The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), held every two years, will focus on climate change, with talks on security issues also expected. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to set up a Commonwealth unit to target the "scourge" of extremism. The group of nations has a vital role to play in tackling terrorism, he said, and pledged Â£5m to help fund the unit. Security was high around the Queen as she arrived with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Opening the conference, the Queen said she was enormously proud of what the Commonwealth had achieved and "all of it within my lifetime". She said Commonwealth nations would continue to be called on to demonstrate leadership in global issues. Counter-terrorism is top of Mr Cameron's agenda for the meeting in the Maltese capital, Valletta. It comes after he addressed MPs in the UK to state his case for military air strikes in Syria to tackle so-called Islamic State. Mr Cameron said of the Commonwealth unit: "The Commonwealth has a vital role to play in broadening international efforts to counter extremism. "Its civil society and education networks make it particularly well placed to complement international efforts to build counter narratives to this poisonous extremist ideology. "This is the struggle of our generation, but by working together we will defeat this extremism scourge that is a threat to us all." Mr Cameron has pledged Â£1m funding annually, for five years, to help set up the unit, with another Â£200,000 going on expanding a European counter-radicalisation youth programme to include the Commonwealth. French President Francois Hollande is due to arrive in Malta on Friday and will attend meetings on climate change ahead of a summit on the issue in Paris on Monday. By Nicholas Witchell, royal correspondent, BBC News It is an association of 53 independent nations, disparaged sometimes as little more than a talking shop, but between them the countries of the Commonwealth represent nearly one-third of the world's population. As its heads of government gather in Malta, there are pressing matters to consider. Countering violent extremism is a priority; so too is climate change, the effects of which are a particular threat to low-lying territories in the Pacific. And a few days short of the Paris conference on global warming, French President Francois Hollande is breaking off from his domestic security challenges to address Commonwealth leaders on the need for decisive action on global warming. The conference will be formally opened by the Queen in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth: no-one has been to more of these gatherings than she has but, since by the time of the next meeting she'll be 91, it is thought this might be the last Commonwealth conference she'll attend. The Queen will later host a reception for new Commonwealth leaders. The event will feature more than 360 artists and performers, including the Maltese Philharmonic Orchestra and tenor Joseph Calleja. The Royals are on a three-day tour of Malta, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lived at

Summary: The Queen has opened a two-day summit of leaders of the 53 Commonwealth nations in Malta.


Strachan received the backing of the SFA board last week despite his side sitting fifth place in their World Cup qualifying group. Speculation had linked Sunderland manager Moyes with the job. "I don't think there's anybody out there who could do a better job than Gordon Strachan," said Moyes, whose side beat Hull City 3-0 on Saturday. The Scot had been under pressure in the first year of his own four-year contract with the English Premier League club. But the win over Hull lifts Sunderland above Swansea City and off the bottom of the table. Moyes has often said that he would like to manage his country at some point but was unhappy to be linked with the role with Strachan still in post. "Quite rightly so that they kept Gordon on, because he's got a limited group to choose from," said the former Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad boss. "I think Scotland did well against England. I think that the score flattered England a little bit. "And I think Gordon's working with the tools he's got and deserves to be in the position." Scotland's 3-0 defeat by the English at Wembley left the Scots six points behind the Group F leaders and four adrift of second-top Slovenia. However, Ross County winger Chris Burke, who has seven Scotland caps, thinks Strachan's side can still finish second and secure a play-off place. "The way we have to look at it is - are we going to finish first, or did we think we were going to finish first?" he told BBC Scotland. "No, we weren't. Realistically, we were looking at coming second and is that still a possibility? Of course it is. "It is only four points and the team that are in second are coming next to Hampden and, if we beat them, it is back on. "One thing about Gordon is he is a fantastic coach and I've learned so much in my game when I was at the age of 30 when he introduced me back into the Scotland squad." Former Scotland left-back Gary Naysmith agreed about Strachan's qualities. "Everybody says on the training pitch, you won't find anyone better," said the East Fife manager. "I've never heard one person say anything bad about Gordon Strachan's coaching. "I thought there was a lot of optimism from the England game, but I can also understand when you look at the statistics why some of the fans are wanting a change. "But you hear what David Moyes had to say there - another manager would have the same group of players. "By Gordon staying, he obviously believes we can still qualify, because I firmly believe that, if he didn't think they could qualify or get into second place, he would have walked out the door."

Summary: David Moyes thinks the Scottish FA did the right thing by retaining Gordon Strachan as national head coach.


Seven people died and more than 50 were injured in the incident in south London, but experts say tram accidents are incredibly rare. Andrew Braddock, from trade body UK Tram, said the accident should be "set in the context of an extremely safe mode of transport". "You are 15 times safer travelling on a tram than you would be in a bus, 24 times safer than you would be in a car," he said. "We had a dreadful incident in Croydon yesterday, there's absolutely no getting away from that, but it's extremely rare." British Transport Police are investigating whether the Croydon tram was exceeding speed limits and the possibility the driver may have fallen asleep or blacked out. The crash is believed to be the first involving fatalities on board a tram in the UK since 1959, when two women passengers and the driver died when a tram caught fire in Glasgow after a collision with a lorry. Deaths from tram derailments are rare around the world. Several people died and around 50 were injured when a tram overturned in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in August 2011, while around 30 were killed and 50 injured when a tram derailed in eastern Ukraine in July 1996. Trams were phased out in the UK at the end of 1962 with the closure of the Glasgow network, leaving Blackpool's as the only one running. A new generation of tramways began with the opening of the Manchester Metrolink in 1992, and there are now also networks in Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Nottingham and Edinburgh, and about 300 worldwide. There were no trams in London between 1952 and 2000, when the London Tramlink opened. Mr Braddock described trams as being like a "bus on rails", travelling at similar speeds and peaking in cities at about 50mph. Powered by electricity through overhead wires, drivers control the vehicle using a lever - usually with their left hand - pushing forward to accelerate, backwards to brake and with a neutral stopping point in the middle. But unlike trains, trams are not fitted with systems that apply brakes automatically if they are going too fast or jump a light. The key safety feature is a vigilance device, known in the railway industry as the "dead man's lever" - a device that brakes automatically if the driver is incapacitated. Mr Braddock said: "On the tram control lever there is a button which the driver presses at least every 30 seconds. If that button is not pressed the brakes are applied automatically. "It makes no difference if the driver is powering up or braking, he has to keep pressing that button. It's a routine that you get into." If the driver lets go, the lever springs back to the neutral position, automatically applying the brakes. There is also an emergency stop button, bringing the tram to an immediate stop in the eventuality of an emergency such as a car or pedestrian suddenly appearing in front of it. There were 112 accidents involving trams in the year to the end of March, according to

Summary: After the deadly tram crash in Croydon earlier this week, industry experts have stressed that it remains one of the safest forms of public transport and advised against "panicking" by hastily imposing new precautions.


The 21-month-old from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, went missing during a family holiday in July 1991. A fresh excavation of farmland began on Monday, following new evidence that he may have been killed and buried there. Police said they found "a vast number" of animal bones and small pieces of fabric which were "of slight interest". A 19-strong team of South Yorkshire Police officers, forensic specialists and an archaeologist have been scouring the arid stretch of olive grove, which has been used for farming for generations. More on this story and more on BBC Local Live: Sheffield and South Yorkshire Ben was last seen playing on the land and it is close to where he vanished while his grandfather was renovating a property 25 years ago. His family believe he was abducted, but police are now investigating whether he was accidentally run over and killed by a bulldozer. Det Insp Jon Cousins, from South Yorkshire Police, said the team - joined by local search and rescue volunteers - had made good progress in recovering potential evidence. He said: "We found, as expected, a vast number of bones yesterday. Each one was examined immediately, and each one was discounted there and then as being an animal bone. "There are some other items that are of slight interest - the odd piece of fabric. That is being analysed and looked at, but there is slight interest. "Everything is being carefully looked at." He added: "We want to make sure: do they or do they not relate to any of the items Ben was wearing on that day?" On the day Ben went missing he was wearing a white and green shirt and a pair of leather sandals. The recovered items have been forensically collected and photographs sent to colleagues back in the UK before a decision is made on whether they require further examination and testing. The search is expected to last about a week.

Summary: Police searching for missing toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos have found pieces of fabric on land close to where he was last seen.


Genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes, expired vaccines and more recently, the use of larvicide to stop mosquitoes from breeding, have all been blamed. Posts on social media expressing these theories have been widely shared - although rarely by respected scientists. And Brazil's health authorities have been caught off guard, describing the frenzy as a "real information war" with a "complex scenario of actors, interests and worldviews". What you need to know Travel advice Would it be wrong to eradicate mosquitoes? Now they are pushing back, which experts say is a "key part" of managing any outbreak. "This happens everywhere each time there is an epidemic of some sort", says Professor Jimmy Whitworth from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "At the moment, there is nothing in any of the rumours about insecticides, larvicides, vaccines and GM mosquitoes that seems at all persuasive. The spatial and temporal fit is poor between cases of microcephaly and the use of any of these technologies." But the Brazilian authorities were unable to prevent a rumour pointing the finger at the larvicide pyriproxyfen from gaining traction online. The theory grew in popularity after doctors from the Argentine group Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Villages, which campaigns against GM crops and the use of pesticides, published a report linking the larvicide with microcephaly. The report said the product was first introduced in Brazil's northeast in 2014, a year before the increase in microcephaly, and also claimed the Brazilian Association of Public Health (Abrasco) was aware of this link. The Argentine group argued that Zika has not caused birth defects in other countries and says there are no records of microcephaly in the current Zika epidemic in Colombia. This ignores an increase in microcephaly in French Polynesia after a Zika surge between 2013 and 2014 and also overlooks the fact that the epidemic in Colombia is still recent. Although more than 3,000 pregnant women there have been infected by Zika, only a few of them have given birth. But the Brazilian government was on the back foot. Abrasco was forced to deny it had linked pesticides, larvicides or any other chemical products to the rise in microcephaly. Meanwhile Brazil's Ministry of Health attempted to reassure people by saying pyriproxyfen had been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as Brazil's health surveillance agency Anvisa. Even so, two Brazilian states - Rio Grande do Sul in the south and Para in the north - temporarily banned its use in drinking water, saying they wanted to avoid any risks while further studies were carried out. But in the worst-affected state, Pernambuco, the facts do not support the larvicide theory. Some areas where pyriproxyfen is used do not have any cases of microcephaly while the city of Recife, which has most cases, does not use it, officials at the state's centre for disease control said. And doctors say the alterations seen in the babies' CT scans suggest that the lesions were caused by a congenital infection, and not by pesticides, drugs or vaccines. But researchers are looking for a "third

Summary: As scientists race for answers about the Zika virus and its links to neurological disorders, rumours are filling the vacuum.


In January, several major US newspapers took a swipe at him in separate editorials. "President Rafael Correa of Ecuador is leading a relentless campaign against free speech," said The New York Times. The Washington Post said the president ought to be known for "the most comprehensive and ruthless assault on free media under way in the Western Hemisphere". According to various international rights organisations, 2011 was a bad year for freedom of speech in Ecuador, and 2012 does not bode well. Following a change to the current electoral law, which comes into effect on 4 February, journalists will face restrictions when reporting on the forthcoming campaign for the 2013 presidential election. The new article prohibits media from "either directly or indirectly promoting any given candidate, proposal, options, electoral preferences or political thesis, through articles, specials or any other form of message". Several Ecuadorean journalists have said the new regulations amount to censorship. "It is clear that this is an affront to basic rights," said Ecuadorean media freedom organisation Fundamedios. But President Correa is adamant that the new legislation is vital. "Media cannot be political actors," he said during one of his weekly TV and radio broadcasts. "We have to put an end to the illegitimate, immoral political power that certain media have. All they do every day is a political campaign against the government." Mr Correa has not yet said whether he will run in the election, currently scheduled for January 2013. With approval ratings close to 80%, according to a polling firm favoured by the government, he seemingly has the largest support base among potential candidates. Mr Correa, who is popular in Ecuador thanks to his social programmes that support, among others, the poor and the disabled, has often said media are his "greatest enemy" and a major obstacle in implementing reforms. In Ecuador, private media have traditionally served the interests of their owners - powerful groups with strong economic interests. Mr Correa says those elites do not want wealth to be fairly distributed across the country. Under Mr Correa's leadership, the government has brought in laws to limit media concentration. In 2008 a number of media outlets, including two TV stations, were seized from bankers on the grounds of corruption. The government went from controlling only one radio station to running a large network of media, which have the obligation of broadcasting the president's weekly radio and TV shows. Although the growth of public media is important, the current landscape is far from balanced, according to investigative journalist Juan Carlos Calderon. "The president has decided to demonise private media, even if it is a legitimate activity, regulated by the constitution," Mr Calderon says. "The president has created this polarisation. We journalists are the meat in the sandwich." Mr Calderon is facing a libel trial following the 2010 publication of a book, Big Brother (El Gran Hermano), which detailed government contracts that benefited the president's older brother, Fabricio. President Correa, who denied knowledge of the contracts and had them cancelled when they came to light, filed a $10m (Â£6.4m) lawsuit against

Summary: Rafael Correa has been Ecuador's president since 2007 but it is probably fair to say he has never had as much international attention as in recent weeks.


Police, fire crews and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were called to an address in the Ross Place area at about 20:20. A small number of residents were evacuated from the premises but have now returned to their homes. A 17-year-old man has been detained in relation to a separate matter. Police said no-one was injured and at no time was there any danger to the public.

Summary: Bomb disposal experts were called to an incident at a block of flats in Fort William on Friday evening after an "unidentified device" was found.


Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez was captured in a dawn raid near Guadalajara - the capital of the western Jalisco state. He is suspected to be second-in-command in the Jalisco New Generation cartel, led by his father Nemesio. The gang is blamed for killing at least 20 police officers in March-April and May's shooting down of an army helicopter in which 10 people died. Mr Oseguera Gonzalez, known as El Menchito, was arrested in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, the authorities said. No shots were fired. This is the second time that he has been captured. He was arrested in January 2014, but was released later that year for lack of evidence. Mr Oseguera Gonzalez is suspected of controlling the cartel's finances and of buying drugs from South American countries. The Jalisco New Generation cartel is involved in large-scale drug trafficking along Mexico's Pacific Coast. It has recently increased its presence in the area, with Jalisco and the neighbouring Michoacan among Mexico's most violent states. The Jalisco New Generation is also engaged in a turf war with the Knights Templar cartel. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past eight years.

Summary: The Mexican authorities say they have arrested the son of one of the country's most wanted drug lords.


Her commitment to the Commonwealth has been unwavering; that of her ministers, in the past, less so. Take Ted Heath. For him, in the 1970s, the Common Market trumped the Commonwealth. Other prime ministers have been wary of a loose affiliation of nations that battled against apartheid in South Africa but which have, sometimes, struggled to uphold principles of accountability and respect for human rights. But post-Brexit, the club of 52 countries is taking on greater significance for the UK government. The Commonwealth makes up a relatively small part of UK trade. As we leave the European Union, Number 10 wants to increase exports to these countries. Where the baton is headed over the next 388 days, will British goods, in greater numbers, one day follow?

Summary: As she stood on the makeshift stage in the Buckingham Palace forecourt, the Queen might have been tempted to reflect on one of the benefits of longevity.


Over six years, the Tackling FGM Initiative has given Â£2.8m of funding to community-based prevention schemes. It said in a report that the funding had helped spark a necessary debate about FGM. But it added that maintaining momentum would be difficult without more money. The initiative was set up by five charitable trusts, including Comic Relief, to discourage the cutting of girls' sexual organs. As well as funding the work of dozens of community groups, the money also paid for the training of more than 6,000 teachers and healthcare staff in how to spot and respond to the illegal act of female genital mutilation. Under the scheme, people were encouraged to work within their own communities. For example, a Somali elder in Bolton recruited other men in his community to emphasise the need to protect their daughters. But the Tackling FGM Initiative's report said there was still a lack of clarity over who should be funding future FGM prevention work. It said local authorities, health and wellbeing boards, and public health or clinical commissioning groups all had a part to play. The report says it is difficult to measure the success of preventing FGM because of the lack of data about an illegal procedure, but, using surveys, it found attitudes to FGM had changed. It concludes that awareness of FGM has increased, particularly among women, and there has been a strong focus on educating young people from a wide range of communities. But the report warns that funding is still the major barrier to ending mutilation and the authors say, in the current financial climate, it will be difficult to maintain progress. It said: "There is good evidence that the community-based approach has worked with a range of audiences within communities affected by FGM and has started to create a critical mass of people who are opposed to the practice."

Summary: Community groups involved in an initiative to tackle female genital mutilation in England and Wales have warned that future progress could be threatened by a lack of local funding.


