Last month the BBC revealed there had been 14 claims of bullying at the State Hospital at Carstairs since 2010. The hospital has now said that not all data had been uploaded to its register and the true figure was 29. Carstairs employs 700 staff to care for about 125 patients whose mental health issues make them dangerous or violent. The revised figure means that Scotland's minister for mental health, Jamie Hepburn, was not aware of the true extent of bullying problems at the hospital ahead of its annual review in September, at which the facility's performance was discussed. State Hospital chief executive, Jim Crichton, said: "The information provided for the annual review was based on summary data which was held at that time." Andy Hogg, assistant general secretary of the union POA Scotland, which represents many staff at the State Hospital, said: "This news does not surprise me. "The figures are unacceptable and provide sufficient evidence for the State Hospital board to explore this in further detail." A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said it had been assured that the State Hospital "is taking the issue of bullying seriously". The hospital has been under new management since the departure of the previous chief executive in 2013, following a row over thousands of pounds worth of "danger money" which was awarded to board members even though they did not come into contact with patients. Several members of staff recently contacted BBC Scotland to say that those accused of bullying were still in post. The State Hospital said that the 29 complaints related to 24 individuals. Eight members of staff received an official warning over their behaviour. The hospital refused to say whether any staff had been promoted, despite being the subject of complaints. BBC Scotland has also seen the results of the staff survey for 2013, which was completed by 60% of the workforce at the State Hospital. Some 25% of respondents said they had been bullied or harassed by a manager. A similar figure also said they had been bullied or harassed by a colleague. The survey suggested that staff at Carstairs were significantly more likely to report bullying and harassment compared to the rest of the NHS. A report commissioned last year by the chair of the hospital board said bullying was a "running theme". Sickness absence rates in some parts of the workforce are also twice as high as the Scottish government target of 5%, a situation which management at Carstairs have acknowledged is unsustainable. A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "NHS boards, including the State Hospital, must have robust local bullying and harassment policies in place, based on national standards. "The Scottish government uses a wide range of measures to understand the workplace culture within a health board, including the NHS Scotland staff survey. At its Annual Review last month, the Minister, Jamie Hepburn, was assured that the State Hospital is taking the issue of bullying seriously and is working with staff to make it clear that bullying is not acceptable. "This government remains clear that we will not

Summary: The number of bullying claims by staff at Scotland's highest security psychiatric hospital is twice as high as previously reported, it has emerged.


Mary Boyle was six years old when she went missing on 18 March 1977 whilst visiting her grandparents at Cashelard. The dig was prompted by Danish psychic Yan Sterns, hired by country singer Margo O'Donnell - Daniel's sister - a close friend of Mary's mother, Ann. Gardai have confirmed they were assisting the family in the fresh search near Ballyshannon. Material taken from the ground is to be examined. Mary Boyle is officially the Republic of Ireland's longest missing person. The psychic visited a remote hillside near Ballyshannon on Friday and pointed to where the dig should take place. It was his third visit to the area. Gardai supervised the dig. They said the would act on any information supplied. Mary Boyle disappeared 34 years ago but this is a still "a live investigation", a spokesman for the Irish police said.

Summary: A fresh dig to find the remains of a young girl who disappeared almost 34 years ago has taken place in Donegal.


21 October 2016 Last updated at 19:29 BST The EU was "not capable" of signing a trade agreement with Canada she said after the collapse of talks on a wide-ranging deal. Negotiations have dragged on for seven years, but in the end a Belgian region - population 3.6 million - blocked an accord which stands to affect hundreds of millions of people.

Summary: Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland was choking back tears as reporters cornered her in Brussels.


Kitchen units, a hob, fridge freezer, dishwasher and sink were taken from the site in Crocketford. The theft happened at the Ottersburn development in the village some time between Friday and Tuesday. The units taken were Porter Alabaster rigid cabinets and the total value of the goods taken about Â£7,500. Police have asked anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area to contact them. PC Victoria Thomson said "Clearly this theft would have taken a bit of time and a large vehicle to remove all the units and appliances. "We are keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the area of the Ottersburn development over the weekend to give us a call if they saw or heard anything suspicious."

Summary: Thieves took everything - including the kitchen sink - in a raid on a house under construction in Dumfries and Galloway.


The former minister had been criticised for promoting the initiative. But the department has said she and her colleagues were only made aware of the budgetary pressures in February 2016. They received the information in a letter from the then Department of Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell. Another letter from Mr Bell was received in November 2015 which contained details on proposed changes to tariffs, but did not mention the financial crisis. Mrs O'Neill, who is now Sinn FÃ©in's Stormont leader, previously defended her role in promoting the scheme saying Sinn FÃ©in "shut it down straight away" when the issues arose. The RHI scheme was set up in 2012, intended to increase the creation of heat from renewable sources. However, businesses have been receiving more in subsidies than they are paying for renewable fuel and the scheme became highly oversubscribed. A Department for Agriculture spokesperson said: "While DETI officials may have mentioned the new tariffs during presentations on RHI at some information events connected to the renewable energy training programme in the autumn of 2015, the department itself was given no indication of the budgetary pressures involved. "On the 5th February 2016 Mr Bell wrote to First and deputy First Minister, copied to all his Ministerial colleagues, seeking agreement to take an urgent decision on the closure of the RHI scheme. It was only in this latter correspondence that Mr Bell mentioned affordability and budgetary pressures."

Summary: Michelle O'Neill only learned of the huge hole in the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) budget at the time the scheme was closing, the Department for Agriculture has confirmed.


Vivien Ayling was driving to work along the A27 when she says the jet crashed on the road beside her. She told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I saw this plane coming towards me and I thought 'Gosh, he's really low, is that allowed?' "And then all of a sudden he got lower and I thought 'He's going to come straight into me' and then he veered off to my right and he just smacked straight on to the opposite carriageway to me, and then there was this massive great fireball and smoke went up." The aftermath was "like a bomb exploding", she said, adding: "I decided to drive on through it - it fortunately went over my head. "I stopped, looked back and thought there's going to be another explosion with all this aviation fuel around so I thought what do I do? So I thought best get out of there. "You don't know what you'd do in that situation. I did what I felt was right in a split second." She believes pilot Andy Hill was trying to avoid the road: "He obviously was trying to get to the field rather to land on them, on the road. That's probably why he veered off and didn't end up in my carriageway." Dave Hampton was at the air show with his family. "We were behind the marquee at the time, having a picnic and we had literally turned up 10 minutes before," he said. "We saw the Hawker Hunter fly over the marquee, we saw it fly up, then we saw it almost turn around to come back. "Our two boys who are very passionate about planes asked where the plane was and we said it would be along in a minute when we heard what sounded like a sonic boom - it sounded like the plane had broken the sound barrier. "People around us then started standing up and saying 'Oh my God, it's come down' and at that time we looked over and we saw the big plume of smoke coming over the marquee." Gairo Gomez, who works at the nearby Ricardo Technological Centre, said the whole building shook. "I saw the plane going down. I heard a huge bang and the glass was shaking and the doors were banging, the whole building was shaking. "I saw some smoke later on, but at the time I didn't realise what had happened." Archie Tipple was a spectator at the event. "We were stood on a footbridge by the Red Lion Inn, about 300m from the A27. "I was photographing the aircraft as it started its display and as it climbed and climbed and climbed I thought, this is pretty good. "But he was coming in a little bit low and I was still photographing it as it came down and then all of a sudden you just knew what was coming. "It just immediately changed the atmosphere, from a festive one to something quite sombre," he said. Nicholas Hair described the aftermath at the airfield. "Strangely enough the first thing that

Summary: Eyewitnesses have described the scene as a vintage jet crashed while performing at an air show in West Sussex.


Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he had accepted Ms Ley's resignation on Friday. Entitlements scandals have engulfed Australian politics in recent years. Mr Turnbull has now pledged to set up an independent watchdog, based on the UK system, to oversee parliamentary expenses. "Australians are entitled to expect that politicians spend taxpayers' money carefully, ensuring at all times that their work expenditure represents an efficient, effective and ethical use of public resources," he said. "We should be as careful and as accountable with taxpayer money as we possibly can be." In her resignation statement, Ms Ley maintained she had not broken any rules, "not just regarding entitlements but most importantly the ministerial code of conduct". However, she said the saga had become a distraction for the government. "Whilst I have attempted at all times to be meticulous with rules and standards, I accept community annoyance, even anger, with politicians' entitlements demands a response," she said on Friday. Ms Ley faced pressure over separate trips to the Gold Coast, where she purchased the A$795,000 (Â£473,300; $585,200) investment property in 2015 and attended New Year's Eve parties in 2013 and 2014. She described the apartment purchase as an "error of judgement" that was "neither planned nor anticipated". Mr Turnbull said he believed Ms Ley's resignation was the "right judgement" and thanked her for her service. He said the new expenses watchdog would ensure that politicians' claims were transparent to the public. "I have to say I hate the term entitlements. These are work expenses," he said. "The circumstances require us to be seen to be putting these matters plainlyâ€¦ so that people can be assured there is independent oversight." The opposition Labor Party offered "in-principle" support for Mr Turnbull's reform. "We're happy to work with him on work expenses for politicians," said acting Labor leader Penny Wong. "I think the country and the people expect it." The UK set up the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in 2010 in the wake of the MP expenses scandal.

Summary: Australian Health Minister Sussan Ley has resigned after using a taxpayer-funded trip to purchase an apartment on Queensland's Gold Coast.


