The hospital, which serves more than 200,000 people in Weston-super-Mare, will close between 22:00 and 08:00 BST. Those with serious and life-threatening emergencies are being told to dial 999 and ambulances will take them to Bristol or Taunton. The Trust said the the temporary move was necessary until it can guarantee safe levels of staffing overnight. It comes after a health watchdog rated its emergency care as "inadequate". What is happening to A&E services in England? A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report warned "significant improvements" must be made. Medical director Dr Peter Collins described the move as "a very difficult decision" but added "it is our ability to recruit that is our challenge, not our ability to care". But the public sector workers' union Unison warned every night the department is closed "is a risk to the people of Weston". Christine Cook, of Unison, said the nearest alternatives were in Bristol or Taunton - some 27 miles away - would leave "sick people a long way from help and putting more strain on health staff at other hospitals". "I'm concerned that behind the lack of answers from the trust is a government plan to further downgrade Weston Hospital. "A similar closure in Lincolnshire has been extended to over a year. If that happens here, related departments like the intensive care unit will be affected too."

Summary: Weston General Hospital's A&E department closes overnight later because it cannot be staffed safely.


Gregory died at hospital in Washington DC after being admitted with an undisclosed illness. The family shared the news of their "enormous sadness" in a post on social media on Saturday. From the 1960s Gregory mocked racism in his stand-up routines. He was among the first US black comedian to perform regularly in front of white audiences. "It is with enormous sadness that the Gregory family confirms that their father, comedic legend and civil rights activist Mr Dick Gregory departed this earth tonight in Washington, DC," his son, Christian, wrote on Instagram. He added that the family "appreciates the outpouring of support and love" but requested that their privacy be respected "during this very difficult time". US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson paid tribute to Gregory on Twitter: End of Twitter post by @RevJJackson Gregory was a no-holds-barred comedian, delivering lines in his performances that were likely to raise eyebrows. "A Southern liberal?" he once said, "that's a guy that'll lynch you from a low tree". "Segregation is not all bad," Gregory said on another occasion. "Have you ever heard of a collision where the people in the back of the bus got hurt?" Gregory was also involved in a number of civil rights activities in the 1960s. He campaigned against the Vietnam War and his protests often involved hunger strikes.

Summary: US comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory has died at the age of 84, his family has announced.


The woman contacted security staff after her waters broke at the Intu Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex. Although an ambulance was called and arrived quickly, the baby girl was delivered before they got to the scene on Thursday evening. Paul Lancaster, regional manager of Intu, said the woman had been in "distress" but was now "doing well". Staff at Primark provided towels for the woman on the second floor of the shopping complex. She was screened off as she gave birth to her daughter, whose name is understood to be Deborah. "In 23 years we've never had a birth at the site," said Mr Lancaster. "Plenty of ladies have broken water and gone off to hospital and no doubt a couple of babies have been conceived here. "It all happened rather quickly before the ambulance could get there. They responded really quickly. "We didn't think it was immediately going to happen but the baby was born on the spot."

Summary: A shopper ended up giving birth outside a Primark store after she suddenly went into labour.


But the Australian media has gone into overdrive after news broke that Johnny Depp may have broken quarantine laws by not declaring his Yorkshire Terriers when they flew into Queensland. It wasn't long before a posse of reporters had gathered outside the Gold Coast estate where the dogs are being held in quarantine prison. There is a dog's breakfast of online stories, and commercial TV networks have sent choppers up in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Pirates of the Caribbean star and his customs-busting mutts. Even the nation's venerable financial journal, The Australian Financial Review, has got in on the act. Media interest in the story is so intense a mini economy has sprouted up outside the estate with a catering van arriving to feed the press, according to the Courier Mail. #WarOnTerrier: Australia reacts to Depp's dogs It might all sound like a bit of fun but Australian quarantine laws are no joke. Live animals and plants, plant material, animal products and some food from overseas can't be brought into the country without government permission because they can introduce some of the world's most serious pests and diseases into this island nation. Those who flaunt the rules face fines of more than A$66,000 ($5,400; Â£34,000) and risk 10 years jail. As an example of how serious it can be, in 1995 a 500km (310-mile) by 200km quarantine zone was established in northern Queensland just to control foreign fruit fly maggots. So, it's lucky Depp didn't bring any bananas with him.

Summary: Maybe it was because they had spent the past week poring over government budget documents, or maybe this story was just too good to ignore.


The Crues face a testing away trip to third-placed Coleraine on Saturday as they aim to protect a seven-point lead. "If you are going to try and win a title, you have to go and win games. We are only thinking of collecting the three points," said Baxter. "There is no point going there, sitting back and accepting pressure." The Crues boss believes the outstanding recent form of the Bannsiders has made them "the big surprise package" of the campaign, but concedes that their progress does not come as a total surprise to him. "I always knew Coleraine were developing something very strong - they have very good young players in their team with a lot of quality. "They have really come to the fore in the last two months and hats off to Oran (Kearney) because he has worked tirelessly behind the scenes. "He's a good manager and it will be a big test for us." Kearney's charges have hit form at just the right time and are now unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions. "This is the business end of the season and it's full of big games. Crusaders had another emphatic win over Ballinamallard so we have a tough task ahead of us," observed the Coleraine manager. Meanwhile Ballymena United boss David Jeffrey expects Cliftonville to pose a major threat to their ambition to get back to winning ways after picking up just one point from two home fixtures in the last week. "It's going to be difficult at Solitude. They are a class act and are coming off the back of a few disappointing results. They will want to make amends on Saturday," argued the Sky Blues' boss. Linfield will be out to keep up their pursuit of Crusaders at the top when they travel to Ferney Park to take on Ballinamallard United. David Healy's outfit are on an impressive run of form, winning 11 and drawing one on of their last 12 outings. "We are going to be playing the second best team in the country and they gave us a lesson the last time we played them at Windsor Park," said Mallards manager Gavin Dykes. "Having said that, when we're at it, we can give anyone a game at Ferney Park." Dungannon boss Rodney McAree has seen his side drop to eighth spot after Glentoran's 1-0 win over Carrick Rangers on Friday night as the Swifts head to Shamrock Park to face basement club Portadown. "We don't want to finish any lower than seventh and we have to fight tooth and nail to try and achieve that," said McAree. Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton is expected to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up for the Premiership game at Ards, with the Irish Cup semi-final against Coleraine a week later in mind.

Summary: Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter has urged his players to keep chasing wins in every game as they close in on a third consecutive Premiership title.


With all eyes on May's general election, Carwyn Jones condemned David Cameron's Conservatives as being even more extreme than Margaret Thatcher. He said voters had a choice between "hope and despair". Meanwhile Labour leader Ed Miliband has launched an attack on tax avoidance for damaging the "fabric of society". He told the conference there would be a "root and branch" review of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs if Labour won the election, claiming the UK's tax authority had one rule for the rich and another for the poor. In his keynote speech on Saturday, Mr Jones hailed the Welsh government's record on jobs, investment and tuition fees as evidence of what a UK Labour government could achieve. He said the Conservatives "denigrate" the NHS in order to dismantle it, and insisted Labour's record on health in Wales was better than that of the Westminster coalition running it in England. Mr Jones also called for a more "tolerant" society which could debate immigration with "fairness and respect", and not let "right-wing, dog-whistling xenophobes drag us down to their level". A Â£40m scheme with the aim of helping people set up 10,000 new businesses creating 17,000 jobs over the next five years was also announced. Unusually for the first minister, this was a speech dominated by attacks on the Tories. He recalled the days of his political awakening during the miners' strike and said the current cutbacks were more severe than those felt in the 1980s. He even likened the so-called bedroom tax to the poll tax. There was some policy but basically this was a speech that acknowledged that the next few weeks is not about his government, although the Conservatives have other ideas. Just to pick up on one comment: he took a hard line on health boards, saying he won't apologise if they fail. This is a change of tone and I'm told it's the result of deep frustration with Betsi Cadwaldr health board in particular over the way last week's decision to move to a midwifery-led maternity unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd was handled. I think we can expect more of this tone in future, as Welsh government ministers become more open in their views of health boards if they feel there are problems.

Summary: Only Labour can stop the Tories from decimating public services, the first minister has told the Welsh Labour conference in Swansea.


SDLP and Alliance Party ministers voted against the Northern Ireland Executive's budget on Thursday. "People give more consideration to their family's Christmas budget than the executive gave to Northern Ireland's budget," said Mr Ford. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it had "five years of undeliverable promises, five months before an election". "There's no clear indication of where funding beyond this year comes from for any of the flagship projects," he said. "What's worse is that it was agreed on the nod just 20 minutes after the final draft was received by ministers, without consultation. "Far from opposing austerity or making the most of the more limited devolution powers that we now have following the disastrous trade off on welfare, this budget treats families across Northern Ireland with contempt." In the budget, health spending will rise by about 1% in real terms, while to a lesser extent, education and policing also have their budgets protected. However, the new Department of Agriculture and Environment will face a cash cut of almost 6%. Of the £60m that had been allocated to mitigate tax credit cuts, half will now go to protected departments. The other £30m will be held until the outcome of the Evason review of welfare reform mitigation, but it is not certain that this money will be used for that purpose. In announcing the budget on Thursday, Stormont Finance Minister Arlene Foster said they had "created a stable, balanced platform for the new incoming executive to take its time in constructing a multi-year budget". "Although the outcome may prove challenging, the position is significantly better than previously anticipated." Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin said the budget was "an immediate investment in jobs, in our quality public services and in our long-term economic growth". "We believe that investment in public services and in economic growth will increase employment and the quality of life of all our people," he said. "That is why the full powers to grow and invest in our economy should be in the hands of the people here." However, Mr Ford, who is Stormont justice minister, said that "year after year, DUP and Sinn Féin ministers cobble together a deal just to get their departments through the next 12 months". "Opportunities for even modest, progressive forms of revenue raising remain ignored, leaving us yet again relying on cuts to public services to balance our budget," he said. "To compound this, the DUP and Sinn Féin retain funds for them to spend on pet projects at a time when there is a clear need for spending in strategic areas. "Perhaps most alarming, the budget includes no supporting investments in preparation for the planned reduction in corporation tax - another critical opportunity missed to plan properly for what is the biggest financial decision an executive will ever take." Stephen McCully, president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "We have spent a number of months emphasising the importance of investment in skills and our message has not been heard. "It is also disappointing that the Department of

Summary: Stormont's 2016/17 budget is "bereft of strategic planning", Alliance Party leader David Ford has said.


