Earlier, the charges, levelled under an apartheid-era law, were suspended following a national outcry. The first 100 miners will be freed on Monday, and the rest on Thursday. Also on Monday, talks are set to resume on ending the strike that led to killing of the 34 workers at the Marikana platinum mine. Police says they opened fire on the strikers in self-defence after being threatened by a crowd of protesters who advanced towards them, armed with machetes. The strike, called in support of demands for a substantial pay rise and recognition of a new union, continues and the mine remains closed three weeks on. The mine's owner, Lonmin, the world's third-largest platinum producer, says the industrial action is illegal. By Farouk ChothiaBBC News By suspending the charges, state prosecutors have helped President Jacob Zuma salvage some of his credibility. He has been under heavy criticism over what has been dubbed the "Marikana massacre". Militant youth leader Julius Malema demanded his resignation, comparing his government to that of the apartheid regime. Mr Zuma's allies denounced Mr Malema - under investigation on fraud and tax avoidance charges - as a maverick and an opportunist. But there is no doubt that the Marikana killings have damaged Mr Zuma, ahead of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) December conference, which decides whether he remains party leader. And it has strengthened the hand of his opponents, who are lobbying his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, to contest the party's leadership. Mr Motlanthe is yet to declare his intentions, but there is no doubt that Mr Zuma's presidency is in deep trouble. But it has dropped its demands that the strikers go back to work or face the sack. After the shootings, state prosecutors invoked the apartheid-era "common purpose" doctrine to charge the 270 miners arrested during the violence with provoking police to open fire. The rule was used by the white-minority apartheid regime to crack down on its black opponents, at the time mainly represented by the African National Congress, which is now in power. On Sunday, the acting national director of prosecutions, Nomgcobo Jiba, held a news conference to announce the charges would be provisionally dropped She added, however, that the charges cannot be dismissed formally until the end of the inquiry. Those whose addresses have been verified by police will be released on Monday, and the rest will remain in custody until their next court appearance on Thursday, Ms Jiba said. The decision to charge the men had drawn condemnation from political parties, trade unions, activists and legal experts. On Friday, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe demanded a report from state prosecutors to explain the reasoning behind it. BBC South Africa analyst Farouk Chothia says the move to shelve the charges has salvaged some of the government's credibility. But he says the government will have to make sure that the miners co-operate with the judge-led commission of inquiry that was set up by Mr Zuma to investigate the 16 August shootings. South African media reports suggest some of the mine workers have decided to hold their own

Summary: South African courts are to begin releasing 270 striking miners charged with murder after 34 of their colleagues were shot dead by police.


The material is to be transported by road from the nuclear power complex to Scrabster harbour for shipping to Sellafield in Cumbria. A nine mile (14.4km) stretch of the A836 would be involved. Dounreay is being decommissioned and tonnes of its radioactive material is being reprocessed at Sellafield. Other items have been taken to the Cumbrian nuclear site by train, and also flown to the US and shipped to Belgium. Dounreay said the removal of the latest material formed part of a new phase of the clean up of the site near Thurso. A spokesperson for Dounreay said: "Dounreay is being demolished, so nuclear materials are being returned to national stocks. "This programme started in 2001 and is expected to take several more years to complete. "Our priority at all times is to comply with regulations designed to ensure the safety and security of nuclear materials, both while in storage and transit." The A836 forms part of the North Coast 500 (NC500) tourist route. Tom Campbell, managing director of the tourism initiative, said: "The North Coast 500 is based on roads where people live, work commute as well as visit and enjoy the north Highlands and these roads, like all roads are subject to closures, roadworks and diversions. "The nine mile stretch represents less than 2% of the NC500 and our understanding is that actual closures will be rare and infrequent."

Summary: A stretch of road in Caithness is to be closed for short periods on occasions over the next 12 months so nuclear material can be moved from Dounreay.


Mewn un achos, dywedodd un ddynes 18 oed oedd yn feichiog ei bod wedi ei rhoi ar ward ar ei phen ei hun a heb gael ymwelwyr "am ei bod yn sipsi". Daeth yr achos i'r golwg yn dilyn arolwg o brofiadau teithwyr a sipsiwn o'r gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru. Dywedodd yr Ysgrifennydd Iechyd Vaughan Gething fod "sialensiau go iawn" yn bodoli a bod angen gwneud mwy. Dywedodd cadeirydd y Grŵp Trawsbleidiol ar Sipsiwn a Theithwyr yn y Cynulliad, yr AC Llafur Julie Morgan, fod yr anffafriaeth yn "gwbl warthus". Yn ôl y ffigyrau diweddaraf mae dros 900 o sipsiwn a theithwyr yn byw mewn carafanau ar draws Cymru, gyda 35% yn byw ar safleoedd yng Nghaerdydd a Sir Benfro. Cafodd tua 100 o sipsiwn a theithwyr eu holi fel rhan o'r arolwg - y cyntaf o'i fath yn Ewrop - rhwng Ebrill 2016 a Mawrth 2017. Disgrifiodd y teithwyr eu trafferthion wrth geisio cael mynediad at feddygon teulu, gan honni eu bod yn dioddef anffafriaeth gan staff mewn derbynfeydd a thrafferthion wrth ysgrifennu manylion meddygol gan nad oedd llawer yn gallu ysgrifennu. Roedd eu hamheuon am ddeintyddion hefyd wedi arwain at blant yn dweud eu bod wedi gorfod tynnu rhwng 10 a 20 o ddannedd oedd wedi pydru. Dywed awdur yr adroddiad, Dr Adrian Marsh fod rhai meddygon yn rhoi presgripsiwn i deithwyr dros gyfnod yr haf pan roeddynt yn teithio i wyliau a digwyddiadau diwyllianol, ond nid pob meddyg oedd yn gwneud hyn. Dywedodd fod nifer fawr o ymwelwyr o'r cymunedau hyn yn ymweld ag ysbytai yn ystod oriau ymweld yn gallu creu tensiwn ac arwain at ffraeo. Roedd rhai enghreifftiau o arfer da wedi eu tanlinellu yn yr adroddiad, yn enwedig yn y gogledd. Wrth siarad yn ystod lansiad yr adroddiad yng Nghaerdydd, dywedodd Julie Morgan AC fod profiadau'r cymunedau'n aml yn "negyddol" ac roedd pobl yn nerfus am ofyn am gymorth. Dywedodd ei bod yn gobeithio y byddai'r adroddiad yn gynllun ar gyfer gwella gwasanaethau ar gyfer y cymunedau hyn. "Mae na engheifftiau da iawn wedi bod, perthynas dda iawn gyda nyrsys ardal, gyda meddygon teulu, ond hefyd llawer o straeon am anffafriaeth, anhawsterau wrth gael mynediad at y gwasanaeth iechyd, y ffordd y cafodd pobl eu trin, stigma, ac mae hyn yn dangos y sefyllfa, ac mae'n rhywbeth mae'n rhaid i ni ei daclo," meddai. Dywedodd Mr Gething fod Llywodraeth Cymru'n gweithio mewn partneriaeth gyda byrddau iechyd i wella mynediad at wasanaethau'r GIG i'r cymunedau.

Summary: Mae sipsiwn a theithwyr yn wynebu rhwystrau wrth geisio derbyn gofal iechyd yng Nghymru o achos anffafriaeth, medd arolwg newydd.


The 21-year-old made his debut for the League Two Essex side in 2013 and scored 14 goals in 76 appearances. He spent part of this season on loan at National League leaders Lincoln City, where his only goal in eight outings came in a 1-0 win at Tranmere Rovers Woking are in the relegation zone with one win in their last five games and play Eastleigh on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.

Summary: National League Woking have signed striker Macauley Bonne on a one-month loan from Colchester United.


PC Neil Doyle, 36, died after he and two colleagues were attacked near the Aloha Club, in Colquitt Street, on a Christmas night out on 19 December. Three men have been accused of murdering Mr Doyle and are due to face trial on 22 June. The match was played between Ormskirk Rugby Club and Merseyside Police's rugby team. They were due to play the fourth Green & Blue game, named after the respective colours of the clubs, on 20 December but the match was postponed following Mr Doyle's death. A post-mortem examination found the cause of Mr Doyle's death was bleeding around the brain. Christopher Spendlove, 30, and Andrew Taylor, 28, pleaded not guilty to murdering the officer and wounding his two colleagues when they appeared in court on 20 March. Timmy Donovan, 30, formerly of Huyton, has been remanded in custody after he was extradited following his arrest in Germany, in January. He is due to enter his pleas on 8 June. Nearly Â£30,000 has been raised for a memorial fund in PC Doyle's name, with donations going towards Merseyside Police Federation Charitable Trust. PC Doyle was based at Eaton Road station in West Derby, Liverpool.

Summary: A rugby match has been held in honour of an off-duty police officer killed in Liverpool last year.


It said the "damning" information on the new driver-only-operated (DOO) services came from passengers and rail workers. Southern said industrial action and a drivers' overtime ban had displaced its on-board supervisors "on occasions". A 24-hour walkout by RMT conductors on the Southern network over changes to their roles is under way. Southern is replacing conductors with on-board supervisors (OBS) who would no longer be in charge of closing train doors. The company has said the changes it is making are "small" and "safe". But the RMT believes public safety is at risk. It also says a second member of staff on trains is critical. The union said that, in previous correspondence to MPs, Southern anticipated 0.06% of trains would run without an OBS, the equivalent to one service, every two days. But the RMT said information provided for five days - 9, 12, 14, 15 and 18 January - suggested 15 trains travelled without one. It said this was at least six times more trains than promised. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said the union believed the instances of trains running without a second person were "far more widespread and will rapidly and substantially increase". A Southern spokesperson said: "Last-minute changes to some services caused by the industrial action and the drivers' overtime ban has displaced the on-board supervisor so that, on occasions, they've not been able to join the train. "Previously, this train would have had to be cancelled but we can now run the service and avoid disrupting hundreds of passengers."