A number of houses were broken into early on Monday, officers said. Goods left outside affected homes in the Calderdale of West Yorkshire were also stolen, it emerged. "It is impossible to comprehend why anyone would want to bring further suffering to those already in a very vulnerable situation," said acting Supt Mark Grange, of North Yorkshire Police. Houses in Huntingdon Road, York, were targeted after the River Foss broke its banks, with one being looted after the back door was forced, as well as tools being taken from a shed at another property. West Yorkshire Police said it had received reports of people using white vans to take "dry goods left outside flooded homes", in the Calderdale area. No arrests have been made in connection with the thefts and burglaries, which emerged after the levels of the Foss dropped by several metres on Tuesday. Six severe flood warnings, in place since Boxing Day, were lifted by the Environment Agency, which said emergency repairs to the Foss Barrier had allowed four of eight pumps to begin working again. Areas across northern England however, are braced for further disruption as Storm Frank, which hit the UK late on Tuesday, brings in more high winds and heavy rain.

Summary: Looters who targeted flood victims' homes in York have been condemned by police.


Wednesday's final news conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas proved far calmer than any media event in the build-up to what could be the most lucrative fight in boxing history. McGregor, 29, will earn a reported $100m in his boxing debut at the T-Mobile Arena event, prompting speculation future UFC pay days might not keep him with the organisation. He said: "When this one is done I will have 20 seconds where I relish in victory and then I will be thinking who is next? I will be looking to compete all over the place. "After I get victory I will certainly be looking to compete in both sports. Since I'm the king of the boxing ring and king of the MMA maybe I will make my own hybrid. Then if anyone wants to challenge me they can do it in my octagon." Mayweather cut a refined figure at the MGM event, which was closed to the public. He was seemingly uninterested in exchanging insults, while McGregor had no such qualms, pointing to social media posts his rival has shared of betting slips and stating he thinks Mayweather "may have a gambling problem". The undefeated boxer's father - Floyd Sr - told reporters "a lot" had been taken away from his son's ability in his two years out of the sport but stressed he still had enough to overcome McGregor. But Mayweather was defiant when telling BBC Sport he was "going to look good" as he bids for a 50th win from 50 fights. "I don't miss the hype and this at all. I'd rather be at home watching TV but this is my job," said the 40-year-old. "McGregor can say whatever he wants to say, when it comes down to it I can fight. "Mentally, no athlete in the world is stronger than me. "To be here 21 years I had to take it extremely seriously. You guys think I am not taking it seriously? I am." It was announced the winner of a bout many in boxing have rubbished will receive a one-off belt from the World Boxing Council called 'The Money Belt'. It contains 3,360 diamonds, 600 sapphires, 300 emeralds and 1.5kg of solid gold, mounted on alligator leather. It is the latest opulent addition to a fight which could earn $600m (£469m) and which will challenge the record of 4.6 million pay-per-view buys set when Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao in 2015. Stephen Espinoza, the head of the Showtime network, told reporters breaking the record was "in the realm of possibility" and stressed a key factor was that the fight will be televised in more than 220 countries, a marked increase on the Mayweather-Pacquiao reach. "If we don't get there, it will be very close," he said. Potential record pay-per-view income, added to merchandising, ticket sales and sponsorship will deliver McGregor the type of purse which will only prompt further questions as to how UFC can satisfy its main star when he returns. His exact earnings will remain unknown thanks to a non-disclosure agreement signed by both

Summary: UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor wants to continue both a mixed martial arts and boxing career after Saturday's super bout with Floyd Mayweather.


There has been plenty of EFL activity in the transfer window so far this summer and expect plenty more moves before deadline day arrives on 31 August. With the new season starting on Friday, how well do you know your EFL transfers? Try your luck with our quiz... This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser

Summary: An ex-England captain, a former Lance Bombardier in the Army and the most expensive signing in Championship history.


Media playback is not supported on this device Sterling played centrally and netted a hat-trick, while striker Bony scored twice, in a 5-1 win over Bournemouth. "We had to do something different," said Pellegrini. "With his movement we thought Raheem could be dangerous. "He also missed three or four goals but he did very well." Aguero, 27, is set to be out for a month with a hamstring problem while Silva, 29, is also likely to miss the Champions League visit of Sevilla on Wednesday and the first Manchester derby of the season against United at Old Trafford next Sunday (kick-off 14:05 GMT). Sterling's first-half hat-trick was the first of his career, while Bony, who admitted he contracted malaria in pre-season, doubled his City goals tally since his £28m move from Swansea in January. But Pellegrini said he was pleased with England international Sterling's finishing. "I am happy because we changed Sterling's position and played him in the middle, with Bony in front of him," added Pellegrini. "We felt it was better for him to be near Bony and also near the box. "When we bought Raheem in the summer I said we are buying a 20-year-old who is very young and needs to improve. He is not a striker but he can improve his finishing and, today, he did." Sterling, whose best scoring record was 11 goals with Liverpool last season, said he had been doing extra work on his finishing. The £44m signing, who has now scored five goals in 11 City appearances, said: "In training I have been working on one-on-one situations in a few sessions. "It is something I will keep working on and hopefully I will get better at it." Bony also praised Sterling's performance after the Ivory Coast striker scored his first goals of the season. "We talked a lot in training this week," the 26-year-old said. "I know he is very quick and I told him if I jump you have to run, there is no need to think about if I win the ball or not. "When we have the ball I look to show myself, it worked today. I am happy about the result and happy he scored three goals." City skipper Vincent Kompany remained on the bench against Bournemouth, with Pellegrini saying the defender was not yet ready to return despite playing for Belgium on Tuesday. Belgium manager Marc Wilmots' decision to play Kompany angered Pellegrini after the 29-year-old picked up a calf injury against Juventus on 15 September. But Pellegrini said his omission on Saturday was for fitness reasons only. "We finished playing with Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala in the last game and they did very well," the City manager added. "He was on the bench because he played for Belgium on Tuesday and couldn't work on Wednesday and Thursday. I think working just one day after one month injured is not enough to play again."

Summary: Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini praised Raheem Sterling's combination with Wilfried Bony as the pair proved able deputies for injured duo Sergio Aguero and David Silva.


It is the first fall in the rate since October 2016 and was largely down to lower petrol and diesel prices. Fuel prices fell for the fourth month in a row in June, according to the Office for National Statistics. Economists say the fall in inflation could ease pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates. The UK inflation rate has risen sharply since the referendum on membership of the European Union last June, partly due to an increase in the cost of imported goods following the fall in the value of the pound. "These numbers are a real surprise, showing the first drop in inflation since autumn 2016," said Lucy O'Carroll, chief economist at Aberdeen Asset Management. "This is going to kill the chances of a rate rise in the short term. We'll learn more about the Bank of England's thinking in a couple of weeks, but we can expect the calls for a rate rise to reduce to a whimper." But June's fall in inflation is a blip, according to some economists. "We have not necessarily passed the peak of inflation," said Andrew Sentance, senior economic adviser at PwC. "Oil prices are volatile and could bounce back later this year. Meanwhile, the big fall in the value of the pound since last summer is still working its way through the pipeline and has not yet fully fed through into shop prices." Another measure of inflation, the Retail Prices Index (RPI), edged lower from an annual rate of 3.7% in May to 3.5% in June. RPI is used to calculate the interest rate for student loans, for example. The ONS also reports a version of consumer price inflation that includes housing costs known as CPIH. That rate fell to 2.6% in June from 2.7% in May. Also contributing to June's fall in inflation was a decline in prices for recreational and cultural goods, which includes items such as toys, computer games and sports events. Despite June's fall, inflation is still running ahead of average wage growth, which stands at 2% excluding bonuses. That is eroding the value of people's pay, something the Bank of England has been keeping a close eye on. Last month, the Bank's governor, Mark Carney, said that "anaemic" wage growth one of the reasons why he was not supporting a rise in interest rates. While Mr Carney is not keen to raise interest rates, other members of the Monetary Policy Committee think the time has come to make a move. In last month's meeting three members out of eight voted in favour of a rate rise from the current level of 0.25%. Inflation has been on a steady climb since the end of 2015 and accelerated after the EU referendum result in June last year, as the sharp fall in the value of the pound pushed up the price of everything we import. A bit like a snake that has swallowed something big, that bulge in import costs has taken its time to work through the economic system because producers, wholesalers and retailers order things

Summary: The UK's inflation rate dropped unexpectedly to 2.6% in June, down from 2.9% in May, official figures have shown.


Harry Dunn worked for clubs including Chelsea, Liverpool and Rangers. Police said an 84-year-old man was arrested and charged with a number of "non-recent sexual offences". Last year, Police Scotland was among forces across the UK to launch investigations into allegations of child abuse within football after reports from high-profile players. Mr Dunn is understood to have worked with Liverpool and Rangers in the 1980s and later with Chelsea. It is thought he now lives in Edinburgh.

Summary: A former youth football scout has been arrested by police investigating allegations of historical sex abuse.


