the Cunard Building were scrapped in 2014, because of an estimated cost of up to Â£15m. The city last hosted regular transatlantic crossings in 1968. An existing terminal at Princes Parade is estimated to have generated Â£7m for the Liverpool economy last year, the council said. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: "The temporary cruise liner building has been a tremendous success and served us well, but a city of Liverpool's standing and ambition needs a permanent building if we are to continue the growth we've seen in recent years." He added the cost of any development at Princes Jetty would be offset by the passengers' economic impact. But he stressed there was "lots of work to do before we can give any scheme the green light". A council spokesman said there had been "a doubling in the number of vessels visiting Liverpool" - from 31 to 61 - since they were able to turn around in the city's waters in 2012. "Passenger numbers are up from 38,656 four years ago to an expected 86,365 this year." The council has commissioned a study "into the design and cost of constructing a terminal capable of handling 3,600 embarking and disembarking passengers with baggage - twice as many as the existing facility", he added. Cunard director Angus Struthers said it would examine if it could "incorporate Liverpool into Queen Mary 2's iconic transatlantic crossings" if the terminal plans are approved. Liverpool hosted the headquarters of Cunard from its launch in 1840 until the 1960s, when it moved to Southampton. A final decision is expected to be taken later this year.

Summary: Liverpool has identified the preferred site of a proposed permanent cruise terminal that could see transatlantic crossings return to the city.


Crown said in October 18 staff had been held after a police operation believed to target its marketing activities. Among them were three Australians, including Jason O'Connor, a senior executive in charge of attracting Chinese high-rollers. Casino gambling, and promoting gambling abroad, are illegal in mainland China. The cases have been referred to Shanghai's Baoshan District Court, the company said in a brief statement made to the Australian Stock Exchange. The Australian newspaper reported that the court has set a hearing date for 26 June. Crown Resorts, controlled by Australian billionaire James Packer, said that with the matter now before the court it would not be making further comment.

Summary: Casino operator Crown Resorts says its employees who were detained in China last year have been formally charged with illegally promoting gambling.


The former Manchester United reserve team boss has agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal, but saw two goals conceded inside the first five minutes. First, McCleary flicked in a through ball after 57 seconds and then drove home a right-footed shot from distance. Yann Kermorgant's penalty sealed the Royals' third successive league win. Wigan's fans were clearly not impressed after coming to see the dawning of a new era, soon booing after their dreadful opening. Jaap Stam's side continued to have the better openings and Kermorgant might have had a brace himself had Jake Buxton not made two crucial blocks. Joyce turned to his bench at half-time and Yanic Wildschut provided a spark, with Adam Le Fondre almost turning in his cross from the left, while another effort from the Latics forward had to be helped behind by former Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi. But Kermorgant's goal, after Max Power tripped John Swift in the box, killed off the game as a contest and a further goal could have followed had Danny Williams kept his effort down when being set up by the impressive Swift. A stoppage-time strike from Reading's Yakou Meite was also ruled out for offside as Wigan remained in the Championship's bottom three, while the visitors moved up to fourth. Wigan manager Warren Joyce: "The first goal particularly, it's not like it's good play, it's just a straight long ball down the middle. "It's the worst possible start you could get. The second goal was equally poor and then you've got a mountain to climb against a good side. "You're under no illusions before the game starts that it's going to be a tough game, but we've given them a two-goal lead. "It's basics even if you're in under-14 football - a straight ball goes down the middle after 90 seconds and they don't deal with it, two experienced players, you're 1-0 down and you've got a mountain to climb." Reading manager Jaap Stam: "We spoke about what we can expect, with a new manager in, how they want to play, probably press us high up and don't give us time to play out from the back. "The pace that we have up front we knew we could be a threat in behind if we do it well, if the runs are at the right time and we started doing that immediately and scored two early goals. "You want to make it easy for yourself. After that sometimes we got a bit sloppy in how we wanted to play. You don't want to give goals away because it gives them confidence. "How we played, how we defended, how we created chances, we did that very well and we deserved that win." Match ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Reading 3. Second Half ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Reading 3. Offside, Reading. Chris Gunter tries a through ball, but Yakou Meite is caught offside. Foul by Joey van den Berg (Reading). Stephen Warnock (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. William Grigg (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from the centre

Summary: Garath McCleary struck an early double as Reading thumped Wigan to hand Warren Joyce a nightmare start as the new Latics manager.


Callum Cartlidge suffered a cardiac arrest at home after developing suspected sepsis, sources told the BBC. Paramedics were allegedly told to take him 18 miles (29km) to Worcestershire Hospital and not nearby Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, which stopped admitting children to A&E in September. The trust said it was investigating. For more Herefordshire and Worcestershire news Callum, from Redditch, had seen a GP on 28 February and was diagnosed with tonsillitis and a tummy upset and given antibiotics. His mother Stacey said her son got worse and on 2 March a GP sent him to Worcestershire hospital. She said he was discharged at 23:00 GMT and she was told to give him Calpol. He collapsed the next day and later died. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the trust had previously told staff not to take patients under 16 to Redditch, after Alexandra Hospital's children's inpatient services were moved. Sources claim paramedics, who suspected Callum had developed sepsis, wanted to take him to Redditch but were told they could not. Three members of staff performed life support throughout the 23-minute journey to the hospital. "Having reviewed the case, there is no doubt that the ambulance staff did absolutely everything possible to help the child," a service spokesman said. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust offered its condolences to Callum's family. "As with any sudden unexpected death in childhood there will be a referral to the coroner, a post-mortem [examination] and a full external Sudden Unexpected Death in Infants And Children investigation, as well as our own internal processes for a serious incident investigation," a spokesperson said.

Summary: An eight-year-old boy who was diagnosed with tonsillitis died less than 24 hours after being discharged from hospital.


The 55-year-old's death is being treated as 'unexplained' by police. Police say they want to trace a woman who may have more information about how the victim came to sustain his head injuries. They also asked for people in the Prince of Wales Avenue and Oxford Road area between 02:00 and 02:30 BST on Sunday to come forward. The woman sought by police is described as mixed-race, 5ft 2ins (1.57m) tall, aged around 35, and slim with long wavy black hair.

Summary: A man has died in hospital after being found unconscious inside a property in Reading in the early hours of Sunday.


The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was tested at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank. ICD devices shock the heart back into rhythm when they detect a potential cardiac arrest. Doctors have had difficulty monitoring heart problems with older devices amid fears that MRI scanners would disrupt their electronics. The Ellipse ICD, developed by US manufacture St Jude Medical, will now be tested in a further 165 patients at 60 MRI centres around the world. Consultant cardiologist Dr Roy Gardner, who is leading the trial at the Golden Jubilee, said: "While these devices are often life-saving, they do not allow patients to undergo MRI scans, which are crucial for detecting and monitoring a number of conditions, including signs of a stroke, tumours and complex cardiac abnormalities, which means that these vulnerable patients have to be treated using less detailed imaging systems. "Recruiting patients to this trial could help provide a better and safer standard of care for patients all across Scotland. "It also means we are playing a key role in making these devices available for use in the United States, sharing our knowledge and expertise with other specialist centres to help thousands of individuals suffering from heart conditions every year. "Our first patient's procedure went very smoothly and provided a great start to an incredibly important project. As such, we are now about to recruit our sixth patient to this study." Dr Mike Higgins, medical director of the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, said: "The ability to implant MRI-ready pacemakers is a unique innovation that allows us to continue to offer the highest standard of care possible for individuals with complex heart conditions and improve treatment for future generations across the world."

Summary: An new implantable heart device which resists interference from magnetic scanners has been tested in Scotland.


Waheed Ahmed has been detained along with eight other Britons in Hatay near the Syrian border since Wednesday, 1 April. Footage released on Sunday shows him being put on a coach to Antalya, which is 509 miles west of Hatay. The group of nine from Rochdale included five adults and four children. His father, Rochdale Labour councillor Shakil Ahmed, said he "wanted his son to come home as soon as possible". Simon Danczuk, the MP for Rochdale in the last Parliament, has confirmed after speaking to the Foreign Office that Mr Ahmed is being deported back to Britain. In footage released by Reuters, Mr Ahmed is seen leaving a police station in Hatay. He is then filmed getting on a coach to Antalya from where it is believed he will fly to the UK. Greater Manchester Police and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit have launched an investigation to establish why the group apparently tried to enter Syria. All nine would be sent back to the UK "in due course", police said. Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett has said that the primary concern was the "safety and welfare" of the children, and efforts were being made to ensure a "full safeguarding strategy" was in place upon their return. Police have been searching his family home in Rochdale. His father said he had thought his son was on holiday. In a statement Councillor Shakil Ahmed said: "My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain, so I don't understand what he's doing there. "If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities. "He's studying a degree in politics and sociology at Manchester University and has a good future ahead of him."

Summary: A Labour councillor's son, held in Turkey on suspicion of trying to enter Syria illegally is expected to return to the UK.