The Nigerian military says the footage shows Boko Haram fighters on trucks and motorcycles fleeing aerial bombardment by the Air Force, in a recent operation in the Sambisa forest - thought to be the militants' last stronghold in Nigeria. Over the past week alone, the military says hundreds of women and children have been rescued as part of an ongoing offensive against the group. The latest developments mean that the Nigerian military has not only reclaimed many towns in the north-east previously under Boko Haram control, but are now pushing further to rout them from their final hideouts By starting to provide more documentary evidence to back up its claims of success, the Nigerian military has shown it is willing to get involved in the propaganda war as well. Before that, the images from Boko Haram, including militants carrying out atrocities and their leader Abubakar Shekau taunting the government, instilled fear and hopelessness in the minds of many. The last broadcast from Shekau was his pledge of allegiance to Islamic State in an audio clip in March. But as we have seen from his group in the past, silence does not always imply that they have been significantly weakened. Attacks credited to Boko Haram continue in both Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Army commanders say they don't often find many bodies of the insurgents after battle, suggesting that the jihadists carry away their dead with them as they retreat. It's not clear if any senior Boko Haram figures have been captured during the recent operations, says Ryan Cummings, Chief Africa Analyst for the risk management firm Red24. "With the leadership of the group still intact, Boko Haram may continue to possess the acumen to replenish, regroup, and rearm both within and outside of Nigeria's borders." Then there is also the argument that until factors like poverty, unemployment and lack of education can be addressed, local populations will remain vulnerable to extremist ideology. Apart from the Sambisa forest, a vast area based around a nature reserve of the same name, the group is also known to operate in the Mandara Mountains, which lie on the poorly-manned Cameroon-Nigeria border. Fighting the group here would require greater cooperation between both countries - something that has been lacking - to combat their common enemy. Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, a former military leader, says one of his first moves after assuming office will be to call a meeting of the regional leaders on a more proactive collaboration to end the conflict. Gen Buhari says the outgoing Nigerian government did not do enough to harness a suitable regional response. Frosty cross-border relations have affected the military operations, with resentment and mistrust between Nigeria and its neighbours. For a long time Boko Haram fighters were able to cross the border at will, to carry out attacks and to escape any army responses but now their movements have been limited by the joint regional forces. In Nigeria, Gen Buhari is expected to reshuffle the top brass of the military to bring in top officials who can add more zest or possibly

Summary: If the recent footage released by the military is anything to go by, Nigerians may have reason for optimism about the government's ongoing battle against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.


Ruth Davidson said people were angry at the SNP for putting "its own narrow political interests before those of the wider country". But the SNP said Ms Davidson should be apologising for the "mess" her party has created with Brexit. On Friday, Nicola Sturgeon launched a "new conversation" on independence. In a speech in Stirling, the first minister urged Scotland to "control its own destiny". She said her party's new "listening exercise" on the issue would seek the views of voters in Scotland using a survey and meetings across the country. Ms Davidson, in a speech on Saturday to the Scottish Conservative party's convention in Perth, said: "Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that she wants to listen to people who voted No in the hope of meeting their concerns. Well let me tell her how many of us feel. "We do not look back at the referendum on independence with much in the way of nostalgia. It wasn't 'civic' or 'joyous' as the SNP have claimed. "Instead, we remember the division it caused, we remember the pain felt by many, and we remember the fear that our country was about to be split up. She went on: "So if the first minister wants to know the feelings of thousands of Scots across the country - I can give it to her right now. "It is anger at an SNP government which has both broken its word and decided to put its own narrow political interests before those of the wider country. "And it is frustration that we have a nationalist administration which is acting like a drag on Scotland's progress. "Instead of a proper government using new and existing powers to drive the country forward, we instead have a nationalist administration dragging Scotland backwards - allowing the lead weight of separatism to threaten our ambitions and hopes." The SNP described Ms Davidson's speech as "arrogant hypocrisy". A spokesman said: "It was Ruth Davidson who promised that 'No means we stay' in the EU and she should be apologising for the mess her party has now created with Brexit. "People in Scotland remember very well the promises that the Tory-led No campaign made in the run up to the 2014 referendum - on shipbuilding, on the EU, on devolution and more - and they have watched as one-by-one these promises and pledges have been broken. "Scotland faces being dragged out of the EU against our will by an increasingly right-wing, reactionary Tory party." He added: "It is only right that the Scottish government examines all options to protect Scotland's interests and maintain our place in the EU - including the possibility of a second independence referendum." Responding to Ms Davidson's comments, Scottish Labour said the Tories were "more obsessed with independence than the SNP". A spokesman added: "Ahead of the Scottish Parliament returning this week Kezia Dugdale outlined plans to use the new powers of the Scottish Parliament to invest in education, stop the cuts to our NHS, create more jobs and ban fracking whilst the other party leaders are still banging on about

Summary: The Scottish Conservative leader has accused the Scottish government of allowing "the lead weight of separatism" to drag Scotland backwards.


The visitors moved on from their overnight 182-7 to 313 all out, giving them a first-innings lead of 188 runs. Ollie Robinson (81) and Ben Brown (71) put on 133 for the eighth wicket. Having been bowled out for 135 on day one, Leicestershire fared little better as paceman Jofra Archer (3-31) added to his four first-innings wickets. David Wiese (3-20) helped Sussex to 22 points from the match - enough to lift them above Worcestershire and up to third in the Division Two table. Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove: "We didn't play well, and it was pretty disappointing. To put in a performance like that on the back of the defeat by Essex was poor. "I think the effort and respect we should have showed wasn't there. We were lucky to be in the game this morning, thanks to Neil Dexter's efforts on day one, but no-one helped him out. "I don't think there's been a reaction to the news [director of elite performance] Andrew McDonald is leaving, definitely not. "This is professional sport, people move on, so I'd be pretty disappointed if I heard any of the boys talking about that. There are no excuses." Sussex captain Ben Brown: "It takes a lot of character to come back from losing as comprehensively as we did against Kent last week, but we have to understand we're a young side and there are going to be ups and downs. "We had a long honest chat about moving forward, and this is a step in that direction. "I felt there was a huge amount in the pitch, it wasn't a great one to be perfectly honest, and Ollie and I looked to counter-attack this morning. As we went on it got a little bit easier, as it always does, and we took it to the opposition, and a lead of 178 was always going to be decisive: to get over 300 on a 160 pitch was a fantastic effort. "Jofra Archer is a great talent, he'll have good and bad spells, but he bowled some frightening deliveries, cleaning guys up with balls going like off-spinners at 85mph."

Summary: Sussex completed victory over Leicestershire by an innings and 59 runs inside two days by skittling them for just 119 at Grace Road.


The country's Consul General will present more than 40 Ushakov Medals to surviving veterans and representatives of those who have died. Other ceremonies for veterans are being held in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness before Remembrance Sunday. From 1941 to 1945, Allied ships sailed from Scotland and Iceland to Russia to supply it with food and weapons. More than 3,000 seamen lost their lives to the freezing conditions and attacks by German submarines and aircraft. In total, 214 Ushakov Medals are being presented by the Consul General Andrey Pritsepov to veterans or their families in Scotland. The Consul General said: "The Ushakov Medal is one of Russia's most important naval awards, presented only to those who demonstrated courage in sea warfare. "These medals are well-deserved by the Scottish veterans of the Arctic Convoys who sailed alongside our fathers and grandfathers on extremely dangerous missions and returned home victorious against all odds." The ceremony at Glasgow City Chambers on Friday is being hosted by Lord Provost Sadie Docherty. She said: "In this centenary year of the outbreak of the First World War, we are remembering the fallen in all conflicts and the bravery of those who defend our shores and freedoms. "Those who served in the notorious Arctic Convoys have a special place in history and we owe them a huge debt for their bravery and tenacity. "I know it means a great deal to the veterans and their families that they are finally being honoured in this fashion for their role in maintaining a vital naval lifeline that helped Britain and her allies win the war." The medal is named after Fyodor Ushakov, an 18th Century naval commander who never lost a battle and the patron saint of the Russian navy. The medal was originally established in 1944 for those who demonstrated courage and prowess in sea warfare. It is now awarded to veterans "for personal courage and valour shown during World War Two while participating in the Arctic Convoys". Convoys left the Clyde and Loch Ewe in Wester Ross during the effort to supply Russia with food and weapons from 1941 to 1945. The British Merchant Navy, along with Russian, US, Canadian, Norwegian and Dutch merchant fleets, were involved. In total, 78 convoys sailed to and from Russia under escort from Allied warships.

Summary: Russia is honouring Scottish veterans of the World War Two Arctic Convoys at a ceremony in Glasgow.


