The Buchan Alpha is due in Lerwick, weather permitting, on Friday. The production vessel is to be brought in to anchor for the removal of some of the deeper parts of structure. The next stage is being brought alongside at the newly extended Dales Voe deepwater quay to be dismantled for recycling. It is expected to take about 17 months to take Buchan Alpha apart. Jobs created The work will be done by the French company Veolia, and 35 jobs will be created by the project. Originally a drilling rig, Buchan Alpha started production from the Buchan field in 1981. It was taken out of service in May by operators Repsol Sinopec Resources UK.

Summary: An offshore vessel said to have produced almost 150 million barrels of oil over 36 years is scheduled to arrive in Shetland for decommissioning.


Mouloud Tahari, 20, from Sparkhill, Birmingham, appeared at the Old Bailey in March charged with funding terrorism overseas. But West Midlands Police said he would no longer stand trial. His mother, Gerri Tahari, is due to appear before a jury on September 8 charged with the same offence. A spokesman for the force said: "The case against Mouloud Tahari was discontinued after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. "It was decided there was insufficient evidence to for a realistic prospect of conviction."

Summary: A man accused of a terrorism offence relating to the civil war in Syria has been told he will face no further action because of a lack of evidence.


The 25-year-old man, from Wigan, is being held by Greater Manchester Police in connection with attacks on two men. One, a 25-year-old from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, has been charged with attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming. The other, 19, has been released on bail on suspicion of a similar offence. Police said the first incident occurred at about 21:00 BST on Friday when the 19-year-old arranged to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old girl in a church car park in Atherton, near Wigan. On his arrival he was filmed being attacked by a group of men who accused him of being a paedophile. He escaped but later received messages demanding money and threats the footage would be uploaded to Facebook. He reported the incident to the police on Saturday, was then arrested and subsequently bailed pending further inquiries. Later that day, at about 14:40 BST, shoppers at Market Place in Wigan witnessed the Skelmersdale man being assaulted. He also was accused by a group of arranging online a meeting with a 14-year-old girl. One of the men in the group attacked him, knocking out two of his teeth. The episode was filmed by the group and has since been posted on the internet. The man got away and reported the events to the police, who arrested him and charged him with grooming.

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of vigilante assaults and blackmail of men alleged to have tried to meet with underage girls, police said.


Inter are 12th in the Serie A table after a 1-0 loss at Sampdoria on Sunday, their fourth defeat in five league games. Former Netherlands defender and ex-Ajax boss De Boer, 46, was heavily linked with vacancies at Premier League clubs Everton and Southampton in the summer. Inter visit Southampton in the Europa League on Thursday (20:05 GMT). Youth team coach Stefano Vecchi will take charge of the first team for that fixture. De Boer tweeted that "to carry out this project needed more time" and thanked Inter supporters for their support. Before joining Inter, De Boer had taken Ajax to four successive Dutch titles but lost out to PSV Eindhoven on the final day of last season. He signed a three-year contract with Inter in August, replacing former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. It is six years since Inter won the treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League under Jose Mourinho, now Manchester United boss, but since coming second in 2011 they have finished sixth, ninth, fifth, eighth and fourth. They are now looking for a ninth manager since Mourinho left in the summer of 2010. Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri and Watford boss Walter Mazzarri have all coached at the San Siro in the past six years. Former Inter Milan midfielder Paul Ince on BBC World Service I feel sorry for Frank. He's a top manager. He didn't get much time. Sometimes when you're at a big club, you don't really get the time. The results haven't been great. One of the major things that hasn't helped him is AC Milan have done well under Vincenzo Montella. Inter of the last three or four years haven't been the Inter of old. They don't attract the best players like Juve, Roma and Napoli. I feel since [former owner] Massimo Moratti sold his major stake, they haven't been the same. They've gone through so many managers in the past six or seven years. When I was there in 1995-96, it was full of Italian players who cared about the club and fans. I watched their game the other day and they only had about three Italian players.

Summary: Inter Milan have sacked manager Frank de Boer after just 85 days in charge of the Italian club.


Three drivers had sued Uber, arguing they were employees of the company. Being classed as contractors meant they had not been able to claim expenses or receive tips, they claimed. Uber said few current drivers would qualify for the lawsuit, while the judge estimated the number of eligible drivers could be in the hundreds. The lawsuit had sought to include the 160,000 drivers who had worked for Uber in California since 2009. The ruling by US District Judge Edward Chen means that Uber drivers in California can sue as a group over whether they should have received tips. Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer representing drivers in the case, said that contrary to Uber's argument, "many thousands" would be eligible to participate in the legal action. "This decision is a major victory for Uber drivers," she said. Lonnie Giamela, a labour lawyer in Los Angeles who has been following the case, said the ruling "sets the stage for a trial and a legal battle that will have dramatic implications for Uber's business model as well as more generally how independent contractors are viewed under California law". Judge Chen rejected Uber's argument that there was no typical Uber driver, saying there was little evidence for that claim. He said the drivers had much in common, including that Uber sets their pay, uses feedback from customers to evaluate them and could fire them. The judge also found there was "no basis" to support Uber's claim "that some innumerable legion of drivers prefer to remain independent contractors rather than become employees". An ultimate finding that drivers were employees could threaten Uber's business model by forcing it to make social security contributions and thus raising its costs. Its use of contractors has kept costs low and allowed the company to undercut traditional cab operators, sparking protests by taxi drivers in cities including London, Paris and Rio de Janiero. In June, a California labour commissioner ruled that an Uber driver was an employee, not a contractor. Uber has appealed against that decision. Meanwhile, a woman who was suing Uber over an alleged rape by a driver in India has withdrawn her lawsuit. The passenger, who reported being raped and beaten after hailing a ride with the Uber driver in Delhi last year, sued the company in a US federal court in January, claiming the company failed to maintain basic safety procedures. Uber had argued in court filings that the woman sued the wrong corporate entity as the driver had a contract with Uber BV, a Netherlands-based entity with no US operations. The court filing did not disclose any details about how the case was settled, and representatives for Uber and the woman both declined to comment.

Summary: A judge has allowed Uber drivers in California to take legal action to determine whether they are contractors or employees.


Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government. The island was effectively partitioned with the northern third inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. United Nations troops patrol the "Green Line" dividing the two parts. Reunification talks have proceeded slowly. Cyprus successfully diversified its largely agrarian economy into one based on services - including a large tourism sector - and light manufacturing. More recently it has also developed into an important financial hub, especially for investors from Russia and Eastern Europe. Population 1.1 million (combined) Area 9,251 sq km (3,572 sq miles) (combined) Major languages Greek, Turkish Major religions Christianity, Islam Life expectancy 78 years (men), 82 years (women) (UN) Currency euro; Turkish lira in the north President: Nicos Anastasiades Conservative Democratic Rally candidate Nicos Anastasiades won the February 2013 run-off election by one of the biggest margins for many years, promising to do whatever was needed to secure a financial rescue package. He pledged to hammer out a quick deal with foreign lenders and bring Cyprus closer to Europe, in a shift from the policies of the outgoing Communist government that first sought aid from Russia before turning to the European Union. He quickly reached agreement with the UN and IMF on a 10bn-euro bank bailout, which was equally quickly amended to safeguard smaller bank accounts after parliament rejected the deal. On the question of reunification with the separatist Turkish Cypriot north, President Anastasiades welcomed the election of pro-unity Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci in 2015 and immediately agreed to the resumption of hitherto stalled talks. Turkish Cypriot leader: Mustafa Akinci Mustafa Akinci, a social democrat, swept to victory in the Turkish Cypriot communal presidential election in 2015, promising to push harder for a peace deal in Cyprus. He beat the nationalist incumbent Dervis Eroglu. As long-serving mayor of the Turkish Cypriot municipality of North Nicosia between 1976 and 1990, Mr Akinci had pioneered cooperation with his southern counterpart on practical sanitation and heritage projects. This experience illuminates his later devotion to the cause of Cypriot reunification. He founded the Peace and Democracy Movement in 2003 in support of the UN's Annan Plan for a united Cyprus within the European Union, and also advocates a policy of greater independence from Turkey in policy matters. The Cypriot government welcomed his election. The status of Northern Cyprus as a separate entity is recognised only by Turkey. The Cypriot media mirror the island's political division, with the Turkish-controlled zone in the north operating its own press and broadcasters. Some 95% of Cypriots were online by 2015 and 70% on Facebook. Some key dates in the history of Cyprus: 1914 - Cyprus annexed by Britain, after more than 300 years of Ottoman rule. Britain had occupied the island in 1878, although it remained nominally under Ottoman sovereignty. 1955 - Greek Cypriots begin guerrilla war against British rule. The guerrilla movement, the National Organisation of Cypriot Combatants (EOKA), wants enosis (unification) with Greece.

Summary: By legend the birthplace of the ancient Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, Cyprus's modern history has, in contrast, been dominated by enmity between its Greek and Turkish inhabitants.