Summary: Many more Southern trains than promised are travelling without a second member of staff, the RMT union has claimed.


Lila Tretikov wrote in an email that it was time for her to move on. A leaked memo suggesting the Foundation was looking at creating a "commerce-free" search engine had upset the volunteer Wikimedia community. Many were angry that it had not been discussed first, as transparency is key to the ethos of the organisation. In September 2015, Wikimedia was awarded a $250,000 grant from a trust called the Knight Foundation for work to "advance new models for finding information by supporting stage one development of the Knowledge Engine by Wikipedia, a system for discovering reliable and trustworthy public information on the internet," according to a document uploaded by Wikimedia itself. The project summary at the end of the document - although its author is unclear - states that the Knowledge Engine would be "the world's first transparent search engine, and the first one originated by the Wikimedia Foundation". The leaders of the team were listed as Ms Tretikov, vice-president Wes Moran and Wikimedia head director of search and discovery Tomasz Finc. However, in published notes from a meeting to discuss the controversy, Ms Tretikov is recorded as saying the grant news had been shared "without context". A new team had been set up, given the task of researching "how Wikimedia users seek, find, and engage with content", Ms Tretikov wrote in a piece co-authored with Mr Moran. But they went on to deny that a search engine was the intended outcome. "What are we not doing? We're not building a global crawler search engine," they wrote. "We're not building another, separate Wikimedia project... Despite headlines, we are not trying to compete with other platforms, including Google." Wikipedia editor William Beutler recently told the website Motherboard that the controversy was the result of a "culture clash" between the Foundation and its volunteers. "The community is this volunteer group that is made up of people who largely buy into Wikipedia for ideological reasons," he said. "Then you have the Foundation, which has increasingly fewer people from the community and a larger Silicon Valley contingent that comes from a tech background." The Wikimedia Foundation has been contacted by the BBC for comment.

Summary: The executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, has resigned after denying the group is considering building a search engine.


Vikki Thompson was being held at Armley where she was found dead on Friday. She told her friends she would kill herself if she was sent to a male prison. The incident prompted the prisons minister to respond to an urgent question in the House of Commons. Andrew Selous told a debate they are "reviewing prison service instruction". Updates on this story and more from around West Yorkshire Tim Farron, Lib Dem leader, tweeted: "We must reform the law urgently." Cat Smith, shadow minister for women and equalities, asked if the policy guidelines for transgender prisoners were adequate, and if they are being properly applied. Mr Selous responded: "Her death like all others in custody is a tragedy and we are totally committed to reducing the number of deaths in prisons. "We believe that Vikki Thompson was being looked after in accordance with the relevant procedures, but that is now a matter for the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and Coroner." He said a review of the policy relating to the care of transgender prisoners had begun earlier this year, and revised policy guidance will be issued and implemented "in due course". It is estimated there are around 80 transgender prisoners in the UK, although the Ministry of Justice does not keep precise figures. The debate also follows a transgender woman being sent to a men's prison in Bristol. 80 is the current estimate of transgender people in UK prisons 85,977 prisoners are men, according to the latest figures 3,935 prisoners are female Tara Hudson, from Bath, was later transferred to a female prison after a campaign to get her moved. Ms Smith said: "I first raised the issue of Tara Hudson, a young trans woman who was placed in a men's prison on the floor of this house on the 3rd of November. "It's a tragedy that within three weeks of that, we are once again discussing the issue of trans prisoners." Jackie Brooklyn, Ms Hudson's mother, said her daughter was "absolutely heartbroken and disgusted" when she heard about Vikki Thompson's death. She said: "I just think if she was living as a woman she should have been put in a ladies' jail, possibly under segregation for her welfare." Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, said: "It really seems like something from another era to be putting a transgender woman into a man's prison. "The tragic consequences of that is there needs to be an inquiry into how this happened. It's certainly time to change the guidelines to avoid this happening again." Thompson, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, was handed a 12-month jail term in August which was suspended for 24 months. The BBC understands she later breached the terms of the sentence and was remanded in custody at Bradford Crown Court. An investigation into her death has been launched, the Prison Service said. West Yorkshire Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious. An inquest into Vikki Thompson's death is expected to be opened next week in Wakefield. Source: The Care and Management of Transsexual Prisoners, Ministry

Summary: The government has announced it is re-examining its policy on transgender prisoners following the death of a woman in a male prison in Leeds.


Small studies by UK and Korean scientists indicated patients were less likely to fixate on food and body image after a dose of oxytocin. About one in every 150 teenage girls in the UK are affected by the condition. The eating disorders charity Beat said the finding was a long way from becoming a useable treatment. Oxytocin is a hormone released naturally during bonding, including sex, childbirth and breastfeeding. It has already been suggested as a treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders, and has been shown to help lower social anxiety in people with autism. And one four-week study in Australia found people given doses of oxytocin had reduced weight and shape concerns. In the first of the most recent studies, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31 patients with anorexia and 33 people who did not have the condition were given either a dose of oxytocin, delivered via nasal spray, or a placebo, or dummy, treatment. They then looked at a series of images to do with a range high and low calorie foods and people of different body shapes and weight. People with anorexia have previously been found to focus for longer on images of overweight people and what they perceive as undesirable body shapes. However after taking oxytocin, patients with anorexia were less likely to focus on such "negative" images of food and fat body parts. The second study, published in PLOS ONE, involved the same people and looked at their reactions to facial expressions, such as anger, disgust or happiness. It has been suggested that anorexia can be linked to a heightened perception of threat, and animal research has shown oxytocin treatment lessened the amount of attention paid to threatening facial expressions. In this study, patients with anorexia were less likely to focus on the "disgust" faces after oxytocin treatment. They were also less likely to avoid looking at angry faces. Eating disorder expert Prof Janet Treasure, from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, led both studies. She said: "This is early stage research with a small number of participants, but it's hugely exciting to see the potential this treatment could have. "We need much larger trials, on more diverse populations, before we can start to make a difference to how patients are treated." Her co-researcher, Prof Youl-Ri Kim, from Inje University in Seoul, South Korea, added: "Our research shows that oxytocin reduces patients' unconscious tendencies to focus on food, body shape, and negative emotions such as disgust. "There is currently a lack of effective pharmacological treatments for anorexia. "Our research adds important evidence to the increasing literature on oxytocin treatments for mental illnesses, and hints at the advent of a novel, ground-breaking treatment option for patients with anorexia." Leanne Thorndyke, of the eating disorders charity Beat, said: "Eating disorders are complex, and a number of risk factors need to combine to increase the likelihood that any one individual develops the condition. "Brain chemistry and hormonal factors are part of the mix, with adrenaline, dopamine and the various appetite regulating hormones such as ghrelin being active areas for researchers as

Summary: A hormone released during childbirth and sex could be used as a treatment for the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, scientists suggest.


Media playback is not supported on this device A statement from F1's governing body the FIA said the man gained "unauthorised access" to the circuit. The FIA said: "We are awaiting a full report from the clerk of the course in order to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident." Race winner Sebastian Vettel said: "Fortunately nothing happened to us or him. It's not what you want to see." It is the second time this year someone has gained access to a track during a grand prix weekend, with a spectator running across the circuit during practice at the Chinese Grand Prix in April. Media playback is not supported on this device It is also the third time in recent history that a track invader has disrupted a grand prix. In 2003, a man wearing a kilt ran across the track during the British Grand Prix. And a disaffected former Mercedes employee invaded the track during the 2000 race in Germany. Vettel, who drives for Ferrari, made a joke about this incident, which has been reported to involve an English tourist. "When I was watching F1 there was a scene in Hockenheim and then a couple of years later in Silverstone," he said. "This guy was fairly boring. He could have dressed a little funny or something. "Now we are joking about it, but it is fairly serious." Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who finished second, added: "He was on his phone taking pictures, probably for Instagram or something. "I hope he got some more followers because it's got to be worth a night in prison."

Summary: A 27-year-old man who invaded the Formula 1 track during the Singapore Grand Prix has been arrested.


The 48-year-old retired in 2005 after an illustrious career, scoring 168 goals for the Italian club and 56 times for his country. But he told Fifa.com he has "difficulty walking" because of the effort he put into his game. "I gave much more than I actually had to give," Batistuta said. In 2014, Batistuta revealed he had asked doctors to amputate his legs because of the severe pain he was suffering. After surgery to relieve the pressure on his cartilage and tendons, his condition improved, but he has been left with mobility problems.

Summary: Former Argentina and Fiorentina striker Gabriel Batistuta has revealed he struggles to walk after his 17 years in football.


The line, from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, opened last year at a cost of Â£350m and carried almost 700,000 people in its first six months. That was 22% more than forecast for the route, which serves towns including Galashiels, Stow and Gorebridge. The line's success is the focus of a conference being held in Newtongrange. Allison Cosgrove, from campaign group Railfuture Scotland, organised this weekend's event. She said: "The Borders reopening has exceeded all expectations, so naturally there's interest from other parts of the country from people wanting to share that success. "The whole area is beginning to benefit from this project, with a hugely positive impact on local tourism. "We'll be telling the story from the point of view of campaigners and politicians, as well as looking at the practical challenges of rebuilding the railway." The Borders was without any connection to the rail network from 1969 until last year after the Waverly Route was axed in cuts recommended by Dr Richard Beeching in his British Railways reports in the 1960s. A plan to reopen the line was passed in the Scottish Parliament in 2006 with work starting in November 2012 and the first passengers travelling last September. The conference is being held at the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange, Midlothian, on Saturday. Ms Cosgrove added: "It's appropriate that we've chosen a venue on the reopened line. "It's one of a collection of small towns in a forgotten area of Scotland which have been regenerated and reinvigorated. "Railways are now being talked about in Scotland, thanks to the success of the longest rail reopening for a hundred years."