The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) provided no explanation for the missing funds, the auditor general told MPs. Oil revenue accounts for two-thirds of the government's funding. President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to crack down on corruption since coming to office last May. The NNPC has not commented on the auditor general's findings. This finding by the auditor general, while shocking, is not a surprise. Officials from the previous administration allegedly indulged in wholesale corruption where billions of dollars of oil funds simply disappeared. When the then central bank governor Lamido Sanusi pointed out that billions of dollars were missing from the treasury, he was sacked from his job. Nigeria's oil reserves should have been blessing for Nigeria to be used to build infrastructure and invest in social services. Instead, it has been a curse, a lubricant that has produced massive corruption and dysfunctional governments. President Buhari was elected on a platform of cleaning up the country's notoriously corrupt politics. But some officials from the previous administration accuse him of using corruption to pursue a political vendetta. The state oil giant has been mired in corruption allegations and losing money for many years. Last month, the government announced that the NNPC would be broken up into seven different companies. A separate audit ordered under former President Goodluck Jonathan and carried out by global accountancy firm PwC, found that the NNPC had failed to pay the government $1.48bn between January 2012 and July 2013. It did not provide a total figure for how much revenue the NNPC should legally have handed over to the treasury. However, the company said that it could not vouch for the integrity of the information it was given when it conducted the audit. Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer, but the economy has suffered because of the recent decline in the price of oil.

Summary: Nigeria's state-owned oil company has failed to pay the government $16bn (Â£11bn) in a suspected fraud, according to an official audit.


The blaze at Allenby Barracks in Bovington, Dorset, in July 2016 caused £400,000 of damage. A court martial heard Capt Rupert Nurich of the Royals Scots Dragoon Guards was taking part in "improvised gladitorial-style combat". He was given a severe reprimand. Ten fire appliances were called to deal with the blaze, which took two hours to extinguish. The flare was fired as guests gathered around a swimming pool and one shot through an upper window of the seven-storey residential building, setting fire to a room and corridor. A court martial at Bulford Barricks heard Nurich was experienced in handling pyrotechnics and weapons. The prosecution argued that because he had drunk two glasses of Pimms and six glasses of wine he should not have fired the flare and was negligent because he was close to buildings. The officer's barrister, Robert Morris, said what happened was a "freak accident" and the flare had probably veered off course due to a manufacturing fault. "It was fired in the way you are meant to - away from people and buildings," he said. The court said it was concerned that "high jinks" involving senior officers had set the tone for the evening. Nurich was also ordered to pay £10,000 to a civilian steward who lost all her personal possessions in the fire and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and mild depression as a result. On the instructions of the Deputy Judge Advocate, Nurich had earlier been found not guilty of arson. Another Royal Scots Dragoon Guards officer, Lieutenant Tim Carpenter, was found not guilty of arson and not guilty of negligently damaging service property.

Summary: An army officer has been found guilty of negligently damaging service property after firing a flare at a social event, which set fire to a military barracks.


Many of us can rarely put down our phones, which are filled to the brim with social apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. In recent years, emergency services and public authorities have been getting in on the act too. Social media applications allow them to share information faster, easier and with a wider audience. When it works, it does so really well, but it is often the social media blunders and 140-character faux-pas that stick in the memory. Northern Ireland's Chief Constable George Hamilton apologised to his officers on Sunday, after posting a tweet that appeared to dismiss the pressure under which they work. He used Twitter to post a video apology, saying: "Last night's frank Twitter conversation was what the police actually do, however, such important issues are not best dealt with in the 140 characters of a tweet. "I've clearly caused some offence in what I've said, and for that I apologise." Mr Hamilton isn't alone in causing controversy after posting seemingly offensive comments on social media. In January, politician Gerry Adams apologised for using the 'N-word' in a tweet comparing the plight of slaves in the United States to the treatment of Irish nationalists. The tweet was later deleted, but it provoked an angry reaction. Social media consultant Sue Llewellyn advises users: "Think before you tweet." "If you mess up, 'fess up and apologise," Ms Llewellyn told BBC News NI. "The worst thing you can do is to either ignore it, or hide it by deleting your tweet." The difficulty that many people face on social media, she adds, is that humour often doesn't translate well in 140 characters or less. "You can't really see humour or sarcasm in a tweet, for example, and it can make you look offensive. "One way to deal with this is to use emojis, or hashtags to add that level of emotion," said Ms Llewellyn. Sue Llewellyn's social media dos and don'ts But if there are so many potential ways to trip up on social media, what makes it worth using? While users need to be mindful of the pitfalls, the benefits of social media far outweigh the downsides, said Ms Llewellyn. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have Twitter and Facebook accounts for each policing district - and for the most part, these have proved to be a really effective way of communicating with the public. In 2015, the PSNI held a 24-hour Twitter event to give people an insight into the everyday work of officers. More recently, they jumped on the 'Be like Bill' internet meme bandwagon, using the trend to deliver a more serious message. This approach to social media gives public authorities a "human voice", said Sue Llewellyn. "It puts a human face on what was once a closed door, it makes what they're doing more transparent." "I think it's a fantastic way of reaching more difficult to reach members of the public, especially younger people, and speak to them in their own language, on their own terms in their own turf." That authentic approach seems to

Summary: Let's face it - most people use social media in some form to communicate these days.


North Wales Police had 473 complaints in 2014/15 - a 43% rise on the previous year - Independent Police Complaints Commission figures (IPCC) show. Gwent Police had 398 complaints - up 28 - and South Wales Police saw a 20% rise to 864. But Dyfed-Powys had 268 complaints - a decrease of 18%. There were record number of complaints against police in England and Wales. A total of 37,105 complaint cases were recorded in 2014-15 - a 6% rise in the amount of complaints made in 2013-14. The most common complaint made was for "neglect or failure in duty". In Wales, the number of complaints in the last five years have increased at a slightly higher rate than the increase nationally. Compared to 2009/10, the number of complaint cases recorded by Welsh forces in 2014/15 increased by 10%. Over England and Wales as a whole the increase was 8%. The figures found: The IPCC said the figures also revealed "marked inconsistencies" in whether forces investigated most complaints formally, or used more informal "local resolution" processes. Dame Anne Owers, chairwoman of the IPCC, said overall the figures showed a complaints system that was "both over-complex and inconsistent, and is clearly failing to satisfy a significant number of complainants". She said: "Chief officers and police and crime commissioners should look closely at the figures for their own forces to satisfy themselves that complainants are being treated fairly and well. "However, the underlying problem is the system itself. We welcome the fact that the government proposes to bring in legislation to simplify and streamline a system that at present satisfies neither those who need it nor those who have to operate it." The number of complaints made to the watchdog marks the most it has received since it started collecting data in 2004-05. Det Supt Richard Lewis, Dyfed-Powys Police's head of professional standards department, welcomed the reduction in complaints, adding: "It is important to us that people have the confidence to report complaints, and know that we have a thorough procedure for investigating and monitoring complaints."

Summary: Three Welsh police forces have seen huge rises in the number of complaints they received last year.


The girls ate othalanga, a local fruit, at the Water Sports Centre in southern Kerala state, reports said. The girls, all rowers, were allegedly being harassed by senior athletes and their trainer, their families allege. The government-run Sports Authority of India which runs the centre has ordered an inquiry into the incident. "They had left behind a suicide note. The jurisdictional magistrate has also recorded the statement of one of them. The police investigation is also on," SAI (Sports Authority of India) director general Injeti Srinivas told reporters in Delhi. SAI official G Kishore, who has been asked to conduct the inquiry, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi that the condition of one of the girls admitted to hospital was critical while the other two were out of danger. The athletes were taken to hospital on Wednesday evening after they were found unconscious in a room of their hostel.

Summary: A 15-year-old Indian athlete has died and three others are in hospital after allegedly consuming poisonous fruit in what is suspected to be a suicide pact.


The Airlander 10 - part plane, part airship - was due to take off from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire on Sunday. The aircraft measures 302ft (92m) long and is about 50ft (15m) longer than the biggest passenger jets. It is not known when another attempt at a test flight will be made. Christened the Martha Gwyn, the Â£25m aircraft can only fly in daylight for a test flight and it was feared the flight would not have been completed before dark by the time the issue was resolved, an organiser said. It was first developed for the US government as a surveillance aircraft but the project was shelved amid defence cutbacks. British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) launched a campaign to return the Airlander 10 to the skies in May 2015. The huge aircraft will be able to stay airborne for around five days during manned flights. HAV claims it could be used for a variety of functions such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.

Summary: The maiden flight of the world's longest aircraft has been postponed at the last minute because of a "technical issue".


Bentaleb played only 13 times for Spurs last season because of injuries. The 21-year-old midfielder has not trained with the Tottenham first-team since July after being told he was not in manager Mauricio Pochettino's plans. "He is 100% fit but we must give him time to integrate into the team," Schalke director Christian Heidel said. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Algeria international Nabil Bentaleb has joined German side Schalke 04 on a season-long loan from English Premier League side Tottenham.