He doesn't do Facebook. He doesn't do Twitter. More than that, the 41-year-old Brummie, reared from the school of hard knocks, believes in serving a proper apprenticeship as a manager - just as he did as in his 20 years as a player, at almost every level of the professional game. The boyhood Birmingham City fan released as a teenager by his favourite team played in non-league for Telford United and Kidderminster Harriers. He then found his way back into the professional game with Crewe Alexandra, Bristol Rovers, QPR, Rushden & Diamonds and Millwall. And, before he became manager of National League new boys Solihull Moors, he helped to cut his teeth in women's football, coaching Birmingham City Ladies. But it is as manager of Solihull, where he has worked for the past five years without a contract, that he has done most to enhance his growing reputation - and all at a time when Telford and Kidderminster have gone in the opposite direction. So much so that when the Moors went up in April, it was actually the Harriers they swapped places with, in the process becoming the top non-league side in the Midlands. "Why," asks Bignot, "do these things happen? Why did the fates decide that we go up at the expense of Kiddy? I wanted to manage Kiddy, I could have managed Telford. Instead, I'm at Solihull." Although he retains an interest in Blues Ladies, purely on the coaching side, it is as manager of the Moors that Bignot is currently most preoccupied as he prepares for life in the fifth tier of English football after winning the National League North title last season. Solihull were the first of the National League's four newly-promoted clubs to go up last season, following a highly satisfactory campaign in which the Moors won 25 of their 42 league games, to go up by nine points. A successful conclusion to his fifth season in charge. But it was not always like that at Damson Park, the home of the club created in 2007 by the merger of two under-achieving non-league local rivals Solihull Borough and Moor Green. Having taken over following the death of long-serving boss Bob Faulkner and the departure of his assistant Micky Moore to Mansfield, Bignot's managerial career did not start well. "I didn't know the level," he said. "I didn't know the players. I lost my first seven games and I was suspended for five of them." The Moors turned it around to avoid relegation. But worse was to come off the field the following season when the financially-challenged club were close to going under. "We nearly folded," he winces. "It never got reported. That's how tightknit we had the dressing room. "There's a reason why two clubs merged and it wasn't because they were doing well. I remember the chairman saying we had a £30,000 deficit and that we might struggle to reach the end of season. "A friend of the club, Ian Atkins [the former Birmingham City and Everton midfielder] introduced us to Mike Turl, who we

Summary: Solihull Moors manager Marcus Bignot is old school.


The Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) report blamed the near miss at Hest Bank, Lancashire, last September on the lack of warning from a lookout. Four of the group working at the bridge had to cling to its parapet to keep clear of the train, said the report. Network Rail said: "Our railway is the safest in Europe." "We are always looking at ways to improve safety for the benefit of those who work on the railway and those who travel on it," a spokesman added. The RAIB report said the party, who were working on repairing a sleeper, should have received a warning from a lookout. Instead the controller of site safety had to shout an urgent warning after spotting the train, travelling from Edinburgh to Manchester Airport, when it was just three seconds away. "Staff took rapid evasive action, but some members of the workgroup were on the bridge and were unable to reach the designated position of safety, instead pressing themselves against the bridge parapet," said the report. "The last member of the workgroup was not clear of the line until about one second before the train passed." The report said the lookout might have pushed the wrong switch on the electronic system to warn colleagues, might have forgotten to send a warning or their "vigilance had degraded" because it was near the end of the recommended two-hour shift for a lookout.

Summary: Nine railway workers were within seconds of being hit by a train travelling at 98mph, a safety investigation has found.


Mr Gargan, 48, was found guilty of eight charges of misconduct but has been allowed to return to work. The Avon and Somerset branch of the federation said it "cannot envisage" how the public or police can have "confidence in his leadership". Mr Gargan said he understood people had questions and said he would address these. In a statement issued through the Chief Police Officers Staff Association, he said he was "very much looking forward to returning to work" and "beginning the process of rebuilding confidence in the force". The comments about his return to work were made in an open letter to Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens. Mr Gargan was suspended following allegations of data protection breaches and inappropriate behaviour with women. A panel found him guilty of misconduct - but cleared him of gross misconduct. His suspension was lifted and a phased return to work prepared. Mr Gargan said his actions had "fallen below the standards expected of a chief constable". In the letter seen by the BBC, the Police Federation said the chief constable is "the person that sets the standard of professional behaviour and ethical conduct" and the role "must be beyond reproach" in the eyes of the public and police officers. It said its officers had been asked on a daily basis by "the communities they serve" how the chief constable "can return to work in these circumstances". The letter ends with the federation calling on the commissioner to "show strong leadership in dealing with this issue". Some former members of the force have also criticised Mr Gargan's return. One group of retired officers said the "debacle" had caused "more pain and damage to morale than is imaginable". Lawrie Lewis, a retired Chief Superintendent, said the force's reputation had been "severely tarnished". Sue Mountstevens said: "The procedure to be followed in relation to the sanction hearing is strictly regulated. "As with all judicial processes when proceedings are not complete it is not possible to discuss or comment upon them until they have been finalised."

Summary: The Police Federation has expressed a lack of confidence in Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Nick Gargan.


The prime minister has said he will set out his case for military action to Parliament later this week but will only call a vote when he believes the government can muster enough support to win. An influential Commons committee urged Mr Cameron earlier this month not to press ahead with a vote on UK air strikes. But their intervention came before the deadly terror attacks in Paris, in which 130 people died, and the UN's subsequent decision to pass a resolution supporting action against Islamic State. Some MPs' minds are said to have changed their minds so where do the parties stand? The majority of Conservative MPs would vote to back extending UK air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria. Thirty Conservative MPs rebelled against David Cameron in August 2013, when the Commons rejected his first attempt to launch bombing raids on Syria - albeit against the Assad regime rather than IS. A number of MPs who defied their party then - including Charles Walker and Andrew Bridgen - now say they will support the government, Mr Walker suggesting there was "no room for delay" in taking the fight to the extremists. But about 20 Tory MPs are still expected to oppose any kind of intervention, arguing that bombing could be open-ended and will not help achieve a political solution to the civil war in Syria. One of the rebels, John Baron, told BBC News British air strikes would have a "marginal effect" on the battle against so-called Islamic State and could "risk escalating the problem". Total number of Conservative MPs: 331 Labour is split on Syria. Leader Jeremy Corbyn is firmly opposed to military action, arguing for greater efforts to find a "peaceful solution". But some of his MPs, including members of his shadow cabinet, have said they would back air strikes if they had proper military and legal justification, including the approval of the United Nations. They say the onus is on the government to come forward with a "comprehensive" strategy to stabilise Syria and to tackle extremism, demonstrating why it is in the UK's national interest to intervene. About 20 to 30 Labour MPs are thought to be in favour of air strikes and willing to defy the party leadership over the issue. One of those, Mike Gapes, has said he is putting the interests of the country ahead of party by doing so. Some MPs are pressing for what is called a free vote on the issue - where they won't be instructed to vote in a certain way. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell suggested in the autumn this might be possible but Mr Corbyn has since seemed to rule this out. Total number of Labour MPs: 232 The SNP opposed military action in 2013 but has many more MPs now and can exert real influence. The party says it will listen to the PM's case for military action but remains "unconvinced" about the merits of the UK intervening. Foreign affairs spokesman Alex Salmond told the BBC there was "no shortage" of countries bombing Syria at the

Summary: David Cameron has said it is his "firm conviction" the UK should join other countries bombing Islamic State militants in Syria.


Shortly after 22:35 BST, the streets of the city centre were suddenly lit up in blue flashing lights, and helicopters buzzed overhead. It was obvious from the beginning that this was incredibly serious. Closer to the arena, dozens of people could be seen streaming away in confusion, unsure what they were running from. Once at a safe distance, some stopped to sit and rest, many of them in tears, and to telephone relatives. Manchester Arena blast: 19 dead and more than 50 hurt Manchester explosion: Latest updates 'Some of the people looked dead' One mother who attended the concert by US singer Ariana Grande told the BBC her priority was simply getting her daughters home. Other people were more candid, and spoke of seeing people left "covered in blood", as they desperately tried to flee a scene of "chaos". Coats and mobile phones were reportedly left strewn on the arena floor as people dumped their possessions and ran. Paramedics were quickly at the scene, treating the injured. College student Sebastian Diaz, 19, travelled to the concert from Newcastle. "Ariana Grande had just finished her last song and there was a huge bang," he said. "I just saw running and it was just instinct to run with them. "We actually ended up in a corridor and it was a dead end. It was terrifying. "I found the main doors and people were crying everywhere. Back at the hotel people were crying and on their phones." Calvin Welsford, 18, travelled to the concert from Bristol, and described initially running down a corridor and also hitting a dead end. He said: "I was in the front row and it seemed to happen at the very back of the arena. "It almost sounded like a gunshot. That's how I would describe it. It was very loud. "I looked around and people were just spilling down, heading out of the building. "It was sheer panic. Security told us we needed to leave but they were very caring. People were crying." A wide area around the venue was quickly cordoned off, and the crime scene later appeared to widen with police pushing people further and further back. Police officers cut a calm and reassuring tone, and urged people to move away. One thing that has been apparent is the many young people who had attended the event, some of them with parents or guardians. There was a huge sense of confusion with dozens of people seen searching for information on their phones. Some shops and takeaways in the busy city centre area around the Arena appeared to be handing out drinks, while taxis swarmed to the area to help take people away.

Summary: People have described the "sheer panic" of the Manchester Arena blast that left 19 dead, more than 50 injured and survivors fleeing for their lives.


It currently has an outstanding balance of £7.7m to pay between now and 2045 - 30 years after the first trains ran between Tweedbank and Edinburgh. However, it has now agreed to borrow money to pay off the balance in a move estimated to save about £4.3m. Council leader David Parker said it would reduce the burden on local tax payers. He said the local authority had access to very low rates on its borrowing. "When officers have looked very carefully at the financial issues around it, it makes sense to make that saving," he said. "That is exactly what we will be doing now. "For future councils we are reducing the revenue burden on them and making sure that the railway contribution is paid."

Summary: Scottish Borders Council has agreed a move to cut the overall cost of its contribution to the Borders Railway.