Summary: Small towns on the Borders railway route have been "regenerated and reinvigorated" by the opening of the line, campaigners have said.


The world ranking event is part of the new Home Nations quartet of events - any player who wins all four tournaments will receive a £1m bonus. It is the first professional tournament in Northern Ireland since 2008. "It's brilliant. Everyone's been asking about an event here and now we've got one," said Belfast player Joe Swail. The format for the tournament, to take place from 14-20 November, will be a flat draw with all players starting in the first round. Total prize money for each of the Home Nations events will be £366,000, with the winner to receive £70,000. "There's definitely an appetite for a ranking event. Belfast is a brilliant place and I think the event will be a great success," added the two-time World Championship semi-finalist. "I feel as if snooker is coming home with these new big events in the UK. "I know the game is growing massively in China and it's nice to travel. "But for snooker in the UK to keep improving, it's important that we develop the game at grassroots and it helps the profile of the game having tournaments like this."

Summary: Titanic Belfast is to be the venue for the new Irish Open tournament in November, at which 128 of the world's leading players will compete.


Officials said security camera footage showed two white males placing the flags on the ground at the church. They were discovered by maintenance workers on Thursday morning. One of the church's pastors said it was "a hateful act" meant to intimidate churchgoers. The flag is very divisive in the US and seen as a symbol of slavery by critics. Staff were disturbed when they came across the flags at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, according to the Reverend Shannon Jones. "Our groundsmen were so upset, they took pictures and then they moved them," she told reporters. She said the church has been holding a conference on the role of black churches in social justice issues this week. "We do have images of two white males placing those flags on the campus," police chief George Turner said at a news conference. There were no more details about the suspects but Mr Turner said the video would be released to the public soon. "We've seen this kind of ugliness before," he said, adding that it was disgusting but not surprising. He said they had "good, strong physical evidence" and were not ruling it out from being a hate crime. Rev Raphael Warnock, a senior pastor at the church, said: "It is a hateful act. I view it as an effort to intimidate us in some way, and we will not be intimidated." Mr King once preached at the church in Georgia's capital. The Confederate flag is the battle emblem of the southern states in the US Civil War, and its supporters today say it is an important part of southern heritage. The backlash against it grew when nine black people were shot dead at a South Carolina church in June. The man charged with the killings, Dylann Roof, was pictured holding the flag.

Summary: US police are investigating after four Confederate flags were found on the grounds of a church near the Martin Luther King Jr Center in Atlanta.


The 28-year-old previously spent time in England with Notts County, and has played for St Mirren and Ross County. He will officially join the Stags on 1 January, subject to international clearance, and is Steve Evans' first signing for the League Two club. "We are working hard to add to the quality we have and this lad will give us that initial quality," said Evans. Mansfield have not disclosed the length of Arquin's deal.

Summary: Mansfield Town have signed striker Yoann Arquin after the Frenchman left Swedish side Syrianska.


Bryony Freestone, 19, from Little Houghton, Northampton, died off the island of Koh Chang on 14 August. Kurtis Middleton, who had been with the Exeter University student for more than three years, said she taught him "to seize life by the horns". Her twin Sophie said Bryony recently said "if she were to die right now, she would have lived her life to the full". Bryony, a student at the university's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, was said to be "talented, dedicated and hugely popular". Describing her as "my beautiful Bryony", her boyfriend said: "You were more than just my partner, you were my best friend and over our three years and three months we had together I've grown into a much better person, simply through knowing you." Her sister agreed, saying: "You were the most vibrant, passionate, happy person I have ever known, enthusiastic about absolutely everything. "I will endeavour to live my life the best I can for her." Mr Middleton added: "Bry taught me how to seize life by the horns and make the most of every moment... we could all learn a lesson from her. "Sleep tight Bryony, I love you with all my heart." Earlier this week the Foreign Office confirmed it was supporting the family of a British national "who sadly died in Thailand on 14 August".

Summary: The boyfriend of a student who drowned in Thailand has spoken of the "big open space where [she] should be".


On 30 June, the trust reported a year to-date deficit of Â£738,000 compared to a planned shortfall of Â£125,000. Monitor said the trust's "finances will continue to deteriorate" and is yet to decide on whether further regulatory action is needed. The BCPFT said its finances were its "biggest challenge". Karen Dowman, chief executive of the trust, said: "We have already started a programme of activity to identify cost-savings and improve our financial sustainability, and to put in place safeguarding checks to ensure efficiencies do not compromise care." Marianne Loynes, regional director at Monitor, said: "No decision has been taken about whether further regulatory action is required and an announcement about the outcome of the investigation will be made in due course." The trust provides mental health, learning disability and community healthcare services across Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Summary: The Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (BCPFT) is being investigated by a health regulator due to concerns over its finances.


England beat France 2-0 in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday but do not play again until March. Hodgson wants to spend time with the players to keep the team spirit intact, after a run of 13 wins from 16 games since the 2014 World Cup. "I would like an afternoon or early evening with the players," he said. "We can go through a little bit of what we have done in the Spain game and the France game and see what we want to do going forward. "I am hoping that the clubs will go along with that. To be honest there wasn't an enormous amount of opposition to it last time around. "I guess with any luck we will get that afternoon but it will have to be discussed with the clubs to make sure they think it is an afternoon that is right for them because I and (assistant) Ray Lewington are full-timers and can go any time it suits them." England will build up to next summer's European Championship with March friendlies against world champions Germany in Berlin and Netherlands at Wembley. With injured players coming back into contention next year, Hodgson will add up to another four friendlies in the build-up to the tournament in France, which starts in June. "We are hoping to have at least three warm-up games, possibly four, in addition to the two in March so we will have games," Hodgson added.

Summary: Boss Roy Hodgson wants to resurrect plans for a winter meeting for his England squad - an idea previously vetoed by Premier League clubs.


The Legged Squad Support System - referred to by some as "the big dog" - is capable of carrying 400lbs (181.4kg) of equipment over rugged terrain. But the US Marines now say its petrol-powered engine is too noisy for them to use in battle. Google has long said it planned to move away from its military contracts. The LS3 was developed by Boston Dynamics - a robotics firm acquired by Google in 2013 - as part of a tie-up with the Pentagon's research arm, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). The robot can follow troops on foot through rugged terrain, carrying their gear. It can also interpret verbal and visual commands. However, after a major field trial in 2014, flaws in the robot also became apparent, according to Kyle Olson, a spokesman for the Marines' Warfighting Lab. "There was the challenge of seeing [its] potential... because of the limitations of the robot itself," he told Military.com. "They took it as it was: a loud robot that's going to give away their position." The machine, which has a gas-powered engine, is said to emit a lawnmower-like noise that would be unviable in combat situations. It is also thought to be difficult to repair. In response, Boston Dynamics did create a quieter, electric-powered alternative, called Spot. But despite successful trials in September 2015, the Marines have decided not to take it forward either. This, they said, was because Spot is smaller, can only carry up to 40lbs, and lacks the automation capacity of the LS3. Google said as far back as 2013 that it planned to move away from its military contracts, which it inherited as part of its acquisition of the company. The tech firm has said it intends to develop robots for use in manufacturing and industry instead. Noel Sharkey, co-director of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, told the BBC: "Spot ... lacks the autonomous operation of Big Dog, but that really is not so much of a problem and would not require a vast amount of research. "The problem is that to take the extra steps need to upgrade the battery-driven Spot to the level of Big Dog could require a couple of years development or more and thus a new Darpa contract. "So, what this looks like is a face saving statement by the Marine Corps to make it look like they are dumping Google/Boston Dynamics before they they got dumped themselves."

Summary: The US army says it has mothballed plans to deploy a robot developed in conjunction with Google because it is "too loud".


Kyle Jordan, of Fleetwood, Lancashire, had staked £5 on an accumulator bet in which he not only needed to predict the outcome of six matches, but also for both teams in each to score. When Everton trailed 2-0 against West Bromwich Albion in the final match, the 30-year-old thought the game was up. But the Toffeemen recovered to win 3-2 and complete Mr Jordan's 9,172-1 bet. The oil and gas worker said he could not believe his luck when Everton striker Romelu Lukaku's 84th-minute goal sealed his £45,865 windfall. He said: "I was watching the game with my mate and my girlfriend and as Everton went 2-0 down, I thought that was it. "But when the final whistle went we all started jumping around the room." The victory was made all the sweeter, he said, because he resisted the option to "cash out" on his bet before the final result was in. Had he done so, he would have had to settle for a £4,100 payout. Mr Jordan said he wanted to take his partner and two children on holiday to the United States with some of his winnings.

Summary: A football fan has won more than £45,000 after Everton's thrilling last-gasp victory at West Brom.


For the half year to 30 September, lending was up 14% to Â£14.9bn, and profits rose to Â£802m However, it said that it expected "downward pressure" on its profit margins in its second half and next year due to "robust" competition. It added that incoming chief executive Joe Garner will take up his position in the spring. "This has been our best ever half year of mortgage lending along with a strong inflow of savings and the opening of over a quarter of a million new current accounts," said chief executive Graham Beale. "Mutuals, like Nationwide, are different from the banks... Nationwide is evidence that you can be successful by doing the right thing," he added. The building society said in its outlook that healthy employment growth and "robust demand from investors" - including buy to let - had driven up prices, especially in London. But it warned that "such outperformance is unlikely to be sustained over the long term, given that key measures of affordability are already stretched".

Summary: Nationwide has reported a record amount of mortgage lending for a six-month period and a 34% rise in profits.