Some farmers will have experienced a 10p a litre drop in the price in the 10 months to Christmas. Aled Jones, National Farmers' Union's milk committee chairman, said they were finding it "extremely difficult". Two independent inquiries into the industry's future in Wales are due to report in 2015. THE INCOME GAP Mr Jones, who farms at Llanfaglan near Caernarfon, added that over months the price drop can mean a gap in income of tens of thousands of pounds. "It's only now that the cuts are beginning to really bite," he told BBC Radio Cymru's Manylu programme. "Ten pence a litre for a farm producing a million litres is a hundred thousand pounds less revenue - and that is not a big farm. "Some feed costs and fuel prices have come down - but not to the extent of £100,000 - no way." WHY HAS THE PRICE COME DOWN SO QUICKLY? SUPERMARKET PRICE WAR Farmers have seen a drop in price at the same time as a supermarket war to offer milk for the cheapest price. Iceland - with its roots on Deeside - claims to sell the cheapest milk at 89p for four pints. In a statement, Iceland told BBC Wales it had not changed the price it pays for its milk, only the price it charges to its customers. "We are operating in the most competitive food retail market in the UK any of us can remember, and decided to make a major investment of our own margin to help our customers by offering them really compelling value on one of the essentials they buy every day." DECLINING NUMBERS The number of dairy farmers in Wales has dropped substantially over the last decade - by 40%. DairyCo estimates the current number to be 1,833. CASE STUDY - LEAVING THE INDUSTRY Lyn Thomas from Llanpumsaint near Carmarthen gave up milking 12 months ago, ending a three generation family tradition. With no children he felt he could not justify the investment of thousands, which was needed to modernise his equipment. "Just to put a new milking parlour in would have cost me between £50,000 and £70,000," he said. "I would have had to buy more cattle and get more land for those animals. The minimum investment would have been between £150,000 and £200,000." CASE STUDY - JOINING THE INDUSTRY Others are investing, expanding or joining the dairy industry for the first time. Rhys Williams and his young family moved to a farm on the Lleyn Peninsula 18 months ago and decided milking was the only way forward. "I feel very strongly that farmers have to help themselves first and there is room for a lot of businesses to shave their costs," he said. "Agriculture has changed beyond belief over the past 10 to 15 years. It's become much more of a business." A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD? Aled Jones from the NFU says that for the industry to survive, the two-year voluntary code of practice between the farmers and processors needs to extend to retailers as well. "We need to have a far

Summary: A dairy industry leader in Wales has called for more fairness in the supply chain following a dramatic drop in the price farmers get for their milk.


Officers found 70 snakes, including Russell's vipers and cobras, as well as 30ml of snake venom, in a flat where one of the accused lived in Pune. The snakes were found in wooden boxes and gunny bags and have now been handed to wildlife officials. Selling snake venom is profitable in parts of India, where keeping protected wildlife in captivity is illegal. Reports say that some pharmaceutical firms buy snake venom from the black market to develop antidotes. Police inspector Santosh Giri Gosavi told the Hindustan Times that they raided the flat after receiving credible information. He said the suspects bought snakes from snake catchers. "They were used to extract venom, which the duo would sell," he said.

Summary: Indian police have arrested two suspected snake venom smugglers in the western state of Maharashtra.


Speaking on RT?? radio, the minister said it would not be possible to get rid of the Health Service Executive structure this year. He said he wanted to focus on reforms that improve GP practices and building and developing hospital groups. Mr Varadkar said the 500m euros overrun in healthcare spending was due mainly to a significant increase in the number of people using services this year. He also said he could not put a deadline on when free GP care for children under six would be available. When asked if it would be in place as promised by the end of this year, he said: "I can't say that for certain. "That depends on how the talks and negotiations go with the IMO (Irish Medical Organisation). It is very important to me that we bring GPs with us. "This is a huge opportunity to put resources back into general practice, I hope they see that, and as well as that, it's an opportunity to change the way we provide healthcare." Mr Varadkar said he hoped to have a report from an expert group by the end of this month looking at whether medical cards should be issued to people on the basis of their medical condition. The minister said he would have to see what the group proposed, whether it was affordable and then discuss it in the context of the budget. He also said the issue of tax relief on health insurance was an issue for Finance Minister Michael Noonan.

Summary: Irish Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said the timeframe for the reform of the country's health service was overambitious from the start.


His refusal came after Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames said he had "vilely traduced" the former home secretary. But Mr Watson told the Commons he was "right to demand that guidelines were adhered to", and said abuse survivors had been "belittled for too long". Lord Brittan died unaware that police had dropped a rape inquiry against him. The Crown Prosecution Service found in July 2013 that there was not enough evidence for a prosecution over the claim Lord Brittan had raped a 19-year-old female student in 1967. Mr Watson later called for a full review of all abuse allegations made against the peer, who died in January. Defending his conduct, Mr Watson told the Commons he was right to raise the issue. "I understand MPs feel aggrieved Leon Brittan was interviewed by the police and they are angry with my use of language but I am sure they would also agree that when someone is accused of multiple sexual crimes by numerous completely unrelated sources the police have a duty to investigate, no matter who it is," he said. Mr Watson made reference to remarks made by Prime Minister David Cameron earlier, who urged him to "examine his conscience" over his actions, after Lord Brittan's brother called for an apology over "unfounded accusations". "I think we all need to examine our consciences in this House, we presided over a state of affairs where children have been abused and then ignored, dismissed and then disdained. "If anyone deserves an apology it is them," Mr Watson added, to cries of "shame" from the Conservative Party benches. Sir Nicholas, who had demanded an apology to Lord Brittan's family in a point of order, said afterwards that Mr Watson's statement was a "non-apology" and that his conduct was "completely unacceptable". "He has become the witch-finder general," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "I really do think we have got to bring some order to this debate which is running out of hand." Meanwhile, BBC News has obtained a letter written by Mr Watson to the Director for Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders in April 2014 about the rape allegation against Lord Brittan. In the letter he said he was "driven to the unpalatable conclusion that the identity of the alleged perpetrator - Leon Brittan - may in some way have influenced treatment of the case". Mr Watson also made it clear he was writing the letter following complaints from the alleged victim over the way the case had been handled and urged Ms Saunders to look at it again. The BBC also understands that four Conservative MPs have asked Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz to put Mr Watson's actions on the agenda when it meets on Tuesday. The prime minister told LBC radio: "The House of Commons select committees are quite rightly going to ask him some questions so I'm sure he should answer those questions and examine his conscience about whether he's said enough so far." On Friday Mr Watson admitted he should not have repeated a claim that Lord Brittan was "close to

Summary: Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has refused to apologise for demanding that police investigate sex abuse claims against the late Lord Brittan.


Based on a video game series, Assassin's Creed stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard and was directed by Justin Kurzel. The movie follows Fassbender's Cal Lynch, a convict facing a death sentence but given a second chance by a mysterious organisation, Abstergo Industries. Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks the genetic memories contained in his DNA, Lynch is sent back to 15th Century Spain. There he lives out the experiences of his distant relative, Aguilar de Nerha, a member of a secret society known as the Assassins who fight to protect free will from the power-hungry Templar Order. Much of the film's action scenes, including a series of spectacular leaps across roof tops, were shot on Malta. But it was another island that played a key part in bringing Assassin's Creed to the big screen. On the Isle of Skye, Fassbender - who had just finished making Slow West with Scots film-maker John Maclean - Cotillard and Kurzel came together to make a film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The filming was done on the island early in 2014, in often challenging weather. Fassbender, who starred in the lead role, later described Skye as "cold, wet and beautiful" and said the production encountered "rain, sleet and snow - all the wetness of the elements". Cotillard, who plays Lady Macbeth, fell down a hole in a bog during filming. Fassbender said: "One minute she was there, the next she was gone." The experiences of making Macbeth forged strong bonds between Cotillard, Fassbender and Kurzel. "There's a trust that was built from working on Macbeth and Macbeth was a very intense and very unique project," says Cotillard. "We had the chance to work for more than a month together before we started shooting. We shared this time of exploration of the story, of our characters, and it's really rare to kind of attend the secrets of making a movie of bringing a character to life." The French actress adds: "It created this very, very strong relationship that we have." Cotillard says Kurzel's approach to movie-making and Fassbender's to acting helped to overcome challenges in adapting Shakespeare's play. "Justin's actually one of the best directors I worked with and definitely one of the best directors for actors I worked with," she says. "And attending an amazing actor such as Michael. Attending his preparation and his exploration of the character, I mean, it created something very, very special and very, very strong. "Macbeth was very stressful for me because of the language, but I had a lot of joy working with them (Kurzel and Fassbender) and I knew that working on a different project would bring the same amount of joy. "There's this simplicity that is there because we know each other and we already had an amazing experience together." Kurzel says Assassin's Creed presented Fassbender with physical challenges, adding that Macbeth showed that the actor had the abilities to cope with them. "In Macbeth we saw a little bit of action from him, but this is of a whole new level," says Kurzel. "For him to

Summary: New action movie Assassin's Creed arrives in UK cinemas in the New Year, in part thanks to Shakespeare's "Scottish Play" and the Isle of Skye.