Costco store manager Roger Cooper, 41, and ex-soldier David Cooper, 39, were convicted of killing Sameena Imam, 34, at Birmingham Crown Court. Her body was found buried at an allotment in Leicester in January after she was killed with chloroform. Ms Imam had been having a two-year affair with Roger Cooper and issued him with an ultimatum to leave his partner. An eight-week trial heard that Roger Cooper spent at least a month plotting to kill Ms Imam - one of his three lovers - to prevent her exposing their affair. The men bought poisonous metals, identified a shallow grave and communicated in text messages written in a Star Wars-based code before killing Ms Imam. Roger and David Cooper remained calm and did not look at each other as they were unanimously convicted by a jury on Tuesday. Ms Imam is believed to have been overpowered on a sofa at David Cooper's home in Leicester after being driven to the property from Coventry by his brother. She was reported missing by family members in Essex after failing to return home for Christmas, sparking a major police inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Marsh said: "I would say this is the most callous offence I have ever investigated. "Most murders that occur are spontaneous events driven by anger or jealousy, whereas in this case what we uncovered was weeks and weeks of planning to kill Sameena, numerous attempts on her life and a really unusual cause of death. "It's been a particularly challenging case and a particularly complex investigation and we are extremely grateful to the jury, who have listened to the case and given us the verdict we've had today."

Summary: Two brothers accused of murdering a cash-and-carry manager from Cardiff on Christmas Eve have been found guilty.


The RFU announced on Tuesday that the Exiles had not met the governing body's criteria to be granted a new licence. However, Welsh believe they had satisfied the requirements. The club, who went into liquidation last month, say they will "deal with the ramifications" of the announcement before deciding whether to respond. A phoenix entity, named Rugby 1885 Limited, had been granted a temporary licence on 22 December to play their last two league games after Welsh went into liquidation, although the club were deducted 20 points. On expelling the club from the second tier, the RFU stated the Old Deer Park side were unable to provide a bond or show evidence they would be able to pay rugby creditors in full. Welsh said they had worked "very closely" with RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie, director of professional rugby Nigel Melville and legal and governance director Angus Bujalski in order to to meet the conditions. The Richmond-based club were a Premiership side as recently as 2015, when they were based at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford but were relegated after losing all 22 games. Welsh have suffered financial difficulties since then and had hoped to secure investment from a United States-based group, but that deal collapsed in November. Exiles coach Sonny Parker criticised the RFU of acting "through self-interest" and announcing the decision with "no regard to those impacted". The former Wales international, who is backs coach and team manager, said the decision to remove them from the Championship was made public before players and coaches were informed. "I can live with no licence but not allowing us time to speak to players and staff is unforgivable," the 39-year-old said in a statement on Twitter.

Summary: London Welsh are "extremely disappointed" by the Rugby Football Union's decision to expel them from the Championship and the professional game.


Strauss, the England and Wales Cricket Board's director of cricket, told Pietersen in May that he would not be considered for an international recall. "I think that clarity has helped," Strauss said. England won the Ashes 3-2 but trail 2-0 in the one-day series before Tuesday's third ODI at Old Trafford (14:00 BST). Pietersen, 35, who was initially sacked after the 5-0 whitewash in the 2013-14 Ashes series, remains England's record run-scorer in all formats. But Strauss believes the team has "moved on". He added: "The danger at that time was that particular issue would overshadow everything that happened on the pitch over the course of the summer. "What I was trying to do was provide clarity going forward so everyone knew where they stood. "I think the team has moved on and the team is in a pretty good place. Some of those young guys have established themselves and that's what we will be focusing on taking England forward." England have called up wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow after deciding to rest Jos Buttler for the remaining three games of the ODI series. Meanwhile, Australia could be forced into three changes after all-rounder Shane Watson, batsman David Warner and bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile were all ruled out of the rest of the series through injury. County cricket trio John Hastings of Durham, Yorkshire's Aaron Finch and Gloucestershire's Peter Handscomb have replaced them.

Summary: England are benefiting from the decision to exclude former batsman Kevin Pietersen from selection, says English cricket chief Andrew Strauss.


Media playback is not supported on this device Bradford Bulls were liquidated on Tuesday after the Championship club's administrators were unable to find a suitable buyer. The RFL has said the new Bradford side will take the place of the old one in the second tier but start the season with a 12-point deduction. They have set a deadline of Monday, 9 January for bids to be submitted. A decision is then expected within two weeks and, should an agreement be reached, the new Bradford side would play their first competitive game against Hull KR on Sunday, 5 February. Jamie Peacock, who captained Bradford to their last Super League title in 2005 before joining Leeds, believes a reformed Bradford club can be successful if they can get through what is likely to be a tough spell in the short term. "They had the same situation in 1963, reformed in 1964 and were winning trophies again within about five years," former England captain Peacock told BBC Radio 5 live. "That may be more difficult this time, but I think they've got more chance of being successful now it's not saddled with the debts it's had. "This year will be a difficult year for the club and whoever starts the club up again, given the handicap of losing 12 points. "But if they can spend within their means this year and go hard again in 2018, there's no reason why can't become successful again."

Summary: The Rugby Football League says it has received 10 expressions of interest in creating a new club in Bradford.


Adults will still be able to access the sites using virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxy servers. In July, the Supreme Court expressed its unhappiness over the government's inability to block sites, especially those featuring child pornography. Telecom companies have said they will not be able to enforce the "ban" immediately. "We have to block each site one by one and it will take a few days for all service providers to block all the sites," an unnamed telecom company executive told The Times of India newspaper. A senior official, who preferred to remained unnamed, told the BBC Hindi that India's department of telecommunications had "advised" telecom operators and Internet service providers to "control free and open access" to 857 porn sites. "There is no total ban. This was done in the backdrop of Supreme Court's observation on children having free access to porn sites. The idea is also to protect India's cultural fabric. This will not prevent adults from visiting porn sites," the official said. "It is a temporary arrangement. The telecommunications depart will eventually come up with a long term policy [of controlling access to these sites later," he said. In July, the top court had observed that it was not for the court to order a ban on porn sites. "It is an issue for the government to deal with. Can we pass an interim order directing blocking of all adult websites? And let us keep in mind the possible contention of a person who could ask what crime have I committed by browsing adult websites in private within the four walls of my house. Could he not argue about his right to freedom to do something within the four walls of his house without violating any law?," the court said. According to statistics released by adult site Pornhub, India was its fourth largest source of traffic in 2014, behind the US, UK and Canada. Pranesh Prakash of the Bangalore based Centre for Internet and Society said the directive to block the 857 sites was "the largest single order" in India. "The government's reasoning that it is not a ban because adults can still access the porn sites is ridiculous," he told the BBC. The move has caused a great deal of comment on Indian social media networks, with many prominent personalities coming forward to condemn it. Popular author Chetan Bhagat, writer and commentator Nilanjana Roy, politician Milind Deora and director Ram Gopal Varma have all added their voices to the debate. The hashtag #pornban was also picking up momentum in India, with hundreds of tweets on the subject. It's not all outrage though. A number of people have been vociferously defending the move, saying that porn is an assault on Indian culture. And according to some tongue in cheek observers, one bit of good that may come of the ban, is that the necessity of having to use proxy servers would inadvertently force Indians to take their privacy seriously. "I request the powers that be to therefore lose no time in introducing web filtering to India, so that

Summary: India has blocked free access to 857 porn sites in what it says is a move to prevent children from accessing them.


Three separate experts say Tata made the cash by selling carbon emissions permits it was given for free. They say Tata was allocated more carbon allowances under the EU emissions trading scheme (EUETS) than it needed. There is no suggestion Tata broke the rules, and the firm said its permits were a "matter of public record". Reports say Tata profited more than any other firm in the UK from the much-criticised trading scheme, which allowed it to sell the surplus to other firms wanting permits to pollute. Other windfalls allegedly went to Lafarge, Hanson, and Total UK. But the analysis is controversial because some climate sceptics blamed EU climate policies for the demise of Tata. One report - by consultants CE Delft for citizens' group Carbon Market Watch - shows that the ailing steel firm was the UK's biggest beneficiary of the EUETS windfall, making £704m. Overall it says industry across Europe has earned a £19bn windfall from 2008 to 2014. Tata declined to comment on the specific figures, but said it disagreed with the methodology used in the reports for calculating its profits from the EUETS. It said the allegations were a "selective telling of the many flaws in the EUETS." A spokesman told BBC News: "We agree that the current emissions trading system needs to be fixed and all parties should focus on how best this can be done, rather than conducting theoretical studies on what it could have previously meant for individual companies." The problem happened because when the EUETS began national governments were left to decide how many carbon permits their industries needed to cushion themselves from foreign competition. The governments typically allocated more permits than necessary because it cost them nothing directly, whilst boosting domestic firms. The sectors profiting most from pollution payouts have been iron and steel, cement, refineries and petrochemicals. One report says the amount netted by industry over the period is more than 10 times the amount the EU has spent on innovation under the EUETS to make firms more energy efficient. I understand Tata is telling critics privately that it cannot be blamed for legitimately exploiting loopholes in a badly designed system. Green groups say this is disingenuous as major European polluters lobbied governments to give them more emissions permits than they would really need. (Smaller firms not facing competitive global pressure had to buy all their emissions permits). The EUETS has long been criticized for its failure to reduce carbon emissions, and citizens' groups are pressing for it to be reformed again. Femke de Jong, of Carbon Market Watch, said: "Instead of making the polluter pay, energy-intensive companies are allowed to pollute for free under the EUETS. "Even worse, they are able to profit from their pollution to the tune of billions. It's European taxpayers that are picking up this bill as governments forego scarce public money." Emil Dimantchev, carbon analyst from Thomson Reuters, estimates that Tata Steel is likely to have netted around £794m (€1bn) between 2008 and 2014 in windfall profits. Dr Simon Evans, of Carbon Brief, calculated that across

Summary: Tata Steel is refusing to comment on claims it has made £700m windfall profits from a policy designed to protect the climate.