Hackers said they had penetrated Hacking Team's internal network and stolen more than 400GB of data. The Italian company said it was working with police to track down the hackers. Widely shared online, the stolen data includes a list of the countries that have bought Hacking Team's main surveillance tool, Da Vinci, and emails suggesting intelligence agencies use it to spy on activists and journalists. The list includes: Lists of passwords and login details for client sites were also revealed. The hackers first published stolen data, including internal files, email messages and software source code, on Hacking Team's own Twitter account, having first changed its name to "Hacked Team". Confirmation of the breach came via the Twitter account of Hacking Team engineer Christian Pozzi. "We are awake. The people responsible for this will be arrested. We are working with the police at the moment," he said in one message. Soon after, this and other messages about the breach were removed as Mr Pozzi's Twitter account was deleted. Hacking Team's website is also currently offline. Security expert Graham Cluley said the company had "no shortage of online enemies around the world". Its software had been popular with intelligence agencies in many countries, he said, but he questioned how many would continue that relationship given that it had been "so seriously breached". Human rights group Reporters Without Borders had named Hacking Team as one of its "enemies of the internet" because its software was being used in countries that did not have a "good record on democracy and human rights".

Summary: A company that sells surveillance software has been hit by a data breach.


The song sold more than 172,000 copies, about 87,000 more than Ronson's Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars. It is Goulding's second number one, after Burn in 2013. Love Me Like You Do is the fastest-selling single of the year so far. Ronson's Uptown Funk has spent nine weeks in the chart in total, seven of them in the number one slot. Rounding off the top five singles, was Hozier's Take Me To Church; Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney's FourFive Seconds, and Meghan Trainor's Lips Are Movin.

Summary: Ellie Goulding's song Love Me Like You Do has gone straight to number one in the UK singles chart, ending Mark Ronson's reign at the top.


Finance Minister Jane Hutt told AMs the 2016/17 draft budget backed Labour's "priorities for Wales and its future". Total health spending rises by 4.1% while education and skills goes up by 1.1%, but local government faces a cut of 2%. The Conservatives said the spending plans offered "too little, far too late for our hardworking NHS staff". Ms Hutt said the Welsh government had faced a 3.6% cut in UK government funding over five years, once the effects of inflation were taken into account. About £260m will go on day-to-day, or revenue, funding for the NHS and another £33m will be spent on infrastructure, maintaining the NHS estate and equipment. There will, however, be a reduction of £15m from other parts of the health budget, giving a net figure for the NHS of £278m. Although the education and skills funding is getting an increase, the body which funds Welsh universities said its budget was being cut by £41m, nearly a third of the total. The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales had already warned not enough money was available to Welsh universities, because of the way tuition fees are funded. Boosts to the Communities, Economy and Natural Resources budgets are largely made up of capital spending increases, for example housing and flood defence projects. Their day-to-day, or revenue, budgets, are being cut. Ms Hutt said her aim was to protect the services that mattered most to people, within the financial constraints. "It has been another challenging settlement which has been set against the backdrop of successive real terms cuts to our Budget over the last five years," she said. "We have continued our record investment in health with more than a quarter of a billion pounds going to the Welsh NHS in 2016-17 - demonstrating our wider approach to the health and social care and the value of preventative spend." The lion's share of the Welsh government's total expenditure of £15.9bn comes from the UK Treasury, apart from about £1bn raised in business rates. Almost half of the budget is spent on health, which has seen above-inflation increases since October 2013, when the Welsh government reversed its controversial decision not to protect the NHS budget between 2011 and 2013. Conservative Shadow Finance Minister Nick Ramsay said Labour's latest budget boost for health could not make up for previous cuts to NHS funding. "Hospital downgrading, huge delays in waiting times, a failure to recruit staff; this chaos is a direct result of Labour's record-breaking NHS budget cuts," he said. "By failing to protect the budget, our health service has been starved of £1bn since 2010/11." However, Plaid Cymru AM Alun Ffred Jones "warmly welcomed" the extra NHS cash. "I do very much hope that this will enable waiting lists to be substantially reduced, in light of the harsh criticism of the Royal College of Surgeons in their statement yesterday," he said. Liberal Democrat Peter Black highlighted an extra £1,150 each school would receive for every pupil eligible for free school meals, as part of a two year deal his party had struck with

Summary: The NHS is to receive a net boost of £278m under the Welsh government's spending plans.


Bolton Wanderers legend Nat Lofthouse was absent from a plaque listing every England player's debut. The FA was alerted by a Bolton fan shocked to see the "Lion of Vienna" missing from a pride of England stars. Les Medley, who was a star of the "push and run" Tottenham team of the early 50s, was also missed out. The FA has apologised to the families of both players. "We appreciate this matter being brought to our attention and, following an investigation, have ascertained that it was due to a formatting error," said a spokesman. "The panel is in the process of being taken down and will be replaced imminently" The omission of England's sixth highest scorer, who netted 30 goals in 33 games, was spotted in the week when Wayne Rooney scored his 50th goal for England to break Sir Bobby Charlton's record. Bolton's club historian Simon Marland said: "How can you miss a guy a who scored 30 goals in 33 games?" "Anyone can make a mistake but on the positive side it's probably got people talking about Nat." Lofthouse earned the nickname "The Lion of Vienna" because of his winning goal for England in 1952 against Austria following a run from the halfway line.

Summary: The Football Association has apologised for its own-goal in omitting one of England's most prolific scorers from a roll of honour at Wembley Stadium.


Sexton suffered a calf injury during Leinster's 24-24 European Champions Cup draw away to Castres on Friday. "There's not a lot of damage there, nothing's showing up that's overly significant," said Schmidt. "We'd be confident he'll be able to train next week and therefore be fully available to face Scotland." He continued: "Johnny's already starting back doing a little bit." The New Zealander was also upbeat about the fitness of Sean O'Brien, with the Leinster back-row another player with a calf injury. "He's slightly further ahead than Johnny," said Schmidt. "We're confident he may train before the end of the week fully, but he should train fully next week." Schmidt left out Bordeaux's Ian Madigan from his 40-man tournament squad following the fly-half's decision to play club rugby in France, and brought in Munster's uncapped midfielder Rory Scannell as cover for Sexton. But he said former Leinster player Madigan could come back into Ireland contention later this Six Nations. "The first time I saw Rory play for Dolphin against Belvedere he had a fantastic game at 10," said Schmidt. "There's a big difference between that and Murrayfield but he would be the guy who could cover there. "We've also got Paddy Jackson available obviously." He added: "With Ian [Madigan], he could only have done those two first days' training with us. You only get that three-day opportunity with the window. So it complicates that. "Ian had an injury earlier in the season so he hasn't had a lot of rugby really. "I've kept in touch with Ian. He would slot back in pretty seamlessly for us, so that's still something potentially that we could look at."

Summary: Ireland coach Joe Schmidt expects fly-half Jonathan Sexton to be fit for the Six Nations opener away to Scotland on 4 February.


John Place, from Sutton Coldfield, is accused of hitting Poppy Clarke in his Volkswagen Passat as she and her mother crossed Chester Road in the town. He is also charged with causing serious injury to her mother, Rachel Clarke in the collision in June. Mr Place, of Bakers Lane, was bailed by magistrates in Birmingham to appear the city's crown court on 5 January.

Summary: A 72-year-old man has appeared in court charged with causing the death of a three-year-old girl.


The Victorian-era vessel became part of nautical folklore after it vanished in the mid-19th Century. Its captain, Sir John Franklin, had been searching for the fabled Northwest Passage. Experts on Thursday confirmed that the wreck, discovered last month, was indeed the celebrated Royal Navy vessel. "It is in astonishing condition,'' said search team member John Geiger, president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. "We're over the moon." The ship set sail from England in 1845 under Sir John's command. He was accompanied by a second ship, HMS Terror, captained by Francis Crozier. Alongside Sir John were 128 officers, all of them aiming to find the elusive sea route linking the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Arctic seas off northern Canada. The two vessels were last seen in the summer of that year bypassing whaling boats in Baffin Bay, off the coast of Greenland. But soon afterwards, the ships vanished. Inuit hunters told tales of starving white men who had been seen in the freezing wilderness over the following months and years. Historians speculated that the ships had become trapped in the vast ice floes of the Canadian Arctic. But until Thursday the exact fate of HMS Erebus had not been known. The ship was discovered after the Canadian government ploughed millions of pounds into an extensive search operation. It was found under just 11 metres of water near King William Island, 2,000km (1,200 miles) north-west of Toronto. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper even participated in the search himself, such was his determination to resolve the mystery. HMS Terror has still not been discovered. Canada has been attempting to assert sovereignty over the Northwest Passage in recent years, claiming the area as its own. However the US government and others say it is international territory.

Summary: A shipwreck uncovered beneath the icy wastes of northern Canada has been identified as long-lost HMS Erebus.


Midfielder Mooy scored a 25-yard winner for the Championship leaders. But Monk was furious Mooy was still on the pitch, believing the Australian should have been given a red card and not a yellow for a lunging tackle on Liam Bridcutt in the first half. "Two-footed, off the ground, totally out of control," Monk said of the foul. "I don't want to talk about referees. But if you see that and you can't tell me that's a sending off, I don't know what is. "It was a horrendous tackle that he made." Huddersfield head coach David Wagner said Mooy's tackle was not worthy of dismissal in England, but would have been a straight red-card offence in his native Germany. "In England no red card. Germany, red card," said Wagner, whose side are top of the table by four points after five wins from their six league matches. "But we are not in Germany, we are in England. This is what I've learned. This was a pretty hard, British challenge. "It came too late, but I didn't think for one second it would be a red card because I've been 10 months now in British football and I know, this was not okay, he was too late. Yellow."

Summary: Leeds boss Garry Monk said Huddersfield matchwinner Aaron Mooy should have been sent off for a "horrendous" foul in the west Yorkshire derby at Elland Road.


A suspicious package was discovered in Harewood Street, near the Victoria Gate shopping centre, at about 08:40 GMT. Nearby buildings were evacuated until Army bomb disposal experts were able to declare the item safe at about midday. West Yorkshire Police said a 35-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident was being held in custody. Ch Supt Paul Money said: "Clearly this caused significant disruption to people living and working in the city centre and to local businesses and we would like to thank everyone for their patience and support during this incident."

