Media playback is not supported on this device With a host of governing bodies embroiled in bullying allegations, Grainger told BBC Sport that things "need to improve". In her first interview since being appointed to one of the most powerful roles in British sport, the former Olympic rower also warned the "risk" of a tougher financial future was another major challenge. However, the 41 year-old defended UK Sport's 'no-compromise' funding strategy, which allocates money according to medal potential, and has helped transform the country's Olympic and Paralympic fortunes. "Unfortunately, somehow the message has got out that 'no compromise' could mean 'winning at any costs' and that's not the case," said Grainger, who starts her role on 1 July. "It's not what anybody who believes in the positive force of sport would want to see." In a wide-ranging interview, Britain's most decorated female Olympian, who has a PhD in law, said her new role was "a huge privilege and responsibility". With little experience in sports administration, Grainger was a surprise appointment at such a critical time for UK Sport, but she said: "I was very serious about this job and would not have applied for it if I didn't think I could do it in a very credible way. "I was honest in the interview and said 'I haven't been a chair of anything like this before'. But I'm very keen to learn, and I've got a lot of incredible support around me." UK Sport has distributed £345m to 31 Olympic and Paralympic sports in the pursuit of medals at Tokyo 2020. Lottery funding has revolutionised elite performances over the last 20 years. But with ticket sales declining and the government unlikely to extend Exchequer support after the next summer Games, Grainger warned sports bodies would have to become "much more creative". "There are a lot of challenges facing British sport right now," she said. "I think everyone is acutely aware of it, nobody is hiding. One of the biggest challenges is financial, and it always will be. "I think UK Sport has been very well supported by the government and National Lottery for a long time, that's why we've seen such success. But we can't continue to rely on those sources to the extent we have done up until now. "I think everyone is aware of the risk going forward, and about the fall in lottery ticket sales. "So all different aspects of the sporting landscape must come together and appreciate the challenge we're all facing." After months of negative headlines, it has emerged that a third of UK Sport-funded governing bodies have had to confront athlete welfare issues or complaints, raising fears that medal success has come at the expense of duty of care. "I don't think anyone in sport doesn't want to see a healthy environment for athletes and all staff," said Grainger. "From what we've seen it will always need to improve… we are dealing with human beings, and unfortunately in recent months we've seen some awful stories coming to light and nobody wants to see that going on

Summary: Dame Katherine Grainger, the incoming chair of UK Sport, says she has "huge concerns about athlete welfare".


The 25-year-old, who is yet to play in a competitive international, has won two caps, both in friendly matches against the Netherlands. "He doesn't want to play international football, which is a disappointment from our point of view," said Wales manager Chris Coleman. "But he's made that decision, and we have to abide by that." Media playback is not supported on this device Wales are third in World Cup qualifying group D, four points behind leaders Serbia. They travel to Serbia for their next qualifier on Sunday, 11 June after naming a youthful pre-match training camp that included Exeter's 16-year-old Ethan Ampadu. Coleman added: "We'll get on with the squad of players, the squad who want to play and represent Wales. "There's nothing we can do with Paul, who's decided that international football is not the path he wants to go down." Newcastle-born Dummett was included in a pre-Euro 2016 training camp but was not selected in the squad for the tournament in France. He has not featured at all during the current World Cup qualifying campaign. "Sometimes you have to be patient especially because the team we have at the moment has been hugely successful," Coleman added. "It's a shame because he's a good player. I haven't spoken to Paul. His agent rang me up to give me the news. "I was disappointed, but if he doesn't want to persevere with it then that's his choice. We've got to look after the players who want to play for us."

Summary: Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett has made himself unavailable to play for Wales.


Lucas Bigley, 19, stabbed Matthew Wilson to death in Sheffield on 28 May in a "violent and brutal attack". Hull Crown Court heard the two men had fallen out after Mr Wilson, also 19, began a relationship with Bigley's mother. Bigley, of Wadsley Lane, Sheffield, was told he must serve at least 22 years in jail. More stories from across South Yorkshire Hull Crown Court heard Bigley was still wearing his heavily blood-soaked clothing and attempting to wash the blood from his hands when was arrested in the early hours of 28 May. Det Ch Insp Craig Jackson said: "This was a violent and brutal attack on Matthew, a young man whom Bigley once considered his friend. "The court heard how both he and the victim knew each other for many years, but their friendship broke down after Matthew began a romantic relationship with Bigley's mother. "His anger and frustration came to the fore in the early hours of that morning in May and a young man who had everything to live for has now tragically lost his life." Mr Wilson's family said in a statement they were "satisfied" with the jury's verdict. However, they added: "While we regard the sentence Bigley has been given as fair, no sentence will ever bring Matt back to us. "We too have been handed a life sentence."

Summary: A man has been jailed for life for murdering a former friend who was having a relationship with his mother.


The controversial memo broke the firm’s code of conduct, Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai said on Monday in an email to employees. The memo, shared widely at the weekend, suggested there were fewer women at Google due to biological differences. Mr Pichai said the text crossed the line due to it "advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace”. Entitled Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber, the paper argued that "the abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership”. The author wrote: "We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism." Google has not confirmed who the employee is, but media reports name him as James Damore. "[I was fired for] perpetuating gender stereotypes," he told Reuters. He also claimed to have received "many personal messages from fellow Googlers expressing their gratitude" for speaking out. In his note to staff sent on Monday afternoon, Mr Pichai spoke at length about protecting free speech in Google’s ranks, and that "much of what was in that memo is fair to debate, regardless of whether a vast majority of Googlers disagree with it”. But he added: "To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK. "It is contrary to our basic values and our Code of Conduct, which expects 'each Googler to do their utmost to create a workplace culture that is free of harassment, intimidation, bias and unlawful discrimination’." The tech firm's new head of diversity, Danielle Brown, had earlier criticised the memo saying it had "advanced incorrect assumptions about gender".

Summary: A Google employee who wrote a controversial memo about workplace diversity has been fired, the BBC can confirm.


The north Belfast derby could have a huge bearing on whether the Crues will retain the Irish Premiership crown. The clash of two in-form sides is one of the biggest fixtures of the season. Cliftonville have lost just one of the 19 league matches played since Lyttle took over in October while Crusaders have been beaten just once in 25 games. "Cliftonville will come to Seaview and throw the kitchen sink at us," said Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter, who is without suspended striker Michael Carvill. "We know that, and have to be prepared for it. We need to give back as much as we receive. "It is a big match but there is a long way to go in this league. "Our job is to concentrate on our own game and just get on with the task ahead of us." Earlier in the campaign, Crusaders won 1-0 away to the Reds while the north Belfast rivals drew 2-2 at Seaview on Boxing Day. "We have been on a good run for some time now," said Cliftonville manager Lyttle whose side beat Ards in last weekend's League Cup final. "We had a wee blip with a number of draws but we have got things sorted out and are a team in form. "Hopefully, we can drive on for the rest of the campaign." Victory for Cliftonville would also be a boost to Linfield's ambitions of being the ones to deny Crusaders back-to-back titles. David Healy's Blues, who lost 2-1 at Portadown last time out, go to Coleraine aiming to beat the Bannsiders for the third time this season. "We had been on a nice little run before the Portadown game," said boss Healy. "Portadown had been struggling but they have now taken six points from us. It shows how teams raise their game when they play Linfield. "We must pick ourselves up and go on another unbeaten run."

Summary: Gerard Lyttle takes his Cliftonville team to Crusaders on Saturday confident of a victory which would move them to within six points of the leaders.


Ian Gillies, the new executive member for transport at York council, said the idea was "a waste of money". A previous council attempt to cut congestion by banning motorists from using Lendal Bridge across the River Ouse was abandoned last year. Mr Gillies said the city had an air pollution problem but could come up with a solution itself. "Let's take stock and see if there's anything we can do," he said. "I don't believe bringing somebody in to have a traffic congestion commission is money well spent. "I think if we can't solve our own problems then it's a bad job." The commission was approved by the council's cabinet as recently as February and was due to report in October. It was expected to cost about Â£135,000. During a trial closure of Lendal Bridge from August 2013 to April 2014 to tackle congestion, general traffic was banned from using the bridge between 10:30 and 17:00. About 47,000 fines totalling more than Â£1.3m were issued but drivers have since been told they can claim refunds.

Summary: Plans to set up a commission to investigate traffic congestion in York city centre have been shelved.


Iranian patrol boats surrounded a US cargo ship in the strait on Friday. Earlier this week, Iranian naval ships reportedly fired warning shots near a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship before seizing it and its crew. The strait connects the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. The US navy will not be escorting the ships - a different procedure from accompanying them. Instead, it will monitor the area as the ships pass across the strait. The crew of the Marshall Islands-flagged container ship seized by Iran in the strait on Tuesday are safe and "in good spirits", Danish shipping company Maersk said. Maersk said it still did not know the reason why the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was seized, and noted it had been in an international shipping lane. Iranian media cited an official as saying the ship was seized based on a court order in connection with a complaint made by a private Iranian company about debts. The crew includes a British national, but no Americans, as initial reports suggested. The narrow strait lies partly in Iranian waters. Shipping traffic is allowed to pass through under an internationally-recognised protocol called "innocent passage", so long as the ships are not carrying weapons, collecting intelligence, or violating other restrictions.

Summary: Defence officials have said that US Navy ships will accompany US-flagged commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, to make sure they are not interfered with by Iran.