Media playback is not supported on this device The defender, 36, is expected to feature in the final Euro 2016 warm-up friendly against Slovakia in Trnava. If he is selected by manager Michael O'Neill, he will become only the second NI player to hit the century mark along with legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings. "It's something no-one can ever take away," Hughes said. Hughes made his debut against Slovakia and is now poised to reach his century against the same nation after earning his 99th cap coming off the bench in last week's 3-0 victory against Belarus at Windsor Park. The former Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Fulham player retired from international football but was persuaded to return in 2012 by Michael O'Neill. "At one point I never thought I would do it [100 caps] but Michael came back in and he said a few things that really resonated with me. "He made me really think about it and I thought 'you know what, that would be quite something'." The former Northern Ireland captain was also inspired by playing alongside two centurions at Fulham, the Republic of Ireland's Damian Duff and Greek midfielder Georgios Karagounis. "Damian had just got his 100 and Karagounis was there too so I was sat there with a couple of lads who were sitting there with a hundred caps and I thought it would be pretty cool to have that. "To walk away at the end of your career and look back on it, it's something no-one can ever take away so I feel a great deal of pride. "The amount of help I've had over that period from a lot of different people it would be too long to say thank-you to everyone but I'm very grateful to everyone who's helped along the way, and Michael has played a big part in that." Northern Ireland open their Euro 2016 campaign against Poland in Nice on 12 June.

Summary: Aaron Hughes says he never expected to earn 100 caps for Northern Ireland and will feel 'a great sense of pride' if he reaches the milestone on Saturday.


The 44-year-old Scot beat 16-time world champion Phil Taylor 7-6 in a thrilling final in January. Taylor will play Japan's Keita Ono or Filipino Alex Tagarao in the first round, while world number one Michael van Gerwen has been drawn against Thanawat Gaweenuntawong or Rene Eidams. A field of 72 players will compete for £1.5m in prize money from 17 December. Boulton, ranked 73 in the world, was runner-up in Monday's PDPA Qualifier in Coventry meaning he will face Laursen in the preliminary round at Alexandra Palace. Ricky Evans, who beat Boulton in the final at the Ricoh Arena, goes straight into the first round to play Australian Simon Whitlock. Paul Lim, the first player to hit a nine-dart finish in the BDO World Championships - in 1990, will play Russia's Aleksandr Oreshkin in the preliminary round with the winner facing Mervyn King. Elsewhere, five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld meets fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode, world number four Peter Wright will play former world youth champion Keegan Brown and Adrian Lewis, champion in 2011 and 2012, will take on Jan Dekker. The final takes place on 3 January. First-round draw in full: Wes Newton v Cristo Reyes John Henderson v Darren Webster Mervyn King v Aleksandr Oreshkin/Paul Lim Peter Wright v Keegan Brown Vincent van der Voort v Loz Ryder Kevin Painter v Kim Viljanen/Sven Groen James Wade v Warrick Scheffer/John Michael Stephen Bunting v Jyhan Artut Robert Thornton v Alan Norris Mark Webster v Qiang Sun/Mick McGowan Jamie Caven v Michael Rasztovits/Rob Szabo Gary Anderson v Andy Boulton/Per Laursen Benito van de Pas v Max Hopp Jelle Klaasen v Joe Cullen Jamie Lewis v Daryl Gurney Ian White v Dimitri Van den Bergh Phil Taylor v Keita Ono/Alex Taragao Simon Whitlock v Ricky Evans Dave Chisnall v Rowby-John Rodriguez Brendan Dolan v Kyle Anderson Justin Pipe v Christian Kist Michael Smith v Jeffrey De Zwaan Adrian Lewis v Jan Dekker Michael van Gerwen v Thanawat Gaweenuntawong/Rene Eidams Raymond van Barneveld v Dirk van Duijvenbode Kim Huybrechts v David Pallett Dean Winstanley v Ronny Huybrechts Steve Beaton v Koha Kokiri Andrew Gilding v Gerwyn Price Terry Jenkins v Darin Young Mensur Suljovic v Jermaine Wattimena Andy Hamilton v Joe Murnan

Summary: PDC world champion Gary Anderson will start the defence of his title against Denmark's Per Laursen or Andy Boulton.


Matt Brittin said he understood public anger about the amount of tax it paid. However, he said Google was paying 20% tax on its UK profits, not the 3% figure cited in some reports. The £130m in UK tax it paid for the 10 years from 2005 was reached following a "six-year rigorous, independent tax audit" by HMRC, Mr Brittin said. Tom Hutchinson, Google's global tax chief, told MPs that the company did not negotiate its tax settlement with HMRC. He told the committee that the tax authorities did not "throw out a number - it's not a negotiation", adding: "There was no top-line figure; that's not how the process works." The £130m payment included £18m in interest, Mr Hutchinson told MPs, but no penalties or payments under the government's diverted profits tax - also known as the "Google tax". Today's Public Accounts Committee hearing was interesting less for Google's explanation of its tax arrangements - we've heard much of that detail before - and more for HMRC's defence of the settlement. There Dame Lin Homer, the head of HMRC, made two significant points. First, she said that under the law HMRC could not have demanded more from Google, pointing out that the £130m settlement was the largest the technology giant had signed outside the US. Dame Lin said it would not have helped if HMRC had gone to court. Certainly, proving that the company had acted "unreasonably" is difficult. Second, Dame Lin said that HMRC applied the same tax laws to Google as it did to any business and that at any one time up to two-thirds of large businesses are under-going some form of tax audit process. HMRC says it is constrained by the complicated tax laws. If they are to change, it is politicians who need to act. MPs also questioned HMRC officials about their settlement with Google. Jim Harra, its head of business taxation, said the company was not fined, despite underpaying tax, because proving "insufficient care" was "very difficult". Dame Lin Homer, HMRC chief executive, admitted that the six-year investigation into Google's tax affairs took a long time to complete, but said that similar inquiries into far smaller firms could be just as lengthy. Mr Brittin said there had been no co-ordination with the Treasury about the timing of Google's announcement about the tax settlement late last month. The Chancellor, George Osborne, described it as a victory for the government. The timing was determined by the fact that the figure was due to be made public when the company's UK accounts were filed, Mr Brittin said. Dame Lin told MPs that HMRC informed the relevant minister that a big company was to make a tax announcement the following day, but did not name the firm. "What we don't, and never, do is share taxpayer information with ministers and Treasury colleagues," she said. In a statement released after the hearing, Google said that it had 2,329 staff in the UK last year compared with 156 in 2005. In an article for the Telegraph published on Thursday, Mr Brittin

Summary: Google's UK chief has defended the search giant's tax arrangements in a hearing before MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Committee.


The company owns the network of lines, poles and substations that brings electricity from power stations to homes and businesses. It does not generate electricity, nor does it sell power to consumers. It makes money by charging suppliers to use the infrastructure and the cost is then passed onto consumers. Sara McClintock of NIE Networks said: "We know that there is nothing more frustrating than being told: 'We can't deal with your query, you need to speak to someone else.' "That is why we are trying to clarify the difference between NIE Networks and electricity suppliers. "If there is a power cut, it's our job at NIE Networks to fix it."

Summary: Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) is changing its name to NIE Networks in an effort to clarify its role in the Northern Ireland electricity market.


Midway through the first half Ross Hannah had a chance to put Barrow ahead, but his shot was blocked by Michael Ihiekwe. Andy Cook's excellent volley from 25 yards out, his 19th league goal of the season for Rovers, broke the deadlock and he almost doubled the advantage just before the break. Barrow levelled in the 63rd minute when Moussa Diarra attacked the ball from a free-kick that was spilled for Inoh Effiong to tap in moments after coming on. Six minutes later Akil Wright's interception fed Williams, who stunningly found the top corner from 20 yards. Match report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Barrow 2, Tranmere Rovers 1. Second Half ends, Barrow 2, Tranmere Rovers 1. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Cole Stockton replaces Jay Harris. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Connor Jennings replaces Adam Mekki. Jay Harris (Tranmere Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Andy Mangan replaces Ritchie Sutton. Goal! Barrow 2, Tranmere Rovers 1. Jordan Williams (Barrow). Goal! Barrow 1, Tranmere Rovers 1. Inih Effiong (Barrow). Substitution, Barrow. Inih Effiong replaces Ross Hannah. Substitution, Barrow. Akil Wright replaces Dan Rowe. Second Half begins Barrow 0, Tranmere Rovers 1. First Half ends, Barrow 0, Tranmere Rovers 1. Goal! Barrow 0, Tranmere Rovers 1. Andy Cook (Tranmere Rovers). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Summary: Jordan Williams' screamer gave Barrow victory over high-flying Tranmere at Holker Street and moved the hosts two points off the National League play-off places.