Summary: A man has been arrested in connection with a bomb hoax that led to a large area of Leeds city centre being cordoned off.


The Resolution Foundation analysis shows the impact of the national living wage will vary considerably across Scotland. A national living wage of £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 and over will be introduced in April. The UK government said millions of people will enjoy a pay rise. The study said 500,000 employees in Scotland will be affected overall. While one-third of employees in Clackmannanshire and Dumfries and Galloway will be affected, just 16% of employees working in Aberdeen are set to benefit. Edinburgh (17%), Dundee (18%) and Glasgow (19%) are also significantly lower. While strongly welcoming the new wage floor, the Foundation notes that implementing it will prove a greater challenge in lower-paying areas. It calls on the Scottish government, the Fair Work Convention, local leaders and businesses across the country to work together to minimise any job losses and ensure large groups of workers do not get stuck earning only the legal minimum. The Foundation also calls on employers to focus on boosting productivity in retail, hospitality, cleaning and care to ensure the national living wage is affordable for them. The group states the UK government's new pay structure is not actually a "living wage", and calls for an expansion to the voluntary living wage of £8.25 across the country. Conor D'Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: "The welcome new national living wage will have a huge impact on low pay, particularly towards 2020 as it approaches £9 an hour. "While our analysis suggests the pay rise should be affordable for most firms, implementing the new wage floor will be challenging for some employers. That's particularly true in areas where wages tend to be lower. "Politicians must work closely with employers to ensure that the national living wage is a success, particularly in low-paying sectors." A UK government spokesperson said: "The government is making sure Britain gets a pay rise and that businesses have the skills they need to succeed. We are already seeing record employment rates and real wages growing to levels not seen since the recession. "As the report itself highlights, workers in some cities will see even bigger benefits, reinforcing our drive to rebalance the economy through the northern powerhouse and the devolution of powers to local government and cities."

Summary: About one-third of workers in Clackmannanshire and Dumfries and Galloway will benefit from the national living wage, according to research.


Sandra Charles' spent 375 hours knitting 350 strands out of thousands of recycled label transfers Ms Charles, of Somerset, got the idea while at a recycling centre. Her work is on display with other students' projects at Nottingham Trent University, including lingerie inspired by wartime love letters, and two-dimensional clothing. Ms Charles said: "I wanted to develop my sculpture work and my knitting. I looked at different techniques and saw arm knitting. "It's very difficult to describe but basically uses your arms as needles. It took three hours to make each strand at first - I got repetitive strain injury at one point and couldn't do any more for a couple of days." Other work includes Chloe Bampton, a fashion design student, who created lingerie inspired by her grandparents' war time love letters. Ms Bampton, from Dullingham, Cambridgeshire, said: "When you read through their letters you imagine yourself in a different way of life completely. "They are so romantic. We've lost touch with the era of hand letter writing and courting and I wanted to design lingerie which provided an alternative to the modern day shock element." Her grandparents Dennis and Kathleen Algar married shortly before Mr Algar was sent to fight. He spent four years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Meanwhile, South Korean student Dahye Jee designed concept clothing which appears two-dimensional, inspired by vintage paper dolls. All the work is on display until 6 June.

Summary: A student knitted almost 4,000 ft (1.2km) of waste material using her arms as needles for an art project.


There are concerns about the number of deaths at the hospital, which is at the centre of a long dispute over the future of children's heart services. The medical director of the NHS, Bruce Keogh, said it was "a highly responsible precautionary step". But some people have questioned the decision and its timing, 24 hours after a High Court ruling kept surgery there. Leeds General Infirmary had been earmarked for closure by the NHS review to concentrate children's heart surgery in fewer bigger centres. But that decision was quashed by a High Court judge on Wednesday. Stuart Andrew, Conservative MP for Pudsey, who has led a cross-party campaign to keep the unit open, said it was a "very odd" decision coming after the jubilation that greeted the court ruling. "We have always asked them 'is it safe at Leeds?' and the answer always came back 'yes it is'. "What is the information that says that has changed?" Congenital heart defects explained He added he had not received one complaint about care. Children who would have been treated in Leeds will be sent to other hospitals around England. Affected families are being contacted directly by the trust and the review is expected to take three weeks. Anne Keatley-Clarke, chief executive of the Children's Heart Federation, an umbrella group for different voluntary organisations, said she had raised concerns about surgery outcomes two years ago, and more recently parents had reported difficulties in getting referrals at Leeds to other heart units. In a statement on the federation website, she said: "My concern is that it appears that managers and clinicians in Leeds, together with the parent support group, have put their own interests ahead of the well-being of critically ill children and their very vulnerable parents." Sir Bruce and senior managers from the Care Quality Commission visited the hospital on Thursday to say it must stop all children's heart surgery there immediately. In a statement, Sir Bruce said: "The trust has taken a highly responsible precautionary step. "Some questions have been raised by the trust's own mortality data and by other information. "It is important to understand that while this information raises questions, it does not give us answers." The chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said outside experts would be drafted in to help review "all aspects" of care. In a statement, Maggie Boyle apologised to parents and families affected but assured them the trust always put the safety of patients first. The CQC said it supported the trust's decision and it was in close contact with the trust to ensure effective arrangements were in place to protect the safety and welfare of patients. Sharon Cheng, from Save Our Surgery - the group which is co-ordinating the fight to keep children's heart surgery in Leeds - said: "We're mystified. "We don't know of anything that could justify this step." Previously, an NHS review said surgery should stop at hospitals in Leeds, Leicester and London to focus care at fewer, larger sites, where medical expertise can be concentrated. More than 600,000 people signed

Summary: Children's congenital heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary has been suspended as a review is carried out.


Yet, at its heart is a plan to cut £12bn from the welfare bill - a move that will affect the lives of millions of people. To Mr Osborne's supporters, this Budget is a seminal moment in a shift from reliance on the state to rewarding hard work, particularly with a new pay guarantee. To his critics, it is a hammer blow to the financial lives of struggling families across the country. But what - in practical terms - does it mean for you? As predicted, there will be big changes to the system of tax credits. Only the lowest-income families will be able to claim tax credits. Together with changes to entitlement to Universal Credit, this will cut £2.9bn from the welfare bill in the next financial year and £3.4bn a year by 2020-21. For example, the income threshold for tax credits is to be reduced from £6,420 to £3,850. Larger families, particularly, will be hit by tax credit changes if they have children from April 2017. Claimants will see child tax credits and Universal Credit limited to the first two children. Here is some context: at present about 870,000 families claiming tax credits have three or more children - about one in five families receiving tax credit. However, it will only be those larger families making a claim, or having more children, from April 2017 that will be affected. In addition, many working age benefits will be frozen for four years, such as tax credits and local housing allowance, but excluding maternity pay and disability benefits. This is a cut to the welfare bill of £4bn a year by 2020-21. The benefits cap - the maximum amount a household can receive in benefits - will be reduced. For those living outside of London it will drop to £20,000. For those living in London, where housing costs are higher, the cap will be £23,000. Landlords are going to take a big hit, but not immediately. Tax relief on mortgage interest payments on residential property will be restricted to the basic rate of tax. This will be phased in over four years from April 2017. This means that landlords, who get a tax break by using mortgage interest to reduce their taxable profits, will have less opportunity to do so. Landlords in London, where rents and property prices are highest, are likely to be hit the hardest. The share prices of house builders have taken an immediate hit, partly because a number of homes may be put onto the market by reluctant landlords following the chancellor's announcement. In other housing announcements, rents in the social housing sector will be reduced by 1% a year for the next four years. However, housing association tenants in England who earn more than £30,000 per household - or £40,000 in London - will have to pay up to the market rent. Housing benefit will not be paid automatically to 18 to 21-year-olds. Insuring a home will get more expensive, by an average of £9.48 a year, as a result of changes to insurance premium tax. July

Summary: This Budget is "bold in building the aspirations of working people", according to Chancellor George Osborne.


Michael Ryan made the comments in an interview with the Bloomberg financial news service. In October, the Quebec state government pumped $1bn (£655m) into a partnership set up to complete the CSeries. The wings for the CSeries are made in Northern Ireland. "The quid pro quo was that final assembly and marketing would stay in Quebec, but that was all," Mr Ryan said. The CSeries will employ at least 800 people in Belfast at full production, out of 5,500 in total. Mr Ryan told Bloomberg that the Northern Ireland plant had skills in composite manufacturing that made it a world leader in wing production, safeguarding its status. The development of the narrow-bodied CSeries passenger plane has placed a major strain on Bombardier's finances. The project has been repeatedly delayed, is over-budget and orders have been slow.

Summary: The manager of Bombardier's Northern Ireland operation has said the Canadian bailout of the firm's CSeries project poses no threat to the Belfast plant.


Opponents Yorkshire will be without England players Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow while overseas batsman Travis Head has been called up by Australia. Fellow Aussie Tait still expects Yorkshire to be dangerous at the SSE Swalec Stadium on Thursday. "They're a good side so they're going to come here thinking we've got a pretty good side as well," he said. "Our chances are pretty good. It's going to be a good clash - a very important match for Wales." The game against Yorkshire is Glamorgan's first home quarter final for 12 years, with treble-chasing Yorkshire starting as favourites. "I see Travis Head has gone home so that's one bloke we don't have to worry about for Yorkshire," added Tait. "But they still have David Willey, Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan - they're pretty experienced. "Adil Rashid is absolutely their danger man with the ball. "There's some really experienced players there who have played international cricket - there's not one stand out." "From our point of view we just want to make that finals day and whoever stands in our way we're just going to try to knock them off. "Yorkshire are first up for us and if we can do them on Thursday we head off on the 20 August and have a shot at it." Both semi-finals and the final will be played at Edgbaston on Saturday, 20 August.

Summary: Fast bowler Shaun Tait says Glamorgan have a good chance of progressing to the T20 Blast finals day.