The question: Jennie asks: "Should we opt to leave the EU, would the duty on alcohol and cigarettes coming from Europe be reinstated?" The answer: If the UK left the EU, the specific regulations for bringing goods from the EU to the UK would depend on the agreements reached in the exit negotiations, particularly with regards to the question of whether the UK would remain in a customs union with the EU. Currently, there is no duty on goods you bring from the EU provided that they are for personal use, you transport them yourself, and you have paid duty tax in the country where you bought them. There are no limits to the alcohol and tobacco you can bring in from EU countries, but you may have to prove to custom officers that the products are for personal use if the quantities suggest that you may want to resell them. You can also bring tobacco and alcohol (and other goods worth up to £390) to the UK from outside the EU without paying duty or tax, provided that the products are for personal use and that the quantities do not exceed the specified personal allowance. For goods that exceed the personal allowance and are worth up to £630, a custom duty of 2.5% applies. You may also have to pay import VAT on the total value of the goods plus duty at the standard UK VAT rates. £61bn trade deficit with EU countries £28bn trade surplus with non-EU countries £227bn UK exports to EU £288bn UK imports from EU 45% of all UK exports go to the EU The question: Judi asks: "A leaflet from the 'Stronger In' campaign states that the UK gets £66m of investment from EU countries thus creating lower prices in the shops. Are these true claims?" The answer: This is based on the 2010 European Commission report "Trade as a Driver of Prosperity", which says that "trade brings a wider variety of goods and services to consumers and to companies, at lower prices. Consumer benefits alone are estimated at 600 euro per year." The Britain Stronger in Europe campaign says 600 euro currently works out at £459 and they rounded it down to £450 per person. The European Commission based its figure on a paper published in 2006 in the Quarterly Journal of Economics (QJE), Oxford University Press, which looked into the US market and concluded that the gains to US consumers of the growth in global variety during the period 1972-2001 was about 2.6% of GDP. We asked the Commission to clarify how they'd got the figure for the EU. They replied: "The Commission used the estimates done for the US market because no such estimates were readily available for the EU as a whole. However, since the EU and US levels of trade openness are similar, it is not unreasonable to approximate the magnitude of EU effects based on the US figures." We also asked the Commission whether they still stand by this figure (as it is based on a ten-year-old study which uses

Summary: Reality Check has been answering your questions throughout the referendum campaign - here are some of the issues that listeners to Radio 4's PM programme raised.


The cooking competition lost more than half its viewers, falling from highs of seven million to less than three million viewers on New Year's Day. Channel 4 axed the UK version of The Taste last year after just one series. Other shows cancelled by ABC include Forever, supernatural drama Resurrection and new sitcom Cristela. Industry website Deadline had warned earlier this year that the future of The Taste was "up in the air". Starring alongside Lawson were chefs Anthony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebvre and Marcus Samuelsson. The show saw cooks trying to impress the experts with spoonfuls of food. Lawson's UK TV cookery career remains intact however - BBC Two recently confirmed she would return for new series Simply Nigella later this year, her first on the channel since 2012's Nigellissima. Marvel's Agents of Shield, which airs on Channel 4 in the UK, has been renewed for a third season, while Agent Carter - starring British actress Hayley Atwell - will return for a second. Other hit shows including Grey's Anatomy, Nashville, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder have all been renewed for another season, according to Variety. ABC has also re-commissioned Castle, fairytale drama Once Upon A Time, American Crime and Secrets and Lies. Casualties include Forever - starring Welsh actor Ioan Gruffud as a medical examiner trying to solve the mystery of his own immortality - which only survived one season after ratings dipped from 12 million to just under 7 million for its most recent episode. The network's cull makes way for six new dramas and three recently ordered comedies, which include a revival of The Muppets and new thriller The Catch, from Grey's Anatomy and Scandal showrunner Shonda Rhimes. Also commissioned were Biblical saga Of Kings and Prophets, Quantico - from Gossip Girl producer Josh Safran - and 80s crime drama Wicked City. Modern Family, The Goldbergs, Fresh Off the Boat and The Middle are among the comedies returning for new series, along with reality series The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars.

Summary: Nigella Lawson's US cookery show The Taste has been axed by TV network ABC after two series, following a dramatic ratings slump.


The world number two dropped serve in the first game of the match but was rarely troubled by the American in his first outing since GB's Davis Cup semi-final victory over Australia on 20 September. Murray, 28, said: "I played well, moved well and it was a good start for me." He will face another American, John Isner, in the third round. Isner's 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory over Belgian David Goffin prevented a dress-rehearsal meeting between the world number 16 and Murray before next month's Davis Cup final. World number one Novak Djokovic also reached round three, beating Slovakia's Martin Klizan 6-2 6-1. Rafael Nadal also made it through but had a much tougher time. It took Nadal two hours and 43 minutes to overcome Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4). Looking ahead to facing Isner, Murray told Sky Sports: "I think he quite likes the conditions here because it's quick and he's a tough guy to play against." After starting slowly against Johnson, Murray broke the American's serve three times to claim the first set. The Scot encountered greater resistance in the second set and two double faults in a row helped gift Johnson two break points at 3-3. But a precise drop volley allowed Murray to see off the danger. With Johnson serving at 4-5, a lob set up three match points and Murray clinched it at the second opportunity when the American sent a forehand long after one hour and 16 minutes. Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios could be facing another fine after being given his second code violation of the tournament. The Australian smashed away a loose ball and nearly hit a linesman after losing the second set in a 1-6 6-4 6-4 defeat by Japan's Kei Nishikori. Kyrgios, 20, was fined $1,500 (£984) on Tuesday after calling the tournament a "circus" and complaining about the ball kids during his win over Andreas Haider-Maurer. He could trigger a 28-day ban if he incurs $5,000 (£3,256) in fines before February - a penalty stemming from the suspended ban he received for a sexual comment about Stan Wawrinka's girlfriend during a match in August.

Summary: Britain's Andy Murray had a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory over Steve Johnson in his opening Shanghai Masters match.


Several publications suggested last week that the president-elect would offer the star a top job in the arts. In a statement, Stallone said he was "incredibly flattered to have been suggested to be involved with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)". But the star said he would prefer to highlight issues faced by US veterans. "I believe I could be more effective by bringing national attention to returning military personnel in an effort to find gainful employment, suitable housing and financial assistance these heroes respectfully deserve," the statement said. Stallone, famed for his role in the Rambo and Rocky films, is also an artist. He has created hundreds of artworks and last year exhibited at the Modern Art Museum in Nice, France. In 2013, a collection of his paintings went on display at The Russian Museum in St Petersburg. At the show's opening the star said, if he had the choice, he would spend his life drawing instead of acting. "I think I'm a much better painter than an actor," he said. The Oscar-nominated actor studied art before his film career took off. In an interview with Variety earlier this year, Stallone said: "I love Donald Trump. He's a great Dickensian character. You know what I mean? There are certain people like Arnold [Schwarzenegger], Babe Ruth, that are bigger than life. But I don't know how that translates to running the world." Established in 1965, the NEA is an independent federal agency which distributes government grants to arts organisations. The NEA has come under threat in the past from previous Republican governments, including Ronald Reagan's administration. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Actor Sylvester Stallone has said he is "flattered" by reports that Donald Trump may offer him an arts post - but would prefer a role helping veterans.


Arshad Mohammed, 48, raped the 19-year-old woman in his Skoda taxi after driving her to a dead-end in Neilston, East Renfrewshire, in November 2010. He was caught after police took a DNA sample when he was detained in March and April 2011 for making sexual remarks to two 17-year-old women. Sentence on Mohammed was deferred and he was remanded in custody. Pakistan-born Mohammed, who holds Italian citizenship, was convicted by majority verdict following a six-day trial at the High Court in Stirling. The court heard that the rape victim had got into his 50 50 Cabs Skoda taxi in her pyjamas, with a coat on top, following an evening watching television at a friend's house. Mohammed abducted her and drove the victim to a secluded spot in Renfrewshire where he raped her. After the attack he told her: "See you after, princess." The court was told the woman went round to a friend's house in tears and the police were called. Mohammed, who was described as having "more than one teenage daughter" and a wife in Pakistan, was caught after he targeted two other lone, teenage passengers. He was detained by police twice, in March and April 2011, after he subjected them both to explicit sexual remarks. On these occasions he was required to give a DNA sample which was matched to DNA on a swab taken from the rape victim. Following his arrest, Mohammed appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court in June 2011 and was granted bail but he broke the conditions by failing to report to police, failing to hand in his Italian passport, and failing to appear at the High Court in Glasgow in April 2012. Mohammed was arrested in Norway on a European Arrest Warrant two years later, and extradited back to the UK in August 2014. During his trial he had lodged a special defence of consent, and claimed that his victim had asked him if he wanted to have sex. He claimed she said afterwards, "Thank you driver, now I can get a good night's sleep." In court, he claimed a "disability" in his legs made it only possible for him to have consensual sex. The jury also found him guilty, unanimously, of two charges of breach of the peace for uttering the remarks to the 17-year-old girls. Judge Lord Matthews said there was a "substantial sexual element" to the breaches of the peace. He deferred sentence for reports and remanded Mohammed in custody.

Summary: A Glasgow taxi driver who fled abroad to avoid a rape charge has been found guilty of the sex attack.