But there are a few forms of the virus which have been identified by scientists. But if you get the right medical care and treatment, you can recover. Ebola was first spotted in the African countries of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. In five months 284 people in Sudan caught the virus. It killed 117. You can catch it through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person such as blood and saliva. It is not airborne like the flu so is more difficult to catch but is very infectious: so infected people have to be kept separate to reduce the risk of it spreading. Health care workers who have looked after sick patients have also been infected. It's thought Ebola is carried by animals too - chimpanzees and monkeys have been badly affected by the virus. It is spread to humans from close contact with infected animals and can then be passed between people. This latest outbreak has been linked with fruit bats - which are considered a tasty meal in parts of Africa. There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola but a new experimental drug, ZMapp, has been used in the US on health workers and a UK nurse who caught the disease in Africa. They recovered from the virus. You lose a lot of fluids when you have the disease so giving people enough water and the right vitamins, minerals and nutritious food is one of the main treatments. October - The government announced that more is being done to deal with the risk of the Ebola virus in the UK. People will be able to ring a special phone line and will be asked questions about their travel history and possible symptoms. Experts will be on standby with several hospitals ready to deal with any possible cases. The Ebola virus has spread across West Africa in recent months and prompted lots of questions from you. We asked virus expert Dr Benjamin Neuman to answer some of your questions. 20th October - Nigeria was declared free from Ebola after more than six weeks without any new cases. But the World Health Organisation says Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are still trying to prevent it spreading. Lots of countries and charities are trying to help stop the outbreak of the virus by sending troops, supplies and helping to build more facilities to treat people. Chris Worrall from the charity Oxfam, has told Martin about the work they're doing to raise awareness of the virus. 3rd September - The first British person to catch Ebola during the outbreak in West Africa made a full recovery. William Pooley was brought back to the UK from Africa and was treated in a special isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London but has now been discharged. William was given the experimental drug ZMapp and has praised the "world class" care he received. He was working as a volunteer nurse in one of the worst affected countries, Sierra Leone, when he caught the virus. August

Summary: Ebola - or Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) - is a really deadly virus: 50% to 90% of people who catch it die.


The Dutch-Romanian pairing won 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-4 in one hour and 52 minutes. Murray had hoped to claim a first men's doubles Slam title having won the mixed doubles with Jelena Jankovic in 2007. The 29-year-old was watched by younger brother Andy on Centre Court, 24 hours after his singles semi-final defeat. "I didn't know he was coming till I heard him shouting," said Jamie Murray. "He was shouting all the time, encouragement. It was cool. It was nice to see him out there supporting." The brothers must now regroup after Wimbledon disappointment as they are both part of the Great Britain squad which will take on France in next week's Davis Cup quarter-final at Queen's Club. "It's an exciting match to look forward to," he said. "It's a big tie for us. There's going to be a lot of people coming out to support. Motivation is high for the match." Murray and Peers had three chances to break serve in the first five games of the doubles final but could not convert, and Rojer and Tecau took advantage. Rojer hammered away a smash to convert their third set point in the tie-break, and when Peers netted a volley to drop serve early in the second, the lead was convincing. A Peers double fault invited huge pressure at 4-4 in the third and Rojer proved more solid than Murray at the net to earn the decisive break. The fourth seeds served out the match to love and fell to their knees in celebration, with Tecau finally getting his hands on the trophy after three times finishing runner-up. "It was a good tournament for us," added Murray, who had never previously been past the quarter-finals of the men's doubles in a Slam. "We got to the final of Wimbledon, which is not so easy to do. I mean, my best result in a Grand Slam by quite some distance, I guess. "It's sad to lose but I guess overall it was a positive tournament."

Summary: Britain's Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers missed out on a first Grand Slam doubles title together as they lost to fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in the Wimbledon final.


Based on CT scans, the organs are fitted into a realistic synthetic "body" and connected to pumps which mimic human breathing and blood flow. Nottingham Trent University, with the NHS and Ministry of Defence, used silicone gels to replicate the feel of human tissue. Bespoke models could now be created to prepare for individual operations. Richard Arm, of Nottingham Trent University's School of Art & Design, said he was asked to come up with a heart model for a surgeon who wanted to practice performing an implant. He said: "When making more organs, the trickiest part was the flexibility. "The heart has 17 different 'hardnesses' so 'does it feel right?' turns out to be a bit vague. "Then we put them together and I knew we were getting it right when I started to feel sick." The prototype - officially known as a thoracic trauma trainer - will be exhibited to trauma treatment experts. After feedback, two models are due to be produced for the MoD by December 2017. Colonel Peter Mahoney, emeritus professor at Defence Medical Services, said the requirement was for training equipment that was portable, robust and reusable, while "also achieving a realism" that had only previously been possible with dead bodies. He added: "We wanted to start with the chest, because it is a common area connected with trauma, but if it could be created with realistically-moving lungs and blood vessels then any other body parts would be possible." Future developments could include the brain, eyes, stomach, pancreas, liver and kidneys, the vascular system in a person's legs and bespoke models for patient-specific preoperative surgical planning.

Summary: Life-like body parts have been 3D printed to help army surgeons deal with trauma injuries.


The 31-year-old is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore, alongside Sussex and England pace bowler Chris Jordan. Wiese has made 20 T20 appearances for South Africa, including two against England earlier this year. He will be available to play for Sussex against Somerset on Wednesday, 1 June and Surrey two days later.

Summary: Sussex have signed South Africa all-rounder David Wiese for their first two home T20 Blast matches.


Media playback is not supported on this device The sprint freestyle specialist made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2008 and narrowly missed out on medals at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. She finished just 0.02 seconds off the podium in the 50m freestyle in Rio. "Stepping away from the pool is quite a scary decision," said Halsall, 26. Halsall won three gold and seven silver medals at the Commonwealth Games, having made her international debut at Melbourne in 2006. She was part of the gold medal-winning 4x100m medley relay team at the 2015 World Championships, and also won gold in the 50m backstroke at the 2016 European Aquatics Championships. Halsall's retirement statement in full: Announcing my retirement from swimming is a weird concept to me as I've never seen it as a career or a job. Just as a hobby that I've loved doing and happened to be OK at. However I've done it for over a decade and there are so many people who have committed time, money, wisdom and knowledge into my journey that I will forever be thankful for. Stepping away from the pool is quite a scary decision for someone who's whole adult life to date has revolved around swim, weights, diet, peeing in a pot whilst someone watched, outdoor swim camps (yey) and lots of napping. I am very much looking forward to the next chapter of my life and the normality of eating and drinking what I want, the only time someone watches me pee is when I leave the door open by accident and the dog comes in, and experiencing the mythical bank holidays. I will miss my daily naps and choosing to do sets of backstroke while training outdoors just to get an even tan. It's time to close this chapter of my life and move on to the next. Swimming has taught me so much and given me opportunities that no other career could. So for me this is just a thank you note to everyone who has supported me for being part of a fantastic set of memories.

Summary: Britain's three-time Olympian Fran Halsall, who won more than 30 medals at world, European and Commonwealth level, has announced her retirement after a 10-year international career.


Davies suffered an ankle injury during Spurs' 1-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on 2 November. He then missed the 1-1 draw at Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. The 23-year-old had been included in the Wales squad for the qualifier in Cardiff but has now been replaced by Sunderland's Adam Matthews, who is on loan at Bristol City. Davies has started in Wales' opening three qualifiers. Serbia are top of Group D after three matches on seven points, with Wales third on five points.

Summary: Tottenham defender Ben Davies has been ruled out of Wales' World Cup qualifier with Serbia on 12 November.


The Welsh have never been involved in a penalty shoot out, which could happen in Saturday's last 16 match in Paris. Coleman admits it is impossible to replicate the anxiety of sudden death penalty shoot out. ''If it comes our way we will have to try and deal with it,'' said Coleman, who has a fully-fit squad after beating Russia 3-0 to top Group B. Individual players have penalty experience, including top-scorer Gareth Bale who scored from the spot in Real Madrid's shoot-out win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final in May. The current squad have been sharpening their spot kick skills in training, but Coleman recognises its limitations. ''I would say on three days out of five, the players naturally just gravitate after training to take penalties," he said. ''If it comes to that (on Saturday), again it is new territory for us. ''How do you recreate 50,000 people breathing down your neck; or the eyes of the world upon you as you are stepping up to take the penalty and you need to put it in the back of the net. You cannot recreate that.'' Coleman reported no injury worries after clinching Group B top spot with Monday night's commanding win over Russia in Toulouse. Eight Wales players started all three games in the opening stages of the competition and Coleman says he will not hesitate to alter the line up on Saturday, if required. "'I would make changes if I think physically, they cannot do it," he added. "But I would be surprised if any of them admit to me that they are a bit tired and may be they don't want to start. "The guys who have not been on the grass or have not been starting are chomping at the bit. They are not very happy they have not been on the grass. That is a positive. "But I can only pick 11 . . . I look at the opposition and I think if we can create a few problems with a different player in there, or in a different place I will do it. "That does not mean the player who is being replaced in the last game has not done very well. It's just horses for courses."

Summary: Wales have been practising penalties since arriving at Euro 2016, manager Chris Coleman says.