A paper prepared for councillors said the council may need to scrap its pledge not to make staff compulsorily redundant. The figure is 1,000 less than the 3,000 job losses predicted by the Unison union on Wednesday. But it is 1,000 more than the council itself warned of in June. The council expects to save £126m over four years - more than previously forecast. It said it would seek volunteers for redundancy first. Officials hope to cut the number of staff over the next two years but said they would save more if the cuts were achieved more quickly. The City of Edinburgh Council has been run by a Labour-SNP coalition since 2012. The forecasts are contained in papers to be discussed by the council's finance committee next Thursday. The council said the workforce made up 60% of its budget and it would be "unrealistic" to make the required savings without reducing the number of employees. Alasdair Rankin, the council's finance convener, said: "We are very clear about the scale of the financial challenge that the council is facing. "The council is experiencing greater demand for services than ever before, with a growing population in Edinburgh and increasing numbers of older people and younger people, while our overall budget remains the same. "We need to take action in order to achieve the necessary savings to meet this demand, and we are making every effort to do this in a way that will safeguard frontline services for the people of Edinburgh. "We want to invest in the services that are important to the public but must also look to rationalise our spending where appropriate." Mr Rankin said councillors recognised some the proposals "may involve tough decisions, including a reduction in council jobs, particularly in middle management". He added: "While this won't to be easy, savings will allow us to prioritise the things that matter most to people. "Our aim, as ever, is to improve and enhance the city for residents, and this package of measures is the next step to achieving this." Responding to the announcement, Unison said councillors appeared to be considering privatisation of facilities management. John Stevenson, from the union's Edinburgh branch, said. "Our view is that if this privatisation is being held up as a way of avoiding compulsory redundancies, it is a flawed idea and all we will end up with is the triple-whammy of privatisation, compulsory redundancies and ruined services. "The continued drive by senior officials to introduce privatisation despite the council 'presumption' against privatisation is deeply worrying. Edinburgh needs to reaffirm its commitment to a public service culture and abandon the privatisation 'solutions' that have been so disastrous elsewhere. The council revealed plans for an internal restructuring earlier this year to help it achieve its savings. It said its budget had fallen by 14% in real terms since 2010. There are no direct proposals for further cuts or changes to local services at this stage although councillors have conceded it was inevitable the public may feel the impact of the job cuts. However, they have stressed their

Summary: Edinburgh city council is warning 2,000 jobs could go over the next two years as it seeks to balance its books.


Premier, the maker of Mr Kipling cakes and Bisto gravy, this week revealed it had rejected two bids from McCormick. McCormick said in a statement on Thursday that it was now "willing to consider increasing its latest offer". Meanwhile Japanese noodle maker Nissin Foods has agreed to buy a 17.27% stake in Premier Foods. Nissin, which Premier describes as a "long-term shareholder", is expected to take a seat on the Premier board. McCormick, known for its Schwartz spices and Lawry's seasonings, first made a bid of 52p a share last month and then raised it to 60p a share on 14 March. Premier rejected it "on the basis that it significantly undervalued the company and its prospects". Now McCormick has said it may be prepared to increase its offer following "limited confirmatory due diligence", i.e. a review of Premier's pensions documentation, current trading and material contracts. McCormick said "it would be an outstanding custodian for the Premier Foods brands and, can provide benefits for Premier Foods, its pensioners, creditors and other stakeholders, which Premier Foods' current capital structure cannot deliver." Some shareholders are keen for Premier to seek a higher offer. David Cumming, head of equities at Standard Life Investments, the fund arm of insurer Standard Life, which controls 7% of Premier, said: "Although we believe the 60p bid indicated by McCormick is too low, we remain open to a bid at a higher level. "We expect the Premier Foods Board, on behalf of its shareholders, to engage with McCormick and pursue this option to the full." Premier shares have been on a roller coaster ride this week, soaring 50% on Wednesday following news of the McCormick bid, falling by more than 10% on Thursday on the announcement of the Nissin stake and then recouping nearly all their losses as McCormick said it might be prepared to pay more. Premier used to be one of the UK's biggest food groups but came unstuck when it expanded too fast, loading itself with debt. It has since sold off its Hovis bread business to the US-based Gores group, rebuilt its £20m production line at its Mr Kipling bakery in Barnsley and pushed through a £1.1bn refinancing package, which included a £353m rights issue. It still owns a range of household UK brands such as Ambrosia rice pudding, Oxo stock cubes and Batchelors soups. Premier is increasing its international operations following a recent co-operation deal with Nissin that allows Premier to distribute its products in the UK, while making its own products more widely available in key overseas markets. Nissin invented the first instant noodles in 1958 and operates in 19 countries. Its products include Cup Noodles and Top Ramen.

Summary: McCormick, the American food flavourings business, has said it may increase its $700m (£494m) bid for the UK's Premier Foods.


Geoffrey Sutcliffe admitted causing the death of Lucille Abraham, 92. When applying to renew his driving licence, a court heard, Sutcliffe said he met the "required eyesight standard" and did not need glasses to drive. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Sutcliffe hit Ms Abraham, from Baildon, at the junction of Godwin Street and Kirkgate, in Bradford, last October. During an eye test the previous month, Prosecutor Michael Smith said, Sutcliffe told the optometrist he was not a driver. Had he done so, Mr Smith said, she would have said that his eyesight had failed the visual acuity test. "The defendant suffers from cataracts in both eyes and it seems that the medical opinion here is that he should not undergo an operation on his right eye because effectively that's the only eye that can see," said Mr Smith. Barrister Ken Green, for Sutcliffe, said he had been driving for over 60 years without any previous offending and his client intended never to drive again and had surrendered his licence. "He will never forget that day and I am sure he will never forgive himself for that error that he made," said Mr Green. Passing sentence, Judge Colin Burn said "It is obvious that you should not, with the benefit of hindsight, have been driving at all on that day. "Your eyesight wasn't up to it as a matter of objective fact." He added: "The misrepresentation you made about your eyesight was a contributory cause of this collision because you shouldn't have been driving at all."

Summary: An 81-year-old driver whose poor eyesight meant he should not be on the road has been given a suspended jail sentence after he hit and killed a woman.


McMahon, 27, can also be deployed in an attacking midfield role. An employment tribunal recently ordered Portadown to pay £7,000 in unpaid wages to McMahon, an outcome the Shamrock Park club say they will appeal. In June, an Irish FA disciplinary hearing ruled that McMahon had been paid while registered as an amateur. The registration case led to a 12-point penalty being handed down to the Ports, a decision which they are also in the process of appealing. Swifts head coach Rodney McAree described McMahon as "a wonderful talent". "The fact the Swifts play good football really made me want to join the club. I watched last season and anytime I saw them play I thought 'they play the game the right way' and that has attracted me to the club without a doubt," McMahon told the Dungannon FC website. Dungannon lie fifth in the Premiership table and travel to Seaview to face champions Crusaders on Saturday.

Summary: Dungannon Swifts have completed the signing of former Portadown and Bohemians forward Peter McMahon on a one-year deal.


The cliff collapsed onto the shore at Barton-on-Sea on Tuesday evening. New Forest District Council said an assessment by its coastal scientists had revealed further movement and another landslip "is highly likely". While no-one was injured by the collapse, visitors are being asked to avoid the area of the cliff top and the beach below. The area is expected to remain closed until the cliff stabilises.

Summary: A cliff top and section of beach in Hampshire have been shut following a landslip.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Scottish brothers beat Steve Darcis and David Goffin 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-2 to put the visitors 2-1 up in Ghent. Britain require one win from Sunday's reverse singles matches to secure their first Davis Cup victory since 1936. Andy Murray will play Goffin, with Kyle Edmund scheduled to face Ruben Bemelmans in the final match. Captains can change their nominations up until one hour before the 12:00 GMT start on Sunday, and Britain's Leon Smith could bring in James Ward for Edmund if it comes down to a fifth rubber. Andy Murray: "I will prepare like any other match for tomorrow. Goffin is a world-class player and with the crowd behind him it will be a difficult match. We have two chances to try and win it tomorrow and if you had offered us that at the start we would have taken it." Jamie Murray: "There was so much noise, it was mental. We were shouting to each other at times but it's brilliant, and it's what you expect with so many passionate fans here for the final." Leon Smith: "There was a lot of stress and tension. Picking Goffin didn't surprise us and we knew it would be a dogfight but our boys played better throughout and produced an excellent performance yet again." Belgian captain Johan van Herck: "It's a difficult day tomorrow. But as a team we have to believe, we have to stand up, we have to fight." Andy Murray punched the air while his brother exhaled in relief after the brothers won a tense encounter, and made it nine points in a row for the Murray family in this year's Davis Cup. Van Herck had sprung something of a surprise by bringing in Goffin, a player with little doubles experience, and leaving out Davis Cup regular Bemelmans. "We decided this morning after the warm-up," said the captain. "My first plan was always to play David and Steve, but I wanted to see how David got out of his [singles] match. "It was not for us the best tactic to go and play at the net and play real doubles, because I think the British were better. So we wanted to play from the back and make them play a lot of points. "For sure, during the first three sets, we showed why it was the right tactic to do." After two tight opening sets were shared it appeared as though the Belgian captain might have pulled off a masterstroke with his selection when a flashing Darcis return put the hosts a break up in the third. The majority of the very loud 13,000 spectators shook the Flanders Expo to its foundations, but their joy was short-lived. Jamie, the elder brother by a year at 29, had excelled in previous rounds against France and Australia but he struggled for the first hour and a half on Saturday. His serve was especially vulnerable, but he pounced at the net to level at 2-2 and the contest shifted decisively in Britain's favour.

Summary: Great Britain are one win from a first Davis Cup title in 79 years following Andy and Jamie Murray's doubles victory against Belgium.


Ex-servicemen and women joined many members of the general public to reflect on those who died or have been injured in service to their country. Here are images from some of the acts of remembrance from those who took part.