It faces competition from two grime albums - Kano's Made In The Manor and Skepta's Konnichiwa. The records, which address everything from police harassment to broken families, both reflect an emerging maturity in the genre. Radiohead receive a record fifth nomination for their stirring, emotional album A Moon Shaped Pool. The band, who are currently on tour in the US, have yet to win the album of the year award. Other artists nominated for the £25,000 prize include Laura Mvula, The 1975 and Michael Kiwanuka. The full list of nominees is: Read more about the nominees Blackstar, which contains the line: "Look up here, I'm in heaven," on the track Lazarus, has been called Bowie's "parting gift". Released just two days before his death from cancer, it went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic. There is also a nomination for former Mercury Prize-winner Antony and the Johnsons, who now goes under the name Anohni. Her album, Hopelessness, is a lacerating look at the modern world that rages against President Obama, drone warfare and ecological disaster. The shortlist was chosen by a panel of judges that includes former winner Jarvis Cocker, Radio 1's Annie Mac, pop producer Naughty Boy and singer Jessie Ware. Notable omissions include Adele's 25 and Coldplay's A Head Full Of Dreams, which were the two biggest-selling albums released during the eligibility period: 26 September 2015 to 29 July 2016. PJ Harvey, the only artist to win the prize twice, also misses out on a nomination for her latest album, The Hope Six Demolition Project. The shortlist will be whittled down to six albums on the night of the awards, with one of those finalists selected by a public vote. Presented by Lauren Laverne, the ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC Four and 6 Music on 15 September. After last year's low-key event, the award will be handed out at a gala concert in London's Eventim Apollo, after Hyundai stepped in as a headline sponsor. After the row over diversity at this year's Brits, the Mercury list does its best to redress the balance, with an all-female rock band, two grime MCs, a music icon and a transgender torch singer. Many of the nominated albums are unswervingly political. Anohni accuses President Obama of "executing without trial", while Skepta delivers a powerful message to the establishment: "We don't listen to no politician". All of the records feel vital and innovative - yet it's the most commercial list in years, with all but one of the nominees having entered the UK album chart, four of them at number one. That's thanks to a new panel of judges which puts an emphasis on musicians - including Jarvis Cocker and Naughty Boy - over rock critics and industry "suits". They've even taken the brave decision to omit Adele's all-conquering 25. Not that she'll mind: The £25,000 prize is only just enough to buy one of her concert tickets on the secondary market. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, has been shortlisted for the 25th annual Mercury Prize.


The study suggests that between 2008 and 2013, the numbers of wild bees went down across almost a quarter of the US. The researchers say that the conversion of land to grow corn for biofuels is a key element in the decline. If the trend continues say the scientists, it could drive up costs and destabilise crop production. Wild bees play an important role in pollinating many US crops and plants. It's estimated that they contribute around $3bn to the value of agriculture every year. In 2014, President Obama issued a memorandum calling for an assessment of the state of honey and wild bees across the US, in the face of an increasing number of threats such as colony collapse disorder. To map the abundance of wild bees across the country, this model combines a number of databases with expert opinion. The results show that numbers of wild bees likely declined by 23% between 2008 and 2013 in key agricultural regions in California, the Midwest, in Great Plains states and in the Mississippi river valley. The study also showed that 39% of US croplands that depend on pollinators are suffering a significant mismatch between the demand for pollination and the supply of bees. The most important reason for the decline in numbers according to the authors is the increased demand for biofuels, which has seen more land turned over to growing grains. US law requires that all gasoline sold contains at least 10% ethanol, mostly made from corn. In the areas that have seen the most serious reduction in wild bees, there have been 200% increases in the amount of corn planted. "The pattern we show is consistent with the expansion of corn for ethanol, the reduction of areas around fields that weren't cultivated before," said senior author, Prof Taylor Ricketts from the University of Vermont. "They are going back into production and those are the areas that were providing good habitat for wild bees." While concerns over bee decline in Europe have focussed on the impact of neonicotinoid chemicals on insects of all varieties, this study wasn't able to extract specific information on the use of pesticides. However the authors are in little doubt that chemicals are having an impact. "If you look at the maps, the places that show the lowest abundance is essentially a map of intensified agriculture in the US," said Prof Ricketts. "That's a footprint of agriculture's effect on bees, and its a habitat loss thing and it's also a chemicals and pesticides thing for sure." The study also highlighted the fact that there is a growing demand for crops that require increased levels of pollination. Perhaps reflecting changing consumer tastes, demand for pumpkins, blueberries, peaches, apples and watermelons have gone up. Unfortunately the numbers of wild bees available in the areas in which they are grown have declined. The researchers believe that the scale of wild bee decline will push farmers to rely even more heavily on commercial honey bee operators who travel across the US, hiring out colonies for pollination. This is risky, they say,

Summary: Wild bees in the US have declined in many farming areas according to the first national effort to map their numbers.


The 20-year-old France international was fined and suspended until Monday for missing Thursday's training, but the ban has been extended indefinitely. Dortmund met with Barcelona's representatives but the Spanish club did not meet their valuation. The German club say that Dembele moving to Barca is "not currently likely". Dortmund director of football Michael Zorc said: "Our focus now is on preparation for the Bundesliga opening match in Wolfsburg [on 19 August]. Dembele, of course, has the opportunity to complete an individual training session outside the group." Dortmund signed Dembele on a five-year deal from Rennes in May 2016.

Summary: Borussia Dortmund have suspended forward Ousmane Dembele "until further notice", three days after the club rejected a bid from Barcelona.


In the three months to February, sales volumes fell by 1.4%, a sharper slide than the 0.5% decline for the three months to January. That was the biggest three-month fall recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) since March 2010. Fuel prices in February were 18.7% higher than a year earlier. "February's retail sales figures show fairly strong growth, though the underlying three-month picture shows falling sales as February's figures follow two consecutive months of decline in December and January," said ONS statistician Kate Davies. "The underlying trend suggests that rising petrol prices in particular have had a negative effect on the overall quantity of goods bought over the last three months." Petrol cost an average of 120p a litre in February, with diesel 3p more, according to ONS figures. However, the 1.4% rise in retail sales in February was higher than the 0.4% increase expected by economists. News of the month-on-month increase sent the pound higher above $1.25. Paul Hollingsworth at Capital Economics said the figures would give some reassurance that higher inflation had not brought growth in consumer spending to a halt. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index jumped to 2.3% in February - up from 1.8% in January, the ONS said on Tuesday. However, Howard Archer at IHS Markit said consumers were becoming more cautious as higher inflation squeezed their purchasing power. "The economy's persistent resilience since last June's Brexit vote has been largely built on consumers keeping on spending," he said. "With consumers now seemingly moderating their spending, the long-anticipated slowdown in the economy looks set to materialise unless other sectors can make significantly increased contributions." Fashion retailer Next said on Thursday it was "extremely cautious" about trading for the coming year as it reported lower annual profits. Martin Beck, senior economic adviser to the EY ITEM Club, said annual shop price inflation increased from 1.9% in January to 2.8% in February - a 60-month high. "How the year pans out will depend heavily upon consumers' willingness to draw on savings or take on more debt," he said. "Last year's retail boom looks set to become an increasingly distant memory."

Summary: UK retail sales posted a 1.4% rise in February from the previous month, but there are signs that higher fuel prices have begun to hit shoppers' pockets.


Stuart Clancy, a Conservative councillor on Broadland District Council in Norfolk, was arrested by police in September 2014. The Crown Prosecution Service said there was "insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of a conviction for any offence". The council, on which he represents Taverham South ward, welcomed the news. "We are very pleased that this issue has been resolved and Councillor Clancy can now put this difficult period behind him," said a spokeswoman. The council said the investigation was not connected to his council work.

Summary: No further action is to be taken against a deputy council leader arrested on suspicion of fraud.


The 22-year-old ex-West Ham youngster made only six appearances for the Tykes after joining last summer. He previously played for the Hatters on loan from West Ham, scoring three goals in 11 matches during a loan in 2014-15. The son of former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee joins his brother Olly, who is already at Kenilworth Road. "I'm looking forward to playing with Olly. He was a big factor in me coming here. Having been here and known all the lads, I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "Olly and I spoke about it and we realised it would be a great experience to play together and something we'd enjoy. It's something special for the family." Lee makes the opposite move to midfielder Cameron McGeehan, who left Bedfordshire to join Barnsley last month. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Luton Town have made forward Elliot Lee their seventh addition of the summer after signing him on a two-year deal following his release by Barnsley.


France centre-back Sakho, 27, is out of favour at Anfield after falling out with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp on the 2016 pre-season tour of the USA. He was sent on loan to Crystal Palace last season, where he made eight appearances, and was nominated for their player of the year award. The news comes after the Baggies rejected an £18m bid from Manchester City for centre-back Jonny Evans. Manager Tony Pulis said on Friday it would be "crazy" to say they would turn down a bigger offer for the Northern Ireland defender, but added: "We're not desperate for money." Sakho turned down a loan move to West Brom last August after being told he can leave the club. He has not played for the Reds since April 2016, when he was provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test before subsequently being cleared. Sakho joined Palace on loan for the second half of last term and was not involved in Liverpool's Premier League game at Watford last Saturday or Tuesday's Champions League play-off, first-leg win over Hoffenheim. Should a deal go through, the fee would eclipse the club record £13m West Brom paid Tottenham for Nacer Chadli 12 months ago. The last two weeks of the transfer window can involve some cagey wheeling and dealing. West Brom know they can sell Evans to Manchester City. If they do that, they have decent money to get in a replacement. However, if they tell everyone that is what they intend to do, the price of their targets go up. So, they sound out clubs quietly, while telling the world Evans is going nowhere. It may be that the Northern Irishman stays put. But Tony Pulis wants to know what the alternatives are - and having already spoken to Liverpool about Sakho once this summer, he is now talking to them again.

Summary: West Brom are interested in Liverpool's £30m-rated defender Mamadou Sakho.