The American stunned the mixed martial arts world by knocking out champion and undefeated Ronda Rousey, the 1-20 favourite, in a UFC title fight last November. Now the 34-year-old former boxer, who has won all 10 of her UFC fights, is preparing to defend her title against Miesha Tate at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday. READ MORE: McGregor not worried about stepping up two divisions "I don't want to create my whole career and life in one moment," Holm, nicknamed the Preacher's Daughter, told the BBC World Service. "There's a lot weighing on this fight, there's a ton of emotional stresses. In a lot of ways, it's tougher for me. People have high expectations after the last fight." American Tate, the number two ranked bantamweight, has won her last four fights in the octagon but has been beaten twice by Rousey. The 29-year-old's last loss came against the former champion in 2013 when she submitted in 58 seconds. "She's really good at grinding it out," said Holm of Tate, a wrestling specialist. "She can be behind in a fight and she is not mentally broken. "She is coming out of a two-year winning streak. She has had way more time in the octagon than me, a lot more fighting, so there's a lot of things that present a threat to me." UFC's co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta told the BBC World Service that he believes mixed martial arts will eventually become an Olympic sport. It is an idea backed by Holm, a former professional boxing champion. "Why not? The Olympics, to me, is seeing the best that every country has to offer," he said. "I hope they let it be professional fighters. A lot of the other sports in the Olympics are professional. I say let it be. How awesome would it be to be in the Olympics?" Author and newspaper columnist Matthew Syed recently wrote in the Times that he felt "unease" at the sport's "no-holds-barred nature." He added: "I do wonder about the way this slickly marketed activity legitimises the basest instincts of the human psyche, and celebrates bloodshed. The sooner it falls out of favour, the better." But Holm dismisses claims the sport is too brutal, insisting the critics have the wrong view. "Sometimes I think they look at this sport and see it as two caged people going crazy," she said. "That's not it at all. It's two people chasing a common goal, chasing a dream." She added: "You can't be the champion without another fighter, you can't get through without the other person. "It's not like you pick on someone from the street. They both sign a contract, train very hard and are really reaching for greatness. There's nothing brutal about that, it's beautiful." Holm, who was also a kickboxing champion before making her mixed martial arts debut in 2011, says it requires "passion" to make it to the top and there is not much money when you start out. "You're starting in amateur shows, putting money out of your own pocket to learn the sport,"

Summary: Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Holly Holm says she does not want to be known as a "one-hit wonder".


More than 300 male evacuees have been held for screening after leaving the Old City under an agreed ceasefire. Talal Barazi, governor of Homs, says 111 men have been questioned and released, while 190 others are still being held. More than 1,100 people have fled the city since Friday under a truce. Aid organisations in Syria had hoped to evacuate more civilians on Tuesday after the ceasefire was extended by three days, but the operation was delayed by a day due to logistical reasons. "The evacuation of civilians and delivery of food aid will continue tomorrow morning," the regional governor told the AFP news agency. A truce agreed until Wednesday night could be extended if necessary, he added. The UN human rights office says it is "deeply concerned" that boys and men were seized as they left the besieged area. "It is essential that they do not come to any harm," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN commissioner for Human Rights. "We will continue to press for their proper treatment according to the international humanitarian and human rights law." Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said detainees were being held at an abandoned school. "We are monitoring the situation. We are definitely taking account of the number there and who is there," she said. Meanwhile, face-to-face negotiations between Syrian government and opposition delegations in Geneva have been adjourned for the day. A second round of peace talks was held on Monday with separate meetings between UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and the two sides. "The beginning of this week is as laborious as it was in the first week. We are not making much progress," he told a news conference at the United Nations headquarters. The first round ended last month with no firm agreements and both sides trading insults. The opposition wants the government to commit in writing to the 2012 Geneva Communique, which called for the formation of a transitional administration with full executive authority. President Bashar al-Assad's government has ruled out any transfer of power. On the ground, efforts to evacuate hundreds more women, children and elderly people from Homs, which has been under siege for 18 months, were temporarily halted on Tuesday for logistical reasons. More than 450 civilians left on Monday, amid mortar fire and shooting. The BBC's Lyse Doucet, who is in Homs, said it was not expected that so many young men would try to leave. So their fate is being scrutinised very closely, our correspondent adds. She was at a press conference on Tuesday where the Homs governor gave the latest figures on how many detainees had been released. He said he expected around 80% of those held would be let free. Matthew Hollingworth, Syria director for the UN's World Food Programme, told the BBC "the floodgates have opened" as many more people try to leave. "The levels of destitution inside the Old City are like nothing I've ever seen before," he said. "People are living in tunnels underground, moving between shells of buildings to find roots to eat

Summary: UN aid agencies have expressed concern about the safety of scores of men and boys detained by the Syrian authorities after being evacuated from Homs.


They are headed for the brand new Aviva stadium on the south side of the River Liffey. In many cities the size of Dublin, an amphitheatre like the Aviva would be the premier sporting venue. But not here. On the other side of the river, the fourth largest stadium in Europe rises high over winding working class streets. Croke Park does not seem a familiar name to the Portuguese visitors. One after another shook their head when asked if they knew of it. That is not really surprising. For most of its history, Croke Park has been Ireland's secret jewel. Its owners, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), guarded it closely from what it called "foreign games", insisting that only gaelic football and hurling should be played there. Its specifications were only very occasionally relaxed - a Muhammad Ali boxing match took place there in 1972. One rule which did remain in place though was that anyone who has any association with the British state was explicitly banned from being a member. American boxers were one thing - police officers from Northern Ireland another. The GAA's resolution was fortified by its collective memory of Bloody Sunday in 1920 when British troops, responding to IRA attacks earlier in the day, fired on crowds gathered at Croke Park to watch a match. Among the 14 killed was the captain of the Tipperary team, Michael Hogan. For many decades afterwards, the idea that a British monarch would one day be welcomed to Croke Park, would have provoked anger within many in the GAA. Now, it has happened, and the mood of the majority of Dubliners is anything but fury. As the Queen smiled with the GAA president alongside the hallowed turf, people outside were similarly relaxed. O'Shea's Pub in nearby Gardiner Street is decorated with the flags of many of the Irish county teams. It's a popular haunt for those seeking a quick pint before or after a big match. On Wednesday, people gathered outside it waiting for the Queen to pass and yet another security cordon to be lifted. One said that she had enjoyed watching the television pictures of the state visit the previous evening. "She is just like a little old lady - like your granny," she said. "I hope I look as well as she does when I'm her age." A few yards away at the barrier, some people were becoming frustrated at waiting for it to be lifted. One fruitlessly argued with a police officer that getting to the bank by half past four qualified as an emergency. The street merchants took advantage of the assembled crowds, showing off their football-related wares. Their most popular item in the last couple of days has been a scarf half blue and half red, sharing the colours of opponents Porto and Braga. It suggests there is not much enmity between these two Portuguese teams. In a city where reconciliation is the theme this week, it seemed appropriate.

Summary: From a distance, it sounded like the shouts of protesters but turned out to be the songs of some of the thousands of Portuguese football supporters in the city for a European final.


Some of the questions and problems posed were straightforward, but a few were very tricky. Below are the solutions for the challenges that show how the codes can be broken. Solving the first challenge was simply a case of matching the symbols, replacing letters in the questions by using the provided key. This helped fill in the missing words. Then it was a case of working out which answer of the three choices was correct. 1. Where was the centre of CODEBREAKING in WW2? Answer: Bletchley. 2. The man who designed the machine that CRACKED the ENIGMA CODE was...? Answer: Turing. 3. The fundamental BUILDING block of ELECTRONIC devices is the...? Answer: Transistor. This question involved what is known as a substitution cipher - and a simple one at that. Each letter was given a number starting with A=0, B=1, C=2 etc. Applying that to the short sequence of numbers reveals the answer to be: Fibonacci Sequence. The clue to getting this one right was in the picture. It showed Julius Caesar, who was believed to have used codes that shifted each letter a few places to the right or left. In the scheme we used, letters were moved three places to the right. The alphabet wraps round, so A=X, B=Y, C=Z and so on. This gives the answer: Up his sleevies. Some codes, such as this one, do away with letters and numbers and instead use symbols. This type of cipher is known as a pig-pen cipher and each symbol relates to a position in a pre-prepared grid. The letters of the alphabet are distributed through this grid. Below is the way we chose to arrange the letters of the alphabet. Applying this arrangement revealed the text to be: In the 18th century Freemasons used pig pen ciphers to keep their private records. This code certainly stepped up the complexity, although there was a clue in the accompanying image. Each number corresponds to the atomic number of an element. Replacing the numbers with the initial letter of the element they represent should reveal the text below: The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, organised on the basis of their atomic numbers, electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. We've used it to create a cipher by using the initial letters of the elements, but two letters can't be used. What are they? The answer to the question posed in the revealed text is: J and Q. The final three challenges were genuinely difficult and required lateral thinking to work out how the text had been enciphered in the first place. The numbers in puzzle one were for hexadecimal encoded Ascii characters. However, simply converting them back to the more familiar letters and punctuation marks would not give the answer. Instead, it gave a string that had also been enciphered. It used a Caesar cipher that shifted the letters 13 places along the alphabet. Reversing this change revealed the following text: "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. "You must

Summary: Last week, the BBC ran an article giving readers a series of crypto-based challenges to solve.