Summary: The nation fell silent for two minutes on Wednesday to remember the nation's war dead on Armistice Day.


The 31-year-old comes in as a replacement for Danny Ward, who was recalled from his spell at Pittodrie by parent club Liverpool this week. Collin, who joined Rotherham from Carlisle United in 2013, has played twice this season. But he has not featured since August and recently found himself relegated to third choice. Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes hopes to have Ward available to face Ross County in their Scottish Premiership game in Dingwall. "We're still waiting for international clearance for Adam and I'll announce the team on Sunday morning," he said. "We'd assurances from Liverpool that Danny could stay, but their circumstances changed, so we're delighted to get Adam on board." Ward impressed during his spell with the Dons and, on his return to Anfield, was immediately handed a place on the bench for the game against Arsenal. There had been suggestions that Aberdeen would consider recalling Danny Rogers from his loan with Falkirk and the Pittodrie outfit had also been linked with out-of-favour Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell. "There was no approach for Cammy Bell, although I'm not saying his name wasn't mentioned," said McInnes. New signing Collin began his career with Newcastle United and had loan spells with Oldham Athletic and Doncaster Rovers. However, it was not until he joined Northern Premier League club Workington in 2004 that he made his senior debut. McInnes would not comment on speculation linking Stuart Bannigan of Partick Thistle with a move to Aberdeen. However, asked about the possibility of more signings during the January transfer window, McInnes admitted that injuries to Willo Flood and Ryan Jack had left his squad short in central midfield. "We may be looking to bring one in and for nobody to go out," the manager added. Meanwhile, McInnes also said any decision on the future of defender Paul Quinn will be made after Sunday's game with Ross County. Quinn has been linked with a move back to the Dingwall club having joined the Dons from County in the summer.

Summary: Rotherham United goalkeeper Adam Collin has completed his switch to Aberdeen on loan until the end of the season.


And its launch event could possibly be the biggest press conference. It's the bun-fight at the Hurlington Club, London, as each of the six captains and coaches complete a round of at least eight different interviews and conferences. Then there's the photo calls, a launch press conference, live television and general pressing of the flesh. With less than two weeks to go before the kick-off there were a number of issues which dominated the questioning. Bonus points will be awarded for the first time in the history of the tournament. A team scoring four tries will get a bonus point, as will a losing team who get within seven points of the winners - with a special three-point bonus for a team winning all five of their matches. Wales interim coach Rob Howley believes it could make for exciting rugby in the closing stages of games. "The history and the legacy of the Six Nations is about winning the game," he said. "There's no doubt there will be a mindset change in terms of the last 20 minutes of matches. If you find yourself near a bonus point you're more likely to go for it." Meanwhile, England head coach Eddie Jones says he is unfazed by the change to the points system. "I've grown up with bonus points. I was coaching Super Rugby when they first came in," he said. "It's always been the fact that if you play well you win and if you play really well you win with a bonus point. It's as simple as that." Media playback is not supported on this device New rules on high tackles have led to a number of yellow and red cards in domestic rugby and some fear the same could happen in the Six Nations. Howley says Wales have taken special measures in their preparations as a result. "I suppose it might open it up in terms of encouraging a more offloading game," he said. "We've got referee Nigel Owens coming in to give us a presentation and feedback from a meeting between the referees which will be a great insight and I'm sure the high tackle will be mentioned. "I'm sure players and supporters and coaches don't want Six Nations games turned on red card." England captain Dylan Hartley has not played a game since being shown a red card while playing for Northampton for a head-high tackle on Leinster's Sean O'Brien in a Champions Cup in December. "I've been working on the much-publicised tackle technique," he said. "I've been working very hard on that. We always want to tackle low but there are times in the game when if you're the second man low isn't an option. "The sanctions for a high tackle have changed to look after player safety. We're seeing a lot more cards and penalties and the players have to adapt." Wales go into the tournament with lock Alun Wyn Jones appointed as captain ahead of Sam Warburton, and Howley says it's already had an impact on training. "We've got a new captain and that changes

Summary: The Six Nations championship is often described as the biggest annual rugby tournament in the world.


The agency says more than 700 divers have visited the site, 4,000m under water off the coast of Canada. The ship will fall under the 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage once it passes the 100th anniversary of its sinking on 15 April. The convention aims to prevent unscientific or unethical exploration. Irina Bokova, director-general of Unesco, said the sinking of the Titanic was "anchored in the memory of humanity" and it was important to protect the site where 1,500 people lost their lives. "There are thousands of other shipwrecks that need safeguarding as well... We do not tolerate the plundering of cultural sites on land, and the same should be true for our sunken heritage," she added. The 2001 convention only protects vessels that sank more than a century ago. The Titanic, built in Belfast, sank on its maiden voyage after setting off from the British port of Southampton. It hit an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada en route to New York, sinking two-and-a-half hours later.

Summary: The wreck of the Titanic is to come under the protection of the United Nations cultural agency Unesco.


There's a mask. The conversation can lack substance or value. Dean Windass, the former Aberdeen, Bradford and Hull striker, is different. There are topical reasons to seek out the 47-year-old. His son, Josh, recently signed for Rangers. Dean was, and remains, something of a cult hero at Pittodrie, where he played 20 years ago. He's also a character; sure to have tales aplenty of japery, dressing room banter and on-pitch battles to delight. He does, but there's a lot more to his story. Media playback is not supported on this device Windass has battled severe depression for much of his life, mostly under the radar. It started when he was 12, with his parents divorcing. He couldn't cope. With Aberdeen, only manager, Roy Aitken, and fitness trainer Stuart Hogg, in whom Windass confided, had any idea. "Nobody knew," Windass told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme. "I didn't tell anybody. Going into the changing-rooms, I should've been an actor really. That's how it escalated. "When I'd go out and have a drink, I'd cry all the time. I remember seeing a councillor when I played for Aberdeen. Stuart Hogg took me because I'd never expressed my feelings to anybody. "When I was on the pitch, everything was all right. "I never spoke about it. I was always the Jack the Lad in changing-rooms, but then when I was coming home, I was crying. I didn't know how to express my feelings." There's a large photograph on his kitchen wall looking over his shoulder as he stands on a city balcony, admittedly drunk, lapping up the adoration of Hull supporters. His goal in 2008, at the age of 39 in front of 86,000 fans, sent the Tigers into England's top flight via the play-off final at Wembley. A local hero, he was living the dream, or at least you'd expect that to be the case. The years that followed were tinged with depression, alcohol and attempts to take his own life after divorcing from his wife and losing his father suddenly. "I was trying to block everything out and was drinking quite heavily then," he said. "I tried to commit suicide with tablets and tried to hang myself. I'm not proud of that today as I've got two great kids. "I asked for help and ended up in Tony Adams' Sporting Chance clinic for 26 days. "It was scary, I was scared stiff. Every time I spoke to a counsellor, I cried, every day. "It got better and better the more I spoke about it. I got through it. It's the best 26 days of my life, because it saved my life." The move to Aberdeen over a decade earlier came about with Hull, during his first spell at the club, facing closure over an Inland Revenue bill. Windass was the main asset and had to go or the gates to the stadium would shut. Martin O'Neill resigned as manager of Norwich City after he was denied the funds to sign Windass. Roy Aitken secured him shortly after. "The deal was done by Friday

Summary: Sometimes as a journalist, you encounter a current or former footballer and depart with a feeling of disappointment; a sense that they're not really telling you what they think or feel.


Zoo staff are helping the rare sea turtle to recovery after it got a little bit lost last year. Menai is an Olive Ridley turtle, which are usually found in much warmer waters around Mexico. It's thought that Menai was knocked off course for thousands of miles by strong currents. Vets are giving her lots of checks to make sure she is healthy and they say she is recovering well.

Summary: Menai the turtle was found washed up on a beach in Wales in November, and was rescued by wildlife experts in Anglesey.


The 24-year-old former Denmark Under-20 international has made seven appearances since joining the Potters from FC Midtjylland in 2015. This season he has been behind Lee Grant and Shay Given in the Potters' pecking order and only played twice in the EFL Trophy. Haugaard will provide extra cover following Adam Bogdan's knee injury. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.

Summary: Wigan Athletic have signed Stoke City goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard on loan for the rest of the season.


The 1.9-million-year-old fossils were first described in 2010, and given the species name Australopithecus sediba. But the team behind the discovery has now come back with a deeper analysis. It tells Science magazine that features seen in the brain, feet, hands and pelvis of A. sediba all suggest this species was on the direct evolutionary line to us - Homo sapiens. "We have examined the critical areas of anatomy that have been used consistently for identifying the uniqueness of human beings," said Professor Lee Berger from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg "Any one of these features could have evolved separately, but it is highly unlikely that all of them would have evolved together if A. sediba was not related to our lineage," the team leader informed BBC News. It is a big claim and, if correct, would sideline other candidates in the fossil record for which similar assertions have been made in the past. Theory holds that modern humans can trace a line back to a creature known as Homo erectus which lived more than a million years ago. This animal, according to many palaeoanthropologists, may in turn have had its origins in more primitive hominins, as they are known, such as Homo habilis or Homo rudolfensis. The contention now made for A. sediba is that, although older than its "rivals", some of its anatomy and capabilities were more advanced than these younger forms. Put simply, it is a more credible ancestor for H. erectus, Berger's team claims. The sediba specimens were unearthed at Malapa in the famous Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, just to the northwest of Jo'burg. They were pulled from a pit - a depression left in the ground by a cave complex that had lost its roof through erosion over time. Identified as an adult female and a juvenile male, the two individuals were quite possibly mother and son. What seems certain is that they died together in some tragic accident that saw them either fall into the cave complex or become stuck in it. After death, their bodies were washed into a pool and cemented in time along with the remains of many other animals that got trapped in the same way. In the months since their 2010 announcement, Professor Berger and colleagues have subjected the remains to further detailed assessment. X-ray scans reveal ape-man's brain Age: The latest dating technologies were applied to the sediments encasing the fossils. Whereas original estimates had put the age of the remains at somewhere between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old, the new analysis has narrowed this window of uncertainty to just 3,000 years. The new age is now between 1.977 and 1.98 million years old. The refined dating is important, says the team, because it puts A. sediba deep enough in time to be a realistic ancestor to H. erectus. Dr Robyn Pickering, from the University of Melbourne, Australia, who led the dating, told BBC News: "This is a very interesting time in human evolution because it is when we think we should be seeing the

Summary: The ancient remains of two human-like creatures found in South Africa could change the way we view our origins.