The data show subsidence of up to 23cm (9in) as a roughly 20km-long fault ruptured in the Apennine mountains in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Scientists will use the information to better understand what caused the magnitude-6.2 event and to make hazard assessments for the future. Almost 300 people are now known to have died in the big tremor. The worst affected town was Amatrice, but the settlements of Arquata, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto were also badly hit. The specialised picture displayed at the top of this page is what is known as an Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) map. It is made by combining observations of the ground acquired by orbiting satellites "before" and "after" a quake. The coloured bands, or fringes, represent movement towards or away from the spacecraft. In this case, each fringe is a step of 2.8cm. “The InSAR data show that the earthquake has warped the Earth's surface by a maximum of 23cm, causing subsidence in a 25km-long elongate region roughly between the towns of Norcia and Amatrice,” explained Dr Richard Walters from Durham University, UK, who built the map. “The fault that ruptured was around 20km long. The average slip at depth on the fault was about half a metre, but is concentrated in two major patches, which probably means two separate fault segments ruptured together. “Most slip took place at depth, with only a small amount reaching the surface.” Dr Walters is affiliated to Britain’s NERC Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET). To make the map, he used radar data from the European Union’s Sentinel-1a and 1b satellites. These spacecraft circle the globe, routinely imaging all land surfaces at least once every six days. Their rapid return to any one location means they were in a position to view central Italy as soon as Friday after the quake, and then again on Saturday. Dr Walters’ point about most of the slip being at depth illustrates the usefulness of InSAR. Not all ruptures will show an obvious surface expression, such as a buckled road or a newly opened fissure in the ground. But the InSAR data, in revealing the scale of warping, still permits scientists to trace the fault involved even if some of its sections are somewhat hidden. This was true of 2009’s damaging quake in L’Aquila, to the south of Amatrice, which killed 309 people. Surface breaks were small and geologists initially had some difficulty in identifying the fault responsible for the magnitude-6.3 event. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

Summary: Europe’s Sentinel radar satellites have mapped the ground movement in the Italian earthquake.


People who depend on being able to harvest forest resources should receive payment under the schemes. But researchers say there is a "reality gap" between safeguards designed to help affected communities and who actually receives the compensation. The findings have been published online in Global Environment Change. "About 11% of global emissions come from deforestation and degradation of tropical forests so the idea is that if you can slow this down then that can offset emissions and that is good for climate mitigation," explained Julia Jones from Bangor University, Wales. Over the past decade, schemes called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (Redd/Redd+) have been developed as part of the global effort to mitigate climate change. These mechanisms are designed to improve forest management and reduce the net emission of greenhouse gases in tropical forest and sub-tropical forest nations. "It finally got approval (at the UN climate summit) in Paris in December that Redd+ will go ahead as a global climate mitigation mechanism," Prof Jones told BBC News. "What that means in reality is more protected areas and more funding. This sounds brilliant, after all it is a win-win situation and what is there not to like about it?" However, it has been widely acknowledged that such schemes - if not implemented properly - can have a significant negative impact on people's livelihoods, such as indigenous communities, and exacerbate poverty. "This has been taken on board by, for example, the World Bank," observed Prof Jones. "They have made commitments that anything they fund [and] people are displaced as a result, they must be compensated for it. "These commitments are also encapsulated in other doctrines, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity." But she added: "The problem is how do you go about doing that? The way that the World Bank guidelines work is that households affected by a scheme must be identified and then compensated for the negative impact of the establishment of a protected area on their livelihoods." In order to test whether the commitment to "social safeguards" were working on the ground, the team of UK and Madagascan researchers looked in detail at an area within Madagascar where a new protected area was being established. The work was being funded by the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. "We have shown that, yes, they have gone out there and identified households that they think are affected negatively by conservation and have delivered compensation." However, she added, the compensation was not reaching those most affected by the project. "We have mapped every single household that should have been covered by the compensation and have shown thatâ€¦ the process had some very serious biases in it," she said. "Essentially, the people that were identified were easier to reach physically - such as closer to the road or closer to the administrative centre. "They also tended to be more socially connected; members of local forestry management committees, and they were - on average - richer or, at least, less poor." Prof Jones said it was not what would be expected from a

Summary: Remote communities are not receiving the compensation they are entitled to from schemes designed to conserve tropical forests, a study suggests.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Blues are now one win away from securing their fifth league trophy after beating Middlesbrough 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Conte, 47, told BBC Match of the Day: "This is my first season in England in a tough championship. "I'm delighted for my players, they deserve this. We are showing that we deserve to win the league." Chelsea face West Brom on Friday with a seven-point advantage over Tottenham, who play Manchester United on Sunday. The Blues finish their league season with games against Watford and relegated Sunderland. "Now, we have taken another step to the title. We have to rest well and prepare for West Brom," Conte said after Monday's victory, which relegated Boro back to the Championship. "We must try in the next game to become champions. West Brom will want to play a good game against us, but we are ready." Cesc Fabregas was brought into Chelsea's starting line-up after N'Golo Kante was ruled out through injury, and the Spaniard was Chelsea's stand-out player. He provided the pass for Diego Costa's opener and Nemanja Matic's third, and has now claimed 10 assists and four goals in 26 games. Marcos Alonso scored Chelsea's second. "It's been a difficult year for me. I'm used to playing a lot but I feel I have matured a lot," former Arsenal midfielder Fabregas told Sky Sports. "Many people told me I am not the type of player for Antonio Conte and I should leave but I like challenges. "I hadn't played every game but I think I have played in the last 20 games. When I have been on the pitch maybe my contribution is better than a full season." Former Chelsea and Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said on Match of the Day: "His interview just shows the calibre of the player. He wants to play week in, week out. "He has got so much in the locker, his ability on the ball, how he is able to pick out players from anywhere on the pitch is outstanding. "He may be lacking pace but his reading of the game is still world class. Every time Chelsea want an option or need an outlet, they go to Fabregas. "He has been the ultimate professional and a huge weapon for Chelsea."

Summary: Manager Antonio Conte says his Chelsea players are worthy of winning the Premier League title.


The new limits come as the scandal-hit Japanese carmaker prepares to appoint Carlos Ghosn as chairman. The firm wants to raise the cash limit on executive pay from 960m yen (Â£6.7m, $8.4m) to 2bn yen. There could also be non-cash rewards worth 1bn yen. The new salary caps need approval by shareholders. They are due to vote on that at an extraordinary meeting on 14 December. Shareholders will also be asked to approve the appointment of Nissan and Renault boss Carlos Ghosn as chairman, and three other new executives with experience at Nissan. If approved, the total annual pay packages of all 11 executives on the company's new board could amount to more than $290m. Mitsubishi Motors says the new salary caps are designed to attract outside talent to the company. Its reputation was hit badly after it admitted in April to falsifying the fuel efficiency of several models. The admission led to a suspension of sales of the vehicles and prompted a sharp drop in Mitsubishi Motors' share price. Mitsubishi has suffered heavy losses resulting from the scandal. It has forecast a net loss of 145bn yen for the current financial year. In May, Nissan helped to bail out Mitsubishi Motors by taking a 34% stake in its smaller rival.

Summary: Mitsubishi Motors is proposing higher salary caps that could triple the annual pay packages of its top executives.


She wore it to his 45th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York, but the garment was so tight she had to be sewn into it. Monroe died less than three months later, and the president died in 1963. The dress was sold in 1999 for $1.26m but Julien's Auctions thinks it could fetch up to $3m (Â£2.2m) this November. The dress, made of silk gauze and covered in thousands of rhinestone beads and sequins, will go under the hammer in Los Angeles on 17 November. Before then, it will be on show at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey, and the Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, Ireland.

Summary: The flesh-coloured dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she breathlessly sang Happy Birthday to President John F Kennedy in 1962, is to be auctioned.


Media playback is not supported on this device Gareth Furlong gave Wales the lead in the first period before securing a second goal from a penalty stroke. Rupert Shipperley finished a strong team goal to take Wales 3-0 up as they dominated the game. Wales will now face either Ireland in Saturday's semi-finals with the hope of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in India. Co-captain Luke Hawker says they squad have developed over the course of the eight-day tournament. "It is probably the first time this week we've put a 70 minute display together on both sides of the ball. "Really pleasing to come away with the three goals and the victory but equally as pleasing to keep a clean sheet. That's something we pride ourselves on. "We keep pushing ourselves. Keep asking a bit more. Every time we go back to the video and review the game just gone. "Both our rest days were down here on the training ground and fine tuning really. It's great to see that transferring into on field performances" A top-two finish in the eight-team tournament would lift Wales in the rankings and give them a chance of a first World Cup appearance. Their victory against Italy puts them just one win away from the final, which would enable them to qualify for the World League Semi Finals tournament to be played this summer, which acts as a World Cup qualifier. Wales could also qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games if they are ranked in the top 10 eligible nations by the end of the season. "For us this is a victory in a sense. The tournament and coming here and getting to semi-final is great for us as a group," Hawker continued. "We are not the sort of squad who will rest on our laurels. The hard work's done. I think we can play with a bit of freedom and go on and see if we can get that cherry at the end."