Dywedodd Michael Carrick ei fod yn derbyn y byddai wedi derbyn llawer o arian, ond amddiffynnodd hyn gan ddweud ei fod yn adlewyrchiad o saith mlynedd o waith di-dâl. Mae cyfarwyddwyr y cynllun eisiau cyfarfod ag Ysgrifennydd yr Economi, Ken Skates cyn gynted â phosib, gan fynnu ei fod yn "brosiect rhy bwysig i gerdded i ffwrdd oddi wrtho". Maen nhw'n dweud hefyd y gall y cynllun weithio ar y cyd â bwriad Llywodraeth Cymru o adeiladu parc busnes gwerth £100m ger Glyn Ebwy. Fe wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru wrthod gwarantu £210m ar gyfer y cynllun yr wythnos diwethaf oherwydd y risg i'r trethdalwr. Dywedodd Mr Carrick: "Rwy'n meddwl bod yna fwriad pendant i wneud hyn. Rwy'n meddwl ein bod ni oll angen rhoi swm enfawr o egni ac arian i wneud i hyn weithio. "Byddwn ni eisiau datrysiad sy'n galluogi i gannoedd o filoedd o bunnau o arian preifat i symud i'r cymoedd." Dywedodd Mr Skates yr wythnos diwethaf y byddai'r gost o warantu'r cynllun yn rhy uchel, ac y byddai'n effeithio'n uniongyrchol ar gynlluniau gwariant eraill y llywodraeth. Ond mynnodd Mr Carrick mai'r rheswm y cafodd y cais am warant ei wrthod oedd am nad oedd y llywodraeth eisiau'r arian ar eu llyfrau nhw, a bod "datrysiad" i hyn. Does dim sylw wedi bod ar y mater gan Lywodraeth Cymru.

Summary: Mae'r prif gyfranddaliwr y tu ôl i gynllun Cylchffordd Cymru wedi dweud wrth BBC Cymru y byddai wedi derbyn £1.7m pe byddai'r prosiect wedi'i gwblhau.


The family of the entertainer, who died on 1 August, has asked those wishing to pay their respects to line a two-mile stretch of Woolton Road. The funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, in the suburb of Woolton, at 13:00 BST (12:00 GMT). More than 3,000 people signed books of condolence in Liverpool, the star's home city, following her death. The funeral cortege will start at the junction of Woolton Road and Church Road North, and will travel to the junction with Blackwood Avenue before continuing to the church. The family said the public would not be able to access the church grounds and asked people not to travel to Woolton village as "as this may compromise the funeral party and invited guests from attending". After the funeral, the entertainer's body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried. Some parking and traffic management restrictions will be in place on the day: Black, who made her name as a pop singer in the 1960s before becoming the host of hit TV shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, died after a fall at her villa in Estepona on the Costa del Sol. A coroner ruled last week that the 72-year-old died from an accidental traumatic head injury. The star made a posthumous comeback to the UK music charts last week when her greatest hits collection, The Very Best Of Cilla Black, rose to number eight in the UK albums chart. Her former number one single Anyone Who Had A Heart, first released in 1964, returned to the charts at number 41.

Summary: The cortege route for Cilla Black's funeral in Liverpool on Thursday has been announced.


The new season is due to get underway soon, so what do we know about Bibiana Steinhaus? Speaking about her new role, she said...

Summary: Bibiana Steinhaus is set to become the first female to referee in Germany's top level of football, the Bundesliga.


Richard Glossip's execution was delayed on Wednesday after officials discovered they did not have the correct drugs to perform the procedure. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt had requested the freeze on executions to give the state time to investigate. The Oklahoma's highest criminal court agreed on Friday. In addition to Glossip, the executions of inmates Benjamin Cole and John Grant have also been indefinitely delayed. State prison officials said they were posted potassium acetate instead of potassium chloride, the third drug used in Oklahoma's lethal injection formula. The court ordered the state to provide status reports every 30 days. Executions have been delayed recently in the US amid problems buying drugs as many firms have refused to sell them. The state has overhauled how it carries out the death penalty after the botched execution of Clayton Lockett in 2014. Lockett struggled and took more than 40 minutes to die. Typically, inmates become sedated and are declared dead within minutes. Glossip's boss Barry Van Treese, the owner of the Oklahoma City motel, was beaten to death in 1997. His colleague Justin Sneed was convicted of the killing but said Glossip had ordered him to carry it out. Glossip and his family have maintained his innocence for nearly 20 years, saying that Sneed acted alone. He was first convicted in 1998 but that was overturned in 2001, only for Glossip to be convicted again three years later. In the most recent appeals, his lawyers said they had an affidavit from another inmate who said Sneed admitted to setting Glossip up. British billionaire Richard Branson took out a full-page ad in The Oklahoman newspaper on Wednesday that argued Glossip is innocent. Pope Francis had urged Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin to halt Glossip's execution. Ms Fallin said she did not have the authority to do so.

Summary: Three impending executions in Oklahoma have been halted after prison officials nearly administered the wrong lethal injection drug to a death row inmate.


The Briton will face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 5-7 7-5 7-6 (8-6). Murray will usurp Novak Djokovic as number one with titles in Vienna and at next week's Paris Masters, if Djokovic does not reach the final in Paris. The Scot, 29, has never been top of the world rankings. "Now I just try to get ready for the final, use today as a bit of rest day, practise a little bit on the centre court and then see what happens tomorrow," said Murray, who played an exhibition tie-break against Jurgen Melzer after Ferrer announced his withdrawal. Ferrer had spent two hours and 33 minutes beating Viktor Troicki on Friday, and said: "It was impossible. I am disappointed but I have to be positive and will be ready for next season." Murray has won 13 of his 15 matches against Tsonga, including a last-16 victory in their most recent meeting at Wimbledon in July. Tsonga came from a set and 4-2 down to beat Karlovic, saving a match point in the tie-break as he reached his first ATP final of the year.

Summary: World number two Andy Murray is through to the final of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna after Spain's David Ferrer pulled out with a leg injury.


Tony Tyler called for drone regulations to be put in place before any serious accidents occur. He said the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles is still evolving. "I am as excited as you are about the prospect of having pizza delivered by a drone," he told a conference in Singapore. "But we cannot allow [drones] to be a hindrance or safety threat to commercial aviation," said Mr Tyler, director-general of the International Air Transport Association. "The issue is real. We have plenty of pilot reports of drones where they were not expected, particularly at low altitudes around airports," he added. "There is no denying that there is a real and growing threat to the safety of civilian aircraft [coming from drones]. "We need a sensible approach to regulation and a pragmatic method of enforcement for those who disregard rules and regulations and put others in danger." Drones were recently involved in four serious near-misses at UK airports, the UK Air Proximity Board said in January. The board, which investigates near-miss incidents in UK airspace, said a drone had come very close to colliding with a Boeing 737 that had taken off from Stansted airport. IATA's primary concern is drones flying at low altitudes near airports that could threaten planes taking off or landing, Rob Eagles of Iata said. Aviation regulators also want to make sure that the radio spectrum used to control the drones does not interfere with air traffic control systems, he said. In December the US government set up a registration system for Americans who own drones. Anyone who has a drone must register with the Federal Aviation Administration before the device takes its first flight. Owners have until Friday to register their details or face being fined. The move comes after several reported incidents of drones hindering emergency services' efforts in fighting fires and other dangers.

Summary: Drones flown by the general public are "a real and growing threat" to civilian aircraft, the head of aviation trade body Iata has warned.


An estimated 600 people gathered at Westfield in Shepherd's Bush for the so-called "die-in" demonstration. Police said the arrests were made when a breakaway group assaulted security staff and damaged property. The protest was in solidarity with rallies in the US prompted by the death of Eric Garner, a black man who died during an arrest in New York in July. Two peaceful protests were held in west London on Wednesday evening, one inside the Westfield shopping mall and one outside. It is believed those staging the occupation were asked to move outside, a request that was peacefully complied with, Scotland Yard said. But, according to a police statement, a group then tried to gain access to the centre and were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and one man was held on suspicion of assault. The Metropolitan Police said they dealt with the protesters using tactics "including a containment for the purpose of preventing violence and effecting arrests". Commanding officer Ch Supt Mark Bird said: "We will always work with those that wish to demonstrate lawfully - as the majority of protesters did yesterday. "However, we will not tolerate the small minority that offer violence or commit other criminal acts, such as that witnessed outside Westfield." The Met said their inquiries into the incident were continuing. Mr Garner, 43, was stopped on a street in New York on 17 July on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. Police officers wrestled him to the ground and he complained he could not breathe as he was restrained in an apparent chokehold. He became unresponsive and later died. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in the US in protest over his death and that of Michael Brown, 18, who was killed in Ferguson, Missouri on 9 August. Grand juries in Missouri and New York have decided not to charge the officers involved. West London protesters held signs carrying the same "Black lives matter" message as seen in US demonstrations.

Summary: Police have arrested 76 people who were taking part in a mass protest at a major west London shopping centre.


The number of suspensions at Movilla High School, in Newtownards, County Down, was revealed in the latest report from school inspectors. Its problems were first highlighted two years ago, when inspectors said its quality of education was "inadequate". The latest inspection has found some improvements, but not in exam results. In fact, the percentage of pupils who attained five or more GCSEs (or equivalent qualifications) at grade C or above has dropped from 23.6% at the time of the original inspection to 18.4%. The number of pupils enrolled at the school has also dropped to 215 and Movilla has been without a permanent head teacher since July, when Caroline Karayiannis left her post. In a statement to the Belfast Telegraph newspaper, the school's interim principal Ian Bell said: "The board of governors and management of Movilla High School acknowledge the findings of the ETI (Education and Training Inspectorate) follow-up report, and are encouraged by their endorsement of the positive changes made in the school from September 2015." When contacted by the BBC, Mr Bell would not comment on the number of suspensions or add to his earlier statement. The 440 suspensions at Movilla accounted for 12% of the total number of suspensions across all schools in Northern Ireland in the 2014/15 academic year, which stood at 3,647. The statistics include repeat offenders as pupils can be suspended multiple times in a year. Movilla High School was placed in "formal intervention" in January 2014 - a process in which schools with unsatisfactory educational records are offered extra support to raise their standards. Since then it has been the subject of a series of follow-up visits from ETI inspectors, the most recent in November 2015. After their latest visit, inspectors said Movilla High School has been "adversely affected by a lack of strategic leadership, strained relationships at various levels and several long-term illnesses in key curriculum areas". It said the school's problems were "compounded by a deteriorating system for the pastoral care and behaviour management of the pupils, as evidenced by the 440 recorded suspension incidents during 2014-15". Although half of the lessons observed during the follow-up inspection were "good or better", the inspectors said they witnessed some classes being "disrupted by low-level misbehaviour by a small number of pupils, which needs to be managed to better effect". However, the report also said that in the first three months of this academic year, the school's "senior leadership team and the staff have worked collegially to put in place measures to promote positive behaviour by the pupils". It also said that relationships "between staff at all levels have improved".