"Celtic have brought in the higher-class player, I think," said former Celtic midfielder MacLeod. "When you are bringing players from Liverpool, boys who have played at Man City - it is good quality players they have brought in. "But Rangers have brought in good quality as well." Former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool defender Kolo Toure and winger Scott Sinclair, formerly of Man City and Aston Villa, have been recruited by new Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Meanwhile, Rangers counterpart Mark Warburton's big-name additions are former Burnley midfielder Joey Barton and his former QPR team-mate, Niko Kranjcar. "I think Rangers fans will be going into this game hoping they all produce a good performance on the day," said MacLeod looking ahead to Saturday's first Old Firm game of the season at Celtic Park. "But Celtic fans will be looking at their team and thinking they are a strong side, quicker, better and they can win the match." However, MacLeod pointed out that the Old Firm occasion has sometimes proved too much for some notable names to handle. "There have been a lot of players and even big-name players who have turned up for an Old Firm game and not played well," he said. "Some players in the past, you have looked at them and thought that he will be great addition to the club and they have not produced anything. "You have to wait until the game actually happens and then decide how well they have played." MacLeod believes Leigh Griffiths could be the difference between the teams in Saturday's Old Firm derby - as long as the striker recovers from injury. The 26-year-old missed Scotland's 2018 World Cup qualifying win in Malta on Sunday with a hamstring complaint, but Celtic are confident he will recover in time to face Rangers in their first Premiership encounter of the season. "In any Old Firm game, you need people who can score goals and, when you have got Griffiths fully fit, that is so important because I think he is the one that will get goals," said MacLeod. "Griffiths is the guy you look at that is going to score, whether from outside the box or inside the box. He is a predator and he will score goals for you at all levels."

Summary: Celtic have got the better of Rangers in the summer transfer market, according to former Bhoys assistant manager Murdo MacLeod.


Antoinette McKeown was suspended on full pay in March 2015 and dismissed last November on the recommendation of an independent disciplinary panel. However, an independent appeals panel has overturned the ruling. It said it found flaws with the previous disciplinary process. Ms McKeown had been appointed as the head of Sport NI - the body charged with encouraging participation in sport - in June 2013.

Summary: BBC Sport NI understands that an independent appeals panel has overturned the charges of gross misconduct against the former chief executive of Sport NI.


Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would be equipped to help drive IS from its stronghold, Raqqa, a spokeswoman said. The US was "keenly aware" of Turkey's concerns about such a move, she added. Turkey views the Kurdish rebels as terrorists and wants to stop them taking more territory in Syria. The Pentagon later said US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had spoken by phone to his Turkish counterpart, Fikri Isik, but gave no details of the conversation. Turkish officials have not yet responded publicly. SDF forces, which comprise Kurdish and Arab militias, are already being supported by elite US forces and air strikes from a US-led coalition. The US has previously supplied light weapons and armoured vehicles to the Arab element of the SDF, known as the Syrian Arab Coalition. The SDF is currently battling IS for control of the city of Tabqa, an IS command centre just 50km (30 miles) from Raqqa. The Kurdish fighters are from the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey sees as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a group it has been fighting for decades. Last month, Turkey carried out air strikes on YPG positions in Syria which it described as "terrorist havens". The US believes the Kurdish fighters will be essential to Raqqa's downfall. The Pentagon sees them as the most disciplined and organised of the anti-IS groups but Turkish opposition has meant Washington has had to tread a fine line. The imminence of the fight for the city means delay is no longer an option and the Kurds will be getting a range of equipment. US sources say they have received assurances from the Kurds that they will leave Raqqa to be governed by Syrian Arabs after the battle. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due in Washington next week - he will not be a happy visitor. A Pentagon source told the BBC the equipment would include ammunition, small arms, machine guns, heavy machine guns, construction equipment such as bulldozers and armoured vehicles. The source added that the US would "seek to recover" the equipment afterwards. No timeline has been given for when the weapons would start to be supplied. "We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey," said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, who is travelling with Mr Mattis in Lithuania. "We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our Nato ally."

Summary: US President Donald Trump has approved supplying weapons to Kurdish forces fighting so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria, the Pentagon says.


The world number one responded to a post on Instagram that described the American as "very average". Spieth replied: "Couldn't be further from the truth troll. Go do research before hating." Defending champion Spieth bogeyed five of his first seven holes to trail the leaders by seven strokes on two over. The 22-year-old shot 30 under par to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January but his form has slumped recently, with a missed cut in the Northern Trust Open followed by a 17th-place finish in last week's WGC-Cadillac Championship. World number two Rory McIlroy backed his rival, posting on Twitter: "No, he's not TW (Tiger Woods), he's not slumping and he's not done. He's a double major winning 22 year old. He'll be just fine!!" Spieth, 22, also took exception to a post on the PGA Tour's official Twitter account that he thought used one of his remarks out of context. It highlighted a joke from the his post-round interview when asked whether he could accept having an occasional off day. The PGA post, later deleted, read: "What good is kicking the door other than hurting my foot and [having to] withdraw?" Spieth responded: "Seriously? That's the quote you're going to use out of that article?" He later explained: "I was a little upset. It made it seem like I was OK with getting hurt and withdrawing. I was frustrated with that." There were signs of encouragement for the Masters and US Open champion after his dreadful start as he recovered for a second round of 68, two shots inside the cut. "Today was all about the cut," he said. "I actually did pretty well to make six [at the first hole]. I thought it was really strong what we did after that. For the first 20 holes to be at six over and we finished at two over, [there are] only positives going forward." Steve Stricker holed a 150-yard shot for an eagle two in a 66 as he moved into the joint lead on five under with fellow American Will Mackenzie (67). They lead compatriots Daniel Berger (68) and Bill Haas (67), and Canada's Graeme DeLaet (66), by one stroke. England's Danny Willett is level par after a one-over 72, while Ian Poulter is one over after a level-par 71 and Scotland's Russell Knox improved to to two over with a 69. Luke Donald joined Knox after also firing a two-under 69. However, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell (72) and Martin Laird (75) were among those who missed the cut.

Summary: Jordan Spieth defended himself after being called "garbage" by an internet "troll" as he narrowly made the cut at the Valspar Championship in Florida.


They analysed the trigger conditions for a glaciation, like the one that gripped Earth over 12,000 years ago. The shape of the planet's orbit around the Sun would be conducive now, they find, but the amount of carbon dioxide currently in the air is far too high. Earth is set for a prolonged warm phase, they tell the journal Nature. "In theory, the next ice age could be even further into the future, but there is no real practical importance in discussing whether it starts in 50,000 or 100,000 years from now," Andrey Ganopolski from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said. "The important thing is that it is an illustration that we have a geological power now. We can change the natural sequence of events for tens of thousands of years," he told BBC News. Earth has been through a cycle of ice ages and warm periods over the past 2.5 million years, referred to as the Quaternary Period. This has seen ice sheets come and go. At its maximum extent, the last glaciation witnessed a big freeze spread over much of North America, northern Europe, Russia and Asia. In the south, a vast expanse of what are now Chile and Argentina were also iced up. A fundamental parameter determining what dips Earth into an ice age is the changing nature of its orbit around the Sun. The passage around the star is not a perfect circle and over time our planet's axis of rotation also rocks back and forth. These movements alter the amount of solar radiation falling on the Earth's surface, and if a critical threshold is reached in mid latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere then a glaciation can be initiated. Dr Ganopolski colleagues confirm this in their modelling but show also the role played by the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. And one of their findings is that Earth probably missed the inception by only a narrow margin a few hundred years ago, just before the industrial revolution took hold. "We are now in a period when our (northern) summer is furthest from the Sun," the Potsdam researcher explained. "Under normal circumstances, the interglacial would be terminated, and a new ice age would start. So, in principle, we are in the perfect conditions from an astronomical point of view. If we had a CO2 concentration of 240 parts per million (200 years ago) then an ice age could start, but luckily we had a concentration that was higher, 280ppm." Today, industrial society has taken that concentration to over 400ppm. The team says that an interglacial climate would probably have been sustained anyway for at least 20,000 years, and, very probably, for 50,000 years, even if CO2 had stayed at its eighteenth century level. But the almost 500 gigatonnes of carbon that has been released since the Industrial Revolution means we will likely miss the next best astronomical entry point into a glaciation, and with a further 500 gigatonnes of emissions the "probability of glacial inception during the next 100,000 years is notably reduced", the scientists

Summary: The next ice age may have been delayed by over 50,000 years because of the greenhouse gases put in the atmosphere by humans, scientists in Germany say.


It said there was a "high threat from terrorism", with stadiums, fan zones and transport hubs possible targets. UK counter-terrorism officers have been "a key part" of security planning and a team is in France, police said. Officers will also be stationed at Eurostar terminals and on some cross-Channel trains. It comes after officials in Ukraine arrested a Frenchman apparently inspired by extremist right-wing beliefs to plot a series of attacks. In his car he was carrying two rocket launchers, explosives, detonators, five Kalashnikovs and 5,000 rounds of ammunition, intelligence officials said. The advice from the Foreign Office was updated on Monday, although officials said this was not linked to the Ukrainian arrest. 'Concern' over Euro 2016 terror threat Move 'to shut Paris Euro 2016 fan zone' Commander Dean Haydon, the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terror squad, said they were working with French police and security and intelligence agencies across the world to establish whether there was a threat to the Euros. "We have seen propaganda, Islamic State (IS) and potential talk of plots against the Euros, but we're working with all those various different agencies to police and make the Euros a safe event and a safe games," he said. "Although the ultimate policing of the event and the planning is for the French, we are all involved in properly trying to understand the threat, if there is one." French ambassador to to the UK, Sylvie Bermann, said her country was well-prepared. Last November, 130 people were killed in Paris when gunmen and suicide bombers linked to IS attacked the Bataclan concert hall, restaurants and bars, and the Stade de France. Three explosions occurred outside the Stade de France stadium on the northern fringe of Paris where France were playing Germany in an international football friendly. One bomber and a passer-by were killed. Earlier in the year, two gunmen killed 12 people in an attack on the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. A further five people were killed when a third attacker took a Jewish supermarket hostage. Matches at Euro 2016, which begins on Friday, will be played across several stadiums including in Bordeaux, Lille and Toulouse. There are also a string of fan zones for thousands of supporters to watch the matches - including several in London. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have all qualified for the tournament, with thousands of fans expected to travel to France for matches. The England Supporters Club told the BBC the warning to fans would not stop one single fan from going to the tournament. Fans had been waiting for two years for the Euros - this threat was not going to stop them, it said. But Gavin Montgomery, from Guildford, Surrey, who has tickets for a match in the knock out phase of the tournament, said he was contemplating not going. "The threats have ruined it for me. I will not be able to relax in the stadium and I definitely won't be wearing my England shirt as I fear this will attract unnecessary attention," he said. Some told the BBC

Summary: Football fans travelling to France for Euro 2016 should be "vigilant at all times" in the face of terrorism threats, the Foreign Office has said.