Summary: Wales men's hockey team are through to the semi-finals of the World League 2 tournament with a 3-0 win over Italy.


The trend in transport systems is towards growing automation. But it seems that plans for drivers to operate train carriage doors instead of guards can still cause industrial strife. Not so long ago, such a change would not have been possible. As recently as 2005, some Southern services were still using old-fashioned "slam-door" carriages, which could be opened at any time, even while the train was moving. These were phased out on safety grounds and replaced by sliding doors, which can be centrally locked. The question now is, who should do the locking? As far as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is concerned, safety is still an important issue, and one which also forms part of its separate dispute with Virgin East Coast, where workers have also just voted to go on strike. The RMT says that guards are needed on trains for more than just operating doors, and if that role is taken away from them, they will eventually disappear altogether, leaving no-one to protect passengers from robbery or physical attack. Southern's response is that no-one will lose their job as a result of the change. Guards will remain on trains, but they will become "on-board supervisors", making them more, not less responsive to passengers' needs. In the latest development, Southern has said it is prepared to have talks "any time, any place, anywhere" with the RMT in an effort to break the deadlock. The RMT, for its part, has accused the government of blocking a deal. Southern says 40% of its services already have "driver-only operation", while the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, part of the Department for Transport, says it has found "no evidence" that driver-only trains are unsafe. On the other hand, Southern has said that the change will allow trains to run without a guard in the event of staff shortages, reducing the number of cancelled services. This is a particular issue for the company, which has had to cancel large numbers of trains in recent months because of guards calling in sick. Southern says this amounts to "unofficial industrial action", while the RMT says Southern is not recruiting enough staff and that many of its members are suffering from work-related stress. Whatever the truth of the matter, it suggests that there is more to this dispute than a mere reallocation of roles. The RMT certainly thinks that the possibility of allowing trains to leave the station without a guard on board strengthens its argument that there will be job losses in future. So who is suffering most from this five-day strike? The RMT's members are certainly paying for their action, since they lose a week's pay, but that hardly seems to have dented their resolve. Even so, they have failed to bring the network to a standstill, since Southern has said roughly half its trains are operating as normal - and since that "normal" level actually refers to an emergency timetable that already involves hundreds of cancellations, hard-pressed commuters may feel that the service can scarcely get any worse. As for Southern, the system of

Summary: At a time when the driverless car is said to be just around the corner, the rail dispute that has brought five days of strike action to Southern trains seems to belong to another age.


Jamie Hall, 22, made no plea or declaration during a private hearing at the city's sheriff court on Monday. Prosecutors allege he carried out the sexual assault in the city's Spring Gardens. Mr Hall, from Edinburgh, was remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance.

Summary: A man has appeared in court charged with raping a 37-year-old woman in Edinburgh on Boxing Day.


Media playback is not supported on this device In January the 26-year-old was forced to play out of position for then-club Swansea when Francisco Guidolin took over as coach from the sacked Garry Monk. But he responded brilliantly. To vote for the BBC African Footballer of the Year follow this link His positive attitude, consistently good performances and goals played a part in helping the Swans stave off relegation from the Premier League. Ayew scored two crucial goals in a 3-1 win over Liverpool to help earn a result which finally confirmed Swansea's safety after a nerve-racking 2015-2016 campaign. In total Ayew notched 12 goals in 35 appearances and his impact was recognised when he was named the newcomer of the year at the club's end-of-season awards. His form was so impressive that, in August, the Hammers broke their transfer record to bring Ayew to east London at a cost of £20.5m. Ayew was then seriously injured on his league debut, but after a two-month absence he returned to action at the end of October. And it is "the hunger in Ayew's eyes", as seen by former Ghana international Yaw Preko when they first played together, that could drive Ayew on to show his worth this coming season. In international football, Ayew continued to be Ghana's main man in 2016. He was on the scoresheet and put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 win over Mauritius which booked the Black Stars a place at next year's Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. Ayew has been used to dealing with the pressure and expectation that comes with being the son of Ghana legend Abedi Pele Ayew, who is widely rated as one of the finest African players of all time. Ayew senior played 73 times and scored 33 goals for the Black Stars and helped them win the 1982 Nations Cup and finish runners-up in 1992. He also won the 1993 European Champions League with Marseille, having lost in the final of the European Cup two years earlier. Ahmed Brynes, a coach at Ghanaian side Nania FC where Ayew first began to follow in his father's footsteps, has made a fascinating prediction. "When Ayew was only about 14, he was already performing magic and he was even saying 'I want to be better than my father'," Byrnes told BBC Sport. "I told him, 'look, your father has just raised the bar too high for you'... but he replied 'I will overcome it' and I believe with time he's going to overcome it." Abedi Pele Ayew was named BBC African Footballer of the Year in 1992. Ayew junior emulated that feat in 2011 - could this be the year he surpasses it?

Summary: West Ham and Ghana forward Andre Ayew has shown he is not a man to shrink in the face of adversity.


In March, the Gulf state said that those without papers would not be arrested if they left within 90 days. The deadline was extended by another month, but so far only 60,000 out of an estimated 400,000 Ethiopians have left, the Ethiopian government says. Ethiopians make up a large portion of the kingdom's undocumented workers. All those without papers now face imprisonment or forced deportation. Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories Ethiopia's Communications Minister Negeri Lencho told the BBC he feared what could now happen to his compatriots who were still in Saudi Arabia, adding they must return "with a sense of urgency". "They will be imprisoned and we don't want our citizens to face unnecessary imprisonment, or suffer any physical harm or humiliation," Mr Lencho said. One of those who returned is 28-year-old domestic worker Nura Ahmed. "Life was really tough," she told the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza just after she arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. "Sometimes I was jobless because I did not have the proper documentation, so I had no freedom to move around. "One can never be at peace there," she added. In 2013, a number of Ethiopians died in clashes with Saudi police as they were being rounded up for deportation. Saudi Arabia attracts migrant workers from around the world, particularly Africa, and south and south-east Asia. Saudi authorities estimate that up to one million people are working in the country illegally. So far, tens of thousands of people of different nationalities have taken advantage of the grace period and have either left or acquired correct papers.

Summary: Ethiopia says that only a fraction of its citizens working illegally in Saudi Arabia have returned home before today's amnesty deadline.


The Scottish comedian and actor started out as a folk singer before developing his stand-up act. The 72-year-old often travelled with his banjo but now says he can no longer play as he prepares to travel across the US by rail for a new TV series. Connolly said Parkinson's had particularly affected the use of his left hand. When he was on Desert Island Discs, Connolly chose a banjo as his luxury item and he also has a banjo tattoo on his left hand. In an interview in Canada to promote his stand-up tour, he said: "I'm starting a documentary series in a month's time following the railways around America. I'm going to festivals and state fairs and all that. "I've been longing to do it for a long time. The only trouble is that we're going to bluegrass festivals and I've got Parkinson's Disease and it's really affected my left hand and I can't play the banjo or guitar any more, but I'll join in on the singing at least. "It's been a rough go between that and the cancer. I kept telling my wife that haemorrhoids couldn't be far behind." Connolly disclosed in 2013 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's and prostate cancer on the same day. He has since been given the all-clear from cancer and will travel through 28 states and 8,000 miles by train later this year in new ITV documentary series Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America.

Summary: Billy Connolly has been forced to give up playing the banjo and guitar because of Parkinson's Disease.


Sunni Muslim, Tanveer Ahmed, 32, from Bradford in Yorkshire, stabbed 40-year-old Asad Shah outside his store in Glasgow's Shawlands area on 24 March. Mr Shah was an Ahmadi - a minority sect not recognised by all Muslims. Ahmed admitted the murder and said the victim had disrespected Islam by falsely claiming to be a prophet. Why was Asad Shah murdered? In July, Ahmed pleaded guilty to the religiously-motivated murder at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow. Last month, he was given a mandatory life term and told he must serve a minimum of 27 years before he can apply for parole. Jailing him, judge Lady Rae told Ahmed: "This was a barbaric, premeditated and wholly unjustified killing of a much-loved man who was a pillar of the local community. "He was described as a peaceful and peace-loving man and family man who went out of his way to show respect for those of any faith." The judge branded the attack as "an appalling display of merciless violence". It has now emerged that lawyers for Ahmed have lodged an appeal against his sentence. The court previously heard that Mr Shah was an Ahmadi, who differ from the majority of Muslims, including Sunni Muslims, in that they believe the Prophet Muhammad was not the final prophet. The majority of Muslims believe Muhammad was the final prophet and say any other view is inconsistent with Islamic belief. Ahmed, a Sunni, claimed that he had killed Mr Shah because he had posted videos online in which the shopkeeper had "disrespected" Islam by claiming to be a prophet. Ahmed watched a clip featuring Mr Shah on his mobile phone as he travelled to Glasgow on the day of the murder and was heard in a phone message to say "listen to this guy, something needs to be done, it needs nipped in the bud". When he arrived at the shop, Ahmed said he warned Mr Shah that he was there to kill him and asked him to stop claiming to be a prophet. CCTV footage of the attack showed Ahmed pulling a knife out and moving behind the counter and stabbing Mr Shah repeatedly. The shopkeeper managed to get outside, but was stabbed again and then stamped on and kicked in a frenzied attack as he lay dying in the street. Mr Shah's brother Athar Shah tried to intervene, but was unable to fend off Ahmed. As Mr Shah lay dying on the ground, Ahmed walked calmly to a bus shelter where police found him a short time later. After being arrested, Ahmed released a statement through his lawyer saying he had killed Mr Shah as he had falsely claimed to be a prophet.