Elstree 1976 was directed by Jon Spira, from Thrupp, Oxfordshire, and completed after a Kickstarter campaign raised more than Â£40,000. He said a follow-up, Elstree 1979, would focus on the stunt team from Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back. Filming is due to start this summer with the filmmakers hoping to release the documentary next year. It is being produced by the Works Film Group. However, it has not yet been decided whether there will be a second Kickstarter campaign. Mr Spira said: "Where '76 dealt with the supporting artists of A New Hope, this film will look at the stunt team from Empire Strikes Back. "Wider than that, we will tell the story of that generation of British stunt performers. We can't wait to start shooting it." The first film featured Star Wars legends such as Dave Prowse, who played Darth Vader, and Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett, alongside little known extras. Elstree 1979 will look at the work of stuntmen Colin Skeaping and Vic Armstrong, and recreate the scene in which Luke Skywalker is blown through a window during the film's climactic duel. About 1,000 people backed Elstree 1976 on Kickstarter.

Summary: A sequel to a crowdfunded film about the lives of supporting artists in Star Wars has been announced.


And Team GB's youngest star, bronze-winning gymnast Amy Tinkler, who last week was wowing global sports fans but tomorrow collects her GCSE results, was given the welcome home of a sporting hero. There were several false starts as friends, coaches and fans waited at her gymnastics club to welcome her back after her Rio exploits. Twice the motivational music was started on the loud speaker as twice someone who was not the 16-year-old came in the door. But on the third go (you might say in the bronze medal place), the real deal arrived and the welcome was emotional to say the least. She was quickly at the centre of a huddle of young girls for whom she represents the reality that dreams can come true. And then there were cuddles from her coaches, who have spent hours in the South Durham Gymnastics Club helping Amy hone her skills for the Olympic Games. Finally there was the media scrum. Local newspapers who had reported on Amy's various championship successes for years, radio stations and TV journalists all waited for their chance to talk to County Durham's newest Olympian. Amy said: "To see everyone back here is overwhelming. "It's incredible, it's starting to sink in but it still seems crazy that it actually has happened. "(The medal) has been very close to me all the time. I was sat on the plane and the whole way back I had it on, it's just so special to me." For someone who the day before had flown the best part of 5,800 miles (9,300km), she looked remarkably refreshed. "I didn't get much sleep on the plane to be honest," she said. "I was sat near the hockey girls (the gold-winning women's hockey team were the ones filmed singing God Save the Queen), then we had like a six-hour drive to get home, but once I finally got home yesterday evening I slept really well. "I've got a busy week with interviews and media, next week I'll have time chilling with family and friends, then the week after that I'll get back into training." And on top of all that, tomorrow she gets her GCSE results, not that she's worried. "It is what it is, I have to get them," she said. The welcome-home party started as soon as she returned to her housing estate on the edge of Bishop Auckland, with neighbours ready to greet her. Young fans got autographs, older ones told Amy how proud they were of her. But it was at the gymnastics club, a large pink sports hall with a Â£30,000 floor and various beams, balance bars, trampolines and foam-filled pits, that she was really able to celebrate her success. "She started here when she was two-years-old" said Nicola Preston, her coach for the past 14 years. "She is one of the family, we are all just so proud of her, we are pleased to have her home, we've really missed." Barely 20 minutes after Amy's arrival, the next generation of gymnasts were back to training on the various pieces of

Summary: She went to Rio a hopeful but came back an Olympic medal holder.


"Where is Mullah Omar?" is a question sources say is being increasingly and angrily directed at the commander regarded as the acting head, Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. Commander Mansour has long been reported to be fighting off threats to his authority from more hardline Taliban opposed to any peace talks, including Abdul Qayum Zakir. The Taliban are also facing a growing challenge from the still small, but increasingly significant presence of the so-called Islamic State in Afghanistan. Videos have emerged of disgruntled Taliban fighters swearing allegiance to the IS's self-declared Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Iraqi cleric, who also declared a modern day caliphate in areas under IS control in Iraq and Syria, has publicly mocked the religious and political leadership of Mullah Omar. In a Taliban movement said to be founded on a pledge of allegiance to the Amir ul-Mumineen (Commander of the Faithful), Mullah Omar's authority was regarded as a binding force of political and military strength. "I really hope peace talks are concluded before Mullah Omar dies," a former senior Taliban official nervously remarked to me several years ago with unexpected candour about the movement's leader. "When he's gone, it will be much harder to maintain Taliban unity," he admitted with palpable concern. Our conversation, outside Afghanistan, took place at a time when Nato-led forces were killing many mid-level Taliban commanders in their operations in southern Afghanistan. That was raising concern that younger, more radicalised fighters, without a strong allegiance to the Taliban leader, would rise through the ranks and be hard to keep in line. In 2010, when US diplomats first engaged in face-to-face talks with the Taliban through what later became known as the movement's Political Office in the Gulf state of Qatar, they first sought to establish that the Talibs were acting with Mullah Omar's authority. At the time, US diplomats involved in the process told me credible assurances were received that Syed Tayyab Agha, his former personal secretary, had his blessing. That green light was, however, said to be strictly limited to negotiations with the Americans about Taliban prisoners and the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan. They eventually resulted in last year's swap of the remaining American soldier in Taliban captivity, Bowe Bergdahl, for five Taliban members held at Guantanamo Bay. This year, in the midst of a series of unprecedented informal meetings between the Taliban's Political Office and Afghan government officials, Taliban sources emphasised they still did not have formal authorisation from Mullah Omar to negotiate officially and openly with the Afghan government. That again raised the most salient issue: how to get a ruling from a leader who has not been seen in public since late 2001 when the Taliban movement was ousted in Afghanistan after the attacks of 11 September. Even his recorded messages stopped several years ago. Taliban officials often insisted their leader had to keep an exceptionally low profile because of US efforts to kill or capture him. But he was widely rumoured to be in Pakistan, despite Islamabad's denials. A senior Afghan official told me a few years ago

Summary: Whether or not Mullah Omar is dead or alive, his long absence from public view is posing a growing threat to the strength of his splintering Afghan Taliban movement.


Needing a point to be crowned French champions for the eighth time, the in-form Kylian Mbappe scored the opener in style. Mbappe, 18, latched on to captain Radamel Falcao's through ball, skipped around the goalkeeper and slotted in. Forward Valere Germain made sure of the win in injury time with a tap-in from close range. The home side had all but secured the title before kick-off, with Paris St-Germain three points behind with just one game to play and a far inferior goal difference. The new champions rarely looked troubled in registering their 11th consecutive league win and subsequently lifting a trophy that has eluded them since the turn of the millennium. The last time Monaco won Ligue 1 they were fielding a team which included the French trio of Fabien Barthez, David Trezeguet and Willy Sagnol. Monaco's success this season is largely down to the reinvigorated Colombian Falcao and the emergence of French teenager Mbappe. Falcao, 31, has put the disappointment of his loan spells with Manchester United and Chelsea, where he scored just five goals in 36 appearances, behind him. The forward will finish top scorer for Monaco this campaign, netting 24 times with four assists. Mbappe has caught the eye of suitors from the top teams in Europe in his breakthrough season. He has scored 15 league goals this season to add to his remarkable performances in the Champions League. Mbappe, voted Ligue 1's young player of the year, scored six in six as Monaco reached the semi-final stage, eventually losing to Juventus over two legs. That defeat did not overshadow their achievements, however, as Monaco brushed aside Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund en route to the semi-finals. Monaco's triumph is all the more impressive given they finished eighth in Ligue 2, France's second division, five years ago, having been in and out of the relegation zone over the course of the 2011-2012 season. The following season they finished top of Ligue 2 and returned to top-flight football. Just two seasons later, they have scored over 104 goals, conceding just 29, on their way to being crowned the best team in France. Four players from that Ligue 2 winning team are in Monaco's current title-winning squad: Goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, defender Andrea Raggi, winger Nabil Dirar and forward Germain. Whether they struggle to hold onto the likes of Mbappe awaits to be seen, but the celebrations, prematurely, had already been put in place before Wednesday's victory. On Wednesday morning, the club announced on Twitter that American rapper 50 Cent would be performing at the players' victory party. A statement on the club's website read: "The American star will come to celebrate the excellent results of Falcao's team-mates this Sunday in the Palace Square in the Principality." Before the party can begin, Monaco will end their season with an away trip to ninth placed Rennes on Saturday. Match ends, Monaco 2, St Etienne 0. Second Half ends, Monaco 2, St Etienne 0. Goal! Monaco 2, St Etienne 0. Valère Germain (Monaco) right footed shot from the centre of the

Summary: Monaco have won the Ligue 1 title for the first time in 17 years after a 2-0 win at home to Saint-Etienne.


At Turf Moor on Saturday, Burnley and West Brom played out a game in which the ball was in play for only 160 seconds more than it was out. Though these are early days, no Premier League match so far this season has seen less action. Two months ago, football's lawmakers revealed they were considering scrapping 45-minute halves, instead introducing two periods of 30 minutes, during which the clock would be stopped every time the ball went out. The proposal, the International Football Association Board said, was one of a number of options to deter football's "negativities". So would the rule have benefited supporters at Premier League matches so far this season? In a word, yes. Of 19 top-flight games across the opening two weekends of the campaign, the ball has been in play for more than an hour in only two of them. And no game has featured more than 61 minutes of play. Food for thought for fans and lawmakers alike. Here's the rest of the key Premier League statistics from the weekend. It was a landmark weekend for Wayne Rooney as he joined Alan Shearer in the 200 Premier League goals club with his strike against Manchester City on Monday. Here's how and when he has scored them. Rooney has some way to go to beat former Newcastle and Blackburn striker Shearer's record of 260 goals, although his goal at Etihad Stadium was his fifth in his past eight Premier League games. If he can keep that up then who knows... ... try, try again? Well doing just that doesn't appear to be yielding results in the Premier League so far this season. Harry Kane must have some sort of pox on him that prevents him from scoring in August, and it's hard not to sympathise as everything conspired to deny him a goal against Chelsea on Sunday. He's attempted 14 shots so far this term - no player has managed more - all without reward. "Obviously my decision not to read the British press was one of the best I ever made in my life." Judging by the above quote, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was perhaps getting a little tired of the criticism of his side's defending before they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday. It was a welcome clean sheet after the Reds conceded three in their Premier League opener against Watford and then let in a late goal in the midweek 2-1 Champions League play-off win at Hoffenheim. But is their defence really a problem? On the face of it, the statistics suggest it is. No team has made more errors that have led to goals than Liverpool since 2012, while the Reds have not managed to concede fewer than 40 goals a season since 2009-10. A concern, no doubt, for a side with title ambitions. Only once in the past seven seasons has the Premier League been won by a side that has shipped 40 goals or more - Manchester United in 2012-13 (43). However, things appear to be going in the right direction under

Summary: A 90-minute match but only 47 minutes and 40 seconds of actual football.