Brogan Mearns, 13, had not been seen after leaving for a walk from her father's house in the Castlemilk area of the city last Saturday. Police Scotland had expressed concern for her wellbeing. The force said on Friday that the teenager had been traced in Glasgow city centre.

Summary: A teenage girl who had been missing for almost a week has been found "safe and well" in central Glasgow, police have said.


Members of the EIS and FELA voted by 96% to 4% to accept the offer, which was negotiated through the National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC). They had first voted for industrial action in December 2015 and about 4,000 lecturers went on strike in March. Lecturers said pay varied by up to Â£10,000 a year at different colleges. EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: "Members in colleges across Scotland have given their overwhelming approval of the pay offer. "This pay agreement shows what can be achieved by a group of employees standing together, through their union, to protect their rights." John Kelly, President of EIS-FELA said: "While this very clear ballot result settles this particular issue over pay, specifically the top of the salary scale for unpromoted lecturers across Scotland, there is still much work to do to agree the detail of all national pay scales. "We are hopeful that constructive negotiations can move the process forward, so that further industrial action is not necessary in the future."

Summary: Further education college lecturers have approved a national pay offer in a trade union ballot after months of dispute.


Voting was extended three times as crowds reportedly flocked to polling stations. Turnout was said to be high. Iranians have been electing a new parliament and Assembly of Experts, a clerical body that appoints the Supreme Leader. Reformists are hoping to gain influence in the conservative-dominated bodies. But of 12,000 people who registered as candidates, only half were allowed to stand, including just 200 moderates. The outcome could affect reformist President Hassan Rouhani's chances of re-election in 2017. What is the Assembly of Experts? Iran elections: Five things to know Elections highlight divisions Punchy politics on social media Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a big turnout to "disappoint" the country's enemies. "Whoever likes Iran and its dignity, greatness and glory should vote," he said after casting his ballot. State TV said polling stations had closed at 23:45 (20:15 GMT), more than five hours after the scheduled closing time of 18:00. The parliamentary elections are to choose 290 MPs for four-year terms. Voters will also select 88 clerics to the Assembly of Experts, who serve eight-year terms. Members of the new Assembly might end up choosing the successor to Ayatollah Khamenei, who is 76 and has suffered ill-health. Some 55 million people were eligible to vote. BBC Persian's Ali Hamedani says the economy has been a key issue in this election. With sanctions lifted and Western investors beginning to return to Iran, there are high hopes for an improvement in daily life, he says. Reformists and moderates say they are targeting greater foreign investment which, our correspondent says, will drive jobs for young people. More than half of Iranians are under 35 but the youth unemployment rate is 25%, more than two and a half times the national average. However, conservatives say strong economic growth is more likely to come from domestic production in what they describe as a "resistance economy" that draws on the ideals of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Results for the Assembly of Experts are expected over the weekend. The results of the parliamentary election could take longer and it is likely to go to a second round in April. Candidates need 25% of the vote to win outright and there are an average of 17 candidates per seat.

Summary: Polls have closed in Iran's first election since a deal with world powers over the country's nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions.


It follows hours of disturbances during the early hours of 17 March as hundreds of students and other young people celebrated St Patrick's Day. The Holyland is a residential part of south Belfast popular with students. Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry is to meet residents' representatives on Monday afternoon. Eleven people were arrested in the area and the city centre over the St Patrick's Day period. One policeman was injured when bottles were thrown at officers in Agincourt Avenue. A number of vehicles were also damaged and residents complained about excessive noise and litter in their streets. There has been a history of trouble in the Holyland on previous St Patrick's Days and talks have been held before in a bid to prevent students engaging in anti-social behaviour. The chairman of the Holyland Regeneration Association, Ray Farley, said the existing measures had not worked and called for Stormont ministers to intervene. Speaking last Friday ahead of the meeting, Mr Farry said he was "appalled" by the behaviour of some young people in the area but said the majority of them were not university or college students. However, he added that further steps to address students' bad behaviour would now be considered in light of this year's trouble.

Summary: Residents of Belfast's Holyland are due to meet the minister responsible for universities later to discuss students' involvement in disorder in their area.


He told the Conservative conference the deficit was still too large and would need to be tackled "in due course". But he said the Brexit vote may cause "turbulence" and business confidence would be on a "bit of a rollercoaster". He said that it was "common sense" to invest to support growth and jobs. In his conference speech, Mr Hammond said his predecessor's deficit reduction policies "were the right ones for that time" but that times had changed since the vote to leave the EU, which he said had caused uncertainty for business. "When times change, we must change with them," he said. "So we will no longer target a surplus at the end of this Parliament. But make no mistake the task of fiscal consolidation must continue. "The British people elected us on a promise to restore fiscal discipline. And that is exactly what we are going to do. But we will do it in a pragmatic way that reflects the new circumstances we face." His speech came against a background of the pound falling to its lowest level against the dollar since early July, after the timetable for starting Brexit negotiations were set out on Sunday. Addressing the party faithful he said that as part of a new "flexible and pragmatic" plan, the details of which will be fleshed out in next month's Autumn Statement, there would be greater scope for investment to boost the economy, including extra borrowing of £2bn to speed up the construction of new homes. Mr Hammond said the government would use "all the tools at its disposal" to increase the amount of new housing stock "because making housing more affordable will be a vital part of building a country that works for everyone". Analysis by Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor Out with the deficit hawks - in with the conservative pragmatists. That might not, well, quite catch on. But there is certainly a sense of down with the old regime at the Tory conference today. Philip Hammond isn't just a totally different character to the former occupant of the job, George Osborne, but he is intent on junking a fair bit of Mr Osborne's approach too. His targets for getting rid of the deficit are being ditched. Let's face it, George Osborne missed them time and again in any case, but it is politically a big shift for Mr Hammond and Mrs May to tear up the previous borrowing rules, when balancing the books was the central mission of the government they were all part of. Instead, there will be a new "framework" but sources close to Mr Hammond believe that setting specific targets is a fool's errand. But given that Mr Osborne's target was extremely unlikely to be met, the political change is perhaps bigger than what it means in practice. Asked whether the public investment plan and the refusal to set out a timetable for eliminating the deficit marked the end of the "age of austerity", Mr Hammond told the BBC a "credible plan" was still required to get the public finances into

Summary: Chancellor Philip Hammond has said he will prioritise spending on new homes and transport rather than following his predecessor George Osborne's aim to balance the books by 2020.


The hooker, 24, is one of three uncapped players in Gregor Townsend's first Scotland camp since the latter succeeded Vern Cotter as head coach. But in six years at Pro12 Edinburgh, Turner has made just one start. "I can't go through another frustrating year of not getting any game time," he said ahead of June fixtures against Italy, Australia and Fiji. "I've been in some dark places last year. Hopefully, I'm good enough that I can compete with [fellow hookers] Ross Ford and Stuart McInally for that number one spot at Edinburgh." Despite making his Edinburgh debut in October 2014, Turner has been limited to just 11 appearances for the club, and only earned his maiden start in the penultimate round of this season's Pro12 in late April. Edinburgh have never finished higher than eighth since the league's inception, and have undergone a turbulent period of fluctuating strategies and major turnover in personnel during Turner's career. Despite a rejuvenating loan spell at London Scottish earlier this season, he fears the lack of game time has stunted his progression. "Frustrating is the word for the last few years," Turner said. "Obviously, [former head coach] Alan Solomons came in, changed the structure, focused on the forwards. "We had Ross Ford there already, then Neil Cochrane came in, and Stuart McInally, who has Scotland experience, came in. They're all captains - when everyone's away [with Scotland] all the hookers seem to be captains. "I could barely get a way in. I always tried to train hard and get into the team. "They were looking to win games, the coaches maybe felt under pressure and were sticking with what they know. "I understand that to a point, but I was a good player, over the years I would have been further developed than what I am now [if I had played] and I could have had Scotland caps or [attended] a Scotland camp a couple of years ago, maybe." Turner joins Nick Grigg and D'arcy Rae of Glasgow Warriors in seeking his first taste of international rugby next month, when Scotland will play Tests in Singapore, Sydney and Suva on consecutive Saturdays. The Scotland Under-20s cap admits he was shocked by the call-up, but is desperate to seize the opportunity before him. "My senses are fried - I've been learning loads," he said. "The next levels and tempo, the speed at which we're playing has been brought up a notch because we're trying to play really fast rugby. "Obviously, I was excited and a bit nervous when I came in and it showed a bit. I made a couple of obvious mistakes, but I'm working on that, trying to get better and improve. "They've picked me for a reason - they like the way I play, what little they've seen of it, I'm an aggressive and dynamic ball-carrier and defender. I'm trying to show that in training to keep up with what they're expecting. "As a rugby player, you can train all you like, I've got all the systems down, but it's doing it on the

Summary: George Turner insists he cannot afford to spend another season on the periphery of Edinburgh's squad.