The officer told French media how he and a colleague came face-to-face with one of three gunmen launching an attack, and shot him dead. Ninety concert-goers were killed at the Bataclan concert hall, where Eagles of Death Metal were playing. Dozens more people died in co-ordinated attacks across Paris on 13 November. The policeman, a department head at the Paris anti-crime brigade (BAC), told FranceInfo radio (in French) that he and his colleague had been responding to reports of an explosion at the Stade de France when they were redirected. They were ordered to go to the 10th and 11th arrondissements of Paris following news of shootings. On the way, they found panicked concert-goers fleeing the Bataclan and quickly decided to go inside. "What surprised us immediately was the extremely bright light that blinded us," said the officer, whose identity has been protected for security reasons. "The bewildering silence... and then hundreds of bodies one on top of the other." What happened at the Bataclan? Who were the victims? Soon after entering the music venue, the police duo saw a gunman walk on stage and point a Kalashnikov at an audience member. "He was very calm," the officer said. "Given the carnage, there was no doubt about what we had to do. We opened fire straight away. We kept shooting until he fell to the floor." The gunman was later identified as Foued Mohamed-Aggad, a 23-year-old French national from Strasbourg. The two officers, who reportedly only had service weapons and light bulletproof vests, then heard an explosion from elsewhere in the building and realised there were likely to be more attackers. Faced with extreme danger, the men phoned their loved-ones. "We decided we could not leave the scene - we could not leave these people," the officer said. "I was ready to die with my team that night. I phoned my girlfriend to say goodbye." Elite police units soon arrived at the scene. Two other attackers who took people hostage in the concert hall eventually died in a final police assault hours later. They were later identified as Frenchmen Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, and Samy Amimour, 28. Paris attacks: Who were the attackers?

Summary: The first police officer to arrive at the Bataclan has described the "indescribable moment of fear" he felt on entering the scene of the massacre.


The huge cache was viewable online for a few days in April, but the motoring organisation said that it contained no "sensitive" information. However, a security researcher who analysed the leak said he found details like email addresses, names and parts of payment card numbers. He said said it was a "very serious incident" the AA needed to address. AA president Edmund King said it first learned about the problem with data used for its online shop on 22 April. Soon after discovery, the firm that runs the shop on the AA's behalf was told about the problem. "They identified the vulnerability and the issue was resolved on 25 April," he said. A server "misconfiguration" was blamed for giving access to two back-up files that contained information about orders for maps and other products from retailers and some customers. The AA said it investigated, sampled the data and, because it was not sensitive and only accessed a few times, ended the investigation. The motoring group has started an independent inquiry into the breach and also told the UK's Information Commissioner about it. "We take any data issues incredibly seriously and would like to reassure our AA Shop customers that their payment details have not been compromised," said Mr King. Security researcher Troy Hunt alerted the BBC to the existence of the leak last week. At that time, the AA said it related to shop orders and contained no sensitive information. Mr Hunt, who runs a website dedicated to data breaches called Have I Been Pwned, persisted with his investigation, obtained a copy of the back-ups and subjected them to a deeper analysis. He found 117,000 unique email addresses in them as well as names, net addresses as well as credit card types, expiry dates and the final four digits of the card. A separate analysis by researcher Scott Helme for the Motherboard website found the same data in the cache. "I have confirmed with many Have I Been Pwned subscribers in the data and they have verified that it's accurate," said Mr Hunt. "They're customers of the AA and they never received a notification about the data exposure. "At no point does their statement acknowledge the severity of the exposed data nor that they failed to notify customers when learning of the exposure," he said. He added that discussions with the Information Commissioner might take a "decidedly different tone" when it learned about the customer data in the cache. Last week, the AA was forced to apologise after a mistake led to it issuing emails telling some members to update their passwords.

Summary: The AA has been criticised over the way it has handled a data breach involving 13 gigabytes of data.


The club wants to develop the former Twelve Oaks Golf Club in Highworth into a training ground and offices. The Robins' chairman, Lee Power said: "Nigel Eady left a significant sum of money in his will to be invested for the benefit of STFC and the community." Currently the club leases its stadium from Swindon Borough Council. Nigel Eady was a lifelong supporter of Swindon Town and bequeathed the undisclosed sum from his will. DBS Consulting is involved in the project and the ongoing talks between the trust and football club. Managing director, Les Durrant, said: "Discussions have been going on between the Nigel Eady Trust and Swindon Town because the trust want to invest in it, not just for the football club but also for the wider community. "The discussions have been around the trust taking ownership of the site and the facilities being developed for the football club to be used." The former golf club was bought by Mr Power a year go but as yet it has no planning permission. The hope is to create a new gym, treatment rooms, lecture rooms, grass training pitches and a floodlit 4G artificial surface pitch. On Wednesday evening, the club met the town councillors to talk through the project. Mr Power added: "We are working closely with the Nigel Eady Trust and the local community. "We will be developing our proposals in greater detail after further consultation with local people and clubs/organisations over the next few weeks. "We want this new training centre and pitch facilities to be of benefit to the local clubs as well as Swindon Town." The aim is to develop the site over the 24 months.

Summary: Swindon Town FC hopes to develop new training facilities with the help of money from a trust set up by a former supporter.


Nearly every bollard in Callander has been given a woolly makeover to mark the town's Winter Fest. The most popular covers have been knitted in the style of Olaf the snowman, from Disney movie favourite Frozen. They were created by women from the town's Meet and Make and Creative in Callander groups. Among them was 52-year-old Deborah O'Hara. She said the women, known as "yarn-bombers", had first knitted bollard covers as part of the town's Summer Fest and they had proven extremely popular. "People just love them. Visitors to the town have been stopping to get photographs of them," she said. "I have been watching them from the shop where I work. It's very funny to see people's faces. "There has of course been the odd joke and innuendo about them, but mostly people just love them." Visitors will be able to admire the covers from Thursday until Tuesday next week.

Summary: The appearance of woolly bollards in a Trossachs town has proved a major hit with visitors.


Mohammed Siddique, 60, and his son Mohammed Waqar, 24, admitted wilful cruelty to a child under 16. The four attacks took place at the Jamia Mosque in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, between May and June 2014, Birmingham Crown Court heard. The pair, from the Tyseley area of the city, also face a teaching ban. Sam Forsyth, prosecuting, said the victim was beaten with a plastic stick and given back-of-the-hand slaps by each of his tutors for "talking in the classroom" at a Birmingham Islamic centre. The boy was hit during four separate incidents, with photographs of his injuries showing "extensive" bruising to the back of his legs. Miss Forsyth said the boy had been left distressed by the experience. He told police "Waqar would call him names like 'paedo'," in the classroom, Miss Forsyth added. "He describes how this has had a great effect on him, causing him to lose hair as he was getting very stressed," she said. "When he was bruised he would try and hide them with clothing even in very hot weather and make excuses not to go to the centre, such as having tummy ache." Charanjit Jutla, defending, said both defendants were men of previous good character and deeply regretted their conduct. Judge Mark Wall QC told them: "These were not assaults committed in ignorance of how inappropriate it was to use corporal punishment such as this." He added: "Acts of brutality of this sort which you each indulged in, with a stick, will not be tolerated."

Summary: Two Islamic school teachers who beat a 10-year-old boy with a stick for reciting the Koran incorrectly have been jailed for a year.


Howard, who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), died at his home near Los Angeles on Wednesday. He was best known for the 1970s high school basketball series The White Shadow, in which he played the coach. SAG-AFTRA acting president Gabrielle Carteris said he was "inspirational" and "a light that never dimmed". A spokesman for the union added that Howard left "a legacy of service, commitment and superlative success". "He was an extraordinary actor, a Tony and Emmy Award winner, whose career spanned Broadway, motion pictures and television," he said. Stars of TV and film took to social media to pay tribute to Howard, who began his acting career on Broadway in 1968 after touring Europe and recording two albums with his college choral group, The Zumbyes. Mindy Kaling, who worked with Howard on The Office, tweeted he was "a great guy", while Terminator 2 star Robert Patrick wrote "glad I worked with 'Class'". Rob Lowe, who starred alongside Howard in The West Wing, tweeted he would "always remember" working with him on one of his "favourite scenes ever" from the show. George Clooney shared a memory with Deadline about meeting Howard while auditioning as a young actor. "I didn't get that audition, but I did get the chance to work with him years later. It was an honour," he said. "Today, his obituary read that he was six foot six, but he was so much taller than that." Born in California on 24 March 1944, Howard first came to prominence on stage, winning a Tony Award for his role in Child's Play on Broadway in 1970. He made his Hollywood debut in the same year, opposite Liza Minnelli in the drama Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, and would go on to star in a wide variety of films, including 1994 thriller Clear and Present Danger and 2005 comedy In Her Shoes. However, the SAG-AFTRA spokesman said it was as Coach Reeves in the "groundbreaking" series The White Shadow he would be best remembered, adding that years after the show ended in 1981, Howard was "frequently recognised on the street by fans who greeted him with a handshake and a 'Hey, Coach'". Howard won two Daytime Emmys for his work on television and starred in a range of shows, including Dynasty, The Colbys, Melrose Place and Crossing Jordan. He also made guest appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Murder She Wrote, The Golden Girls and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. He was elected as the Screen Actors Guild's president in 2009 and later helped it merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to form a new 160,000-member union. In 2011, he said in a letter to members that serving them as president was "the most important thing I have ever done". He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Linda Fetters Howard, and three adult stepchildren from a previous marriage.