The hosts go into the final day on 199-6 in their second innings, a lead of 278 runs. John Anderson top-scored with 59 while Ed Joyce (37), William Porterfield (29) and Gary Wilson (25) also contributed on a day when 45 overs were lost. Tanveer Ahmed and Tanwir Afzal each picked up two wickets for the tourists. The Irish play positively, scoring at a rate of around four an over in an attempt to force a result despite the best efforts of the Belfast weather. Joyce scored a fluent 37 from 55 balls in an opening stand of 53 with skipper Porterfield and was unluckily dismissed when he hit his wicket. Anderson and Porterfield added a further 48 before the captain was bowled. Niall O'Brien (15) and Paul Stirling (six) both went cheaply, but Anderson's fourth half-century for Ireland ensured they were always on top. The Merrion man top-scored before mistiming an attempted hook shot. Gary Wilson scored a breezy 25 and was trapped lbw two balls before the umpires decided that the light was too poor to continue. Porterfield indicated that Ireland would bat on Friday, probably hoping to set Hong Kong a target of around 330. Play on the final day will start 30 minutes early at 10:30 BST, with a potential 104 overs. Meanwhile, Ireland have brought North Down leg-spinner Jacob Mulder into their squad for two T20 games against Hong Kong at Bready next week. He replaces Barry McCarthy, who is required by Warwickshire for their County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Headingley.

Summary: Ireland remain in control against Hong Kong in the Intercontinental Cup game but they were frustrated by rain and bad light at Stormont on Thursday.


Thomas Morris, 31, was discovered in his cell at HMP Woodhill, near Milton Keynes, in June 2016. An inquest has heard how he sought mental health care before his death. Nicola Marfleet, acting governor, told the hearing: "I accept management checks had failed on different levels. I am responsible, I will always accept that." The inquest has previously heard how Mr Morris was moved to a single cell after throwing his television on to a landing. Asked whether Mr Morris might still be alive had he not been moved to a solo cell, Ms Marfleet said: "In hindsight that may have saved his life, but maybe leaving him where he was would have caused harm. "One individual throwing a TV onto a landing narrowly missing an inmate could be the thing that tips the wing into us losing control. "My duty is to care for each prisoner. A decision is not made in isolation." She told how the jail had a staff "deficit", meaning there is "a regular trickle of resignations which means we are routinely short of officers". The inquest continues.

Summary: The governor of a prison where an inmate was found hanged in his cell has admitted "checks failed".


Overwatch - a first-person shooter - also marks the first time the studio has launched a title worldwide on PC and consoles simultaneously. WoW is the second bestselling PC game of all time, but its subscriber numbers have halved since their peak in 2010. Blizzard predicts strong sales of Overwatch and hopes it will attract large audiences as an e-sport. The game is a departure from the developer's previous hits, in which players usually viewed the world from a god-like, third-person perspective. Instead, players look directly down the barrel of their weapon as they roam a colourful world battling other gamers. "Blizzard has a huge following on a global basis and is one of the best renowned publishers," said Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games at the IHS Technology consultancy. "But it has no pedigree in first-person shooters (FPS), so people will be excited to see what potential the game holds." The game is also Blizzard's first new "intellectual property" in 18 years, since the studio has focused on spin-offs and expansions for existing franchises such as WoW, Diablo and Starcraft. Subscribers to WoW have dropped from a high of 12 million in 2010 to 5.5 million in 2015, and the company has since stopped reporting the figures. Thomas Tippl, chief operating officer at Activision Blizzard, said Overwatch would be "Blizzard's biggest launch since Diablo 3 in 2012" and hoped it would "resonate well in e-sports". "E-sports is not only a driver of audience expansion, but also importantly drives growth in terms of time spent with our franchises," he said during an earnings call on 5 May. If it captures the attention of e-sports competitors, it could have a very profitable future. "Professional gaming competitions were watched online by roughly 200 million people in the past year, whilst over $200m (Â£138m) has been awarded in e-sports tournaments to date," said Dr Mark Johnson, a games researcher at the University of York. "In recent years, Counterstrike has been the only highly successful FPS game with substantial longevity for professional gaming, so a game like Overwatch certainly has the potential to grab a huge new slice of this market. "However, many FPS games have unsuccessfully tried to carve out a long-term sustainable place in e-sports, so it remains to be seen whether or not Overwatch has the right formula to knock Counterstrike off the pedestal." Overwatch has already piqued the interest of many gamers, with almost 10 million players taking part in an early road test of the game. Officially the trial period was to "test servers" and iron out any problems, but the studio's chief financial officer Dennis Durkin has acknowledged: "We're doing a tonne to expose players to the richness of this world." "We learned a lot from the open test," Michael Chu, senior game designer at Blizzard, told the BBC. "We value the input of the community and we have been changing things here and there, addressing player concerns." One of those concerns was about the portrayal of female characters. Some players complained that an over-the-shoulder victory pose for Tracer drew particular

Summary: World-of-Warcraft-maker Blizzard has released its first original gaming franchise in nearly two decades.


The facilities at The Green, in Thorne, will undergo renovation after funding was secured from the Town Centre Innovation Fund and Doncaster Council. Thomas Crapper, whose name is synonymous with public conveniences, was born in Thorne, in 1836. The work, due to start on Monday, is expected to take six weeks to complete. The leader of Thorne & Moorends Town Council Martin Williams said: "So many toilets are closing down all over the place so we thought that it would be good to refurbish some so all of the shoppers have got some decent facilities. "I can't get him [Thomas Crapper] to open them but we could make it a memorial to him and put up a blue plaque." Public toilets in South Parade will be opened while the work is completed. According to the Thomas Crapper & Co website, despite popular thought Mr Crapper did not invent the WC but was behind a number of important innovations in sanitation. Mr Crapper died in 1910 and is buried in Elmers End Cemetery, in Beckenham, Kent.

Summary: A Â£30,000 project to refurbish the public toilets in the birthplace of legendary lavatory maker Thomas Crapper is set to begin.


Kent County Council (KCC) is expected to put up its Young Persons' Travel Pass from £200 to £250 in September - a year after the price doubled from £100. "We have just set up an e-petition and we will be emailing all the schools and hoping people will sign," said Staplehurst campaigner Katya Thornton. KCC said it could not provide a cheaper pass because of government cuts. The travel pass gives unlimited access to Kent's buses for 11 to 16 year-olds on weekdays between 06:00 and 19:00 from the start of the academic year until 31 July. "Some people will say the increase is only £50 but that's a 25% rise and its coming on top of last year's rise," said Ms Thornton. "For some people like me this has a real impact. "It's very unfair for those of us who live in rural communities because I don't have the right kinds of schools on the doorstep. "I would prefer to send my children to a school five of 10 minutes away where they could walk but I can't do that." Leader of the UKIP opposition on the council Roger Latchford, said he was appalled at the increase and would oppose it when it was debated by the council's cabinet on Monday. Tory-run KCC said buying a bus card directly from the operator could cost more than £800 a year. It said government cuts meant the council had to save £209m over the next three years and subsidising bus passes currently cost the council about £15m a year. "It is a discretionary scheme - we don't have to do it," said Conservative Matthew Balfour. "Our subsidy is being reduced but that still leaves a cost to the taxpayer of £338 per pass."

Summary: Parents have vowed to fight a £50 increase in the cost of bus passes for Kent secondary school students.