Called Throw Up 20.18 and led by Highland Print Studio, it will involve artists working with players, club volunteers and fans. The clubs taking part are Beauly, Fort William, Newtonmore and Skye. The finished artworks are to be produced as prints and will be exhibited at shinty events next year. The first of these event will be the Camanachd Cup Final followed by the Shinty/Hurling International before the prints are taken on tour. The four professional artists appointed are: Steven Mackenzie, of the Camanachd Association and Beauly club secretary, said: "The Camanachd Association is very happy to be involved with this project and to hear that the four artists have been appointed. "There is a lot of interest from the four clubs involved. "From Beauly's perspective, we're looking forward to working with Tom Smith - even though he has connections with our traditional rivals, Lovat Shinty Club."

Summary: Artists are to work with four Highland shinty clubs to create a series of artworks inspired by the sport's contemporary culture and heritage.


Police said they were being held on suspicion of child neglect. The BBC understands the three men were among four team leaders at the Medway Secure Training Centre, in Rochester, who were sacked on Tuesday. A further three men at the unit, run by security firm G4S - two duty operations managers and a training centre assistant - remain suspended. A female duty operations manager has been placed on restricted duties, while a male healthcare worker employed by Central and North West London NHS Trust (CNWL) has also been suspended. A trust spokesman said: "One CNWL staff member contacted us before the programme to say that they had been present at one incident in the film; the footage broadcast confirmed this. "Whilst we are pleased he came forward, he has been suspended whilst that incident is fully investigated." The allegations relate to 10 boys aged 14 to 17. In a statement, G4S managing director for children's services, Paul Cook, said the company fully supported the action of police and was continuing to provide officers and the local authority with full access to the centre and its records, including CCTV footage. "There is no place in our business for the conduct shown on the BBC's Panorama programme on Monday night. "We are grateful to the police for their swift action in this case. "We will work with the police and local authority to keep our own actions under review in light of today's developments," he said. The arrests follow undercover filming by the Panorama programme at the 76-bed centre, which is for young offenders aged 12 to 17. The programme highlighted allegations of inappropriate staff conduct. G4S referred the claims to Medway's local authority designated officer, the Youth Justice Board, and the Ministry of Justice. Among the allegations uncovered by Panorama and now subject to investigation are that Medway staff:

Summary: Three men have been arrested following a BBC Panorama investigation into abuse at a young offenders centre in Kent.


'Losing the Battle' was broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on Sunday. It examined issues including post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, and attempted suicide among army veterans. The programme heard claims that increasing numbers of veterans were facing difficulties accessing help to deal with mental health problems. Brett Savage, 28, who celebrated his 19th birthday in Afghanistan, said: "I didn't expect my life to be like this now. Never. You know I can't sleep and stuff. Stupid things remind me of things." Alexander Gore described the changes he has faced since a homecoming parade in Belfast for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. He said it was "definitely a proud moment in my life" but that after it "things just started to go downhill with the post traumatic stress really". "Now it is never going to go away, it is always going to be there and everybody is going to need help sooner or later with it," he added. Aaron Nixon, now 25, said he had to pay for a private post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment at a Belfast clinic this month. He explained how he suffered a gunshot wound to his leg in Afghanistan. "I lost five inches of my bone," he said. "I had five years of limb reconstruction. About 30 surgeries." While some of the veterans, from various conflicts at home and abroad, are actively seeking medical help themselves, others are turning to charities including the independent Beyond The Battlefield which is based in Newtownards, County Down. Speaking in the documentary, its chairman Robert McCartney outlined stark details about one six-month period at the centre. He said: "These guys come back and they don't know what is wrong with them. "They get into trouble with their families. "They have lost everything, and the last attempt that they will do, is suicide. "We have had 260 through here from April and I would say out of that 260, at least 50% have attempted some type of suicide." Andy Allen, now an MLA at Stormont, lost both his legs after being injured by a Taliban improvised explosive device in 2008. He now helps to run AA Veterans Support in north Belfast. He said that after they started providing the counselling services, they saw an increase from reserve personnel, "as well as individuals that served in Afghanistan and other conflicts". He added: "It's my belief and indeed 'AA Veterans Support' have pushed for it from day one, that we need a respite training centre here, dedicated to the needs of our service personnel, veterans and their families. "A one stop shop that will be able to provide all of the services under the one roof." The programme also detailed ongoing problems with the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland. Jonny Rollins, a retired army colonel who is now the local representative of the Confederation of British Service Charities, explained that a key part of the covenant cannot be implemented in Northern Ireland because local councils do not have the same powers as councils in other parts of the UK. "The core

Summary: A Northern Ireland charity is helping more than 100 army veterans who have tried to take their own lives, a BBC documentary has been told.


A Pentagon statement on Sunday identified the men as four Syrians, a Tunisian and a Palestinian. All six had been detained as suspected militants with ties to al-Qaeda but were never charged. Uruguayan President Jose Mujica decided to take the detainees on humanitarian grounds in March but the move was put off until after elections last month. "The United States is grateful to the Government of Uruguay for its willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," the Pentagon said in a statement. President Barack Obama has pledged to close the camp in Cuba, which was opened in 2002 as a place to detain enemy combatants in America's war on terror. Around half of the 136 men still in Guantanamo have been cleared for transfer but have nowhere to go because their countries are unstable or unsafe. More than 50 countries have accepted former Guantanamo detainees. The US named the prisoners released to Uruguay as Ahmed Adnan Ahjam, Ali Hussain Shaabaan, Omar Mahmoud Faraj, Abdul Bin Mohammed Abis Ourgy, Mohammed Tahanmatan, and Jihad Diyab. They have been cleared for release since at least 2010 but they could not be sent home, according to the Associated Press. In Latin America, El Salvador is the only other country to have given Guantanamo prisoners sanctuary, taking two in 2012. An October opinion poll showed 58% of Uruguayans were opposed to bringing in the prisoners. President Mujica was himself held for over a decade in harsh prison conditions during Uruguay's period of military rule in the 1970s and 80s. Reiterating his commitment to take the six prisoners on Friday, he said Uruguay was offering its hospitality to "human beings who have suffered a terrible kidnapping in Guantanamo Bay".

Summary: The US government says it has released six Guantanamo Bay detainees and sent them to Uruguay for resettlement.


When he talks about the Steamship Tahoe, he calls it simply The Queen. The Queen sailed across Lake Tahoe, a breathtaking lake that straddles the border between California and Nevada, and is nestled high up in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. There are few places on earth as beautiful. The steamer carried people, cargo and mail, and its passengers loved the ship's elegance, beauty and comfort. But nothing can stop the march of technology, and so once a road around the lake was built in the 1930s, demand for the SS Tahoe all but disappeared. The company that owned it lost its contract to deliver the mail, and the once-proud ship fell into a sorry state of disrepair. In came William Seth Bliss - the son of Duane Leroy Bliss, a local business tycoon - with a bright idea. He would intentionally scuttle the ship, sinking it into the lake at a depth that meant glass-bottomed boats could sail over it and get a great view. He hoped it would become a tourist attraction. However, Bliss miscalculated. When SS Tahoe hit the bed of Lake Tahoe on a fateful day in 1940, it slipped down a slope - and kept going. When it finally rested, it was 150m (490ft) underwater. Due to the lake's high altitude - almost 2,000m above sea level - diving to that depth is incredibly difficult. A team managed it in 2002, breaking a world record for high-altitude diving in the process. And that's why I found myself on the banks of Lake Tahoe with the team from OpenROV. OpenROV began, like many great ideas, as a crowdfunded Kickstarter project. Its aim was to create what is essentially an underwater drone capable of plunging into water and filming whatever it can see. Its task today was to reach the depths of Lake Tahoe and get up close to the SS Tahoe for an extended tour of the ship the likes of which nobody had enjoyed for more than 70 years. They used a drone that costs $899 (Â£685). It's dramatically cheaper than anything else capable of such a voyage, and the team hopes its work will see thousands of explorers take to the water to look closely at places that may be right under our noses but are so rarely seen. Later this year, a $1,499 model, named Trident, will go on sale. It will be able to plunge to depths of 100m and travel at the speed of an Olympic swimmer. As the SS Tahoe lies deeper than 100m, the team made several modifications for this one-off job. They dropped a long tether into the water to enable the drone to be controlled remotely at such depths. A team in a rubber dinghy on the surface transmitted data to mission control in a summerhouse commandeered by the team. From here, using a PlayStation controller, the drone was navigated down to the ship. Watching online were some of OpenROV's community of enthusiasts - some of whom backed the original Kickstarter to get the project off the ground (or

Summary: John Foster, an archaeologist, talks about boats in that charming way all nautical lovers do - as if the vessels were supermodels.


The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) said the figure had fallen to 351 from 366 in 2004/05. In the same period, the number of registered patients rose by more than 125,000 to 1.92 million - an average increase per surgery of more than 500. The RCGP said Northern Ireland had the lowest number of GPs per patient in the UK; a shortfall equating to 234 GPs. RCGP chairman Dr John O'Kelly said: "With growing numbers of patients, and fewer GP surgeries, general practice is creaking at the seams. "But this pressure and the danger it poses to our patients has not yet been adequately recognised by decision makers. "Whilst other countries in the UK are being promised increased resources to cope with increasing patient demand, in NI - where our patients already have fewer GPs per head - general practice has largely been ignored." Northern Ireland has been allocated about Â£41m in additional public spending next year. This is Stormont's share of the extra Â£2bn allocated to the UK health service by Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement. However, the Northern Ireland Executive is not obliged to spend the extra money on health. Dr O'Kelly said the money should be used to invest in stronger local GP services. "To gain parity with other UK nations, we urgently need a package of measures to encourage more young doctors to enter the GP workforce, retain and support current GPs, and make it easier for those who have left the workforce to come back," he said.