The RSPCA said it believed the adult grey seal swam inland along the River Glaven in Norfolk on New Year's Eve. It then managed to make its way into a woman's garden in Blakeney, just off a coastal road, through the fence. It was returned to the sea on New Year's Day. The RSPCA said: "The lady certainly had a shock when she spotted him lazing around in her shrubbery." The seal was spotted by the holiday home owner in the afternoon. Animal collection officer Naemi Kilbey said the animal was "in very good condition". "Despite being well and truly lost, he luckily didn't have any obvious injuries or illness," she said. "So we loaded him up in the van and took him straight down to the beach at Blakeney to release him. "It was so lovely to start the new year watching him swim back out to sea where he belongs." The RSPCA said it was "not uncommon" for seals to venture up rivers away from the sea looking for food. It said they normally managed to find their way back. "But it looks like this guy's internal navigation system got a bit frazzled and he ended up a little lost," Ms Kilbey added. The RSPCA advises members of the public to keep a distance from any seals on land and not to interfere unless necessary.

Summary: A seal was found in the back garden of a holiday home, 2km (1.2 miles) away from the sea.


The radio and radar station set up at Aird Uig, Gallan Head, 60 years ago was part of Nato's early warning system against Soviet submarines and aircraft. Gallan Head Community Trust bought the site from the Ministry of Defence with help of grant funding. It is working on turning parts of the site into a space observatory. A marine research centre is also planned at what is to be called The Cetus Observatory. The trust said: "Cetus will be a ground-breaking, multi-purpose space for observing the dark skies, changeable weather, listening to and spotting whales and getting absorbed in every aspect of nature and science. "The observatory will hold an internet operated robotic telescope, a small radio telescope, a small radar, a solar telescope, a planetarium, a space exhibition, giant wide field binoculars for viewing cetaceans and birdlife, nature webcams, a cafÃ©, educational facilities, and a small shop. It added: "Outside the centre there will be a circular path around the headland, in some places leading to observation shelters, excellent for daytime marine life spotting walks or night-time star gazing."

Summary: A ceilidh and a torchlight procession are to be held on Saturday to mark a year since a community buyout of a Cold War surveillance station on Lewis.


Victor Sorochenko, the head of Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee, said it was too early to conclude what caused the crash on Saturday. He told reporters debris was found across a 20sq km-wide area of Sinai. So far 163 bodies have been found. Russia is observing a day of mourning after its worst air disaster. Mr Sorochenko spoke after visiting the site of the debris, near the village of Hasana. Jihadists allied to so-called Islamic State in Sinai, where such groups are active, had made a claim on social media that they had brought down flight KGL9268. But Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail said experts had confirmed that a plane could not be downed at 9,450m (31,000ft), the altitude the Airbus 321 was flying at, by weapons the militants are known to possess. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi also urged caution on Sunday, saying the investigation into the cause was a "complicated matter" that could take months. Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov said no evidence had been seen that indicated the plane was targeted, and IS has not produced pictures or video footage to substantiate its claim. Analysis by BBC Monitoring found that a video purporting to show the downing of a plane did not appear to be an official IS clip, and was not shared on official IS channels. Three airlines - Emirates, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa - have decided not to fly over the Sinai Peninsula until more information is available. Two smaller carriers, flydubai and Air Arabia, also said they would re-route flights. British Airways said it regularly assessed the safety of its routes. BA said it would not confirm flight routes, but that it "would never fly a route unless it was safe to do so". The plane came down early on Saturday, shortly after leaving the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the Russian city of St Petersburg. Russian and French investigators have joined the Egyptian-led probe, along with experts from Airbus, which is headquartered in France. Egyptian officials said some bodies had been recovered within a radius of 5km on Saturday, but that of a three-year-old girl was found 8km from the scene. One un-named official told Reuters the plane appeared to have split in two, with one part burning up and the other crashing into a rock. The plane's black boxes have been found and sent for analysis, officials said. Russia's transport regulator said on Sunday it is to check all the airline's A-321 planes, but Kogalymavia this would not affect their operations. Egypt's civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said there had been no sign of any problems on board the flight, contradicting earlier reports that the pilot had asked to make an emergency landing. The widow of the plane's co-pilot told Russian TV her husband had complained about the aircraft's technical condition. The plane was carrying 217 passengers, including 25 children, Russian transport authorities said. There were seven crew members on board. Most of the passengers were Russian, but at least three were Ukrainian and one Belarusian. The first bodies to be returned to Russia are expected

Summary: A Russian airliner which crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, killing all 224 people on board, broke up in mid-air, a Russian official says.


The force has urged bargain hunters to refuse to buy illicit food, alcohol, fashion, medicines and beauty goods, which could contain hidden dangers. Make-up laced with paint stripper was another product highlighted at a summit being held in Edinburgh on counterfeit goods and criminal gangs. The event includes speakers from Interpol and US Homeland Security. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "Buying counterfeit goods might be seen as a victimless way to get presents for family and friends on the cheap, but many of these items will have a long back story of criminality, often involving violence. "However, the problem doesn't just lie with fake bags, perfume or alcohol. "There is a serious global problem in counterfeit medicines, machinery and engine parts which can be seriously damaging to people's health and potentially deadly." Mandy Haeburn-Little, director of summit organiser the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, said: "Everyone loves a bargain. But people need to stop to think about the true cost of fake goods. Can you be confident that those cheap cigarettes, perfumes and alcohol are actually safe? "However, it goes much deeper as those products are likely to have supported child labour or human trafficking or used to fund serious organised crime. "Illicit trade also hurts businesses in Scotland very hard. People choosing bargains at markets, car boot sales or on the internet impacts hugely on retailers and manufacturers - less genuine goods being sold closes businesses and puts people out of work."

Summary: Dog skin boots and perfume containing urine were among a range of fake goods seized by Police Scotland.


The club had hoped to build a 21,000-seater venue at Stoke Gifford on the outskirts of the city. It said it was "disappointed" that discussions with UWE had "come to a close as the parties were unable to agree acceptable terms". The university insisted it had "not given up on this hugely important project". In 2011, the football club reached a deal with UWE and Sainsbury's to build a new stadium on university land. Further plans included the supermarket building a store and redeveloping the club's Memorial Stadium in Horfield. However, the chain pulled out following delays and petitions by campaigners for and against the plans. A High Court battle ensued which Rovers lost in 2015. The club was bought the following year by the Al-Qadi family. In a statement, Rovers said it would "now have to go back to the drawing board" and explore options for a new stadium, redevelopment of its current ground and improvements to its Colony training ground. Club manager Darrell Clarke said the news was "very disappointing for everybody". Rovers chairman Steve Hamer, added: "I can't see this position being retrieved. "I just think this whole deal has been jinxed, it just never seems to have been running in the right direction." A UWE spokeswoman said the university "remained committed" to a new stadium, which would bring "great benefits" to the institution, community and regional economy. She added: "Although we have been disappointed by the slow pace of negotiations, we are still willing and open to continue negotiations. "This has been an initiative the university has been working on for over eight years and we still believe is deliverable. "Planning consent does not expire until January 2018 and the door remains open for a deal to be struck, and the university will continue to work on this project." With so much positivity at Bristol Rovers going into the 2017-18 season, with a number of signings and manager Darrell Clarke signing a five-year contract, this news will come as a blow - especially given the time and money spent on the project. Supporters have waited patiently for progress since the plans to build a new stadium at UWE were first released in 2011. Indeed, you could go back even further, to over three decades ago when they left Eastville. Now fans will want to know what happens next and they'll want reassurances that the Al-Qadi family remain committed to the football club.

Summary: Bristol Rovers has abandoned plans to build a new stadium at the University of West of England (UWE).


On Tuesday the captain of a UK-registered vessel was fined £10,000 for unlawfully fishing in Manx waters. It follows the prosecution at Douglas courthouse last week of a Scottish fisherman who was fined £15,000 for breaching Manx regulations. Richard Ronan MHK said the "significant fines send out a clear message". The Deputy High Bailiff ordered both skippers to forfeit their catch of King Scallops worth nearly £5,500 each (about 90 bags). Both vessels were routinely boarded by officers from the Manx government's fisheries protection vessel Barrule before being escorted back to the island and detained. Mr Ronan, the Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: "The Isle of Man is committed to the protection and development of stocks of shellfish within its territorial sea and is vigilant over illegal fishing activity. "These significant fines must act as a strong deterrent." He added that the Isle of Man "welcomes responsible skippers" with registered vessels to sustainably fish in the Isle of Man's territorial sea with the appropriate licence. Manx territorial waters extend out to 12 miles around the island's coastline and contain a number of restricted zones.