UKIP's leader told the Sunday Telegraph the risk of attacks like those in Cologne, Germany, would be "the nuclear bomb" of the referendum campaign. But Treasury minister Andrea Leadsom, who backs Brexit, said he was wrong. "Obviously that is just an outrageous thing to say," she told the BBC. Allegations that hundreds of women were groped, robbed and intimidated at Cologne's central station on New Year's Eve emerged in January. Victims described chaos outside the city's main station, as the men - some of whom were identified in an official report as migrants or asylum seekers of North African and Arab origin - carried out dozens of attacks with little apparent response from the authorities. Mr Farage claimed women could be at risk because of "very big cultural" issues between British society and migrants if the UK voted to remain in the EU, according to the Sunday Telegraph. Asked whether mass attacks on the scale seen in Cologne could happen in Britain, he replied: "It depends if they get EU passports. It depends if we vote for Brexit or not. It is an issue." The UKIP leader made the comments ahead of a live TV debate on ITV on Thursday. During last year's TV general election debates, Mr Farage sparked controversy by claiming foreign HIV patients were costing the NHS Â£25,000 each per year. "The nuclear bomb this time would be about Cologne," he told the Telegraph. This issue covers immigration and free movement within Europe. Rather than backing her fellow Brexit campaigner's comments, Tory MP Ms Leadsom told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't like that sort of campaigning at all." "However we know for a fact that there was an appalling experience for women over in Germany over the Christmas period. "I do not approve of that sort of campaigning, I do not believe in outright blatant scaremongering so I think it's really, really regrettable. "I haven't seen it and I wouldn't support suggesting if you vote to remain you'd be raped." Justice Secretary Michael Gove, a prominent Brexit campaigner, also refused to associate himself with Mr Farage's comments. "He's made those remarks and I haven't made remarks like that and I won't make remarks like that," he told ITV's Peston on Sunday. Sal Brinton, president of the Liberal Democrats, said Farage had "sunk to new depths in his scaremongering with these remarks which are completely unacceptable". And Ryan Coetzee, director of strategy for the official remain campaign, Britain Stronger In Europe, tweeted to say Mr Farage's comments were "disgraceful", adding: "Don't vote for this man's idea of Britain. But Mr Farage also told the Telegraph the "honesty and straightforwardness" of the prime minister was now being questioned by voters. Many believed Mr Cameron, who he dubbed "Dishonest Dave", had broken his promise to cut migration and renegotiate the UK's terms of membership of the EU, he said. Mr Cameron's ally, Chancellor George Osborne, took aim at the UKIP leader in an interview published in the Sunday Times. "This is a battle between Farage's mean vision of

Summary: Nigel Farage has been accused of "blatant scaremongering" by a fellow Leave campaigner for suggesting there could be a risk of sex attacks on women by migrants if Britain stays in the EU.


Net profit totalled 101m euros (Â£84.6m) from 32m euros in 2012. Sales topped 1bn euros for the first time with 10 million passengers making the 31 mile journey under the Channel. The company set a 500m euros earnings target for 2015 when it expects to pay tax on its profits for the first time. In its 20 year history Eurotunnel has been laden with debt, placed in bankruptcy protection and restructured, before making its first profit in 2007. Chief executive Jacques Gounon said: "For the first time in the history of Eurotunnel, we think that the situation of the group is altogether satisfactory." The company will increase its dividend by a quarter to 15 euro cents a share. The only part of the group to report a loss was the MyFerryLink, which provides ferry services across the Channel between France and England. It made an operating loss of 22m euros.

Summary: Eurotunnel, which operates the undersea tunnel between France and England, tripled profits last year on the back of record passenger numbers.


Prof Trevor Purt was suspended from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) after it was put into special measures. BCUHB ran the much-criticised Tawel Fan ward at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Denbighshire, which closed in 2013. A health and care union boss said the move would "do nothing" to address "deep-seated" problems at the board. Jon Restell, chief executive of the Managers in Partnership (MiP) union, said: "This will only create more instability, which is not in the patients' interests." A report found there was "institutional abuse" at the Tawel Fan mental health unit, where patients were allegedly treated like animals in a zoo. Deputy chief executive of the Welsh NHS Simon Dean was appointed as interim head of the board on Tuesday.

Summary: The suspension of the chief executive of a troubled health board is "short-sighted", a union boss has said.


After their defiance of the government on Monday, peers are waiting to see what instrument the government will devise for their punishment. And in particular they're keen to guess whether their former leader, Lord Strathclyde, will place a silken noose about their noble necks, or merely slap their noble wrists. Conservative MPs are not amused about Monday's rebuff: "they've got to bleed," growled one senior Tory backbencher, but the options for punishment are far from simple. Despite the chuntering from sources close to ministers about "suspending" the Lords, or otherwise clipping its wings, such extreme constitutional surgery is simply not in the gift of the government. Serious constitutional reform requires passing a bill, and the investment of time and political capital necessary may simply be too great to be worth the bother. The basic problem is that any measure to cut the powers of the Lords has to be approved by, er, the House of Lords. And should peers reject the proposals, the Government could only over-ride them through the cumbersome means of the Parliament Act. Thus the same Lords reform bill would have to be passed by MPs two years running, to become law. There is no real consensus in the Commons about how to reform the Upper House and that would become painfully clear, whatever scheme was laid before it. By immemorial convention, constitutional measures are debated in detail by a committee of the whole House, and to bring the Parliament Act into play, that process would have to be gone through twice. That means two years in which, potentially, weeks of Commons time was devoted to debating constitutional arcana. "Oh but it can be kept manageable by timetabling the committee stage." Really? Without that elusive consensus about the shape of Lords reform, there's a good chance that, for any given reform proposal, enough Conservative MPs would oppose a timetable motion, allowing it to be defeated and tipping the government into the prospect of an open-ended committee stage, lasting for months, not weeks. It was this that caused the Coalition to abandon the Clegg Lords Reform Bill, and it could well happen again. Labour played Clegg pretty mercilessly and seem unlikely to be more sympathetic to any Conservative proposal. No Labour government has ever had a majority in the Lords, and their MPs think the government should suck these defeats up, just as Tony Blair and his predecessors had to. And let's not even think about the consequences for government legislation if peers were really riled. So, if a Lords reform bill of some kind is a politically expensive and difficult exercise, what about creating a new wave of Tory peers to swamp the opposition parties? That would mean more than a hundred. Again, that is difficult, for different reasons. For a start the government has created a lot of new Tory peers already, new noble Lords are being introduced to the House at the rate of four or so a week, there are four more due next week. And it's not a done deal that the Queen would simply

Summary: As every viewer of the Alec Guiness comedy classic, Kind Hearts and Coronets, knows, when peers are hanged, the execution is performed with a silken cord.


Currently such energy users - already the most vulnerable to debt - face a charge of up to £900, said Ofgem. As many as 4.5 million people use prepayment meters for electricity, while 3.5 million use them for gas. Consumers who pay in advance also face higher energy bills, although from April 2017 these prices will be capped. The proposal was welcomed by the charity Citizens Advice. At the moment, energy suppliers must try to come to an agreement with consumers who fall into debt. If that cannot be achieved, they can apply to a magistrates court for a warrant to install a prepayment meter. If given permission to do so, they are allowed to charge for the cost of putting it in. Such charges are typically £400, but can be as high as £900 when court costs are included. However, some suppliers do not charge anything. Ofgem is suggesting that the maximum fee should be between £100 and £150. For particularly vulnerable consumers, such as those in financial hardship or those with health issues, it says there should be no charge at all. "It's deeply unfair that struggling customers get hit with high warrant costs when they're already grappling with debt, doubly penalising them," said Rachel Fletcher, Ofgem's senior partner for consumers and competition. "Where they are needed, our proposals will protect customers by limiting prepayment meter warrant charges for all customers and removing them for the most vulnerable." Gillian Guy, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, welcomed the idea. "Capping the warrant charges and ending them altogether for vulnerable customers will help to stop people being pushed further into debt when they are already struggling to manage their costs," she said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ordered a price cap on energy charges for prepayment customers from April 2017. The precise level of the cap has not yet been set, but such households are set to save £75 a year as a result. The Ofgem consultation will last until 9 November 2016.

Summary: Consumers who are forced to have prepayment energy meters put in should face a maximum installation fee of £150, the regulator has proposed.


In one case a worker allowed their partner to access and amend personal data. There were also several cases of posting personal data on websites, and an e-mail which accidentally disclosed sensitive details of 24 dead people. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) called for effective data handling to become second nature. Seven of the 22 local authorities said they had recorded no breaches last year. BBC Wales' Welsh-language news website Newyddion Ar-lein obtained the information in a Freedom of Information request. The ICO was informed about "several incidents" in Anglesey council in 2012 in which documents including personal data "were either disclosed or disposed of inappropriately, or there was a risk of unauthorised access". After an investigation, the ICO said that the council's guidelines on data protection were insufficient and the chief executive committed to making improvements. An Anglesey council spokesperson said: "In order to secure improvements, we have recently established a corporate information governance project board to embed and improve a culture of data protection compliance throughout the whole organisation." The 17 breaches in Powys council included five internal cases of misdirecting information, and 12 cases of sending information to the wrong address, recording wrong personal data in correspondence, and placing personal data on the council's website. Disciplinary procedures were taken against one staff member. There were seven cases recorded in Cardiff council. Among them were a member of staff accidentally sending an email to a number of third party individuals - including Cardiff council employees, Vale of Glamorgan council and individuals in the NHS - which accidentally disclosed sensitive details of 24 dead people. However, the Data Protection Act does not apply to the deceased. Also in Cardiff council, a worker sent an e-mail with sensitive personal data to the wrong person internally and a planning file containing personal data was lost. There were seven cases in Wrexham Council. On two occasions the social services department mistakenly shared information with a third party; e-mail addresses of subscribers to the housing department portal were shared by mistake, and the council failed to respond to a request for data within the necessary 40 days four times. Four cases were recorded in Flintshire council. Disciplinary action was taken against one worker who allowed a partner to access and amend personal data. In addition, two committee reports which included personal data were mistakenly published on the website, a letter about children's services was sent to the wrong house, and a CD with personal data was lost. Five cases were reported in Newport council, and two workers were given final written warnings. Gwynedd council said that none of the data involved in its five breaches was sensitive, while in Caerphilly council further training was provided after three cases in which personal data was mistakenly revealed. In Conwy "several cases" were recorded of missing data, involving e-mails, faxes and letters being misdirected, and information being stolen from vehicles and property. There were two breaches in Carmarthenshire council. A private company was used to send a circular to each member of the Dyfed Pension Fund. It printed

Summary: Local authorities in Wales broke data protection laws over 60 times in 2012, BBC Wales has learned.