Summary: The number of GP surgeries in Northern Ireland at its lowest since 1991, a group of doctors has said.


The blue Peugeot bike was hit by a blue Jaguar X-type at the Carr Lane East and Dwerryhouse Lane junction in Norris Green, Liverpool, on Wednesday 13 January. The 27-year-old motorcyclist was left with internal injuries and remains in a critical condition in hospital. A 39-year-old man is in police custody. An investigation is ongoing and a number of lines of enquiry are being pursued, police said. Detectives are continuing to appeal for witnesses. Det Ch Insp Mark Kameen said: "We believe that someone could have information that could help us with our investigation and we would urge anyone who hasn't already contacted us to get in touch. Any information they have could be vital." Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crimestoppers.

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a crash between a motorcycle and a car which left the rider in hospital.


Residents claim they have seen gangs wielding weapons speed through pedestrianised areas near Thomas's Battersea School in south-west London. CCTV footage shows them weaving among restaurant tables, threatening diners and passers-by. Prince George is due to start the Â£6,110 a year school in September. "There are break-ins every night, residents are being terrorised every other day either by riding on pavements or at people," said one local, who was too scared to be identified. "When police are called their response is 'there's nothing we can do'." "The police don't chase them so it's almost a licence to commit crime," said another resident, who also wanted to remain anonymous. Staff at Thomas's declined to comment on the moped incidents or on any security measures being put in place. CCTV footage gathered by the Press Association from business website LondonLovesBusiness.com shows one incident where thieves on a motorbike tried to kick someone off their bicycle before breaking in to a car directly outside the school on Battersea High Street. Residents said the gangs, who are believed to live locally, hide their faces with balaclavas and are dressed in black. The vehicles are believed to be stolen and the number plates are either blacked out or removed. Insp Guy Osborne, of the Battersea Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said Wandsworth Police were "very aware" of moped-enabled crime, and called the issue "a borough priority". He said officers were giving crime prevention advice and were working with moped manufacturers to make them harder to steal. He added that incidents involving weapons had not been reported. Moped-crime is a London-wide issue which is increasing. A BBC investigation found that crime involving mopeds in the city had increased by more than 600% between 2014-16. On Friday, moped gangs armed with hammers were photographed outside the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London and on Sunday, the Met released footage of a gang knocking down and breaking the leg of a tourist as they tried to steal his watch.

Summary: Moped gangs armed with machetes have been terrorising people in the streets close to Prince George's future primary school, locals have said.


Kevin McKay, of Aberdeen, charged his clients VAT but lied on his HMRC tax returns. He claimed his company IPPS was making less than 10% of its actual sales. The security guard then transferred large sums of money from his business bank to his personal account then sent money abroad. More than £100,000 was switched to a Romanian bank in September 2010 after accumulating in his savings account over several weeks. During his trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, McKay claimed to have looked after pop star Britney Spears and members of the Saudi royal family during his career as a bodyguard. The court heard IPPS security guards provided mobile patrols at President Trump's golf course on the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. A total of 136 visits were listed on an invoice between 2008 and 2009. Other invoices from other firms showed that incorrect figures were submitted for some quarters to HMRC. The court heard McKay's ex-wife Susan was initially charged with an offence relating to the reckless submission of VAT returns, but the case against her was later dropped. Last month, a jury of nine men and six women found McKay guilty of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT worth £419,799 between August 2008 and May 2014. He was also found guilty, following a six-day trial, of removing criminal property from Scotland by transferring £100,473.98 into a Romanian bank account. The account belonged to the mother of a woman McKay was in a relationship with. McKay was sentenced to three years in prison for the VAT fraud with an additional year in prison for removing criminal property abroad. Cheryl Burr, assistant director of HMRC's fraud investigation service, HMRC: "Tax evasion robs the public purse of vital funds. "The vast majority play by the rules and pay their dues, but some like McKay attempt to undermine the system by evading VAT to line their own pockets and gain an unfair advantage over legitimate businesses. Our actions put a stop to that."

Summary: The owner of a security firm hired by Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf business has been jailed for four years over a £400,000 VAT fraud.


Snowdonia Pumped Hydro (SPH) is awaiting a planning decision for the scheme at Glyn Rhonwy in Llanberis. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has given permission to empty standing rainwater from two disused quarries at the site into Nant y Betws and Llyn Padarn. It said the permits have been issued with "strict conditions". Plans for the 99.9MWe hydro plant are being considered by the UK Planning Inspectorate, with a decision expected by early March. NRW said it was satisfied that the company will "operate safely without harming the environment or local communities." SPH said the drainage of rainwater was necessary before work can begin to sculpt the quarries that will form the upper and lower reservoirs. Their application to fill the reservoirs once they are completed by gradually abstracting water from Llyn Padarn lake has already been approved. Opponents of the scheme claim standing water in the lower quarry where ordnance was dismantled by the RAF in the 1970s may be contaminated. But SPH said independent sampling and testing of both surface and ground water at the site "show no evidence of contamination."

Summary: Developers hoping to build a £100m hydro power plant in a disused Gwynedd quarry have been granted environmental permits.


The logo quickly made headlines - it was dubbed "the wildest tourism slogan ever" by one news outlet - with critics variously hailing it as hilarious or distasteful. It bellows "See You in the Northern Territories", but uses acronyms throughout. "Well this is a bold strategy for a travel campaign," one person tweeted. But despite appearances, it is not an official campaign - as the actual NT tourism authority soon made clear. "Tourism NT is aware of inappropriate use of our trademarked Brolga logo. We are in no way affiliated with these promotions," it tweeted. The creators of the ad, NTOfficial.com, released a statement describing themselves as "an independent underground campaign" promoting the NT to young people. But they added they were also responsible for selling all the merchandise on the site. However, debate continued around the slogan's possible effectiveness for promoting the Northern Territory, which has experienced declining tourism numbers since 2000. The word the ad plays on is generally considered misogynistic and highly offensive. But in Australia, it is often not taken as seriously as in other English-speaking countries, sometimes being used almost affectionately. "Love the new ad", said one tweet. "If you need me, I'll be in the #NorthernTerritory," said another. But not all were impressed. "Words fail me are you people out of your minds with a slogan like that!!!??? Shows a serious lack of national maturity to say the least," wrote Ben Grego. Michelle Doherty said: "Stupid especially at a first glance if you don't know what CU stand for." Associate Prof Con Stavros, a marketing expert from RMIT University in Melbourne, said social media would ultimately judge the slogan, but he was not sure about it. "It's very confronting so I suspect it's probably crossed that line between edgy and acceptable," he said. Tourism NT would be watching the response very closely, he said. "It's not a bad position to be in. If it doesn't cross the line, they don't have to take ownership - but can say it helped," he said Was there any chance they were in on the stunt? "No, it's not normal in marketing that you send off some kind of rogue element, some dark ops thing," he said. "That's more for the movies."

Summary: A provocative Australian advertisement has swept the internet, sparking assumptions that the Northern Territory (NT) has unleashed a startling new tourism campaign.


Sunderland said they agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal with M'Vila but "decided not to enforce the contract". M'Vila, 26, made 37 appearances for the Black Cats on a season-long loan last term before returning to Rubin Kazan. "Any player we bring to Sunderland must be wholly committed," said chief executive Martin Bain. M'Vila missed just one Premier League game as he helped Sam Allardyce's side avoid relegation last term, with Black Cats fans hopeful the club would sign him on a permanent deal last summer. However, the move failed to materialise on transfer deadline day in September, leading to M'Vila posting an Instagram message - which was later deleted - saying he had tried contacting the club to push the deal through. M'Vila returned to the Russian club when his loan deal expired, making nine appearances in the Russian Premier League this season. Sunderland had not announced they had agreed a deal to re-sign the player until they revealed on Wednesday it had fallen through. "I was contacted this week by Yann M'Vila's representatives, who advised that the player no longer wishes to join Sunderland," added Bain. "There was a three-and-a-half-year agreement in place, however after discussions with the manager we have decided not to enforce the contract."

Summary: Sunderland say they will not be signing Yann M'Vila in January after being told the French midfielder no longer wants to re-join the Premier League club.


Staff will walk out from 00:01 BST on 12 August until 23.59 BST on 15 August, and for three days over the UK Bank Holiday weekend from 27 August. The union says the dispute is over unsocial hours and duty rosters for about 80 train managers. Eurostar said all passengers with reservations will be able to travel. A spokesman said: "On the days of the strike we have made some small changes to our timetable to ensure that all passengers booked to travel will be able to on those days. Passengers affected will be notified in advance." The company added it has been planning for possible strike action and is still in discussions with the RMT over the dispute. Eurostar runs trains between London and mainland Europe and the first planned walk out coincides with the Assumption Day bank holiday in France and Belgium on 15 August. The RMT says Eurostar has failed to honour an agreement from 2008 over conditions for their staff. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Our train manager members at Eurostar have a heavy commitment to shift work and unsocial hours and are sick and tired of the company's failure to honour agreements. "Our members have every right to have a fair work-life balance that fulfils the operational needs of the company while guaranteeing quality time off for friends and family. "It's now time for Eurostar to come to the negotiating table with a set of proposals that honours our agreements and guarantees our members a genuine work-life balance." The RMT announcement comes amid strikes by its members on Southern and Virgin Trains East Coast. Southern Rail staff are in the midst a five-day strike over the role of conductors, while the RMT announced on Tuesday that its members on the Virgin East Coast line voted to walk out in a dispute over staffing changes. The RMT says the action on Southern Railway workers will be suspended on Thursday and Friday if the company agrees to urgent talks without pre-conditions.