Summary: The prosecution of a second UK skipper in a week for breaching Manx fishing regulations sends a "clear message to the industry," a politician has said.


The authority said relocating the station could generate up to 6,500 more jobs and bring in hundreds of millions of pounds in business rates. The figures emerged after a Freedom of Information request by BBC Look North. An HS2 spokeswoman said the Meadowhall site provided "significantly better connections to more people and places". Figures show that the council spent £78,090 on an assessment of the case for a city centre station, £25,525 on "understanding the economic impact relocating the station and £6,000 on a business breakfast with HS2 representatives. A Sheffield City Council said: "The differences in predicted economic impact between a city centre or an out-of-town parkway location are vast. "A city centre station will help connect Sheffield to Leeds and Manchester to help create the 'Northern Powerhouse'. An out-of-town parkway station will be a massive economic opportunity lost. " It was announced in 2013 that a new station linking Sheffield with London and Birmingham via the HS2 high-speed rail network would be situated at Meadowhall shopping centre. Katherine Button, of HS2 Ltd, said: "The Sheffield Meadowhall station is the best location to serve the wider South Yorkshire region. "We have scrutinised other options including a city centre site, but Meadowhall provides significantly better connections to more people and places across the region and at a lower cost, and provides the quickest onward journey times to Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland. "That is why the majority of Sheffield City Region authorities, as well as Leeds City Region and East Midlands authorities support Meadowhall, and are keen to see faster progress in the coming months. "The final decision will come from the Government and we anticipate an announcement will be made later this year."

Summary: Sheffield City council has spent £190,000 lobbying for a proposed HS2 station to be moved from Meadowhall to the city centre, it has emerged.


Every year hundreds of thousands of children see domestic abuse at home and it can happen to anyone. Alesha Dixon tells her story to Newsround, along with children who have experienced it first-hand themselves. We also see CBBC presenter Barney Harwood discover how widespread the problem is, when he spends time with a police unit responding to 999 calls.

Summary: Behind Closed Doors explores the rarely talked about issue of children witnessing domestic violence.


On 9 April, a Kashmiri man called Farooq Ahmed Dar was trussed to the spare tyre at the front of a jeep and driven on a five-hour journey through several villages at the head of an army convoy. He had just voted in a by-election for the national parliament when he was picked up by an army patrol. He was allegedly beaten before he was lashed to the vehicle with a sign saying "This is the fate that will befall stone throwers" pinned to his chest. Kashmir is disputed between India and Pakistan and Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a fresh upsurge of violence in the past few months, with stone-throwing civilians pitted against military personnel. The young army officer responsible, Major Leetul Gogoi, said Mr Dar was seized because he was directing a stone-throwing mob that was besieging a polling station - something denied by both Mr Dar and witnesses in the village. Major Gogoi says he decided to tie Mr Dar to the jeep in a "fraction of a moment" and subsequently claimed it saved 12 lives. Despite the length of Mr Dar's ordeal, he argues it created "a window to move out of the area safely". The incident was filmed and shared on social media, causing uproar in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The use of Mr Dar as a human shield was criticised around the world. Amnesty International described it as "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment amounting to torture". The Indian government announced there would be an inquiry into the incident but on 22 May, before the inquiry had been completed, the army awarded Major Gogoi a commendation medal for, it said, his "sustained efforts during counter-insurgency operations". This incident shows just how difficult India is finding it to keep a lid on unrest in Kashmir. Indian army sources have told the BBC that morale among soldiers stationed in the valley is very low. Many any soldiers are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with their role in Kashmir, saying they fear they are effectively becoming an army of occupation. Meanwhile, opposition to Indian rule in Kashmir appears to be deepening. That is reflected in the fact that Mr Dar was just one of 7% of eligible voters who actually voted in the by-election - the lowest turnout for decades. "We are fighting a legacy of political betrayal, infiltration, rigging in local elections, cynical politics, bad governance, vested interests, religion and regional divides," one senior army officer in Kashmir told my colleague, Soutik Biswas, a few weeks ago. The officer acknowledged how difficult it is to operate in an environment where many people want the army to withdraw and said that, despite efforts to reach out to Kashmiris, the army remains unpopular. This weekend the chief of the Indian army, General Bipin Rawat, was clear why he wanted to honour Major Gogoi. He told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the medal was given as a way of boosting the morale of young officers. Gen Rawat served for many years in Kashmir and, like many Indians, believes much of the opposition to

Summary: If you want to know why India has courted international controversy by awarding a medal to an army officer who tied a civilian to the front of a jeep, you need to understand what is really happening in Indian-administered Kashmir.


The Police Ombudsman launched an inquiry after a complaint was made that police did not fully investigated claims against the Sinn FÃ©in president. A police probe into the allegations was conducted properly, it said. The ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, said there were no signs of misconduct. He also said he had "found no evidence to indicate that [police officers'] thinking was influenced by who Mr Adams was". The complaint was in relation to Mr Adams' evidence in the case of his brother, Liam. Liam Adams was convicted in 2013 of raping his daughter, Ã

Summary: A recommendation not to prosecute Gerry Adams over allegations he withheld information on sexual abuse within his family was not politically motivated, a police watchdog has found.


A Royal Navy Frigate and submarine are also thought to be involved in the search, along with Canadian and French maritime patrol aircraft. The Telegraph reports the French plane has searched for the submarine for at least 10 days. The RAF currently has no maritime patrol aircraft of its own. But according to the BBC's defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, this lack of patrol aircraft is expected to be addressed in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review. The submarine was detected north of Scotland. The Ministry of Defence did not confirm it was looking for a foreign submarine. "We can confirm that allied maritime patrol aircraft based at RAF Lossiemouth for a limited period are conducting activity with the Royal Navy," a statement said. "We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations." There have been previous concerns that Russia could be developing plans to have submarines sever key internet communications during future wars, following a spike in its naval activity near the locations of undersea cables.

Summary: An RAF plane is "conducting activity" off the Scottish coast, the Ministry of Defence says, amid reports of a Russian submarine being spotted in the area.


Yoann Barbet fired the hosts in front from a Jota corner before the Spaniard doubled the lead from the spot after Maxime Colin was fouled by Joel Lynch. Lynch then pulled a goal back by heading past keeper Daniel Bentley. But Jota restored the Bees' two-goal advantage soon after as he beat two players before firing low into the net. Lasse Vibe had gone close to opening the scoring early on when he turned his way past Nedum Onuoha before firing the wrong side of the post. Lynch was then denied by Bentley at the other end before Barbet drilled the ball into the ground and over keeper Alex Smithies to give ninth-placed Brentford the lead. QPR, who are five points above the bottom three but not yet safe from relegation, were unlucky not to be level at the break with Matt Smith's header being turned away by Bentley and Massimo Luongo hitting the bar from 30 yards in added time. The visitors thought they had an equaliser when Barbet cleared Conor Washington's effort off the line but the Bees then claimed their second of the afternoon as Jota fired in from the spot after Lynch brought down Colin in the box. Rangers responded immediately when Lynch headed Luke Freeman's free-kick past Bentley before, just two minutes later, Jota finished his solo-run to claim his 12th goal in 21 games by rolling the ball under Smithies. Brentford boss Dean Smith: "We know what we are about and we get our heads down and get on with our job. People will always have opinions but all we can do is keep working hard. Results like this mean we can go about our jobs with smiles on our faces. ""It was a comfortable and fully deserved win without us ever really getting near our usual levels. I told them to have clarity about what they do, to have clear heads and no ill-discipline and not to let emotion get involved in the game. They did that. "We deserved to win but we weren't perhaps as clinical as we have been." QPR manager Ian Holloway: "We need to think clearly under pressure and we have to get back to doing that every week. We have to dust ourselves down, start again and find a way of playing that's nailed down. "Brentford played well, I hate to say it, but now it's about how much you care and how you do it. Six games ago we were top of the form table and since then we've had one win to get and we still need it. "For me it's simple. We have to draw or win next week. We still have work to do. Anyone who is a real QPR fan has to take this one on the chin with dignity because we have to come together to beat Forest." Match ends, Brentford 3, Queens Park Rangers 1. Second Half ends, Brentford 3, Queens Park Rangers 1. Attempt missed. Matt Smith (Queens Park Rangers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted

Summary: Two goals in four second-half minutes from midfielder Jota helped Brentford see off struggling London rivals QPR in an entertaining game at Griffin Park.