These are the words of judge Karin Jung, who gave two 1860 Munich fans the choice to buy Bayern merchandise for a fan they attacked - or spend 15 months in jail. The defendants, who refused to name a third person involved when they ripped the jacket, shirt and straw hat off the Bayern fan last year, opted for the pride-swallowing trip to the rival club store. "I thought about what would be really painful to them, and doing something like this really bothers this type of people," Jung - who got the victim's consent for the quirky sentence - told Bild newspaper. This was no cheap shopping trip though as according to their lawyer, the accused parted with around £350 each in compensation as well as handing over a Bayern hat, scarf and jersey in court.

Summary: "I wanted to show that football is football and not a battlefield."


Carl Marston began writing about Colchester United for the East Anglian Daily Times on 21 November 1992 for a Third Division match at home to Rochdale. The latest game is at Rochdale on Saturday - this time in League One. Mr Marston, 48, said: "I'd like to keep doing it because, as a small club, you are closer to the manager and players." The reporter joined the paper in 1989 and mainly covered non-league football before getting assigned to the Essex club. The first game was a 4-4 draw - which ranks as the third favourite Colchester game he covered. "You could say it was a baptism of fire, because the press box was new to me and I was hoping for an easy match, but it was changing constantly," Mr Marston said. "Generally, access to the club is great and you wouldn't get that at a much bigger club. "Once when I travelled on the team coach to Torquay, I'd finished filing my report only to find the bus had left. "The manager George Burley realised and got them to turn back 30 miles - that's the sort of club it is." While the club is still arguably best known for its shock 1971 FA Cup victory over Leeds United, Mr Marston has seen Colchester spend two seasons in the Championship and lose to Chelsea in the FA Cup. Mr Marston said his personal high would be the 1998 play-off final win against Torquay at Wembley which saw Colchester promoted to League Division Two. He was also delighted to see Colchester draw 0-0 at Yeovil to gain automatic promotion to the Championship in 2006, because he was due to get married on the day of the play-off final. One of the other biggest changes has been the club's move from Layer Road to the Weston Homes Community Stadium in 2008. Mr Marston said: "Layer Road has a lot of memories, but the facilities were very basic - the press box windows used to steam up and half-time tea was served in the laundry room - but it certainly had character. "The new ground is fantastic and has potential if they can get into the Championship again, but it is soulless compared to Layer Road."

Summary: A football reporter is about to reach the landmark of filing his thousandth match report covering the same club.


The 25-year-old junior doctor's car was found on Friday 12 February at Ansteys Cove near Torquay, the town where she worked. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said there was "no structured search going on". However, they said police would continue to perform "intermittent shore line searches". The BBC understands that a note was found in Dr Polge's car. It is believed its contents were mainly related to personal issues, but there was a passing reference to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. On Thursday, Mr Hunt confirmed the government would impose a new contract on junior doctors in England. It is understood Dr Polge had been an active campaigner against plans to change working hours and conditions for junior doctors, and in January posted a new Facebook profile picture, featuring the hashtag #NotFairNotSafe. Police said her disappearance was "totally out of character" and concerns for her welfare were rising. Friday 12 February - Rose Polge's car is found in a car park near Ansteys Cove in Torbay Saturday 13 February - The family and boyfriend of Dr Polge join more than 100 people searching the area around Ansteys Cove Sunday 14 February - Torbay Hospital confirmed that Rose Polge works there as a junior doctor. "We will do whatever we can to support the authorities," a statement said. Monday 15 February - Colin Smith, from Royston Hockey Club where Dr Polge used to play, said: "We just don't know what we can do." Tuesday 16 February - Dr Polge's family release a statement saying they are "overwhelmed" by the support from her friends and colleagues More than 100 people have been involved in the search operation, including Dr Polge's boyfriend and her family. A district councillor for the village of Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, where Dr Polge's parents live, said he had no doubt the community would "rally round". Councillor Jose Hales said: "My heart goes out to the family at this terrible time. The pain and worry they must be feeling is unimaginable." Police are appealing for the public to contact them with any information or sightings of Dr Polge.

Summary: The search for missing junior doctor Rose Polge has been scaled back, almost a week after she disappeared.


The pair, aged 24 and 27, were attacked by a group wearing hooded tops, who had covered their faces, on Drumilaw Way in Rutherglen at about 02:45 on Sunday. The victims were taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Police said the incident was visible from nearby houses and have appealed for witnesses to come forward. They said the men were approached by five or six male youths at the grass area opposite the Usave store. Det Con Ross Philip said: "There are a lot of houses that overlook the grass area and roadway at Drumilaw Way and I'd like to speak to anyone who may have been disturbed by noise at this time of night and may have looked out and witnessed the two men being attacked." Hospital staff said the men's injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

Summary: Two men are in a serious condition in hospital after being assaulted in a large-scale disturbance in South Lanarkshire.


The Somerset Choices website, run by Somerset County Council, will see approved and vetted carers list the types of services they can offer. The National Care Association said if listed carers fell ill or took holiday, there could be gaps in service. Somerset County Council said steps were in place to mitigate against this. The two-year project - which lists services on a website - has been prompted by the introduction of the Care Act 2014, which came into force in April. By law, councils must develop new markets which can offer a range of choices for those needing care. Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, said: "There is a concern over the continuity of service. "If these are single employers with 'single' roles, if something happens to them, are we going to find people left at critical periods of time without any support?" She said there were also issues with how well-trained the self-employed carers were. Gareth O'Rourke, senior manager at the council, said: "[The service] is for a group of people who have a very good understanding of their needs and a strong understanding of how they want their needs to be met." He added those on the register were vetted, insured and met self-employment law criteria. According to Somerset County Council, the number of people likely to need support will rise from 2,392 in 2011, to 2,751 in 2015. In 2011/12, about 58,300 people provided unpaid care. It is not known how many people need care in the county as some pay for it privately and have no contact with social services. Somerset Choices offers services from personal care to dog walking.

Summary: A council project to boost the number of "sole trader" carers for the elderly may leave people without support, a care association has said.


19 April 2017 Last updated at 17:30 BST Maureen Leathley was a prima ballerina who toured the country with operatic companies. Ms Leathley said the movement and the music takes her "to another world".

Summary: A 91-year-old woman from Hull is still dancing - 79 years after she began ballet classes.


At Â£233bn the new stealth fighter is the most expensive weapons order ever placed, due to fly with the RAF and on the new British Navy carriers. British test pilots have already been putting it through its paces, but the hotly awaited first appearance in UK skies was cancelled after an engine fire grounded the whole fleet. A life size model is on display - and people queued around the block to gaze into the cockpit. So imagine my amazement when at the back of one of the trade halls I found the stand of the Martin-Baker company - and the seat of an F35, which they were happy for visitors to try out for size. This is the real thing, not a mock-up, as fitted to the amazing planes now flying in the States, if not here. Martin-Baker are a company based in Buckinghamshire. They are famous around the world, but still family owned, and test their products in nearby Oxfordshire. They started making aeroplanes after the war until Captain Valentine Baker was killed in a flying accident. His partner Sir James Martin dedicated the company to finding a way of enabling pilots to escape an aircraft safely in an emergency. Since then they've saved an amazing 7,500 lives as airmen were able to escape their doomed planes. It's always a last resort - but one-in-10 of the seats they have made has been used for a successful ejection. The latest design is fully microprocessor controlled. It is not straightforward firing out of a jet which could be flying at high speed thousands of feet up or stationary on the ground when disaster strikes. The new seat incorporates side air bags to protect the pilot's head as he flies through the canopy. Martin-Baker seats are acknowledged throughout aviation as top quality, at the cutting edge, yet the company is still run by the two engineer sons of the founder. It's an example of all the small firms in the UK working on what amounts to nearly 15% of the total value of the F35. In fact everything the pilot touches is Made in Britain. And it's a win for the Chancellor - with as much money projected to come back in tax revenue from manufacturers as the MoD has spent on its share of the order. So I can say I've sat in the seat of a world beater. OK the rest of the plane was missing, but knowing the history of that seat made it a huge thrill nonetheless.

Summary: A major disappointment for the crowds flocking to Hampshire for the Farnborough Airshow was the non-appearance of the new American-built F35 fighter plane.


Bangor Crematorium's chapel will be shut from 5-24 September. Funerals will not be held but cremations can still be carried out while improvements are made to keep the facility up to standard. Crematoriums in Colwyn Bay and Aberystwyth have been told about the closure and to expect more funerals at those facilities. Gwynedd council's cabinet member for the environment, John Wynn Jones, said: "Every effort is made to minimise such work on the efficient running of the facility, however on this occasion the scale and location of the work combined with the need to remove asbestos materials means that we unfortunately have no option but to temporarily close the chapel facility."

Summary: A crematorium's chapel in Gwynedd will close for three weeks for asbestos removal and repair work.