Summary: A school suspended pupils 440 times in one academic year, despite the fact that only 353 students were enrolled at the school during that period.


Bellusci, 27, spent the 2016-17 season with Empoli in Italy's Serie A and has a year left on his contract at Leeds. Empoli were relegated to Serie B, but the Italian centre-back is seeking a transfer to stay in his home country, with Bologna rumoured to be interested. He joined the Whites from Catania in August 2014 and has scored two goals in 61 appearances for the club.

Summary: Leeds defender Giuseppe Bellusci will not return to the club following a loan spell with Empoli, BBC Leeds reports.


Princess Road and Princess Parkway in Manchester will be lowered from 40mph to 30mph for an 18-month trial after a proposal was approved by councillors. There have been two deaths and 84 crashes over the past three years. A friend of Ian O'Mara, who died when he was hit by a coach on a pelican crossing in 2015, helped set up a petition to change the speed limit. A coach driver who hit the dog walker in Princess Road was given a suspended sentence after admitting causing death by careless driving. The change to the speed limit was passed by Manchester City Council on Wednesday, although a date for when it comes into force is yet to be confirmed. Princess Parkway merges into Princess Road and stretches 3.7 miles (6km). Campaigner Sam MacWilliam, from Chorlton, said: "The road is very important for people coming into the city, but they need to understand that they are coming off the motorway and into an area where people live. "There are schools and churches here."

Summary: The speed limit on a major route into a city has been reduced following a campaign launched after a man's death.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 15-year-old clocked one minute 50.23 seconds over her two runs, 0.96 seconds ahead of Germany's Hannah Neise. Pittaway's triumph follows fellow Brit Madi Rowlands, who won gold in the ski halfpipe on Sunday in Lillehammer. Rowlands, 15, added a bronze in the women's ski slopestyle final on Friday. "When I first crossed the line I couldn't believe it," said Pittaway. "I felt like I was standing next to me watching me finish - it was so surreal and just like a movie. "Hannah [Neise] is one of my best friends and we're really happy to be on the podium together. That's been our dream together for four years." Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary: Ashleigh Pittaway claimed Great Britain's second gold medal of the Winter Youth Olympics, winning the skeleton bob event in Norway.


Notices have been attached to piles of bags in Oxford city centre which belong to people sleeping rough. Green Party councillor David Thomas said it was an "outrageous" bid to "intimidate" the homeless. Oxford City Council said the abandoned bags posed a hazard by blocking fire exits and lockers were available to those who sought help. The notices issued by the authority said prosecution could follow if the items were not removed. More on this and other stories from across the South of England Neo, who sleeps rough in Oxford, said he had his possessions confiscated by the council. "Most of the stuff which was taken was stuff that the public donated... it's a shame," he said, adding he now carries his possessions around in a trolley. Oxford City Council said those issued with notices had two days to collect their belongings, and everything was taken by the owners except "a soiled duvet and pieces of cardboard" which were removed. The local authority also said homeless people who engage with aid services could access lockers to store their belongings. However, Ashley, another homeless man from Oxford, said the lockers were not big enough. "What Oxford needs is a just a space for stuff to be stored" he said.

Summary: Homeless people who keep possessions in doorways in Oxford have been warned they face fines of up to £2,500.


Grant Bradburn's side must top their group, which also features Hong Kong, to progress to the Super 10 stage. This will be played alongside the women's event from 15-28 March. Should they prevail, Scotland will be entered into a group containing England, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indes. The Scots will play all their group matches at Vidarbha stadium in Nagpur. First up, they tackle Afghanistan on 8 March, before taking on Zimbabwe two days later. Scotland will complete their Group B campaign against Hong Kong on 12 March. The winners of the first qualifying group, which comprises Ireland, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Oman, will face India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand in the Super 10 phase.

Summary: Scotland's men will face Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in the first stage of next year's ICC World Twenty20 tournament in India.


Reports in Australia say that it could knock as much as Â£200m (A$425m) off its value. The parent company of the bank plans to float the Glasgow-based lender in Australia later this year. Chancellor George Osborne announced he was phasing out the bank levy. He also announced plans to introduce an 8% surcharge on bank profits, in addition to corporation tax. That knocked share prices of smaller UK banks which are already traded. A bank analyst at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia calculated that would knock A$425m off its valuation, and suggested that could push National Australia Bank (NAB) to sell off a larger stake in order to meet its target for raising capital. A spokesman for the NAB was reported by the Melbourne Herald Sun saying the move would have no impact on the parent bank's earnings. A spokesman in Glasgow for Clydesdale Bank, which includes the Yorkshire Bank brand, declined to comment. Clydesdale Bank is seen at the Melbourne headquarters and in the Australian media as a drag on NAB, having amassed a large portfolio of bad property loans, and the high costs of redress for mis-selling financial products. The new NAB chief executive, Andrew Thorburn, has made it a priority to split Clydesdale, handing up to 80% of it to NAB investors and selling the remainder on London and Australian exchanges. Earlier this week, senior staff at NAB in Melbourne set out the case for investing in the spun-off UK bank, to institutional investors in Australia. They portrayed it as one of the so-called challenger banks which is best placed to take on the British market's 'big five'.

Summary: The surcharge tax on bank profits announced in the Budget is being seen as another blow for the sale of Clydesdale Bank.


The 51-year-old is in the town performing as Baron Hardup in the pantomime Cinderella. Tweeting about being stopped by North Wales Police officers on Sunday night, he said: "Randomly stopped for breathalyser test, had a laugh, made some new friends! Safe, clean town, love it!" Osmond passed the test - oh yes he did!

Summary: American singer Jimmy Osmond has posted a video of himself being breathalysed by police officers in Llandudno.


The Briton is trying to be the first rider in 38 years to win the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same year. Another of Froome's key rivals, Nairo Quintana, finished four-hundredths of a second adrift with his Movistar squad. Manxman Pete Kennaugh led the Team Sky squad over the finish line to take the race leader's red jersey. Just five of Sky's nine-man squad crossed the line together, the minimum needed to register a time. Spaniard Contador was the last man to win two of the three main road races in a calendar year, winning the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta in 2008. Only Jacques Anquetil, in 1963, and Bernard Hinault, in 1978, have previously won the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same season. "To start almost a minute from direct rivals is more than I imagined," said Contador, who is looking to win the Vuelta for a joint record fourth time. "It's a big deficit. There are still 20 stages to go and we will try to reduce the gap day by day." Sunday's 159km second stage takes the riders from Ourense to Baiona. Team time trial classification: 1. Team Sky (GB) 30mins 37secs 2. Movistar (Spa) same time 3. Orica BikeExchange (Aus) +6 secs 4. BMC Racing (US) +7secs 5. Etixx - Quick-Step (Bel) +22secs 6. Trek-Segafredo (US) +50secs 7. Cannondale (US) +52secs 8. Tinkoff (Rus) Same time 9. BORA Argon (Ger) +57secs 10. Astana (Kaz) +58secs General classification: 1. Peter Kennaugh (GB/Team Sky) 30mins 37secs 2. Salvatore Puccio (Ita/Team Sky) same time 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Team Sky) 4. Leopold Koenig (Cze/Team Sky) 5. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 6. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) 7. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa/Movistar) 8. Ruben Fernandez (Spa/Movistar) 9. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa/Movistar) 10. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) Selected others: 14. Simon Yates (GB/Orica BikeExchange) +6 secs 50. Alberto Contador (Spa/Tinkoff) +52 secs 124. Scott Thwaites (GB/BORA Argon) +02mins 01sec 179. Hugh Carthy (GB/Caja Rural) +04mins 34secs

Summary: Chris Froome opened a 52-second lead over rival Alberto Contador after Team Sky won the team time trial on the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana.