Summary: Veteran TV and film actor Ken Howard has died at the age of 71.


The British actor plays Martin Luther King in the film about the 1965 campaign in Selma, Alabama, for equal voting rights for African-Americans. The film, out in the UK next week, has been lauded by critics but received no Bafta nominations. The film received two Oscar nominations - for best picture and best original song. "When it's the best reviewed film of the year, and it's a film of this significance, and you have British company Pathe producing it, and you have four Brits as the main characters of the film, you expect to be nominated for Baftas," Oyelowo told the BBC. "When that doesn't happen it sends an odd message." The Oxford-born actor, who now lives in Los Angeles, said he was proud to be a British actor and it was meaningful to him to have his work well-received in the UK. "For me, you keep it moving, you go on to the next thing, you have to, but I would not say that it is something you just brush off, and go 'OK, that's just happenstance'. It's disappointing." Selma has been a long-term project for Oyelowo, who first came across the script when he relocated to LA in 2007. He is best known to British TV viewers for his role as MI5 officer Danny Hunter in Spooks. His recent film appearances include Interstellar, A Most Violent Year, The Butler, Jack Reacher, The Paperboy and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Earlier this week Oyelowo attended Selma's European premiere in London. He was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Tom Wilkinson, who plays President Lyndon Johnson; Colman Domingo, who plays civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy; and director Ava DuVernay. DuVernay, who Oyelowo brought on board to make the film, said at the premiere that it was a "shame" that Bafta voters had not acknowledged his performance. "He's one of the brightest stars to come out of Britain of any colour. But particularly around this performance, that's so transformative, so important, so immersive. I'd have liked to have seen him get that." When the Oscar nominations were announced, a week after the Baftas, there was widespread surprise that both Oyelowo and DuVernay missed out in the acting and directing categories. Oyelowo told the BBC that he would be at the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, on 22 February, to support the film in its best picture nomination. "We're not underplaying at all that achievement," he said.

Summary: Former Spooks star David Oyelowo has expressed disappointment at the way Bafta has snubbed his new film Selma.


The "distinctive" thief was wearing top-to-toe fluorescent clothing when he entered the Coral shop in Emmanuel Street. He put his hand in his pocket as though he had a weapon, but when staff said they had no money, the thief fled. Police admitted he "was not trying to blend in" and appealed for witnesses. An officer said staff at the shop were left shaken by the ordeal on Sunday evening, but were not hurt. More on this and other stories from Cambridgeshire

Summary: An umbrella-wielding thief was thwarted when staff told him there was no cash at the bookmakers' he was attempting to rob in Cambridge.


Bridgend County Borough Council apologised following complaints after the new system was introduced on 5 June. But residents said bags of rubbish are still being left on the street by contractor Kier. The council said collections were getting back to normal again. A stream of complaints has continued to appear on social media, with some residents saying rubbish - including bags of nappies - have not been picked up for more than two weeks. Even First Minister Carwyn Jones took to Twitter to complain his collection was late. Gareth Davies, from Brynmenin, said: "It's absolute chaos. We've had loads of delays - at one point there were ripped up bin bags everywhere in the street. "We had the last collection yesterday on time but for some reason they didn't pick up all the purple nappy bags so now they are left out on the street." Stuart Vaughan, from Newton in Porthcawl, said the situation was "ridiculous". "In my street the collection is supposed to be on Friday. They turned up three days late but only picked up from half the houses. "The rest of the street had to wait until the following Friday for their collection." "Recycling has been left out on Porthcawl High Street for the past two weekends," he added. "It's absolutely disgusting. It's a resort - the council should be promoting it not leaving rubbish on the street." The new scheme aims to recycle almost all rubbish, with different coloured sacks for cardboard, paper, plastics and nappies and caddies for glass and food waste. Homes with fewer than five occupants are limited to throwing out two bags of non-recyclable waste every fortnight. But Mr Davies filmed refuse collectors throwing pre-sorted recycling altogether in the back of a bin lorry at a friend's house in the Broadlands area. He said: "Why are they asking people to separate their rubbish but then it all gets chucked in together anyway? It's very frustrating." A spokesman for Bridgend council said: "Kier put a number of short-term measures in place to deal with the backlog and help them get up to speed on collections, including bringing in extra staff and vehicles and working across the weekend. "A few residents questioned why recycling was temporarily collected in some areas using a refuse truck, but Kier had made separate arrangements for this to be re-sorted. "Despite issues experienced in the first few weeks of the scheme, collections are getting back to normal again. "The new system is being carefully monitored and evaluated, and further changes will be made over the next few weeks to ensure that it has bedded in properly and is running efficiently."

Summary: Bridgend's new recycling scheme is still in "absolute chaos" more than three weeks after it was introduced, residents have claimed.


Catherine Smith narrowly defeated Conservative Eric Ollerenshaw in Lancaster & Fleetwood with a majority of 1,265. In Burnley, Julie Cooper secured 14,951 votes, unseating Liberal Democrat Gordon Birtwistle in a 6.3% swing. Across the rest of the county, Labour held on to six seats while the Tories retained eight. MP elect for Lancaster & Fleetwood Catherine Smith said she would represent and champion the area "to the best of my ability". She also paid tribute to her predecessor Eric Ollerenshaw's work in the constituency. Mr Ollerenshaw said he hoped he "hadn't let anyone down" after a "long and hard battle". Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire after her win in Burnley, Julie Cooper said: "It's a fantastic end to the day. "I have worked for this for a very long time. I promise to give 100% for the people of Burnley." The married English teacher and Burnley FC season ticket holder added: "People have been told times are getting better but that is not what it seems if you have lost your job or are suffering welfare cuts." Mr Birtwistle said: "Labour threw the kitchen sink at this seat and we had far less resources." He added that he now plans to "go back to being retired, like I was before I was elected". In Blackburn, Kate Hollern retained the seat for Labour, increasing the majority that Jack Straw held by 2,904 votes for a total of 12,760. Mr Straw had been the town's MP since 1979 before he recently retired. However, the news wasn't so good for Mr Straw's son. Will Straw, Labour's candidate for the Rossendale & Darwen constituency failed in his bid to unseat Conservative Jake Berry. To find out your election result, go to BBC Election 2015.

Summary: Labour has made two gains in Lancashire taking one seat from the Conservatives and another from the Liberal Democrats.


Spanish official David Fernandez Borbalan ruled out a late Shane Duffy winner and waved away penalty appeals. West Brom's McClean described the referee as "Austria's 12th man" while O'Neill said the Spanish official was "very poor" in the Aviva Stadium game. Fifa has begun disciplinary processes. A Fifa spokesman told the BBC they are probing remarks made by both men and it is understood manager and player have until Friday to respond to the charges. As well as ruling out Duffy's header, Borbalan also decided against giving the Republic a penalty when Jon Walters went down under a challenge from Stefan Lainer. "It should count, the referee should have given the goal," the manager said of Duffy's header. "I personally think it typified the referee's performance. "The lineman thinks he has given a goal and he's almost up at the halfway line before he is called back." The Football Association of Ireland declined to make any comment when contacted on Wednesday. Fifa stated: "We can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened. "Be informed that two cases were opened: one against James McClean and another one against the coach Martin O'Neill." A spokesman for the world governing body said there will be no further comment as the matter is ongoing.

Summary: Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill and winger James McClean face punishment from Fifa for criticising the referee after the 1-1 draw in their World Cup qualifier with Austria.


The vessels, found by archaeologists at Must Farm near Peterborough in 2011, have now been dated to about 1500 BC, 200 years older than was first thought. Samples taken during the conservation process have revealed the boats to be made from oak, lime and field maple. The vessels are undergoing a two-year preservation programme at Flag Fen. The wooden craft are being sprayed with a special wax to stop the timbers from degrading, the same technique that was applied to the 16th Century Mary Rose warship. It is hoped the process will reveal more about the Must Farm log boats, one of which is almost 30ft (9m) long. Mark Knight, from Cambridge Archaeological Unit, said: "We've been carbon dating the sediment the boats were found in to try and create a detailed chronology of the river channel that once ran from the Midlands to the North Sea. "This will tell us when each of the boats were disposed of by the people of the time. "What we're now working on is carbon dating the actual boats which will give us an idea of when they were constructed. "This will then tell us how long they were in use and gives us a much greater depth to the history of the area." Visitors to Flag Fen will be able to watch conservators at work, with the aim of eventually putting the boats on public display in glass cabinets. Mr Knight said: "As we lack any texts from the time to tell us what was going on, the boats help us to better understand the levels of craftsmanship and technical sophistication of the time. "In the future we'll be judged by the technology we leave behind and these boats are a similar marker for the people of the Bronze Age." See more on the boats of Must Farm on Inside Out East, Monday at 19:30 on BBC One and for seven days after on the iPlayer.

Summary: Eight Bronze Age boats discovered in a deep Cambridgeshire quarry are much older than it was first thought, carbon-dating research has revealed.