The vote, which followed the first debate on the EU Referendum Bill, means the legislation moves to the next stage of its progress through Parliament. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said a "generation" had been denied a say on the UK's place in Europe, and the public must now have the "final say". MPs voted by 544 to 53 in favour of the bill. The Conservatives and Labour support the bill, but the SNP opposes it. Earlier, MPs voted to reject an SNP amendment opposing the bill. The bill, which has now passed its second reading and will next be examined by a committee of MPs, has several more stages to pass through. Prime Minister David Cameron, who first promised a referendum in 2013, has pledged to negotiate a "better deal" for the UK in Europe in advance of the vote - to be held by the end of 2017 at the latest. Mr Hammond said a vote - which would be the first on the UK's links with Europe since 1975 - was needed to renew the democratic legitimacy of the UK's relationship with the 28-member body. "We've had referendums on Scottish devolution, referendums on Welsh devolution, referendums on our electoral system and on a regional assembly for the North East," he said. "But an entire generation of British voters has been denied the chance to have a say on our relationship with the European Union. And Mr Speaker, today we are putting that right." You don't need a doctorate in mathematics to work out this was a Commons majority of rather a lot. With 650 MPs in the House of Commons, persuading 84% of them to vote the same way is quite something. In fact, such an achievement the result was held up because of the length of the queue of those wanting to endorse the idea of an EU referendum. How did it happen? Labour campaigned before the general election against the idea of a referendum, saying it would be destabilising. But after what amounted, to them, to be a rather destabilising appointment with the electorate, they have changed their mind in defeat. For some, this vote is something they have campaigned on for as long as they have been at Westminster: a say for the people on our place inside or outside the European Union. For all of us, it is the start of a debate about how we see ourselves, our place in the world and a decision for us each to take, within the next two and a half years. Mr Hammond added: "We need a fundamental change in the way the European Union operates. It is now a union which has at its core a eurozone of 19 members which will integrate more closely together. "There needs to be an explicit recognition those who are not part of that core do not need to pursue ever closer union. There need to be an explicit protection of the interests of those non-eurozone members as the EU goes forward. "We expect to be able to negotiate a new

Summary: MPs have overwhelmingly backed plans for a referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union.


Margate's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital has rearranged rotas in anticipation of shortages. East Kent Hospitals fears locums will refuse work because of a drop in pay of 20% when tax and national insurance is deducted at source from Thursday. However, the NHS trust dismissed a claim it could partially close an A&E department to ease any shortage. The British Medical Association (BMA) could not comment on whether locums would turn up for work but said working conditions including unmanageable workloads were causing shortages across the health service. The Health Service Journal has described the NHS as being in a "Mexican standoff" with staff over the new tax rules, with other hospitals potentially affected. Live: More on this story and other news from Kent About 80% of Margate's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital's middle grade doctors in the emergency department are locums, according to a document seen by BBC South East. That compares to 35% at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, it says. It suggests locums are planning to withdraw from shifts despite a 12% increase in their rate - to £75 an hour from about £65. The document outlines suggestions for coping with a staff shortage which include cancelling operations and drafting in other healthcare staff. The hospital is offering substantive staff £90 an hour to do extra shifts and cancelling annual leave but is doubtful this will solve the problem, the document says. It lists a range of possible coping measures including: In a statement, the trust said: "These suggestions were made by local staff. Only one option is being taken forward by the trust which is combining rotas across our two accident and emergency departments. "We have not considered and are not introducing any partial closures, temporary or otherwise, to the A&E department of the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital or the closure of Buckland Hospital. "As for paying more money, a new rate of £75 an hour has been mooted, an increase of more than 10%." The Deputy Chief Executive of East Kent hospitals said it was considering the locum rate but had not yet agreed one. Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, said: "We are seeing the result of years of poor workforce planning being borne out. Locums are an important part of the NHS workforce but cannot provide a solution to long-term gaps in the NHS workforce. "Hospitals are increasingly relying on locums as they are unable to attract staff to take up full-time posts, or cannot advertise for full-time positions due to funding pressures. "We need to urgently address the working conditions, including unmanageable workloads, which are causing staff shortages across the health service, particularly in areas such as emergency and acute medicine."

Summary: A hospital has planned for a possible lack of doctors as a result of tax changes, the BBC understands.


Madeleine Moon, Bridgend's Labour MP, said more military exercises are needed to show Russia "we are ready and we are capable". It follows the crash of Malaysia airliner MH17 in Ukraine and growing tensions between Russia and the west. Ms Moon, who sits on the Commons defence committee, called for a halt in a decline on defence spending. A total of 298 people were on board MH17, when it was reportedly hit by a missile over a rebel-held area in Donetsk region on Thursday. Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels have accused each other of shooting down the Boeing 777, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Western countries have criticised restrictions imposed by rebels at the crash site, and have asked Russia to pressurise them to allow more access. Ms Moon said the "callous" behaviour of militia followed the annexation of Ukraine adding that Russian president Vladimir Putin had to realise that the "world is outraged". She said: "I think we have to act as if we're entering a new Cold War. "We've had Russian ships, we have had Russian submarines off our coast for the last few years. "We've had Russian planes entering very close to our airspace for years, testing our defences. "We've got no maritime patrol capability - that needs to be replaced." Ms Moon, who is also part of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly, told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement Britain had ignored Russia's "flexing of its muscles". She added: "We have to have more regular live exercises and snap exercises so that we are clear that we are sending a message to Russia that we are not sitting back - we are ready and we are capable - because that's the only message the Russians understand."

Summary: Britain has to "act as if we're entering a new Cold War" with Russia, an MP has claimed.


The 30-year-old won the last of his 34 caps against New Zealand in 2013. "I had a phone call from Eddie before he picked the England squad saying I need to get back to the running rugby and get hands on the ball in the wide channels," said Foden. "That's the first time anyone's ever told me that from England - it was always the other way around." He added to BBC Radio Northampton: "They always said my counter game was good and I was good with ball in the wide channels but the rest of the game needed working on so it was quite bizarre for him to turn around and say that to me." Saints, losing Premiership semi-finalists last season, have struggled for form this term and are currently seven points off fourth-placed Harlequins in sixth. And Foden said his conversation with Jones was linked to the problems his club side have had. "It just shows where we are as a Northampton back-line, we haven't been firing," he added. "Individually, I haven't been getting the ball in the wide channels and doing what I used to do in a Northampton Saints shirt. "Hopefully that will light a fire for a few of us - I think Luther [Burrell] had the same conversation as well."

Summary: Northampton full-back Ben Foden says England head coach Eddie Jones has told him to "get back to running rugby".


Sadiq Khan said the online firm had refused to take down the knife videos that were first reported in December. Mr Khan said the videos, showing recognisable London locations, "were a shocking example of the glamorisation of gang culture". YouTube said it could not comment on individual cases but said it was in contact with the police on this issue. The videos, which have been viewed more than 356,000 times, shows gangs threatening rivals with a "Rambo knife" while others make shooting hand signals to a soundtrack of violent rap. A YouTube spokesperson said the site prohibits videos "that are abusive or that promote violence." "We work closely with organisations like the Metropolitan police to understand local context and specifically, so that we can understand where artistic expression escalates into real threats." Gun and knife crime in the capital have increased by 42% and 24% over the last year, according to recent police figures. Sadiq Khan said: "Social media and the internet can be used to inflame tensions and escalate violence quicker than ever before. "Internet giants have policies in place around violent content, but they do not go far enough." Claire Hubberstey, CEO of Safer London, said: "There are some highly dangerous, widely viewed films online that pose a serious threat to young people, both glorifying violence and intimidation and posing a significant risk to those who appear in them." Youtube said it was committed to continuing and improving its work on this issue and making the site "a hostile space for those who seek to do harm."

Summary: Four "violent videos" posted on YouTube have not been removed despite requests from police, the Mayor of London says.


The London-wide annual target for new units of affordable housing is 17,000, although councils set their own levels. Only 8,550 such units were built in developments with affordability requirements in 2015-16 - down from 10,962 the previous year. Lewisham was the only borough to meet or exceed all its targets over the past three years. "House prices are rising six times faster than wages and rents [are] sky high," said Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter. He said "thousands of homeless families in London right now - over 2000 in Hackney alone" were "trapped in temporary accommodation because there's nowhere they can afford to live." Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, has promised "thousands of new affordable homes to both buy and rent". Under the London Plan, the councils' self-set affordable homes targets range from an overall target of 25% in Croydon to 50% in boroughs such as Hackney, Lewisham, Islington and Camden. Councils met only two-thirds of their targets in the last three years, and 16 of the 21 councils that responded to the BBC's Freedom of Information request missed their targets every year. While the number of homes built in developments with affordability requirements between 2013-16 rose, the percentage that were affordable fell from 31.3% to 23.5%. Councils can require large housing projects with more than 10 units to provide affordable housing under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. However, they are not doing so and developers are using viability assessments to argue that to provide affordable housing would make the development non-viable, and thus exempt from housing requirements. Instead, councils are taking payments in kind, with so-called s106 payments (money given to councils to secure planning permission) increasing from £184m to £235m between 2014 and 2016. Greenwich alone received more than £71m in s106 payments last year - up from just under £10m in 2013-14. Only a quarter of its new housing was affordable, against a target of 35%. Mayor Sir Steve Bullock, London Councils' executive member for housing, said planning affordable housing "can be a complex process". "For instance, putting pressure on developers to build higher proportions of affordable housing can result in fewer homes in total being built," he said. "Should developers prove that affordable housing requirements will threaten the viability of an entire project due to market conditions, boroughs try to negotiate a compromise that still benefits their local communities." One council, Harrow, did not respond to the BBC's request for data.

Summary: London boroughs are failing to ensure developers provide affordable housing, figures obtained by the BBC show.


1 June 2016 Last updated at 00:03 BST Teams of riders charge together, firing their riles in unison. But now for the first time, women have been taking them on... and winning! Sahar Zand travelled to Morocco to meet the girls of Fantasia.

Summary: For centuries the Berber men of North Africa have proved their worth in the high octane, dangerous sport of Fantasia.