Media playback is not supported on this device Not since 2007 have Vern Cotter's men won a Six Nations match against Wales, with the average margin of defeat 15 points in that period. Ireland have recalled Lions fly-half Jonny Sexton as they look to re-establish themselves in the title race with a win over a resurgent France. And Sexton's main rival to be the Lions' 10 this summer, Owen Farrell, will lead unbeaten England out against the Azzuri at Twickenham on Sunday as he wins his 50th cap in arguably his most impressive championship yet. Farrell has a new partner at outside-centre in former rugby league star Ben Te'o for a fixture that England have never lost, coach Eddie Jones content to try out new combinations against at Italy side on a nine-match losing run in the Six Nations. With James Haskell back at flanker after coming off the bench to great effect in the wins over France and Wales, it is a more direct, muscular selection from Jones, blessed with a greater depth of talent than either Scotland or Wales. In an entertaining, free-scoring tournament so far, the clash at Murrayfield is pivotal to two sides who have shown both signs of rebirth and flashes of old flaws thus far. With one win and one defeat apiece, Saturday's early kick-off will go a long way to defining the season not only of the two sides but of their coaches, Cotter in his last campaign in charge, Rob Howley once again in a caretaker role as Warren Gatland focuses on Lions preparation and selection. The fixture has often produced classics - not least a Wales win in 1988 garlanded by superb tries from Jonathan Davies and Ieuan Evans, and the 31-24 thriller in 2010 when Wales were 10 points down on 76 minutes. And despite recent history it is arguably the hardest of the third round matches to call, although the loss of Scotland's captain and place kicker Greig Laidlaw to injury and the return of talismanic winger George North to Wales's ranks may prove pivotal. Ireland ran up 63 points against Italy in Rome a fortnight ago, and after a chastening opening-day defeat in Edinburgh a victory over France would keep their hopes of a third Six Nations title in four years alive. France have lost their last four away matches in this competition but led England until late at Twickenham at the start of the month, and came past Scotland in Paris with a blend of power and guile that hinted that their long statistical and stylistic slump may be coming to an end. While the return of captain Rory Best after a stomach bug will be welcomed in Dublin, Sexton's return is not without controversy. He has played very little rugby this season, this most physical of fly-halves once again dogged by injury, and in his absence Paddy Jackson has appeared liberated from the unflattering comparisons of old, kicking 12 of his 13 goals to be leading points scorer in this year's tournament. Farrell, meanwhile, has shown a craft

Summary: Scotland will attempt to end their decade-long winless streak against Wales with a team missing five key men as the Six Nations resumes this weekend.


Hilda Marcel died in 1987 from lung failure and her husband Eugenios died from prostate cancer seven years later. Their mummified bodies were kept in a basement flat in the city's Gilmore Place, which was regularly visited by a son of the couple, until 2002. Since their discovery, the bodies have been stored in the city's mortuary. Edinburgh city council has been trying to get the family's consent to bury Mr and Mrs Marcel, but this has been repeatedly refused. Now, almost 30 years after Mrs Marcel died, the council has lodged a petition at the Court of Session to seek permission to dispose of their bodies. Prof Roderick Paisley from Aberdeen University's Law School said: "The wheels of justice do grind slowly, and they appear to be grinding incredibly slowly on this particular hearse. "I think this should have been dealt with three or four years ago. "I do appreciate there are sensitivities here, but the law is reasonably clear." A police investigation was carried out when the bodies were found in 2002, but no charges were brought. Death certificates had been correctly issued and the pair had died of natural causes. Cameron Rose, leader of the Conservative group on Edinburgh City Council, said it was an "extraordinary story". He added that there needed to be "sensitivity for the families". The Court of Session has now agreed to hear the case, although so far no date has been set.

Summary: A council has launched a legal action in an attempt to bury the mummified bodies of a husband and wife who died decades ago in Edinburgh.


Ben Purdy, 18, was shot in the head in Bermondsey after confronting his girlfriend's ex, Michael Bagnall, about "threatening" messages. Bagnall, 22, of Hospital Way, Lewisham, must serve at least 28 years. His uncle Andrew Bayne, 37, of Trundleys Terrace, Lewisham was sentenced to at least 30 years. During the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard that they both suffered from learning disabilities, but Judge Christopher Moss said they were still "able to organise and carry out this dreadful murder". As they were led from the dock, Bagnall launched into a tirade of abuse at the judge and shouted out "I'm glad he's dead" in the courtroom packed with Ben's family. In a statement, Ben's mother, Joanne Treston-Smith, said: "The void that Ben's death has left will never be filled. We will always have him missing in our lives." The court heard that the murder followed a feud between Michael Bagnall and the victim, who was going out with the Bagnall's ex-girlfriend. Bagnall was said to have resented the new relationship and sent the girl "threatening messages" by phone or Facebook. On the day of his murder, Ben Purdy decided to confront Bagnall, tracking him down in which led to a "skirmish" in Bermondsey, south London. After that encounter, the jury heard Bagnall and and his uncle Andrew Bayne decided Mr Purdy needed to be "taught a lesson". The pair armed themselves with a self loading pistol and an array of other weapons and got in a car to scour the streets for Mr Purdy and his friends. When they caught up with them, Bayne shot Mr Purdy in the head on 23 November 2014. He died in hospital the next day.

Summary: A man and his uncle have received life sentences after being found guilty of shooting dead a teenager in south London to "teach him a lesson".


An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report into the Verne IRC in Portland also criticised the amount of legal representation available to detainees. The report praised treatment of detainees by staff and the use of body cameras by managers. The Home Office said it took detainees' welfare "extremely seriously". HMP Verne was reclassified as an immigration removal centre in September 2014. Almost 600 men awaiting deportation were held at the centre, with a majority having previously been in prison following criminal convictions. During what was the first announced inspection since the change in status, inspectors found "levels of violence were too high and some of the violence was serious". They reported a "concerted indiscipline" in the week before their visit in March. They also pointed to higher than usual availability of new psychoactive substances and illicit alcohol. The inspectors found 30 minutes of free legal advice was available and many detainees "struggled to obtain representation to fight their cases". Their report also highlighted "excessive stays", including almost 40 men being held for more than a year, and one held for five years, which inspectors described as "one of the worse cases of prolonged detention we have seen". It also said the former Victorian fort complex remained "too prison-like in character", with too much inner fencing and razor wire and restrictions on movement. Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said: "Overall, The Verne was operating satisfactorily. However, despite considerable efforts to prepare the institution for its new role, the environment and staff culture reflected an institution that had not yet come to terms with its new function as an IRC." A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are pleased the inspector has reported that the majority of detainees in The Verne felt safe and were very positive about their treatment by staff. "We have considered the inspector's recommendations carefully and are committed to working with our contractors to implement our service improvement plan for the centre." Former prisons ombudsman Stephen Shaw is to complete an independent review of detainees' welfare expected to be completed in the autumn.

Summary: High levels of violence were recorded at an immigration removal centre (IRC) in a former Dorset jail, the prison watchdog has found.


The paper said that during the first five months of this year, 385 people - more than two a day - were killed. The number of black people was disproportionately high among the victims, especially unarmed ones. Official statistics rely on self-reported figures from law enforcement agencies. They suggest about 400 people have been killed each year since 2008. The US has seen a number of controversial cases where unarmed black people have been killed by white police officers. Police are allowed to use deadly force when they fear for their lives or the lives of others, however there is currently no reliable way of tracking police shooting deaths. Instead, the government relies on self-reported figures from the nation's 17,000 law enforcement agencies. The figures exclude killings deemed not to have been justified. The Washington Post says it logged every fatal shooting in 2015 by police in the line of duty using interviews, police reports, local media reports and other sources. It found a homicide rate of almost 2.6 per day so far this year - more than double the average 1.1 deaths per day reported in FBI records over the past decade. "These shootings are grossly underÂreported," former police chief Jim Bueermann told the newspaper. "We are never going to reduce the number of police shootings if we don't begin to accurately track this information." Among the report's other findings:

Summary: Data collected by the Washington Post newspaper suggests that the number of people shot by US police is twice as high as official figures claim.


The Shanghai Composite index closed 2.3% higher at 3,361.84 points as measures from regulators to support the stock market started to have an impact. Local reports said the securities regulator would keep in effect its ban on share sales by major shareholders until new rules were released. The ban was set to expire on Friday. It was put in place six months ago at the height of the mainland stock market sell-off over the summer and locked up an estimated 1.24tn yuan ($190bn; Â£129bn) worth of shares. Monday's 7% plunge in the Shanghai market, which led to the suspension of trading for the first time, triggered a global equities rout. But a sense of calm has now moved over financial markets, said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at trading firm IG in a note. "While we haven't seen a snap-back rally, the flat moves in US and European markets means we can stop to catch our breath," he said. Beijing's decision on Tuesday to inject cash into the falling market also helped soothe fears. Economic data that suggested activity in the country's services sector expanded at its slowest pace in 17 months in December had little impact on investors' confidence. The Caixin/Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 50.2 from 51.2 in November. A reading above 50 suggests growth in the sector, while one below that suggests contraction. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index failed to match the positive run from the mainland market and ended the session 1% lower at 20,980.81. Traders in the rest of Asia were cautious after a North Korean nuclear test heightened geopolitical tensions. The country claimed that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday morning, drawing widespread criticism from around the world. South Korea's Kospi index finished down 0.3% to 1,925.43, but the index was already lower before the news of the bomb. Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended lower by 1% to 18,191.32, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1.2% to 5,123.1. Shares of Japanese electronics maker Sharp fell 3.3% after reports that the troubled firm is expected to book an operating loss of at least 10bn yen ($84m; Â£57m) for the nine months to December.

Summary: Mainland Chinese shares headed higher on Wednesday, recovering some of the steep losses made earlier this week on concerns about the economy.


A 67-year-old man was discovered in a property in East Church Close, just after 08:22 BST on Friday. Police said they were satisfied the man's death was not suspicious. A 41-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man arrested in connection with the man's death have been released without charge. Police say they have not yet established a cause of death.

Summary: A man and woman arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found in a Southampton house have been released without charge.