Clifton, 18, spent the 2016-17 season on loan with Grantham Town in the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier division. He turned professional in July 2015 after coming through the academy, but is yet to play a game for the Mariners, who finished 14th this season. However, Clifton has earned a new deal after impressing manager Russell Slade, who replaced Marcus Bignot in April.

Summary: Midfielder Harry Clifton has signed a one-year contract extension with League Two side Grimsby Town.


Máiría Cahill won a by-election to fill the seat left vacant after Jimmy Harte of the Labour party resigned. Labour candidate Ms Cahill won 122 of the 188 valid votes cast by serving senators and members of parliament. Last year, she told the BBC she had been raped by an IRA man when she was 16, with the organisation forcing her into silence to protect itself. The man she accused of raping her was prosecuted but later acquitted of all charges against him after two separate court cases in 2014. Earlier this year, Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service apologised to Ms Cahill after a report into how it handled her allegations found delays in her case had been "unacceptable". Ms Cahill is a member of one of the Irish republican movement's most prominent families. But on Thursday, ahead of the by-election, she told Irish state broadcaster RTÉ she no longer considers herself a republican. She said she was "deeply sorry" for her involvement in the dissident group Republican Network for Unity, adding that it coincided with a vulnerable point in her life. "I didn't think about it at the time and I've had a lot of reflection since" she said. After her election, Ms Cahill said she would invite sex abuse organisations to the senate to discuss support for victims. "I want to use my time [in the senate] to continue to work for victims of abuse," she said. "That is the issue that has brought me to where I am today and it is the issue that I will continue to campaign on during my time as a senator. "I also want to use my time to explore ways of engaging young jobseekers in this country and to help change their lives for the better." Ms Cahill had been the favourite to win the by-election. The other candidates who stood were Fianna Fáil's Keith Swanick, who received 38 votes, Sinead Burke of Sinn Féin, who won 18 votes, and independent candidate Gerry Beades, who received 10.

Summary: A Belfast woman who has accused the IRA of a sex abuse cover-up has won a seat in the Irish senate.


The hearing in Ruthin was told 37-year-old Amarjeet Singh-Bhakar died from a stab wound to the neck after a disturbance in Prince Edward Avenue on 30 April. Two teenage boys have been charged with his murder and are due to stand trial in October. The inquest was adjourned. Mr Singh-Bhakar, from Manchester, owned a clothes shop in Rhyl's White Rose Centre.

Summary: An inquest has been opened into the death of a shopkeeper in Rhyl, Denbighshire.


Kevin McKearney and his elderly uncle Jack McKearney were shot at their family shop in County Tyrone in 1992 by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Their family has welcomed the report by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET). The HET found no evidence of security force collusion but also said it could not allay the family's suspicions. The report has identified eight areas of concern about the security force operation, both in the lead up to and the aftermath of the murders. The McKearney family were well-known in Republican circles and felt they were particularly vulnerable to attack. Days before the murders, Kevin's mother Maura had received a telephone call threatening that three men "in white coats" would be killed in Moy Square. The family, several of whom wore white coats while working at the butchers shop they owned in the centre of the County Tyrone village, reported the call to police through a local councillor. The HET report has concluded that the RUC "did not formally record or investigate the reported death threat". It stated that the McKearney family were given no police advice about their personal security after they were threatened. The inquiries team also said that the loss of forensic material during the RUC investigation, and the "fact that a special branch officer was aware of the getaway car three minutes after the murders" remained unexplained. Kevin McKearney, a father of four, was working behind the counter of the butcher shop on 3 January 1992 when a gunman walked in a shot him several times. The 32 year old died at the scene. His 68-year-old uncle John McKearney - known as Jack - was shot and seriously wounded in the attack. He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries three months later on 4 April 1992. The murders took place two weeks after a Protestant man was shot dead by Republican paramilitaries at his family's shop in the same village. Robin Farmer, the 19-year-old son of a policeman, was murdered on 21 December 1991 by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). The HET report stated Mr Farmer's murder had "raised fears among the Catholic community in Moy of a retaliatory attack because of the history of tit-for-tat sectarian murders in mid-Ulster throughout the Troubles". Mrs McKearney received the death threat from anonymous caller just six days after the teenager was killed. The butcher shop murders were not the first time the Troubles had affected the McKearney family. Three of Kevin's brothers had joined the IRA. In May 1974, his older brother Sean McKearney died when a bomb he was planting at a petrol station outside Dungannon exploded prematurely In May 1987, his brother Patrick McKearney was one of eight IRA men killed by the SAS when they tried to attack Loughall police station in County Armagh. Last year, a HET report into that incident concluded that the IRA opened fire first. A third brother, Tommy McKearney, was jailed for his involvement in the killing of a part-time UDR soldier in 1976. Tommy McKearney spent 53 days on hunger

Summary: A new report into the murders of two men shot by loyalist paramiltaries 20 years ago has concluded the RUC did not do enough to prevent their murders.


In an answer to Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Education Minister Anne Milton said the total 2016-17 budget for 16- to 19-year-olds in England was £5.9bn. But the Sixth Form College Association said its analysis of the detail showed only about £5.7bn had been spent. The government says it has tackled unfair funding in post-16 education. But the Sixth Form College Association says standalone sixth forms still lose out compared with sixth forms that are part of schools. And leaders of both schools and colleges say they have had to cut courses and reduce student support in response to growing funding pressures. The researchers say the shortfall amounts to a loss of £164 per student over the course of the year. The association says a survey of its members in standalone sixth-form colleges in October suggested two-thirds had dropped subject courses as a result of funding cuts and increased costs. While the Association of School and College Leaders, which represents secondary school head teachers, reports similar difficulties in school sixth forms. Sixth Form Colleges Association chief executive Bill Watkin said the quality of the education was suffering. "We urge the Department for Education to ensure that this £200m under-spend finds its way to colleges and schools in time for the beginning of the academic year in September," he said. "Ours is the last budget in the Department for Education that should be under-spent." And Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and Colleges, said schools were being hit across the board by rising costs "but the situation in post-16 education is even more serious because these pressures come on top of funding cutbacks in the last Parliament". Ms Lucas, vice-chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sixth Form Colleges, said she found it "hard to understand why £200m of the sixth-form education budget has not reached the education front line". "The government needs to clarify where this money has gone and ensure that it is redirected to school sixth forms and colleges as soon as possible," she said.

Summary: The government has under-spent its sixth-form education budget by £200m this year, analysis of figures from a written ministerial answer suggests.


It has been a long and controversial journey that began with Abid Naseer's radicalisation in Pakistan and ends in a maximum security prison in the US. But although MI5 and police in Britain have been vindicated by the verdict in a Brooklyn federal court, this is a case which has raised a number of uncomfortable questions. Why was Naseer not tried in the UK? This would clearly have been the preferred route given that Naseer, a Pakistani citizen in the UK on a student visa, was accused of plotting to blow up people on the streets of a British city. However, despite carrying out one of the largest ever counter-terrorism investigations - involving the surveillance of a dozen suspects, the Crown Prosecution Service said there was not enough evidence to put any of the men on trial. There were emails between Naseer and a suspected al-Qaeda operative in Pakistan - allegedly coded discussions about a possible imminent attack on the city centre. But crucially no explosives or chemicals were found and no gathering of ingredients to make bombs. The authorities felt they could not risk running the surveillance operation any longer. Police were forced to move in more quickly than planned when secret operational details written on papers held by a senior detective were photographed as he was entering 10 Downing Street for a briefing. A subsequent report by Lord Carlile, then the government's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, found this would not have affected the issue of the evidence - but it criticised the lack of co-ordination between the police and the CPS during the investigation. Why was Naseer extradited to the US? This is one of a number of cases where critics suggest Britain is effectively sub-contracting difficult legal cases to the US - where juries are much more likely to convict terror suspects. After the decision not to charge Naseer, the Home Office attempted to deport him to Pakistan, along with those other arrested men who had not voluntarily returned there. But the High Court blocked it because of the risk he would be mistreated. At the same time they concluded Naseer was "an al-Qaeda operative who posed and still poses a serious threat to the national security of the United Kingdom". So the UK authorities could not put him on trial, could not deport him and did not want him left free to roam the streets. He spent a brief time on a control order but the dilemma was only resolved when US prosecutors announced they wanted to try Naseer in New York and he was extradited from the UK. They said - and the jury has now agreed - that he was part of a wider al-Qaeda conspiracy to attack Britain, America and Norway. Lord Carlile told the BBC: "In every case you have to find where the most convenient forum is for the trial. That will depend on where the evidence lies. "If the evidence lies in the United States, particularly the key evidence, then one would expect the trial to be in the United States."

Summary: Nearly six years after MI5 and armed police dramatically disrupted an al-Qaeda plot to launch suicide attacks on shoppers in Manchester, the ringleader has finally been convicted.


The huts on Friars Cliff beach in Christchurch, Dorset, have no fittings, running water or electricity and cannot be used between 22:00 and 06:00. Even so the 8ft x 7ft huts were sold within weeks by Christchurch Borough Council, fetching £42,000 each. The buyers will also have to pay a £757 annual licence fee to the council and rates of about £450. Judith Plumley, from the council, said: "The fact that these huts have sold so quickly shows that there is a great demand for people to have a hut in one of the prime locations on the south coast. "The funds generated will help to resource other projects and services across the borough." There are 167 privately-owned huts on Friars Cliff beach.

Summary: Eleven new beach huts the size of garden sheds have sold for a total of £462,000.