Summary: A man who was jailed for life for murdering a shopkeeper who he claimed had "disrespected" Islam is to appeal against his minimum 27-year jail term.


The 28-year-old Jamaican set both current world records, 9.58 seconds for 100m and 19.19 seconds for 200m, at the 2009 World Championships. Despite winning five Olympic and World individual sprint titles since, he has yet to improve on those times. "Everybody wants to see the 100m go but the 200m is for me," he said. "If I can get a perfect season where I'm working well, without any injuries, with no time off, I'll definitely have the chance to break the 100m world record. "The 200m is my personal focus. One of my biggest goals is to try to run sub-19, pushing the barrier a little bit will be great for me." Bolt's 2014 campaign was disrupted by foot and hamstring injuries and he only ran in three races - including a leg for Jamaica's victorious 4x100m relay team at the Commonwealth Games - before bringing his season to an early end. Bolt's quickest 200m time since setting his world record in Berlin was the 19.32 seconds he clocked at London 2012. Similarly the closest he has come to beating his own 100m mark was the 9.63 seconds he ran to defend his Olympic crown two years ago. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Bolt also offered a partial defence of the six positive doping tests returns by Jamaican athletes - including Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell Brown - in 2013. "There were mistakes but there weren't any serious drugs," he said. "It is still bad: the drug scandal. But it was a good thing it wasn't like they were deliberately going out of their way to take drugs."

Summary: Usain Bolt believes he can lower both his 100m and 200m world records, and aims to be the first man to break 19 seconds for the longer distance.


Elliott Holdham, who has Asperger's syndrome, heard about the competition on social media and was desperate to be involved. His dad called up the local organisers, who invited them to watch AFC Dunstable in round one of the tournament. On the day, the team were a player short and the 19-year-old stepped in, scoring six goals and securing a place in the side for the second round. I am hoping to push onto bigger and better things Holdham's father, Jason, said: "I'm really proud. Football has helped Elliott grow in confidence and he's been a breath of fresh air for the team." His son has been a Luton Town supporter since he was six but only began playing football eight months ago. Due to his condition, Holdham had not found a suitable team to play for, until discovering the FA People's Cup. AFC Dunstable's manager Josh Spavin said they were "thrilled to find such a great player". Speaking on BBC Three Counties sports programme with Geoff Doyle and Luke Ashmead, Spavin added that "without Elliott they would have struggled over the weekend". And, even though AFC Dunstable did not manage to get through to the finals day, Holdham has high hopes for the future. "I am hoping to push onto bigger and better things," he said. You can catch up with the highlights of the FA People's Cup semi-finals here and will be able to follow the finals day on Sunday, 20 March with our live text commentary.

Summary: The FA People's Cup regional semi-finals saw 400 teams compete across eight venues on 27-28 February - and for one player it was particularly special.


On-loan Sam Gallagher looked to have won it on his first start for Rovers, heading in Craig Conway's corner. But Naylor met Matty Palmer's left-wing corner to seal a dramatic point. Conway had put Rovers ahead in the first half with a 25-yard drive that flew in off the bar, but Burton levelled with Jackson Irvine's header. A first-ever meeting between the two sides saw Rovers teenage academy product Scott Wharton handed a debut and he made an important early intervention to deflect John Mousinho's header wide. But after Conway took a Danny Graham pass to rifle in the 12th goal of his Rovers career, Burton, who did not include new loan signing John Brayford in their squad, were level just before the break as Mousinho's right-wing cross was met by an unmarked Irvine. Rovers started the second half brightly, only for Hope Akpan to head over a Conway free-kick, before Albion were unlucky when Naylor's long range drive crashed against the crossbar. Gallagher, on loan from Southampton, nodded in at the near post to put Rovers back in front, but Naylor was not to be denied to heap more pressure on Coyle, whose side are bottom of the Championship and the only club in the division still without a league win. Blackburn manager Owen Coyle: "Having got ourselves ahead twice in the game, we could have seen it out and got the three points we were worthy of. "We all know it can be a cruel game but, having said that, there were a lot of positives we can take from the game - not least the performance of young Scott Wharton at the back on his debut." Rovers striker Sam Gallagher: "I was on the highest high from scoring my goal and then gutted when they got the equaliser. "I felt we deserved more, but at least we showed more character than in our other three games and we are off the mark." Burton manager Nigel Clough: "As pleasing as it is to get an 88th-minute equaliser, we are disappointed not to have won the game. "We looked a real threat from set-plays and we deserved at least a point." Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Burton Albion 2. Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Burton Albion 2. Foul by Callum Butcher (Burton Albion). Stephen Hendrie (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Matthew Palmer (Burton Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Akins. Foul by Lloyd Dyer (Burton Albion). Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Hamza Choudhury (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers). Lee Williamson (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Liam Feeney (Blackburn Rovers). Goal! Blackburn Rovers 2, Burton Albion 2. Tom Naylor (Burton Albion) header from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Matthew Palmer with a cross following a corner. Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Sam Gallagher. Matthew

Summary: Tom Naylor's late header secured Burton a first away point in the Championship to leave Owen Coyle still searching for a first league win as Blackburn boss.


Exports dropped sharply by 25.4% from a year earlier, while imports fell 13.8%. The weak data comes on the heels of Beijing registering the slowest economic growth in 25 years. China's National People's Congress, currently underway in the capital, has just revised the 2016 growth target down, predicting a "battle for growth". The February trade figures are likely to raise new fears over China struggling to maintain economic growth while implementing reforms and trying to shift towards more services and domestic spending. Customs figures showed exports fell to $126.1bn (Â£88.5bn) last month. That was down 25.4% from a year earlier and worse than an expected fall of about 15%. The poor trade data marks the worst performance since the height of the global financial crisis in May 2009. However, analysts cautioned that the data might have been affected by the longer-than-usual Chinese Lunar New Year holidays. With China often referred to as "the engine of global growth", the weaker global demand for its goods is read as an indicator of the general global economic climate. China has often been called the factory of the world, but that narrative may now be changing. As global demand slows down, China is selling less to the world, but it is also buying less from the world. True - Tuesday's trade figures may have been affected by a longer than usual Chinese New Year period last month, which meant workers were on holiday and factory owners may have brought orders forward or delayed them. But these February numbers will continue to put pressure on China's leaders as they grapple with the worst growth rates in 25 years on the mainland.

Summary: Chinese exports have seen their sharpest drop in almost seven years, adding to concerns over the health of the world's second largest economy.


A 19-year-old man was shot in the leg in Stainbeck Road on Thursday. He remains in hospital, where his condition is described as stable, West Yorkshire Police said. A 29-year-old man, from Woodhouse, is in custody. The force said extra officers were patrolling the area to "provide reassurance to the local community" while enquiries continued.

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a shooting in Leeds.


A 56-year-old local man died when the blue Ford Ka he was travelling in collided with a green Ford Explorer. Police said the crash happened just after midnight on 28 November on Ash Road at the North Ash Road junction. Ross Bryant, 27, of James Road in Dartford, has been charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving while uninsured and unlicensed. He is also charged with failing to stop at the scene of a collision and failing to report a collision to police. He will appear before Dartford Magistrates Court on 28 April. Bryant was arrested on 29 November last year along with two teenage boys who have since been released without charge.

Summary: A man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash in New Ash Green last November.


The party said extending the way shares were taxed and closing a loophole would bring in up to £26bn in the next Parliament, if it won the election. It is also wants a tax avoidance crackdown and would require £1m+ earners to publish their tax records. The Conservatives described Labour's plans as "a total shambles". Meanwhile, the Tories are promising a "new generation" of social housing will be built in England if they win the general election. And the Lib Dems are proposing a cash incentive to engineering and technology graduates who sign up for the armed forces. Party leader Tim Farron said the £10,000 "golden handshake" - paid to recruits committing for five years - would help address a "critical skills shortfall" in the services. Labour has been facing calls to say how it would pay for a series of election pledges after its draft manifesto was leaked last week. It says the final version, which has yet to be published, will be fully costed. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour's plans to increase taxes on City transactions would be a "Robin Hood tax" that would "make the financial sector pay its fair share" after the damage caused by the financial crisis. Labour said it would extend the existing 0.5% stamp duty paid on shares to other financial assets, including investments known as derivatives. It would also end an exemption, known as intermediaries relief, that applies to some banks and hedge funds, saying that together the measures would bring in between £4.7bn and £5.6bn a year. Mr McDonnell added: "Ordinary people are still being made to pay by the Tories for a crisis they didn't cause through the worst spending cuts for generations." A Robin Hood tax isn't a new idea, far from it. John McDonnell has long campaigned for it. The other name for it is a financial transactions tax, where a small levy is placed on certain financial transactions or trades. Here in the UK, we already pay stamp duty when shares are bought and traded. Last year that raised just over £3bn. Labour wants to go further and extend the levy to bonds and more complex financial instruments called derivatives, which it claims would raise £26bn over the course of the next Parliament, and help curb speculative computer-driven high frequency trading. Labour says the plan mirrors a similar one being planned by the EU, but Europe's scheme is currently in the long grass. The UK ruled out taking part, fearing it would hurt the City of London, where huge amounts of these trades are done. If Labour's plans came to fruition, critics say these transactions would simply move elsewhere or the costs would be passed on to the likes of pensions funds, ultimately hitting consumers. That's on top of worries over the potential loss of business and jobs in the City because of Brexit. Mr McDonnell also said Labour would ensure "fairness" in the UK's tax system with a string of tax-avoidance measures. These include increasing the number of people investigating the tax affairs of the wealthiest individuals,

Summary: Labour says it would raise billions of pounds for public services with a new tax on financial transactions - known as a "Robin Hood" tax.