Summary: Eurostar rail workers are to take seven days of strike action this month in a dispute over their work-life balance, the RMT union says.


Officers forced entry to the house in Wood End Lane, Northolt, west London, at about 20:10 BST and detained a man in his 40s. They say a search of the house is under way to make sure it is safe so that evacuated neighbours can return home. Police said negotiations with the man had been unsuccessful. A cordon of 200m had been in place at Wood End Lane since 01:00 BST on Friday, which was extended to 300m on Saturday. About 80 residents have had to spend two nights away from their homes as officers negotiated with the man. Scotland Yard said officers from the Territorial Support Group were supported by the London Fire Brigade as they moved in on the address. Ch Supt Paul Martin said: "I am really pleased that this incident has now ended, and importantly ended without anyone coming to harm. "Our key priority throughout this was to get the man out of the address safely as we had growing concerns about his well-being and believed him to be in crisis. "After attempts to negotiate over a number of days did not work we used specialist officers to work out how we could gain entry to the address as safely as we could. They did that this evening." Ch Supt Martin said police had also worked closely with the ambulance service and the local authority during the operation. Searches of the property will be conducted "as quickly as we can to make sure people get home", he added. Police had said there was no suggestion the incident was terror-related or linked to any ongoing police operations or investigation.

Summary: A three-day stand-off between armed police and a man feared to have stockpiled petrol at his home has ended after officers entered the property.


The game set a new record for the most-watched event in US television, beating last year's audience of 112.2 million. Viewing peaked at 120.8 million during the last quarter, which saw the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. Some 118.5 million watched Katy Perry's half-time show - three million more than last year's show with Bruno Mars. Ratings compiler Nielsen said the 12-minute performance - which also featured Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot - attracted the biggest half-time audience since 1991. NBC, which broadcast the game, said the actual audience was likely to have been higher because official ratings did not count people watching in locations such as sports bars. An additional 600,000 viewers watched the game with Spanish-language announcers on NBC's Universo cable network. NBC Sports also offered a live stream to computers and tablets - attracting an average 800,000 people, according to Adobe Analytics. After the game, an estimated 26.5 million people kept their TVs on NBC to watch an episode of James Spader's crime drama The Blacklist, making it the most-watched scripted programme on the network in more than a decade. Next year's Super Bowl will be played in Santa Clara, California, and will be broadcast by CBS.

Summary: An estimated average of 114.4 million people watched Sunday's Super Bowl on NBC, according to initial figures.


Three policemen were shot dead by suspected al-Qaeda members in a village near the border with Burkina Faso. One soldier was killed and two others wounded when a military convoy was attacked close to Nigeria's border. Thursday's attacks came three days before Sunday's controversial presidential run-off election. The opposition has said they will not recognise the results of the vote, and their candidate Hama Amadou, is currently receiving medical treatment in Paris after spending months in jail. Niger's Interior Minister Hassimi Massaoudou says the attack in a market in Dolbel village close to Burkina Faso was the work of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magrib (AQIM), which has been active in the region. "The attackers were repelled, and we are currently sweeping the area," he told the AFP news agency. The other attack was carried out by four suicide bombers in southern Diffa region that has often been targeted by Nigeria's Boko Haram insurgents. A fifth suicide bomber, a young girl, was prevented from detonating her vest, Mr Massaoudou added. Niger has porous borders with Libya, Algeria, Mali and Burkina Faso, which have all been hit by AQIM recently, and Nigeria to the south - making it vulnerable to Islamist attacks. The country is rated by the UN as one of the world's least-developed nations and was recently named as the worst country to live in.

Summary: Islamist militants from al-Qaeda and Boko Haram have killed four security forces in two separate attacks in Niger, officials have said.


They will play hosts France in the quarter-final on Sunday after goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson knocked out England and forced manager Roy Hodgson to resign. Iceland, ranked 34th in the world, were surprise qualifiers for what is their first international tournament. "We all believed. The rest of the world didn't but we did," said Arnason. Iceland's population is just 329,000 - not many more than live in Coventry and almost 10 times fewer than Wales - and it is believed 8% of those are in France following their side. The island nation, which has no professional clubs, ranked 131st in the world during the last European Championships four years ago. "This is without a doubt the biggest result in Icelandic football history. We've shocked the world," added Arnason. Wayne Rooney put England ahead with a fourth-minute penalty but Iceland were ahead by the 18th minute and held on comfortably despite Hodgson's side having 18 attempts on goal. Iceland defender Sigurdsson, 29, accused England of complacency against a side who had already held Portugal and Hungary and beaten Austria during the group stage. "They thought this would be a walk in the park but we had faith in our ability," Sigurdsson said. "It went well. We didn't feel that England created any chances. We were just heading away long balls. I wasn't stressed in the second half." Media playback is not supported on this device Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson - joint manager with former Sweden boss Lars Lagerback - praised his side for taking their chances and is in confident mood for Sunday's quarter-final in Paris. "I was more relaxed than during the game against Austria," he said. "If someone had told me a few years ago that we would reach the last eight, I have to say I would not believe it. "But no obstacle is too big for these guys now. If you want the best out of life you have to be ready when the opportunity comes. That is a fact and these boys were ready and this opportunity that was put in our hand was huge - it can change their lives. "We are optimistic. Some Icelanders maybe think we are too optimistic, that we don't think we can fail, but we have a gameplan." Icelandic TV commentator Gudmundur Benediktsson went viral last week with his excited reaction to the win over Austria and he was at it again during the win in Nice - even seeming to reference the result of Britain's EU referendum. "This is done! This is done! We are never going home! Did you see that! Did you see that!" he said. "Never wake me from this amazing dream! "Live the way you want England! Iceland is going to play France on Sunday. France-Iceland! You can go home. You can go out of Europe. "You can go wherever the hell you want. England 1 Iceland 2 is the closing score here in Nice. And the fairytale continues." Create leagues and play against your friends in BBC Sport's new Euro 2016 Predictor game

Summary: Iceland's European Championship last-16 win over England "shocked the world", according to defender Kari Arnason.


The puppy was due to fly from Nova Scotia on Wednesday to stay with family in Newfoundland, but landed in Ontario. On arrival, flight staff took Cooper outside to relieve himself, but he slipped off his lead and escaped. His owner, who was due to travel to Jamaica for a wedding, said on Friday she was "grateful" for his return. The golden labradoodle was supposed to board a WestJet flight from Halifax on Wednesday bound for Deer Lake, but was placed on a plane destined for Hamilton, a city more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) away. "I got a call saying they had put my dog on the wrong flight to a totally different province," Cooper's owner, Terri Pittman, said. On hearing the news, Ms Pittman took a flight to Hamilton, where she was joined by "thousands" of members of the public in the search for Cooper. He was found wet and hungry on Friday by a group of local residents, CBC news reports. "Knowing that people were spotting him running in the same area gave me more hope," Ms Pittman told CBC. "The community of Mount Hope and Hamilton have been amazing," she said earlier, adding that "random people messaged me saying they want to help". When Ms Pittman was informed by airline staff that Cooper had taken the wrong flight and had escaped, she said it was "one of the worst days of my life". In a post on Facebook, Ms Pittman said: "This dog is everything to me, and the thought of losing him for good was sickening. To the city of Hamilton, I am overwhelmed." Coincidentally Deer Lake, where Cooper was supposed to touchdown, is a town situated in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Summary: A missing labradoodle named Cooper, which sparked a major hunt after boarding the wrong flight in Canada, has been reunited with his owner.


Profits for the first three months of 2015 were $626m (Â£416m), and revenues were $4.45bn, a 4% increase from a year earlier. However, eBay said that "strengthening dollar significantly impacted first quarter results". Revenue at eBay would have been 7% higher without that currency headwind. At payment site PayPal, currency fluctuations were less severe, hurting revenues by 3% as a result of hedging by the site. eBay said it expected to complete its spinoff of PayPal into a separate company by the third quarter of 2015. "I feel very good about the performance of our teams at eBay and PayPal. Each business is executing well with greater focus and operating discipline as we prepare to separate eBay and PayPal into independent publicly traded companies," said eBay chief executive John Donahoe in a statement accompanying earnings. Shares in the site increased by over 5% in trading after markets had closed.

Summary: Online retailer eBay has reported better-than-expected results but added that a strong dollar substantially hurt the company's results.


"We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis," Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC's John Sudworth. He said that an "all-out war" would result if the US took military action. Earlier, US Vice-President Mike Pence warned North Korea not to test the US. He said his country's "era of strategic patience" with North Korea was over. Mr Pence arrived in Seoul on Sunday hours after North Korea carried out a failed missile launch. Tensions have been escalating on the peninsula, with heated rhetoric from both North Korea and the US. Mr Han told the BBC: "If the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method." North Korea has accelerated its nuclear and missile tests in recent years, despite international condemnation and UN sanctions. Its aim is to be able to put a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach targets around the world, including the US. US President Donald Trump has said that will not happen, and stepped up pressure on the isolated North. He has sent a navy strike group towards the Korean Peninsula, and the US and South Korea are moving ahead with the early deployment of a controversial missile defence system. Despite the tension, North Korea may carry out a sixth nuclear test soon, observers say. It test-fired a missile on Sunday that exploded within seconds of launch, following a grand military parade on Saturday. Speaking alongside South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday, Mr Pence said North Korea should not test US President Donald Trump. "Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Mr Pence said. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region." He reiterated US support for South Korea, telling his host: "We are with you 100%." Last month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that pre-emptive military action was "on the table". But the US is also working with China, North Korea's main ally, to pressure the regime to stop nuclear and missile tests. Mr Pence told journalists that the White House hoped China would use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure North Korea, the Associated Press reports. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul says US policy now seems to be to persuade China to contain North Korea while keeping the economic and military pressure on. Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC that North Korea believed its nuclear weapons "protect" it from the threat of US military action. "If the US is reckless enough to use military means it would mean from that very day, an all-out war," he said. The North casts the US as the aggressor. At a news conference at the UN on Monday, North Korea's permanent representative Ambassador Kim In-ryong, condemned the US missile strikes in Syria, which targeted an air base after a

Summary: North Korea will continue to test missiles, a senior official has told the BBC in Pyongyang, despite international condemnation and growing military tensions with the US.