On a summer's evening, beside the River Seine, outside a beautifully idiosyncratic bookshop, a current crop of American creative writing students are listening to readings. These students from New York University (NYU) are in Paris for a month as part of their studies - immersing themselves in the literary culture of the French capital. Accompanied by their teaching staff, the students use the city as a giant writing workshop. The cafes, art galleries, the readings and the Parisian streets become the material for their exercises in fiction and poetry. It must be the most de-luxe cure for writers' block, while still racking up credits towards a degree. It's such an idyllic setting, listening to readings and discussions, in the shadow of Notre Dame, outside the classic Shakespeare and Company shop-front, that the only natural reaction is one of overwhelming jealousy. It's not only NYU which brings its students here. There are other universities and institutions, from the US, the UK and Australia. The Left Bank is becoming a field-trip centre for trainee bohemians. It's also a reflection of how higher education - costing up to $50,000 (Â£32,000) per year in the US - has become about experiences as much as qualifications. But what difference does this kind of Parisian trip make to their writing? "It's good to escape the familiar. You see the world fresh, often with intense clarity," says Deborah Landau, an award-winning poet and director of NYU's creative writing programme. "Paris has always been a city for writers; generations of novelists and poets have flocked to Paris seeking inspiration and literary camaraderie." And she says the students can be inspired by the "sensory pleasures" of the city - whether it's the food, wine, art, music or the small bookstores. "Lingering over coffee for hours in the cafes is absolutely encouraged." Students also have a line-up of novelists and poets to act as tutors. The university has added a "low residency" postgraduate course - taught in intensive blocks rather than full terms. 'Outside their lives' This includes five 10-day stretches in Paris - and novelist Helen Schulman says this is where it can really make a difference for students. "They're on a different hamster wheel, they're so outside of their lives. They're away from their work, their families, all the things that press upon them, they get a chance to follow their dream of writing. And for a grown-up, it's a way of doing that without leaving their job or losing their family," she says. Young writers coming to Paris follow in the footsteps of the likes of James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Francis Scott Fitzgerald and Samuel Beckett. And the Shakespeare and Company bookshop used by the NYU students is a living link to that legacy. This current shop in the Latin Quarter is the second incarnation. The first was run by Sylvia Beach, a US-born bookseller who published Ulysses by James Joyce in 1922 - when more or less everyone else had turned it down. This was the hang-out for writers such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald, before it was shut

Summary: Forget any images of creative writing groups on metal chairs in draughty community centres, the business of learning to write has developed into something much more lavish.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 16-year-old beat Anne Keothavong's record as the youngest British player to play in the Fed Cup in February. Swan won her first two titles on the second-tier ITF tour in 2015, and made her WTA debut at Birmingham in June. "There's a few big grass tournaments before Wimbledon so I'm hoping I get to play in some of them, whether it's qualifying or main draw," she said. "There's a chance I might get a Wimbledon main draw wildcard, but I'm not sure about that yet. "Definitely I'll keep working towards that and it'll be amazing if I can make my Grand Slam debut this year." Swan also said she hopes to improve her results in Junior Grand Slam tournaments in 2016. The Bristol-born player is ranked number 12 in the world at junior level, and reached the final of the Australian Open junior tournament in 2015. "My goal this year in juniors is to try to do really well in the Grand Slams. I'd like to aim to win a Grand Slam, which would obviously be amazing for me," she continued. "On the women's tour, I just want to keep working on my ranking and try to do the best I can in all those tournaments, and maybe be able to get into qualifying for the Australian Open next year."

Summary: British world number 512 Katie Swan says she hopes to earn a wildcard entry into the main Wimbledon draw this year.


Tom Donilon - who spent three years as the most senior voice on foreign policy in the Obama administration - was clear. On issues where America dealt directly with the EU, issues like the nuclear deal with Iran, immigration and aid spending, not being present at the EU table would lessen Britain's importance for the US. But Mr Donilon's overriding concern was not one of specific foreign policy issues it was a broader question of focus. Voting leave, he fears, would lead to a Britain that is more inward looking and more distracted from global affairs. That, he added, would be a less powerful partner for the US. On a string of critical issues, Britain would be less important to the White House if it were not part of the European Union. I sat down with Mr Donilon, President Barack Obama's previous National Security Adviser, after he and a group of senior American foreign policy officials signed an open letter urging Brits to vote to stay in the EU on June 23rd. He acknowledged that it was unusual for American officials, from the president down, to weigh in on a British political issue. However Mr Donilon felt the stakes are so high for Britain, the EU and the US that it was important to do so.

Summary: How would the relationship between the White House and the UK change if Britain were no longer part of the EU?


Around 30 Peruvian and Brazilian rally car drivers did exactly that to mark a new stretch of a road that connects their nations. The two countries have historically had their figurative backs to one another with their shared border running through the Amazon rainforest, but are now trying to forge stronger links. Setting off from Nazca, in Peru's coastal desert on 19 January, the drivers traversed the Andes cordillera to Cusco, rising to 4,725m (15,500ft) above sea level. They then descended into the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios, the frontier region that borders Brazil and Bolivia. The race over some 2,200km (1,367 miles) involved a brief break to cross a river by ferry as a key bridge is still not finished. Competitors then continued on to Inapari on the border, reached first by Peruvian professional rally car driver Nicolas Fuchs. Vehicle registration problems meant most of the drivers could not cross into Brazil to complete the last 200km or so to Rio Branco, capital of Acre state. Bureaucratic problems aside, the dramatic route was the main challenge. "The road doesn't just have curves, it has big drops, places where if you make a mistake, you die," said Luiz Facco, a Brazilian driver who raced alongside wife and co-driver Cristina, told the BBC in Cusco's main square. Apart from being a symbol of South American integration, the road links will also boost - potentially hugely - trade with Asia. China has already replaced the US as Brazil's number one trading partner. With this road, Brazil will eventually have paved access to five Pacific-facing Peruvian ports. For its part, Peru is strategically sandwiched between two of the world's largest emerging economies - China to the west and Brazil, to the east. "This road is a dream," says Miguel Vega, president of the Peru-Brazil Chamber of Commerce. "As we say in football, the midfield dominates the game. This road will put Peru in the midfield between Asia and South America." But the road is also proving to be an environmentalists' nightmare. "Asphalting the road itself doesn't do any real harm," says Rob Williams, Peru research co-ordinator for the Frankfurt Zoological Society. "It's the secondary roads which come off the main road in a fishbone pattern which do the damage. These continue to fragment the Amazon until the whole strip along the Interoceanic highway is deforested." Widely viewed by scientists as the most bio-diverse corner of the Amazon rainforest, Madre de Dios is bisected by the road. Where the Andes meet the Amazon, the Interoceanic highway passes directly through the town of Quince Mil. In its main square is a statue of an old man panning for gold. "Everyone knows how to pan for gold here but nowadays miners are coming with heavy machinery and mercury," says Quince Mil resident Ozwaldo Escobar. "They are polluting our water supply, killing the fish and destroying the forest. "There's little we can do because they bribe the police and the local authorities," he alleges. A young man, known just as Renzo, told the BBC he gets weekly visits

Summary: What better way to celebrate the opening of a road than by racing cars on it?


The home side were all out for 249, having been 195-6 overnight, when Jarvis had Charlie Shreck lbw with the first ball after a long hold-up. Lancashire began their second innings 119 in front, but needing to press on to have a chance of a positive result. They lost Paul Horton and Karl Brown in reaching stumps on 39-2, a lead of 158. With so much time lost to the weather, a draw appears the only realistic result unless Lancashire collapse spectacularly on the final morning or skittle Leicestershire after setting them a target. Having begun play at 12:15 BST, only 13 overs were possible before the players were forced from the field again until 17:30 BST. Tom Wells was lbw to Jarvis in the first phase of play, but the key wicket of Mark Cosgrove for 79 went to former Leicestershire seamer Nathan Buck, who took 3-64. Leicestershire seamer Clint McKay: "The game is moving on quickly and you never know what's going to happen. "If we can bowl as well as we did last thing, and pick up two or three early wickets, suddenly it's a very different game." Lancashire director of cricket Ashley Giles: "There is still a lot to be done, and the first priority for us is to get a few more runs on the board and get a good lead. "We've not set any targets but there is enough in the pitch for wickets to fall pretty quickly and in clumps. "I just hope it's a clear day and it could be a fun day, all three results are possible."

Summary: Pace bowler Kyle Jarvis claimed 5-69 for Lancashire as they earned a sizeable first-innings lead on a rain-shortened day against Leicestershire.


The ScotPound proposals have been put forward in a report published by the New Economics Foundation (NEF). It argues that a purely digital SÂ£ currency, similar to Bitcoin, could boost the economy and position Scotland as a world leader in economics. The plans follow intense debate over currency in the Scottish independence referendum. The NEF think tank paper says Holyrood already has the powers to introduce a new currency and payment system, which could work alongside sterling. The proposals include the digital ScotPound and a free-at-point-of-use public payment system, ScotPay, operated through an arm's length public enterprise - BancaAlba. NEF said it wanted to drive forward the debate on money, sparked by the independence referendum, and highlight the economic and social potential of financial innovation. It even suggests a SÂ£250 dividend for every Scottish citizen, increasing the overall purchasing power within the economy. Lead researcher Duncan McCann added: "Scotland is in a unique position to take full advantage of current trends in digital financial innovation. "A new currency and payment system like ScotPound would operate alongside pounds sterling, supporting small and medium businesses and putting money in the pockets of those currently excluded by the financial sector." Mr McCann said a lot of people were moving away from cash payments and the ScotPound worked on the model of the phone becoming the new wallet. Prof Nigel Dodd, of the London School of Economics, said: "This report is an extremely timely and welcome intervention in current debates about the way our monetary system is governed and organised, and specifically about the merits and efficacy of conventional Quantitative Easing. "Given that the currency question played a major role in the Scottish referendum debate last year, I have no doubt that the proposals for a ScotPound will inform future discussions in Scotland. NEF's proposals are extremely clear and convincing."

Summary: Scotland could create its own digital currency to operate alongside sterling, economists have suggested.