Jorge Grant netted his third goal in four matches as County, now unbeaten in five matches, moved eight points clear of danger. Grant scored the winner in the 21st minute after a defensive mix-up caused by an under-hit Yann Songo'o back pass, with Jonathan Forte's initial effort initially blocked and in-form Grant first to react. In first half stoppage-time on-loan Forest striker Grant should have claimed his second of the game but fired wide from 10 yards after his first strike was bravely blocked by right-back Oscar Threlkeld. Plymouth striker Ryan Taylor's spectacular volley at the start of the second half had to be tipped over by goalkeeper Adam Collin. In the 65th minute County substitute Jon Stead headed wide from Marc Bola's deep cross into the six-yard box. Argyle almost secured a point but substitute Jordan Slew volleyed over 10 minutes from time after Collin's poor punch landed at his feet. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Plymouth Argyle 0, Notts County 1. Second Half ends, Plymouth Argyle 0, Notts County 1. Foul by Sonny Bradley (Plymouth Argyle). Jon Stead (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Curtis Thompson (Notts County). Attempt missed. Michael O'Connor (Notts County) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Robert Milsom (Notts County) is shown the yellow card. Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Antoni Sarcevic. Foul by James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle). Elliott Hewitt (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Robert Milsom (Notts County) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card. Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Curtis Thompson (Notts County). Foul by Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle). Jon Stead (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Luke McCormick. Attempt blocked. Jon Stead (Notts County) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Attempt missed. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Antoni Sarcevic (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jorge Grant (Notts County). Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jorge Grant (Notts County). Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jon Stead (Notts County). Substitution, Notts County. Curtis Thompson replaces Jonathan Forte. Attempt saved. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Jordan Slew replaces Matthew Kennedy. Foul by Ryan Taylor (Plymouth Argyle). Haydn Hollis (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Corner, Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Marc Bola. Foul by

Summary: Notts County upset second-placed Plymouth at Home Park to edge further away from the League Two relegation zone.


Supt David Borrie, of Northumbria Police, is said to have simply been told "don't apply for promotion" by his chief constable, Mike Craik. Mr Craik has been at the centre of allegations about officers' conduct. The claim was made at a tribunal brought by the force's former head of legal services. Denise Aubrey, 54, was sacked in 2014 for gross misconduct after allegedly disclosing information about an affair Mr Craik was said to be having with his assistant chief constable, Carolyn Peacock, and a second relationship between two further high-ranking officers. Mr Aubrey denies she did so and is claiming unfair dismissal, sexual and disability discrimination, victimisation and harassment. In her witness statement, she said Mr Borrie, who is now 57 and retired from the force, pursued the "extremely vulnerable" civilian member of staff, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and "groped her in the office". She said: "On another occasion, he took her for a drink in the afternoon at a pub and then pressurised her into giving him oral sex." This happened a second time and eventually an investigation was launched, the tribunal in North Shields heard. Ms Aubrey said: "Whilst it was felt that a criminal charge would not succeed, he had clearly breached police standards. "Instead, it was decided to move him but to allow him to complete his service so that he could get his pension. Mr Craik decided to have a 'quiet word' with him and told him 'not to bother applying for promotion'. "However, the IPCC [the police watchdog] insisted that he received a formal written warning." Earlier in the week, the tribunal was told Mrs Peacock's husband, who was also a policeman, punched Mr Craik at a barbecue after learning of the affair. Officers were called to deal with the altercation, but the record of the incident was then said to be deleted - leading to an allegation of a "cover-up" by Ms Aubrey's QC, Daphne Romney. Rumours of the relationship began circulating in 2007, Ms Aubrey said. Allegations of a second affair at the force, involving assistant chief constable Greg Vant and Mr Craik's secretary, Juliet Bains, were also raised at the tribunal.

Summary: A policeman who pressured a vulnerable member of staff into two sex acts was allowed to keep his job so he would not lose his pension, a tribunal heard.


He said there was no difference between "a terrorist holding a gun or a bomb and those who use their position and pen to serve the aims" of terrorists. Mr Erdogan added that this could be a journalist, a lawmaker or an activist. He was speaking a day after a bomb attack in the Turkish capital Ankara that killed 37 people. No group has so far claimed the blast, but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said evidence "almost certainly" pointed towards the banned PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) separatist group. On Monday, Turkey launched air strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. Mr Davutoglu said 11 people had so far been detained in connection with the attack. "There are very serious, almost certain indications that point to the separatist terror organisation,'' he said, referring to the PKK. Four of those detained were in the south-eastern city of Sanliurfa, according to Turkish media. Officials were quoted as saying the car used in the bombing was traced to a showroom there. One of the bombers, who also died in the blast, was "definitely" a woman, Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus said earlier on Monday. Mr Kurtulmus told reporters that a second suicide bomber was male, but had not yet been identified. Earlier, unnamed security officials said the female bomber was a member of the PKK from the eastern town of Kars, who joined the group in 2013. Eleven warplanes carried out air strikes on 18 PKK targets in northern Iraq including ammunition dumps and shelters in the Qandil and Gara sectors, the army said. The PKK confirmed the strikes. How dangerous is Turkey's unrest? Tears and destruction amid PKK crackdown Turkey in midst of hideous vortex Meanwhile, curfews have been imposed in two mainly Kurdish towns in south-eastern Turkey, Yuksekova and Nusaybin, as security operations are carried out against Kurdish militants, Anadolu news agency reports. Another curfew is due to start in the city of Sirnak. Funeral services have been taking place for some of those killed. Among the victims was the father of a Turkish international footballer. More than 100 people were wounded in the blast. Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air base at Incirlik for raids on Iraq and Syria. It has also been carrying out a campaign of bombardment against Syrian Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which it regards as a extension of the PKK. Turkey Syria Iraq Turkey's pro-Kurdish political party, the HDP, issued a statement condemning the attack, saying it shares "the huge pain felt along with our citizens". Last month, a bomb attack on a military convoy in Ankara killed 28 people and wounded dozens more. That bombing was claimed by a Kurdish militant group, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK). It said on its website that the attack was in retaliation for the policies of President Erdogan. Turkey, however, blamed a Syrian national who was a member of the YPG. Last October, more than 100 people were killed in a double-suicide bombing at a Kurdish peace rally

Summary: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said it is necessary to redefine terrorism to include those who support such acts.


Sterling has fallen sharply against the euro since the Brexit vote in June. It means fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry are costing more for traders to buy. The UK economy has defied some of the gloomiest predictions since the EU referendum. But with many businesses working out what the weaker pound means for them, BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme spoke to traders in New Smithfield Market in Manchester for their views. Tony Howard is a salesman for Barton and Redman Ltd, a large independent fruit and vegetable wholesaler at the market. He says tomatoes from the Netherlands have gone up sharply. "Before Brexit the average price of a box of tomatoes was around £4 and now it is around £6," he says. He sells on to caterers, hotel and restaurant owners and secondary wholesalers. "We try to work for a gross profit of around 10%, so if I am paying £6 for a tomato [box] I have to charge £6.60 for it," he says. "Secondary wholesalers and catering people have to work for a larger margin because they don't do the volume that we do, so by the time it gets to somebody's plate that box of tomatoes could cost £10." There were times before the UK voted to leave the EU when he could buy tomatoes from the Netherlands for £2, he says. BBC Radio 4's You and Yours spoke to several traders with similar stories - reporting price hikes of up to 40%. Brian Wilde is from J&B Wilde which has been selling fish, meat and poultry for more than a century. "It is very difficult, because we buy quite a lot of produce out of the UK," he says. While imports are more expensive, of course the pound's fall also makes UK exports cheaper. But that also makes sourcing produce harder as well, says Brian. "Produce in the UK is getting sent abroad because it's worth more for those fishing for the fish to send it abroad." His sister, Mariella, says: "All our prices, for anything from outside this country, have gone up. Our average profits have fallen by up to 15%. We cannot pass that on." Traders say they try to absorb as much of this extra cost as they can but that might change soon. Darryl Laycock, from Sale Fish and Seafood in south Manchester, says the price of his sea bass has gone up 10%. "I haven't passed it on yet, but I think the margins are getting so tight, I am going to have to start looking at different prices on certain products," he says. Traders suggest this could also affect the availability of products. Matthew Tunaley, who runs a greengrocers at Failsworth in Manchester, says he does not buy strawberries at New Smithfield Market because they are asking for £5 for 500g. He believes it is because of a shortage, made worse by the exchange rate. "I have had a lady in already asking for them, I explained to her the price was too high, but she still wanted them,"

Summary: Traders at one of the UK's largest wholesale markets say prices for imports from the EU are up by as much as 40% owing to the drop in the value of the pound.


20 July 2016 Last updated at 17:05 BST The special drone can search for objects 100m under the surface of the water. It's been exploring an old steam ship at the bottom of a lake in Nevada, America. Ricky has been finding out more...

Summary: Scientists in America are working with a new type of drone - but instead of flying high up into the sky, this one goes deep underwater.