Walt Disney said subscriber numbers for its sports channel ESPN had dropped. Viewers are moving away from packages offered by cable companies to simpler services and stand-alone streaming. Time Warner also fell 9%, despite better-than-expected profit figures. The Dow Jones shed 0.06% to 17,067 points. The S&P 500 gained 0.31% to 2,099.88 points. The Nasdaq rose 0.67% to 5,139.95 points. Discovery Communications fell 13% after reporting lower advertising sales and a strong dollar for below forecast profits. Twenty-First Century Fox were down 7%, CBS down 5% and Viacom shares 7%. Barton Crockett, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets, said: "If Disney can get dinged, maybe nobody's safe." But bucking the trend, Dish Network reported higher-than-expected revenue and profit and shares rose 4%. Priceline Group rose 6% after the travel company reported profit and revenue that beat analysts' forecasts. First Solar, up 17% and Ralph Lauren, turned an earlier 2.3%, gain into a loss of 1% despite releasing results that pleased investors. Economic data was disappointing. Private employers hired 185,000 workers last month, according to the ADP National Employment Report. That fell short of economists' forecasts for an increase of 215,000. The report also revised down June's private payroll gains to 229,000 from the 237,000 reported before. Investors will be looking to Friday's non-farm payroll data.

Summary: (Close): Disney shares closed down 9% after disappointing earnings figures sparking share price falls in rival cable companies.


The Alaskan fishing village taking on 'Godzilla'. By Matt McGrath Alaska is a vast wilderness of natural beauty. But it also holds more coal than all the other US states put together. As world leaders prepare to gather for a major climate change summit, plans to build an open coal mine that would cover 78 sq km (30 sq miles) surrounding a valued Alaskan river could be coming to a head. Read the feature Chernobyl: Containing the worst nuclear accident. By David Shukman BBC science editor David Shukman inspected the colossal dome being constructed to house the crippled Chernobyl nuclear power station. Radiation immediately above the reactor is still too intense for the new enclosure to be built where it is needed. So engineers had to come up with an innovative solution. Read the feature Big year ahead for James Webb telescope. By Jonathan Amos It's been a long time in the making, but the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope is about to be assembled. The spectacular new observatory, designed to find the "first light" to shine in the universe, is taking shape ahead of a planned launch in 2018. Read the feature Is the world ready for GM animals? By Paul Rincon The use of genetically engineered animals could revolutionise whole areas of public health and agriculture, according to advocates. But is the world ready for modified mosquitoes and GM salmon? Read the feature Large Hadron Collider: A quest to break physics. By Jonathan Webb As the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) gears up for its revamped second run, hurling particles together with more energy than ever before, physicists there are impatient. They want this next round of collisions to shake their discipline to its core. Read the feature The hunt for Albert Einstein's missing waves. By Rebecca Morelle The Advanced Virgo experiment will search for Albert Einstein's "missing waves". If it's a success, one of Einstein's greatest predictions will have been directly observed for the first time. But if it fails, the laws of physics might have to be reconsidered. Read the feature

Summary: A festive collection of the best science and environment reads this year.


The authorities silence dissent by intimidating journalists and by using "exhaustive" litigation, says the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Self-censorship is commonplace. Television is the most popular medium. The State Committee for TV and Radio operates four national networks and regional channels. There are more than a dozen private TV stations. Russian TV is widely-watched. Radio can be the sole source of information for those living in very remote areas. The newspaper sector comprises government-owned and private titles. Most of these publish weekly and circulation figures are low. There are nearly 1.4 million internet users (InternetLiveStats.com, 2014). The authorities routinely block websites and social media platforms, including Russia's Odnoklassniki, Facebook and YouTube. But users are adept at using proxies to get around this. Opposition websites operate mainly from abroad. ImruzNews - private, publishes Monday-Friday Asia-Plus - private, twice-weekly, in Russian Jumhuriyat - government-owned, publishes in Tajik three times a week Khalq Ovozi - government-owned, publishes in Uzbek three times a week Narodnaya Gazeta - government-owned, publishes in Russian three times a week Tojikiston - private, Tajik-language weekly Najot - weekly, published by main opposition Islamic Rebirth Party Tajik TV- state-run; operates Tajik TV first channel, Safina youth channel, news channel Jahonnamo, children's network Bahoriston and regional channels Soghd TV - state-run regional station in north Khatlon TV - state-run regional station in south SMT (Independent Television of Tajikistan) - private, Dushanbe Tajik Radio - state-run, operates Radio Tajikistan, Radio Sado-i Dushanbe (Voice of Dushanbe), culture network Radio Farhang, external service Ovoz-i Tojik Radio Imruz - private, available in all regions Radio Vatan - Dushanbe, private Radio Tiroz- Khujand, private Radio Asia-Plus - Dushanbe, private Asia-Plus - private, English-language pages Khovar - state-run, English-language pages Avesta - private, English-language pages

Summary: The media have greater freedoms than in some other Central Asian states, but officials dictate editorial policy at the state media and obstruct critical outlets.


Estate agent George Low, 22, from Dartford, was stabbed in the neck near a nightclub in Ayia Napa on Sunday. Cypriot police said an argument broke out after the alleged attackers took exception to two British men urinating in the street. A shoving match is then said to have broken out before Mr Low and his friend, Ben Barker, 22, were stabbed. Mr Barker had knife wounds to his back in the attack in Grigori Axfentiou Street, but survived. Arrest warrants have been issued for two Turkish Cypriot men, Mehmet Akpinar, 22, and 42-year-old Sali Ahmet. Police have also issued a warrant for a third man suspected to have helped the suspects escape to the Turkish-held north of the holiday island. A 48-year-old Greek Cypriot woman has been remanded in custody on suspicion of being an accessory to murder. George Economou, deputy police chief of the Famagusta region, said officers had been told the two British men were urinating in the street and two Turkish Cypriot men told them not to do it in public, which led to an argument breaking out. He said 11 minutes later, the men allegedly returned with a knife. The group did not know each other beforehand, Mr Economou added. He said police were continuing to look for CCTV to try to trace the route the suspects took to escape. Checkpoints and airports have been put on alert, he added. The woman who has been taken into custody pending further inquiries - but has not been charged - is said to be the girlfriend of Mr Akpinar and is accused of taking him a fresh pair of clothes and retrieving his mobile phone. A district court in Larnaca remanded her in custody for eight days. Mr Low's mother, Helen, 47, has said her son, a former club manager at the resort, was not an aggressive person and had simply been "in the wrong place at the wrong time". She said he and Mr Barker had been due to fly home later the same day.

Summary: A British holidaymaker stabbed to death in Cyprus was involved in a row about urinating in public, police have said.


The Swans are bottom of the Premier League having won just twice all season and face Sunderland on Saturday. "We haven't gone into individuals sort of money but they are fully committed to make some signings to give everybody a lift to go forward," he said. "We need some players in to give everybody a lift." American owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan bought a controlling stake of 68% of shares in the club in July. Manager Bob Bradley's job could be on the line after he was made bookies' favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked but Jenkins says the club is focused on avoiding relegation. "We don't control every story that goes out in the press. The recent story about Bob Bradley, I don't know where that came from," he continued. "Our main aim is to make sure we get things right over the next three games and have a few discussions over the next few weeks to make sure we strengthen the team in January. "We are fully committed to try and make sure we compete and stay in the Premier League every year." Jenkins has said he takes responsibility for the club's slump, which has left them bottom of the Premier League. Fans have turned on Jenkins and the board, accusing them of greed after selling most of their shares in July's American takeover.

Summary: Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has agreed with the club's American owners that money will be available for transfers as they fight relegation.


The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said the figure was 7% up from June, and 15% higher than July last year. Caroline Offord, a CML analyst, said that mortgage lending remained robust, despite regulatory changes earlier this year to toughen lending criteria. There was a 25% rise in property transactions in the first half of 2014, the CML said. However, Ms Offord said that affordability pressures could start to affect the property market. "Economic conditions have strengthened, but while the Bank of England has signalled an improved economic outlook since May, headwinds remain," she said. A rise in interest rates could hit the housing market, although any increase was likely to be "measured and gradual", she said. New rule changes mean lenders must do more checks on borrowers' ability to repay loans, something that was blamed for slowing the number of loans and transactions earlier this year. Net mortgage lending for the first six months of the year reached £10.5bn, which Ms Offord described as a "strong figure" compared to the past five years when the total barely exceeded £10bn for the whole 12 months. "This is a sign of growth in the market and not just churn," she said. The Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday that UK house prices had risen by 10.2% over the 12 months to June to hit a new record high of of £265,000. However, the London average was now almost £500,000.

Summary: Mortgage lending rose to £19.1bn in July to reach the highest monthly total since August 2008.


7 October 2016 Last updated at 11:26 BST Cavell Hutson, 21, of north London stole 21 mobile phones before he was arrested by police, but his accomplice managed to escape. The thefts, on 3 September, involved phones being grabbed out of people's hands as the thieves passed by on a moped. The video shows CCTV footage of the pair taking a phone and helicopter film of the moped being ridden through Kingsland Market in Hackney during a police pursuit. Hutson was sentenced to more than three years in prison at Blackfriars Crown Court on 3 October.