Keshi will be best remembered as a coach but he also had a successful career as a player at club and international level. Winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria was the highlight of his international playing days. As a player he had stints in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Belgium, France and United States of America. Keshi began his professional career with now-defunct Nigerian side ACB of Lagos and his hometown club New Nigeria Bank of Benin City. His first move abroad was not to Europe but to Ivory Coast where he won the domestic cup with Stade Abidjan in 1985 and 1986, before moving to their local rivals Africa Sports. He became known as the "Big Boss" during his playing days as he was one of the first Africans to move to the European leagues in the 1980's. Belgium was his first port of call when he joined Lokeren, which in later years became a popular destination for other African players. Keshi's compatriots Victor Ikpeba and Sunday Oliseh as well as Ghana's Nii Lamptey also played for Lokeren. It was at another Belgian side where Keshi really thrived, spending four years at Anderlecht a side that he also captained. While at Anderlecht he won the Belgian Cup in 1988 and 1989 before helping them to the league title in 1991. After that success, he moved across the border to French second division side RC Strasbourg and is fondly remembered for scoring the second goal in a 4-1 win over Rennes on 13 May 1992 which secured the team's promotion to the top flight. The following season saw Keshi and Strasbourg finish in eighth place - their highest ever finish in the top division - before he made a swift return to Belgium with Molenbeek that summer. His return to Belgium was not the success he had hoped for and he eventually moved to the United States to play for Jaguar Bay, San Jose and Sacramento Scorpions. He eventually ended his playing career in Malaysia with Perlis in 1995. Keshi earned more than 60 caps for Nigeria and won the 1994 Nations Cup with Super Eagles, although injury prevented him from playing in the final against Zambia. He made two appearances, including as captain for their semi-final win over Ivory Coast on penalties, but the Nigeria coach at the time, Clemens Westerhof, refused to risk playing him in the final. Later that year Keshi, was part of Nigeria's squad at the World Cup in the United States but another injury meant he played only once in the final group match against Greece. Once his playing days were over he made the United States his home and went into semi-retirement. His first coaching experience came when his daughter's elementary school were looking for a coach and she demanded that her father helped out and gave his number to the principle. And so began his journey into coaching as he declared: "I was reborn and discovered it was something I could do." It sparked his dream of one day coaching Nigeria but before

Summary: African football is mourning the death of former Nigeria coach and captain Stephen Keshi, who passed away aged 54.


The top places are invariably filled with the US and UK academic powerhouses. And then coming up fast are the ambitious Asian universities. But what about the French, with their centuries of scholarship and ancient institutions? There was a university in Paris before Oxford or Cambridge. French universities are conspicuous by their absence. In the most recent QS World University Rankings there were none in the top 20 and only two in the top 100. That could all change from next year. As part of a huge government-driven academic and economic project, there will be a new university called Paris-Saclay, with a campus south of the French capital. The project has initial funding of 7.5bn euros (Â£5.9bn) for an endowment, buildings and transport links. The French government is bringing together 19 institutions into a single structure, with the aim of building a university big enough to compete with global giants like Harvard or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dominique Vernay, the president of this new university, says that within a decade he wants Paris-Saclay to be among the top ranking world universities. "My goal is to be a top 10 institution," he says. In Europe, he wants Paris-Saclay to be in the "top two or three". In university rankings, big is beautiful, and the Paris-Saclay will have 70,000 students and 10,000 researchers. There will be an emphasis on graduate courses and recruiting more international students and staff. More stories from the BBC's Knowledge economy series looking at education from a global perspective and how to get in touch The idea of bringing together individual colleges into a "federal university" has been borrowed from the UK. "Our model isn't that far from the Oxbridge model," he says. To put it into scale, Mr Vernay says Paris-Saclay is going to be twice the size of the University of California, Berkeley, one of the flagships of the US university system. Without any extra investment, he says that the existing component parts of the university will put Paris-Saclay straight into the top 20 of the Shanghai global university rankings. It will inherit staff with Nobel Prizes and some very well-established founding partners, including the Ecole Polytechnique, the HEC Paris business school and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). Getting into the top end of the league tables is not the purpose of the investment, he says. But it would be an important indicator of how France can create a much more concentrated and globally competitive research base. The big idea is to create a "knowledge hub" around Paris, bringing together top-level universities with research institutes, hi-tech businesses and start-ups. The classic example of such a project would be Silicon Valley in California where Stanford University has been the launchpad for firms such as Google and Hewlett Packard. Boston would be seen as another such hi-tech cluster, with Harvard and MIT feeding ideas into technology firms. In London, Imperial College and University College London are planning expansions to tap into this drive for innovation. But in this industrial geography of the internet age, with the

Summary: Imagine the chagrin of French universities whenever international rankings are published.


Paul Flynn said the watchdog set up after the expenses scandal had failed to restore public confidence. But the Newport West MP said his views were being used as a "stunt" in the ongoing row within Labour. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) said it was currently consulting on the rules. Labour distanced the party from Mr Flynn's comments, emphasising they were not Labour policy. In a blog post, the shadow Welsh secretary described Ipsa as a "bureaucratic ornament" which he said had taken "minute control of claims large and small". He said it had failed to restore faith in the expenses system, which was time-consuming and robbed MPs and their staff of their "most precious possession - time". He wrote: "Our reputation has sunk from rock bottom to subterranean. Financial scandals have continued in both Houses with toe-curling regularity. "The public are still convinced that MPs use the system for own ends." Mr Flynn suggested a new system could be based on an allowance calculated on average expenses, based on MPs' distance from Westminster, and could be paid automatically. He claimed MPs would accept such a change, even if it meant they were worse off, because they would be liberated from the "tentacles of tedious bureaucracy". Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Wales programme, Mr Flynn suggested that he originally outlined his views in a document written nine months ago "as a backbencher". He told the programme: "Jeremy Corbyn knows nothing at all about it and this is now being used as a stunt by people in this mad battle we have in our own party where we are tearing ourselves apart. "This is nothing to do with expenses, except that Ipsa is being looked at at the moment and we've been asked for ideas. I've put forward ideas that I published nine months ago." Delyn Labour MP David Hanson said Mr Flynn's suggestions were "wrong". "The public expect us to have accountability and transparency on the money that we spend on behalf of them to provide constituency staff, constituency offices and the services that we provide," he said. "I have no problem whatsoever as a member of parliament with my staff in completing Ipsa's requirements and filling in forms to account for that money." A spokesman for the Labour party said: "The public rightly demands the trust of their politicians and Labour therefore remains committed to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority which Labour established to ensure MPs do not set their own pay and conditions." An Ipsa spokesman said: "Ipsa is currently consulting on rules for MPs six years after they were introduced and is seeking views from members of parliament and members of the public."

Summary: MPs should be given an allowance instead of having to claim for expenses, Labour's shadow Commons leader has said.


Ms Dati gave a furious television interview denying any wrongdoing. According to France's Le Point, the purchases included Hermes scarves. The claims date to 2007-2010, during which time she was was justice minister under ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Ms Dati, now an MEP for Mr Sarkozy's UMP party and mayor of Paris's 7th arrondissement, said it was normal practice to buy presents for foreign delegates. A letter from the Cour des Comptes, which audits state accounts, lists €9,850 of unsuccessful claims - including hundreds of euros for pastries, as well as almost €1,500 on luxury gifts and more than €1,600 on clothes and accessories. Another €180,000 spent on communications strategy was also rejected. Ms Dati said the auditors had ruled against the justice ministry administration and not against her. The auditors rejected the claims due to a lack of supporting documents and justification. "The ministry of justice has never financed my personal costs or bought me any item of clothing," Ms Dati told AFP earlier this week. "The state auditor has never accused me of anything, either personally or professionally." Speaking to the French TV channel iTele on Thursday, she attacked media coverage of the auditors' decision and said there was a political plot against her. She said she had suffered racist attacks - being dismissed as an "Arab" - as well as sexism within her party, and that she had complained to Mr Sarkozy. Ms Dati was the first Muslim woman to serve as a government minister in France. She has long complained of sexism and elitism in French politics. She resigned as justice minister in 2009 amid criticism of her management style and gossip about her clothes and love life. Correspondents say the UMP is keen to move on from a series of financial scandals, including an ongoing investigation into party funding, ahead of Mr Sarkozy's expected bid for the presidency in 2017.