Andy Carroll poked home his sixth goal in six matches, and Mark Noble added two penalties to put the hosts 3-0 up. The first spot-kick was awarded after Jose Holebas felled Diafra Sakho, and Almen Abdi brought down Michail Antonio for the second after the break. Sebastian Prodl hooked one back for Watford and they also earned a late penalty, but Troy Deeney saw it saved. And in the final minute of injury time, Hornets winger Nordin Amrabat was sent off for picking up his second yellow card. The Hammers remain sixth in the Premier League, still three points behind fifth-placed Manchester United after their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Liverpool also beat Everton 4-0 on Wednesday and are two points behind West Ham in seventh. Watford remain 12th and will now focus on Sunday's FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Palace. Both sides have had their fill of penalty action this week. Carroll scored one for the Hammers before they conceded a late spot-kick and equaliser against Leicester on Sunday. And Watford earned a 1-0 victory over West Brom on Saturday - their first win in seven league games - largely thanks to Heurelho Gomes' two penalty saves. However, Gomes was not able to save his side for a third and fourth time in 135 minutes of play. Noble slotted both penalties home with ease, after Carroll had given the Hammers the lead by poking in from close range after a pinpoint ball from Dimitri Payet. Watford got in on the action late on, when Angelo Ogbonna was adjudged to have brought down goalscorer Prodl in the area, but Deeney - on as a second-half substitute - was denied by Adrian. West Ham came up against a much-changed Watford side, as manager Quique Sanchez Flores kept seven first-team players rested for Sunday's trip to Wembley. And the Hammers dispensed of the Hornets with ease to earn a new club record. Slaven Bilic's side have now gone 15 games without losing at home in the Premier League - their last defeat at Upton Park coming against Bournemouth on 22 August. The record came in the third-from-final game at Upton Park ahead of the Hammers' move to the Olympic Stadium. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "We can say they had half of their mind on the weekend and they rested players, but their line-up still had internationals. Media playback is not supported on this device "We are victims of our success as the bar is always rising. We are coping with that well. This game was a big one because I told the players 'the season is good or very good anyway but after this game are we going to look up and try to catch those teams'. Still we have to look down as Liverpool are in good form." Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores: "The application was very good from us. We conceded really early and then it was very tough to play against a tough team like West Ham as they had confidence. "In the second half, we reacted really well

Summary: West Ham beat Watford in a dramatic encounter at Upton Park to maintain their push for a place in Europe.


Pollock was only the fourth fastest Irish athlete but he got the nod ahead of Sergiu Ciobanu, who clocked the third quickest time. A superb World Half Marathon run sealed Pollock's place along with Belfast's Kevin Seaward and Mick Clohisey. North Belfast athlete Breege Connolly is in the women's team with Lizzie Lee and Fionnuala McCormack. Fellow North Belfast competitor Gladys Ganiel is the first reserve for this summer's Games - Barbara Sanchez of Clonliffe Harriers is second reserve. Ciobanu, who can appeal his exclusion from the team, is first reserve for the men with Rathfarnham's Sean Hehir second reserve. Pollock, 29, set a personal best of 2:15.38 set in the Berlin Marathon last September but that was bettered by Ciobanu with 2:15.17. However, Pollock impressed by finishing 14th at the World Half Marathon in Cardiff in March, with Mo Farah the only European ahead of him. Pollock hoped to improve his marathon time in London last month but he was forced to pull out because of a foot injury.

Summary: Holywood runner Paul Pollock has been selected in the three-man Irish marathon team for the Olympic Games.


The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has found that the refusals have hit high profile hospitals in Cambridge, Newcastle and Manchester. A Freedom of Information request to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) found more than 2,341 refusals. The government said the MAC was reviewing its refusal policy. The RCN asked for the number of applications to allow overseas (non-European Union) nurses to work in England between April and November 2015 and the number refused. It found that East Lancashire Hospitals NHS had the highest number of refusals with 300 out of 300 applications. The research found that Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals and North Cumbria University Hospitals both had about 240 refusals. Nursing was temporarily placed on the MAC shortage occupation list (allowing more overseas nurses) in December. Janet Davies, chief executive of the RCN, said: "These figures show that when nursing is not on the list, many trusts are unable to recruit enough nurses, which could have an impact on patient care." Catherine Morgan, director of nursing at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, told the BBC she had been prevented from recruiting a number of overseas nurses. "It is frustrating because we are running a hospital and do want it to be safe, and we had the opportunity to recruit from India and the Philippines and we had nurses keen to come over but haven't been able to bring them over," she said. A Department of Health spokesman said: "The MAC is currently reviewing the shortage occupation list. Staffing is a priority and there are already more than 8,500 more nurses on our wards since 2010 and 50,000 more nurses in training. "We want more home-grown staff in the NHS and our recent changes to student funding will create up to 10,000 more nursing, midwifery and allied health professional training places by 2020."

Summary: Thousands of nurses were denied permission to work in England last year, despite hospitals facing staff shortages, new figures show.


Since 2010 there have been more than 1,800 reports of attacks involving corrosive fluids in the capital. It is thought acid is becoming a preferred weapon for gangs due to its ease to obtain and lack of trail to the perpetrator. Last year it was used in 454 crimes, compared to 261 in 2015, according to Met Police figures obtained by the BBC. Almost a third of these attacks were carried out in the borough of Newham in east London. Men are twice as likely to be victims of acid attacks in London than women, it was found. The vast majority of cases never reach trial, according to the figures. Since 2014 about 74% of investigations have been wound down due to problems with identifying perpetrators, or victims being unwilling to press charges. According to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police Service "corrosive fluids" were used in murders, robberies and rapes. Wayne Ingold was attacked in 2014 in a case of mistaken identity after opening the door to a teenager. "The pain on my face was indescribable. My face was melting and turning yellow," he told BBC London. "One of the police officers was physically sick when he saw my face. "Internally I'm scarred as well. For ages I was scared of reprisals. I had to move because of it and lost my home. "It turned out the boy who did it was 15, and a convicted dealer of cocaine." Since the start of 2017 there have been 49 crimes where "corrosive fluids" were thrown with "intent to cause grievous bodily harm" or to "cause an explosion". Dr Simon Harding, Criminologist and expert on gangs at Middlesex University, said there was anecdotal evidence gangs are switching from carrying knives to acid. "It's not prohibitive to carry bleach, you can buy it online or any DIY stores, it's difficult to prove any illegal motive in carrying it and you can hide it or disguise it in a drink bottle," he said. "A knife attack is attempted murder, but if you're caught in an acid attack it would be GBH. "There's no specific offence regarding acid attacks" he added.

Summary: The number of acid attacks in London has risen sharply in the past four years, according to new figures.


The Northampton skipper will not be able to play until 14 May, meaning he is free to take part in England's June tour to South Africa if selected. Ireland flanker Ferris drew attention to the incident during England's 30-9 Six Nations victory on 17 March, but it was not spotted by referee Nigel Owens. "I am disappointed by the result," said Hartley, who may decide to appeal. "I will wait for the written judgment as to how the panel came to their conclusion. "I now have to put it behind me and focus on supporting Saints in training and off the field." Hartley has been ruled out of the rest of the regular domestic season but he could return if Saints reach the Premiership final on 26 May. The lowest suspension for biting is 12 weeks, with a maximum sanction of four years. But an independent Six Nations disciplinary committee decided Hartley's case was worthy of a lesser punishment after Tuesday's hearing. "The offence merited a low entry point in the International Rugby Board's table of sanctions and allowed mitigation of four weeks," said a statement released by the committee. The panel listened to evidence from both Hartley and Ferris, who spoke via videolink, while England forwards coach Graham Rowntree and Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder also represented their player. Rowntree said: "It is unfortunate for Dylan and Northampton, especially as he was in good form during the Six Nations, and he has developed as a player and a leader. "However, we are looking forward to him being available for the tour to South Africa." Mallinder added: "We are disappointed that Dylan has been suspended, especially at a crucial part of the season." It is the second time Hartley has received a lengthy suspension from the game. He received a six-month ban for eye gouging while playing for Northampton against Wasps in 2007.

Summary: England hooker Dylan Hartley has been handed an eight-week ban for biting the finger of Ireland's Stephen Ferris.


Sir Richard Gozney will be paid around £100,000 a year as the Queen's latest representative on the island and live in Government House. A Celtic League spokesman said using public money to fund the position "was outrageous at a time of austerity". A government spokesman said the full cost of the role is £400,000 a year including all associated salaries. Mr Gozney, a former governor of Bermuda, became the Isle of Man's 30th Lieutenant Governor when he was sworn in on 27 May. He succeeds Adam Wood who stepped down in April after five years. Bernard Moffatt, of the Celtic League said the position was a "relic of the colonial past" and "could not be justified." Sir Richard represented the Isle of Man in Orkney at a commemoration to those who lost their lives at the Battle of Jutland, a key naval engagement of World War One. He said: "Because of the Isle of Man's strong and heroic maritime and naval history, Government and I thought it right to accept the invitation." The Lieutenant Governor acts as the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann, currently Queen Elizabeth II. No Manx-born person has ever been appointed to the role.

Summary: The "huge costs" of having a Lieutenant Governor for the Isle of Man "cannot be justified," a nationalist group said.