His villainous character Ethan Rayne was the arch enemy of regular character Giles, played by Anthony Head. The London-born actor also played the evil General Sarris opposite Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest. His ex-wife Casey Defranco called him "a wonderful person, extraordinarily talented as an actor." Staff on his official website wrote: "Please join us in raising a glass to Robin - goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the cookies. We will miss you so very much." Sachs' first role was with the British Hammer film studio, in the movie Vampire Circus. He went on to play Adam Carrington in the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion when the original actor Gordon Thomson was unavailable. Sachs worked on several sci-fi shows, with appearances in Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager and Torchwood: Miracle Day. His stage work included touring productions of Hamlet and Twelfth Night. In 1999, he appeared heavily disguised under layers of heavy make-up as the baddie Sarris in the satirical comedy Galaxy Quest, which co-starred Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. Later in his career, Sachs provided voices for several video games including Mass Effect 2 and 3 and Resident Evil Damnation.

Summary: British actor Robin Sachs, best known for his role in the hit TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 61.


Investor sentiment was also up after a positive US jobs report on Friday. Sydney-listed shares in mining giant Fortescue Metals rose by a staggering 23.7%, while BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were up 5% and 3.5% respectively. By the end of trading, Sydney's benchmark ASX/200 had climbed to 5,142.80 points. In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was flat at 20,159.72. Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese telecoms firm ZTE Corporation were halted from trade on Monday morning. On Sunday, Reuters news agency said the US Commerce Department was "set to place export restrictions on [the] Chinese telecoms equipment maker... for alleged violations of US export controls on Iran". The firm did not respond to written requests from the BBC for more information about the possible restrictions. Meanwhile, the mainland Shanghai Composite finished the day 0.8% higher at 2,897.34 points. Over the weekend, China's chief economic planner said the country would "absolutely not experience a hard landing" despite growth forecast cuts. Elsewhere, Japan's Nikkei 225 was bucking the regional trend, closing the day 0.6% down at 16,911.32. In South Korea, the Kospi index finished flat at 1,957.87 points.

Summary: Shares in Australia led markets on Monday, closing 1% higher, boosted by commodity and energy-related stocks.


Angella Reid was the first woman and second African-American to serve in the position after a career in hospitality. "She is no longer employed here at the White House. We left on very good terms and we wish her the very best," said spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. It is simply nothing more than the transition of staff, she added. According to the White House Historical Association, the chief usher's role includes overseeing "construction, maintenance, remodelling, food, as well as the administrative, fiscal and personnel functions". The Jamaican-born Ms Reid worked closely with the First Family and provided guidance on matters of furnishing, art, and decor, writes the Washington Post. She told the paper she had no comment to make about her departure. She was very close to the Obama family, the newspaper reports. "It gives me a sense of awe," she told CNN in 2016, "the fact that slaves built this house and I now work in this house as a leader, something out of my wildest dreams." Because the chief usher is not a political position, it is not compelled to change at the beginning of a new White House administration. Most stay on the job for at least a decade, and one was in his position for more than 30 years. Ms Reid was only the ninth since the start of the 20th Century, and leaves after six years.

Summary: The Trump administration has fired the White House chief usher, who is responsible for the management of the building and its staff.


This week the UK government followed France in announcing it would ban the sale of such vehicles by 2040, while the mayors of Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens plan to banish diesels from their city centres by 2025. Almost all car makers now offer hybrid cars and many sell fully electric vehicles. But the electric charge also extends to vans and trucks, and the need to switch to cleaner engines is even greater given that these larger vehicles are far bigger polluters than cars. "In Europe, less than 5% of vehicles are commercial vehicles or heavy duty trucks, but they contribute to almost 20% of greenhouse gas emissions," says Ananth Srinivasan, mobility expert with research consultancy Frost & Sullivan. Even in a country with wide open spaces like Australia, the electric wave is rolling out. Melbourne-based logistics firm Kings Transport recently bought nine electric vans and light trucks from SEA Automotive. SEA chief executive Tony Fairweather says his firm realised a few years ago that electric commercial vehicles were becoming economically viable much faster than predicted. "The components are cheaper every time we go to buy," he explains. "There's not many industries where that happens." Beyond Australia, electric commercial vehicles are becoming an increasingly common sight. In Germany, for example, Deutsche Post has started building its own electric vans and will soon start selling them to other companies. Meanwhile, in the US, the city of Los Angeles plans to make its entire bus fleet emissions-free by 2030. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that keeping global temperature rises below 2C by the end of the century will in part depend on the electrification of some 600 million vehicles worldwide. Given there are more than 300 million commercial vehicles on the planet's roads, according to data portal Statista, it is clear that this goal need not be focused solely on passenger cars. SEA's approach involves fitting its own electric driveline technology to a chassis built by China's FAW. Big vehicle makers are also developing their own electric systems for commercial vehicles, including Nissan, with its e-NV200 fully electric van. Many light commercial vehicles often travel similar routes every time they leave the depot, Mr Fairweather and others point out. So businesses with depots can invest in installing their own charging stations. "You can get super cheap electricity late at night," says Simon Evans, deputy editor of Carbon Brief. But if everyone starts charging their trucks and vans overnight, electricity consumption dynamics could change dramatically, he warns. "You are basically sticking a massive great electricity demand into a new place," he says. If millions of new electric vehicles do hit the road in the coming years, electricity grids around the world will have to adapt. The UK's National Grid is already evaluating the impact of a potential boom in electric cars. However, the range of electric cars remains an issue. For smaller commercial vehicles travelling those relatively fixed urban routes, that is not too much of a concern. But larger trucks travelling long distances pose a much tougher challenge. Battery technology is still

Summary: The clock may be ticking for petrol and diesel-powered cars, but it's vans, trucks and buses that are driving the electric vehicle revolution on the world's roads.


The squat, squeaking android is being created at Pinewood Studios by two British men who are members of a Star Wars robot-building group. Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples say they feel "very privileged" to be working on the film. Star Wars: Episode VII is currently in pre-production and filming is due to begin in the spring. The new outing is being directed by JJ Abrams and is set for release in December 2015. The two robot builders have previously employed their skills on Star Wars-themed commercials, but it was a visit of LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy to a convention in Germany that got their work noticed - and landed them jobs on the new film. "I mentioned that the R2-D2 Builders in the UK were available if required, as a semi-joke. When I was contacted to work on the film by executive producer Jason McGatlin, it was on her recommendation," said Mr Steeples. "It's a dream come true," he added. "I hope I can live up to the expectations of the thousands of R2-D2 builders around the world, let alone the millions of Star Wars fans." The pair, who have been constructing R2-D2 units for some years, will be responsible for maintaining the robots during the making of the film, and will try to improve on its design. The robot is a mesh of gears, lights and electronics which need to be kept in excellent condition throughout the production of the movie. British actor Kenny Baker was inside the machine for the first six Star Wars films. It has not been revealed whether he will rejoin the series for Episode VII. R2-D2, an astromech android, is best known as a companion to the human heroes of the Star Wars franchise, including Luke and Anakin Skywalker, using its resources to rescue them from perilous situations. He built up an endearing partnership with his fussy fellow android C-3PO, who is able to understand R2-D2's language and interprets it for humans. The droid's name is an abbreviation of "reel 2, dialogue 2" - which Star Wars creator George Lucas overheard in the editing suite for his second film, American Graffiti.

Summary: R2-D2 is to make an appearance in the next outing of Star Wars, makers LucasFilm have confirmed.


Khadija, Sugra and Zohra Dawood, from Bradford, and their children aged three to 15 have not made contact for a week. Their brother is understood to be fighting with extremists in Syria. The fathers' lawyer said the children said "we can't wait to come home" in a conversation before they went missing. Balaal Khan said: "We've had no answers whatsoever, we don't know what's happened." Newsnight reporter Secunder Kermani spoke to Khadija's husband, who said he wanted to tell his wife: "I love you, please bring the kids back". The fathers - two of whom are in the UK and one in Pakistan - have been "distraught, crying, they don't know what to do", said Mr Khan, adding it was suspected the women had taken their children to Syria. The fathers last spoke to their children on 8 June, when they were in the Saudi city of Medina, said Mr Khan, adding: "They said 'We love you, we're missing you, we can't wait to come home.'" Mr Khan said it was feared the sisters had met up with their brother - but stressed that while family members had confirmed he was in Syria, he could not comment on what he was doing there. The case follows the deaths of Dewsbury teenager Talha Asmal, who reportedly blew himself up in Iraq, becoming the UK's youngest suicide bomber, and Muslim convert Thomas Evans, 25, from Buckinghamshire, who was among al-Shabab fighters killed in an attack on a Kenyan military base. Police have said they are "extremely concerned" for the family's safety and that enquiries are continuing on a "national and international level". The Bradford family travelled to Medina on 28 May and were last seen in a hotel in the city. They were supposed to fly to Manchester following their pilgrimage but the fathers reported them missing when they did not return. There has been no contact with the sisters for one week. Their mobile phones have not been active, nor have their social media profiles been updated. Travel agents confirmed that 10 tickets were bought for a flight on 9 June to Istanbul in Turkey, a commonly-used route into Syria. Mr Khan said it was not known whether the family had boarded the flight - or if two children who were unaccounted for - five-year-old Nurah Zubair and her sister Haafiyah Zubair, eight - were still with the rest of their family. He said it was hoped all of the family were together and that a "computer glitch" could explain why the two girls were unaccounted for. He said he had asked for CCTV footage from Medina and from Turkey. The 15-year-old son Junaid Iqbal was acting as the family's mahram - an appropriate male responsible for the family - during the Saudi pilgrimage, he added. However, Mr Khan told the BBC the family did not feel they were getting the answers they needed from police and that they wanted a "special task team" designated to the case. Meanwhile, Bradford West MP Naz Shah said she had spoken to two of the fathers

Summary: The husbands of three sisters feared to have travelled to Syria with their nine children are said to be "distraught" after the group went missing following a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.