Summary: France's former Justice Minister Rachida Dati has hit out at "political plotters" in her own UMP party after it emerged auditors had rejected expenses claims of nearly €190,000 (£137,000) for items including luxury clothing.


Marvyn Iheanacho, 39, attacked Alex Malcolm in Mountsfield Park, Catford, on 20 November 2016. Witnesses heard a "child's fearful voice saying 'sorry'", loud banging and a man screaming about the loss of a shoe, Woolwich Crown Court was told. Iheanacho, who denied murder, will serve a minimum of 18 years in prison. The jury heard Alex suffered head and stomach injuries and died in hospital two days after the beating. His mother, Lilya Breha, 30, told the court Iheanacho had also attacked her after she tried to call an ambulance when he returned to her flat carrying her injured son. In a tearful interview, she said: "He (Alex) was bubbly. He was just perfect you know, he was a really, really special little boy. "He was shy, he was so shy, and very polite. He would always say 'Mummy thank you' and 'I love you Mummy'." Ms Breha described Iheanacho as a "good liar" and pathetic. Recalling how she met him through a friend after he left prison, she said he had convinced her he was innocent and a good person. She said: "When I think about it now, to be honest I feel like it was all such a big lie and he just pretended to be a good guy pretty well." Prosecutors revealed there had been "problems with witness interference" during the trial, with Iheanacho phoning Ms Breha from prison to try to persuade her to back him in court. In a victim impact statement, Alex's father said he would "never forget seeing him in his hospital bed fighting for his life. That image will stay with me forever." "Just thinking about what's happened and trying to put words on paper is tearing me apart," he said. Sentencing, Judge Mark Dennis QC said the killer had a deeply entrenched character flaw that "leads you to overreact and lose your temper". "You used your undoubted strength and simple brute force," against a "completely defenceless" child, he said. He said Iheanacho, who has a string of previous convictions for violent offences, had given fake and misleading accounts to paramedics, hospital staff and police.

Summary: A man who battered his girlfriend's five-year-old son to death in a London park for losing a trainer has been jailed for life.


The so-called Valley fire is thought to be one of the worst in the state's history, and is still only 30% contained, spanning three counties. One disabled woman has died and four firefighters have been injured, while 23,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Two dozen fires are raging in Oregon, California and Washington state. But the most destruction is in California, where mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted in some areas so residents can return to survey the devastation. Firefighters are scrambling to protect not only homes but the state's famed giant Sequoia trees, as the largest of a dozen fires edges ever closer to one of the national parks in which they grow. While the Valley fire has been the most destructive, covering an area twice the size of San Francisco, a second known as the Butte fire, outside Sacramento, has claimed 166 homes. Firefighters say it is covering 71,780 acres (29,048 hectares) and is now 40% contained. Officials say fire teams have been helped by cooler weather and higher humidity, although the forecast is for higher temperatures to return at the weekend In California, the sound of summer is the crackle of flames. No one here in Lake County can remember anything like the Valley Fire. Firefighters say it has already consumed an area twice the size of San Francisco. And still it burns, leaving behind a landscape drained of colour, silent and lifeless. Ranches which stood here for more than a century were wiped out in seconds. And in the little communities of Cobb, Middletown and Hidden Valley, entire streets have been destroyed. For mile after mile the ashes are still smouldering. Most people have not yet been allowed to return to inspect the damage but when they do many will find that there is nothing to salvage. Cooler weather with some moisture in the air is helping but it will take more than that to stop the blaze. The fires burns and burns and California is counting the cost. In northern California, people who have been evacuated from their homes or lost their homes completely are gathered at emergency centres and high schools. Andy Elliott, a British firefighter working to battle the Valley fire, said it is one of the most extreme in California for a long time. Firefighters are calling it a "career fire", such is its speed and force, he said. "The fire behaviour is unprecedented." Mr Elliot said he knew the four injured firefighters and had breakfast with them just before they were hurt. "It's a very extreme incident... very sad." California is used to battling raging wildfires. But after a four-year drought, the state is suffering more than usual - 5,255 fires have scorched 217,827 acres of land so far this year, compared with 3,638 fires burning 90,894 acres during the same period last year. Northern California is currently bearing the brunt of the blazes, with 13,000 firefighters working 24-hour shifts to try to contain more than a dozen fires sweeping across parched hillsides in Butte, Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties.

Summary: A blazing wildfire in northern California has grown to 104 square miles, with nearly 600 homes destroyed.


An East Midlands Ambulance Service crew found the bin when they tried to leave for hospital in Leicester. Waste fluid had leaked into the cabin, forcing the vehicle to require a deep clean. The ambulance was taken out of service and a second ambulance was called. EMAS said the action could have put lives at risk. The crew was responding to a call in Narborough Road, Leicester, in the early hours of Monday. Police were notified and the ambulance was returned to service the next day. Tim Hargraves, an EMAS manager based in Leicestershire, said: "This behaviour is disgusting and can ultimately put lives at risk as this vehicle was taken off the road. "Our crews work long hours in challenging circumstances and deserve to be treated with respect. "We will work with Leicestershire Police to support enquiries." A Facebook post on the EMAS page received more than 1,500 messages of support and was shared more than 4,000 times.

Summary: A wheelie bin of rubbish was dumped on the front seats of an ambulance as medics treated a patient in the back.


Appearing at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, she said: "However you look at it, he is me." Rendell, made a peer in 1997, said she gave Wexford many of her habits as well as her hatred of corporal punishment and a memory for birthdays. She also paid tribute to the late actor George Baker who played Wexford on TV series The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. The 80-year-old, from West Lavington, Wiltshire, died of pneumonia on Friday following a recent stroke. "Where would Wexford have been without George?" Rendell said. The actor had "made the popularity and the character - a lot of it was George," she added. "It was a marvellous achievement as an actor to make him more and better than the author intended," she told the festival. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries ran for 12 series in the 1980s and 1990s on ITV. She said that, like her, Wexford liked to walk around in London, read poetry and was tolerant - "but not of cruelty or indifference or callousness". Rendell's latest novel, The Vault, sees Wexford come out of retirement to try to crack an unsolved crime. Speaking to the BBC, Baker's daughter, Ellie, said her father "absolutely loved Wexford and he loved being Wexford... and he loved the whole thing. It was a joy to him." His third wife, Louie Ramsey, who died earlier this year, played his wife Dora in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.

Summary: Author Ruth Rendell has admitted that her famous creation, Ch Insp Reginald Wexford, is based on her.


Speaking to the BBC, Mr Farage said he would be the UK Independence Party's interim leader until a fresh election was held to find Ms James' successor. "I keep trying to escape... and before I'm finally free they drag me back," he joked. Ms James announced her resignation late on Tuesday, citing professional and personal reasons for her decision. Ms James, who succeeded Nigel Farage on 16 September after he resigned following the Brexit vote, said she did not have enough authority in the party and would not be "formalising" her nomination. She had not appointed a deputy and UKIP officials were initially unable to say who was now the leader of the party. But Mr Farage, who was UKIP leader from 2006-2009 and 2010-2016, told the BBC that he was technically leader, telling the Victoria Derbyshire programme: "I will continue as the interim leader of UKIP and we will go through the electoral process." Asked why Ms James had stood down, Mr Farage said he believed it was partly due to a family illness and the "realisation" of what the job entailed. "When you take this job your life finishes. This is what you are 24/7, there is nothing else. I think she looked down the barrel of that and thought 'this is not how I want to live my life'." Mr Farage said he was "sorry" for Ms James as "it's a very difficult thing to have done". While it was "not a great day" for the party it was "not the end of the world", he said. Asked about speculation that Welsh UKIP leader Neil Hamilton could be installed as interim leader by the party's national executive committee, Mr Farage said: "Really? Well we'll have to see about that won't we. "I do not see any prospect of that horror story coming to pass," he said, adding that Mr Hamilton "doesn't do our public image a whole host of good". But speaking to the BBC's Daily Politics programme Mr Hamilton said he had no interest in being the UKIP leader in any circumstances. He also disputed the idea that Mr Farage was interim leader, saying it was for UKIP's ruling body to appoint an interim leader and that he would like MEP Paul Nuttall to take on that role. UKIP chairman Paul Oakden told BBC Radio 4's Today he would look to hold an emergency meeting of the party's NEC to confirm the process for electing Ms James's replacement. "Whilst the decision is unfortunate, it is one that Diane is entitled to make. We thank her for all her work as leader, and as a hard-working MEP, a role she will continue with her customary vigour." The Electoral Commission said UKIP submitted the paperwork notifying it of the change in leadership on Monday, although it had not been processed as officials had questions regarding the completion of the form. "We are aware that the newly elected leader of UKIP has now stood down and are in touch with the party to confirm how they wish to proceed regarding updating

Summary: Nigel Farage is back as UKIP's leader after Diane James unexpectedly quit the job after 18 days at the helm.