Summary: The police have released footage of two mobile phone thieves who went on an hour long mobile-phone-snatching raid through London.


Cookson, the ex-head of British Cycling, beat Ireland's Pat McQuaid in a bitter election in late 2013. But Armstrong is unimpressed with what he has seen of the president so far. "If McQuaid had made the same decisions Cookson has made in his first year, he would have been lynched," said the disgraced cyclist. "Do we like what we have got so far?" Armstrong cited the decisions to "rush" through Team Sky's request for Chris Froome to get emergency steroid treatment for asthma after the Tour de Romandie's prologue and Cookson's handling of the Astana affair as failures to signal a new direction at the top of the sport. Media playback is not supported on this device Astana, the team for which Armstrong rode during his second comeback in 2009, have been mired in controversy ever since five riders in their system failed drugs tests in a matter of months last year. Many observers expected the UCI to revoke the team's WorldTour licence but after weeks of speculation the Kazakhstan-based outfit were given another chance in December. Run by Alexander Vinokourov, a contemporary of Armstrong's, Astana remain on probation and their anti-doping practices are being independently vetted, but the episode was widely seen as a challenge that Cookson ducked. And with Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali riding for Astana, the sport had once again left itself vulnerable to ridicule. Speaking to the BBC in his first TV interview for two years, Armstrong said "everybody thinks" Astana should have been thrown out, but he accepted that Cookson's hands might have been tied by the UCI's rules. He was less understanding, though, on the 63-year-old's failure to force the likes of Vinokourov, Tinkoff-Saxo's Bjarne Riis and other controversial team managers still in the sport, to cooperate with the panel set up by the UCI to investigate the sport's murky past. Armstrong has talked to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (Circ) twice and is now waiting to see if his efforts will be rewarded with a recommendation that his lifetime ban from sport should be reduced. That ban was given out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) in 2012 when Armstrong failed to cooperate with its investigation into the teams with whom he won his seven Tour de France titles. He was also stripped of those victories. Any decision on reducing the ban rests with Usada, which might mean Armstrong is left disappointed, but he is angry that his peers have not been compelled to talk to Circ. "If I'm Brian Cookson, I would make it a deal point that you have to come in and talk," he said. "So if Riis doesn't talk to you, or Vinokourov doesn't, there should be consequences. I don't know those to be examples, but I can imagine. "If you don't come in to talk, you don't just get passed." When asked for a reaction, Riis's team Tinkoff-Saxo said he has never refused to meet Circ and it wanted to respect the confidentiality of the process, while the UCI said it would wait until Circ's report is

Summary: Lance Armstrong believes Brian Cookson has not delivered on his campaign promises since taking over at the International Cycling Union (UCI).


Peter Barnett, 44, travelled from Haddenham and Thame Parkway to London Marylebone, but dodged the full fare by claiming his journey began at Wembley in north-west London. Chiltern Railways had argued he should pay back nearly £20,000 but the defence said the true value was £6,000. Barnett, from Oxford, admitted fraud by false representation. Deputy District Judge Olalekan Omotosho said: "There is a need not just to punish you for the offences but also deter others from committing offences." She added: "It remains unclear why you acted so badly. "You let yourself down and your family down, particularly in light of your profession as a lawyer." Barnett admitted six counts of fraud by false representation between April 2012 and November 2014 and was ordered to pay back nearly £6,000. City of London Magistrates' Court heard that Barnett - an Oxford graduate and former Rhodes scholar who also worked in the financial services sector - failed to pay for journeys on Chiltern Railways on 655 days between April 2012 and November 2014. He was thought to have simply "tapped out" with an Oyster card, automatically being charged the maximum Transport for London fare. Prosecutors had argued he should pay back £19,689, the full value of the cost of daily returns for the trips he made. However, the defence claimed the value was a penalty imposed by the railway company rather than the true value, because if Barnett had bought a ticket it would have been a weekly one - rather than paying a daily fare. The court heard that Barnett ran off when a member of station staff became suspicious about his story and called a supervisor, but had a change of heart and later handed himself in. During an interview with British Transport Police, he confessed that he had been carrying out the scam since April 2012. Barnett was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for 12 months.

Summary: A barrister who commuted by train for two years without paying has been given a suspended 16-week prison sentence.


Maughold Lighthouse, the closest point on the island to England, is situated about 31 miles (50km) from Cumbria. It was designed and built by David A Stevenson, of the Stevenson engineers, at an estimated cost of £11,000. The ceremony will be held on Sunday and attended by the island's Lieutenant Governor, Adam Wood. A Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) spokesman said: "On 15 April, Maughold lighthouse will have provided a guiding beam of light to the mariner for 100 years. "Battling against the odds, the Stevenson family constructed wonders of engineering that have withstood the test of time - an amazing historical achievement." David Stevenson was a Scottish lighthouse designer who designed over 30 lighthouses in Scotland. The Stevensons also included the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who was said to have gained inspiration for his books Kidnapped and Treasure Island from family visits to remote lighthouses in the British Isles. The Northern Lighthouse Board was established in 1786 and is responsible for about 200 lighthouses. In 1854 the organisation took responsibility for six Isle of Man lighthouses - Point of Ayre, Maughold Head, Douglas Head, Langness, Calf of Man and Chicken Rock. Maughold was the last lighthouse to have been built on the island. Work began in 1911 and finished in April 1914. It consists of a 23m (77ft) tower, which is situated on a slope of headland at Maughold Head. "The building of the light at Maughold Head was not an easy task," said Lorna Hunter from the NLB. "The tower is positioned half way down a cliff and can only be reached by a flight of 128 steps." The keeper's houses, now privately owned, are situated at the top of the cliff. The coastal residence, which consists of four bedrooms and two bathrooms, was sold in 2012 for about £600,000. The area between the lighthouse and Port-Vullen is a government-protected breeding ground for more than 35 bird species, including puffins and guillemots. The original Frensel lens at Maughold was named after its French inventor, Augustin Fresnel. It is made from a series of perfectly polished crystal glass lenses set into a brass structure. The automated light, now monitored around the clock from a remote centre, is visited and maintained locally on a regular basis. However, once a year, all the lighthouses on the island are visited by the vessel, NLV Pharos, when specialised technicians undertake a full service of the equipment.

Summary: A ceremony has been held in the Isle of Man to mark the centenary of a "wonder of British engineering".


Daly replaces lock Courtney Lawes in the only change from the squad that beat Italy. "Elliot Daly has impressed in training and is now ready to be part of the matchday 23," Jones said. England won their opening two matches and top the table, while Ireland lost to France and drew with Wales. Daly, 23, has played four times for England Saxons and also represented England at under-18 and under-20 level. Ireland could also bring a debutant into midfield, with Ulster's Stuart McCloskey in contention for a first cap if fitness-doubt Jared Payne is ruled out. Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers). Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Maro Itodje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens). Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for the Six Nations, cricket scores, your football team and more.

Summary: Wasps centre Elliot Daly is set for his England debut after being named in Eddie Jones' 23-man squad for Saturday's match against Ireland.


This was the question posed in the final moments of this year's Munich Security Forum by its chairman, Wolfgang Ischinger. This year's Forum was all about war and peace and, like the famed Tolstoy novel, all about Russia. Its principal setting is the divided and devastated Syrian city of Aleppo where Russia's intensive bombing is tilting the balance of power towards the Syrian military as it moves to encircle the rebel-held east. Tens of thousands of Syrians, desperate to escape the frightening violence, have already fled towards the Turkish border. No-one can be sure how this story will end. But Western and Arab backers of the Syrian opposition are alarmed and angry as the plot unfolds. A crucial meeting, which brought together all the outside players in Syria's tangled conflict on the eve of the Forum, cast a long shadow over the three-day annual gathering, which usually focuses on trans-Atlantic relationships. Many kept discussing how Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was able to emerge from five hours of difficult talks last Thursday without yielding to demands to stop the Aleppo bombing. Moscow is accused of mainly striking Western-backed opposition forces rather than terrorist groups including so-called Islamic State. Sources say Russia's top diplomat argued that if other groups fighting alongside the extremists ended up in the bombers' sights, that wasn't Russia's problem. Sixteen Arab and Western foreign ministers as well as international organisations sat around that table last Thursday. They clinched what was, on paper, an ambitious agreement: a cessation of hostilities within a week, the delivery of urgently needed aid to besieged areas within days, and a call to return to peace talks that had broken down last month in Geneva. But, no sooner was it hailed as a breakthrough, came the realisation that Russia's military campaign around Aleppo and other strategic areas would remain. "How were the Russians allowed to do that?" a European defence minister fumed in the corridors of the elegant Bayerischer Hof hotel, which was fizzing with fury over Moscow's manoeuvres. "Foreign ministers deal with words but we deal with the military consequences," he told me in a not so subtle jab. Since the meeting, at least three hospitals and two schools in northern Syria have been hit in missile strikes, killing scores of people - attacks condemned by France and Turkey as war crimes. Russia has said it "categorically rejects" accusations of war crimes over the bombing of hospitals. "The Russians have all the cards," a Western defence official explained with a resigned nod to the Russians' expanding military presence in Syria since they unleashed their bombing last September and turned the tide of war in President Bashar al-Assad's favour. Another observer spelt it out. "In the space of just four months Russia went from nothing in the past 25 years to being the key player in Middle East power politics with military capabilities and the political will to back it up," explained a senior European diplomat attending the Forum. "Gulf Arab states look at their allies and bemoan the fact that they don't deploy the

Summary: "Is the message from Munich a message of continued fighting, or are we going to be capable, in the course of this year, of giving peace a chance?"


Media playback is not supported on this device Match referee Evan Boyce took no action at the time but notified the IFA's Disciplinary Committee regarding the incident following the Solitude game. It considered the correspondence together with video footage. Oman was charged with a breach of Article 18.11 of the Disciplinary Code (assault or battery of an opponent). Portadown were also fined £100 by the Disciplinary Committee. Cliftonville won 1-0 in what was Niall Currie's first game in charge as Portadown manager.

Summary: Portadown defender Ken Oman has been suspended for six matches for elbowing Cliftonville's Caoimhin Bonner in Saturday's Premiership fixture.


Former Chelsea defender David Stride had been in charge of Southern League Bashley for just 40 days. The New Forest club's newly appointed board have named former manager Steve Riley as Stride's replacement. "It's absolute codswallop. The club already had someone in mind to replace me, but waited two weeks before telling me," Stride told BBC Sport. Bashley have lost all four of their pre-season friendlies so far, failing to score a goal and conceding eight. Stride, 57, had only been in charge for two of those matches. "We made a tough decision to change things around now rather than the possibility of having more upheaval during the season," chairman Tim Allan said. Stride made 35 appearances for Chelsea between 1978 and 1980 and also played for Leyton Orient and Millwall in the 1980s. He was appointed by Bashley on 17 June, but five and a half weeks later and after a change of club chairman, he is out of work. "I've got no hard feelings, but sadly the club weren't man enough to tell me earlier," Stride added. "I was given the guarantee I'd be left alone for a season to take sole charge of football matters, but I'm gone after just two games."

Summary: A non-league manager has been sacked for "a run of poor pre-season results and lack of player signings".


Neil Fears, from Belper in Derbyshire, was reported missing by his fellow divers on Tuesday after he failed to surface. The 51-year-old's body was recovered near the wreck of the SS Stanfield, near La Manga, about three hours later. It is not yet known why the experienced diver failed to surface. His daughter Cerys said: "He was always there if I needed him for whatever situation, he'd do anything to look after his family." Mr Fears was a director of IT firm Davidson Richards in Derby. "He was very hardworking and could be very determined," his daughter added. "My boyfriend said he was strong and ambitious, but he was also very kind and caring, generous and very clever." Mr Fears had been diving with three others and was paired up with one of them. A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil in Murcia said the paired diver had "turned to his partner and realised he wasn't there". The divers had been using equipment which regulated oxygen supply and pressure, depending on the user's depth under water. This meant they had to return to the surface regularly, but Mr Fears failed to do so as planned.

Summary: The daughter of a British diver who died while exploring a World War One shipwreck off the coast of Spain has paid tribute to her "caring" father.


The ruling by a US district judge is the latest twist in a long-running legal battle going back to 2013. Costco, which is to appeal against the decision, argues that "Tiffany" is now a generic term for the rings. But it has now been told it must call them "Tiffany-style" instead. The dispute centres on the sale of solitaire-style rings, comprising a diamond mounted on a single band with six prongs. Costco, which had sold 2,500 of them, put them on display with the label "Tiffany", although they were not in fact made by the jeweller. An earlier court ruling in October 2016 ordered Costco to pay $5.5m in compensatory damages and $8.25m in punitive damages. But in a further court decision on Monday, the compensation was increased to $11.1m, while the amount of punitive damages still stands. Kate Swaine, a partner at law firm Gowling WLG, said: "This damages award may seem excessive given that only 2,500 products were sold, but if it can be argued that an infringement is blatant and where it relates to such a well-known brand, the claimant is entitled to seek punitive damages. "Brand owners will welcome this decision as an indication of the risk that third parties run in trying to make associations with famous brands." The cheapest engagement ring on Tiffany's US website currently costs $12,000 (Â£9,300) while customers can buy one from Costco's website for only $380 (Â£295).

Summary: US wholesaler Costco is facing a $19.4m (Â£15m) bill for damages after jewellery chain Tiffany sued it for infringing its trademark by selling "Tiffany" engagement rings.


Countess Spencer died on Friday morning at her London home, her son William Legge, the Earl of Dartmouth and a UKIP MEP, confirmed. Her marriage to Diana's father Earl Spencer from 1976 to 1992 was the second of three in her life. She was the daughter of romance novelist Dame Barbara Cartland. In her early life, she served as a Westminster city councillor from 1954 to 1965. Her first marriage was to the Earl of Dartmouth and lasted from 1948 to 1976. Following the death of Earl Spencer, her second husband, she married Count Jean-Francois de Chambrun in 1993, but the marriage only lasted three years. When she married Earl Spencer and moved into the ancestral home at Althorp, Northamptonshire, she became stepmother to 15-year-old Diana and 12-year-old Charles, who now holds his father's title. Ingrid Seward, friend of the countess and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told the BBC: "When she first married Spencer, they [his children] loathed her. And they made her life extremely difficult. "They used to call her 'acid Raine'. Now I don't know which of the children invented that one but Raine was very stoic and she put up with it all. "And when Earl Spencer became ill she virtually did save his life. She was at his bedside the entire time and I think Diana suddenly saw that this stepmother wasn't as bad as she had imagined. "And then later in Diana's life almost at the end of her life, suddenly Raine Spencer was Diana's best friend." She said Countess Spencer was a "very intelligent, witty woman". "She had that wonderful energy, she could get anything done, which is why I think Spencer fell in love with her," she said. Ms Seward said that after the death of Earl Spencer, Countess Spencer went to work in department store Harrods. "She ran the shop floor, she worked everywhere and then she ended up in men's ties," she said. "But then she worked for the international side of Harrods. She spoke fluent French, she was very bright, she was charming, so she was the perfect ambassador for Harrods." For many years, Countess Spencer was also on the board of directors at Harrods. But at the 2007 inquest into Diana's death she said: "I never went shopping in Harrods. It was my husband who practically lived there." In that appearance at the inquest she talked about her relationship she had enjoyed with Diana in the years before her death in 1997. "She always said I had no hidden agenda," she said in her evidence. "So many people, because she was so popular and so world famous, wanted something out of her. It was a very draining life." Speaking at the inquest about press intrusion into Diana's life, she said: "I suppose this happens with pop stars and celebrities and people who call themselves celebrities nowadays." Countess Spencer and Diana were pictured talking in June 1997, just 13 weeks before the death of the Princess of Wales, when the countess was invited to a private viewing of Diana's dresses that were

Summary: Raine Spencer, stepmother of Diana, Princess of Wales, has died at 87 after a short illness, her family has announced.


Schools and businesses were shut and airport services suspended, as the cyclone made landfall with heavy rain and winds of up to 140km/h (85mph). Teams from the army and National Disaster Relief Force, along with two naval ships, are on standby. Fishermen in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been warned not to go to sea. Police said disaster management teams had evacuated more than 15,000 people from low-lying areas. The Tamil Nadu state government said in a statement that 260 trees in the city had fallen as a result of strong winds. Parts of the city have also been flooded. Winds were so strong that glass panels were torn from the facade of Chennai's Hyatt-Regency hotel. YK Reddy, director of the meteorology department in Hyderabad, told BBC Hindi the storm would weaken after making landfall. The storm comes about a year after Chennai experienced devastating floods which killed 70 people. In December 2011, more than 30 people died and many homes were damaged after a cyclone struck near the town of Pondicherry. And in May 2010 at least 23 people died as a powerful cyclone caused widespread havoc across Andhra Pradesh.

Summary: At least seven people have been killed and thousands evacuated from coastal areas in two southern Indian states, as Cyclone Vardah lashed Chennai (Madras).


Such unannounced inspections treated staff like "naughty children", says Brian Lightman, head of the Association of School and College Leaders. On Monday, Ofsted said there would be 40 no-warning inspections this month. These will test the feasibility of unannounced inspections, proposed after the Trojan Horse inquiries in Birmingham schools. There were calls for inspections to take place without any advance warning after claims some schools in the city were being taken over by hard-line Muslim groups, This followed concerns that some of the schools were able to conceal unacceptable behaviour when they knew Ofsted inspectors were about to call. But head teachers' leader Mr Lightman said: "Moving to no notice for routine inspections is unnecessary and would be counter-productive. It stifles creativity and treats professionals like naughty children." "Schools currently only receive half a day's notice. This is the absolute minimum time needed so that key staff and governors are available to meet with inspectors and staff can gather the facts and figures that inspectors need during their visit," said Mr Lightman. He accepted that where there is an "urgent cause for concern", unannounced inspections could be appropriate, but it should not become the standard procedure. This month Ofsted plans to test the idea of no-notice inspections, with a wave of two-day unannounced visits across England. "I'm currently giving thought to whether Ofsted should move to more routine, no-notice inspections as part of our wider education inspection reforms, which we will be consulting on later this year," said Sir Michael. "In the meantime, under our regional structure, inspectors are well-placed to use their local knowledge and contacts to identify where these sorts of problems may be taking hold so we can respond swiftly and report publicly on what we find." Meanwhile Ofsted is investigating claims that a number of schools in academy trusts in Norfolk were given advance warning of inspections. The education watchdog also revealed that inspectors have returned for monitoring checks on five of the Birmingham schools placed into special measures after the Trojan Horse investigations. The National Union of Teachers says it opposes adopting a system of routine no-notice school inspections. "For accountability to be meaningful, there needs to be proper professional and respectful dialogue," said the union's general secretary, Christine Blower. "The government should look to and learn from the light touch accountability systems of high-performing countries such as Finland and New Zealand which are based on trusting schools and teachers to do the best by their students, rather than the issuing of threats or penalties."

Summary: Head teachers have attacked the idea of Ofsted inspectors visiting schools in England without any warning.