The jet-set "pseudo-corporate" lifestyle of Fifa executive committee members has long been a wonder to fans and media alike, but the trappings of an international corporation have unfortunately not come with the sort of oversight that a true business organisation should possess. Mr Blatter's decision to go later this year or early next year, after a continuing investigation by US authorities into allegations of corruption at Fifa is only the first of many steps that need to be taken, according its critics. "Their current governance model is not fit for purpose," Oliver Parry, senior corporate governance partner at the UK-based business body the Institute of Directors, told the BBC website. "It is not clear, transparent, or open, and people on the outside looking in do not have an understanding of how decisions are reached. There is a complete lack of transparency. "Bringing in a new man, or woman, is not going to change the problem. There needs to be a root-and-branch re-organisation." Fifa's centre of power is its executive committee (ExCo), and the fact that this small body of 24 people (one President, eight Vice-Presidents and 15 members) has such power over global football is a concern for many. Members are appointed for a four year term, from among the six continental Confederations (eg Uefa in Europe) and 209 national football associations around the world. The ExCo meets at least twice a year and among its major powers is determining the dates, locations and format of tournaments, including of course the World Cup. It is this particular function which has aroused so much controversy - over the awards of the 2010 (South Africa), 2018 (Russia), and 2022 (Qatar) World Cups. Mr Parry says - using good corporate practice as a guide - there are three main changes that the IoD would like to see Fifa make: "This is a massive juncture for Fifa," says Mr Parry. "If they get things right now, they have the chance to make a really positive change to world football for decades to come. "If they have the appetite and desire, then they have the opportunity to become a beacon for other sports around the world." Making sure the executive is held to account over its decisions will be key. Simon Chadwick, who is professor of sport business strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School, says a reformed Fifa must have clear and published governance rules in place. He agrees there must be a division of powers within Fifa, with a separate board and executive, and says it is crucial that "those making the executive decisions should be separate from the people responsible for holding the financial purse strings". In addition Prof Chadwick believes that the membership of any new executive body should be widened "to include not just members of football associations, but also fan representatives, sponsor representatives and other stakeholders". Sponsors, who invest millions in supporting Fifa events, have a particular interest in seeing that the sport they are backing is run cleanly, as association with a murkily-run organisation can easily tarnish a corporate

Summary: No sooner has Sepp Blatter said he is heading for the exit door at Fifa's plush headquarters in Zurich, than urgent questions are being asked about how football's tarnished governing body should reinvent itself.


"No matter what I did, I always felt I was fighting a losing battle," he said. But Burgess said he had not been badly treated by England and refused to blame coach Stuart Lancaster. The 26-year-old, who joined Bath last October, re-signed for the South Sydney Rabbitohs last week. He was part of England's squad for the Rugby World Cup, in which they were eliminated at the group stage, and played in the hosts' crucial 28-25 defeat by Wales. Burgess said criticism directed at him following his performance in that match had contributed to his feeling of unease in rugby union. "A lot of people outside the England camp had an agenda against both England and, in some circumstances, me," he wrote in the Daily Mail. "This was an upsetting factor to me, that people who are supposed to love the game are actually tearing it to shreds. "Some ex-players just kept letting rip. It's almost like they don't want anyone else to do well in the jersey. I didn't want to stay in a sport like that." Burgess also said he had not found the 15-man code as enjoyable as rugby league. "I want to spend the rest of my career playing the game that's in my heart," said Burgess, who played 21 games for Bath as a blind-side flanker after switching codes last year. "What makes me love [rugby league] is the physical battle of it; I never found myself reaching that point [in union]. "My heart just isn't in [rugby union], and if my heart's not in it then [Bath and England] won't get the best performances from me." He said he was satisfied with his displays at the World Cup and believed coach Lancaster had been unfairly criticised after the team's early exit. Burgess, whose selection for the World Cup squad ahead of the established Luther Burrell reportedly caused disquiet in the England camp, said his decision to quit union had dismayed his international and club team-mates. "I wanted to go in and see [the Bath squad], but Stuart Hooper, our captain, said he didn't think I'd be well received there, which was fair enough," he said.

Summary: Former England centre Sam Burgess returned to rugby league because his "heart wasn't in" rugby union and because he was also stung by criticism from ex-players.


Peter Lloyd, 45, lives in a tent in the garden of an "uninhabitable" house, Cardiff Civil Justice Centre heard. Mr Lloyd, who has electromagnetic hypersensitivity, said he was entitled to direct payments to employ a helper. The council, which was ordered to pay Â£12,000 in costs, had claimed he was not capable of managing money. Quashing the council's decision on Wednesday, Mr Justice Singh said electromagnetic hypersensitivity was not a recognised condition in the UK. He added it was "not a matter for the court to say what the decision would have been if the authority went about its decision correctly". Direct payments are given to individuals by councils so they can buy help or services instead of having them supplied by the authority. Mr Lloyd lives in the back garden of a privately-owned home in Thornhill and has refused alternative accommodation and a portable toilet, the court heard. He urinates in plastic bottles and defecates in bed pans lined with black bin bags. He has no running water and an insurance company deemed the house uninhabitable after flooding and the discovery of asbestos - although that has since been removed. When council workers went to collect Mr Lloyd's waste in May, they found 90 litres of urine and 40 bags of faeces. He has meals delivered five times a week, including supplies for the weekend on a Friday. As he has no fridge, he has to have food which will not go off. Representing Mr Lloyd, Christian Howells said: "Where he lives has to be adapted because the symptoms are very real to him." He described the situation as "chicken and egg" - Mr Lloyd wants the money to pay for help to improve his day-to-day life but the council felt he was not in a position to be given the funds. Rebecca Stickler, for the council, said: "The housing department has offered housing in a field and various properties and he has refused them all. "It can't possibly be the case that a local authority should be compelled to use the public purse to pay money to someone who they know cannot manage that payment." Mr Lloyd's private landlord has begun eviction proceedings in county court, he is estranged from his family and the council recognises him as homeless. Speaking after the hearing, councillor Susan Elsmore, cabinet member for social care, health and wellbeing, insisted the council had never said Mr Lloyd was not capable of managing money. "The council's role as a social services authority is to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to benefit from an appropriate assessment of their needs, and any services that may be necessary to meet them," she said. "The council maintains that it has acted in keeping with its responsibilities, and in relation to this case that it has acted in good faith."

Summary: A man who says he is allergic to electricity should not have had his payments from Cardiff council refused, a judge has ruled.


The Millers, who were relegated to League One on 1 April, are looking to end a run of 10 successive defeats. Birmingham City could be without striker Clayton Donaldson because of a knee injury. Full-back Josh Dacres-Cogley has an ankle problem while centre-back Michael Morrison remains the only long-term absentee.

Summary: Rotherham midfielders Lee Frecklington (knee and calf) and Tom Adeyemi (calf) could be fit to return.


James Fairburn gave evidence to a Westminster committee on Tuesday. In February, a consignment of beef being stored at Freeza Meats was found to contain horsemeat. It did not belong to Freeza Meats and none of their products tested positive for horsemeat. Mr Fairburn, who is now retired, said the beef belonged to another company, McAdam Foods, and that his firm has suffered. He told MPs the scandal had led to his firm missing out on multi-million pound orders and had resulted in 31 jobs being lost in Newry. Quizzed by MPs on the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee about the horsemeat scandal, Mr Fairburn described it as a "fraud" and said it was "being perpetrated by a big organisation". He also said he suspected it had been "going on for some time". He told MPs that the illegal meat trade originated in other parts of Europe and did not come from the UK or Ireland. He rejected a suggestion from the Conservative MP Anne McIntosh that "all roads lead to Ireland". Asked if the scandal originated in Ireland, Mr Fairburn said "not at all". Mr Fairburn faced questioning from Conservative and Labour MPs and the South Down SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie. MPs also heard evidence from the Food Standards Agency. Tests carried out on the meat stored at Freeza Meats found that samples from the consignment contained about 80% horsemeat. It followed the discovery of horse DNA at a plant in the Republic of Ireland. Newry and Mourne Council confirmed that tests on Freeza Meats' burgers were free from horsemeat DNA. Martin McAdam, whose firm owned the contaminated meat, said there was "clearly an issue" with their Polish supplier.

Summary: The former director of a Newry food company which was at the centre of the horsemeat scandal has said his firm did nothing wrong.


The guest list has been decided by Lady Thatcher's family and representatives, along with the government and the Conservative Party. It includes family and friends of Lady Thatcher and those who worked with her over the years, including members of her cabinets and representatives from a range of groups with which she was associated. Those also invited include staff who worked closely with Lady Thatcher or who served her in some personal capacity, such as housekeepers who looked after her office in the Houses of Parliament. Ten members of staff from the Ritz hotel, where Lady Thatcher was staying when she died, have been invited. About 200 states, territories and international organisations have been invited to send an official representative. Argentina's president has not been invited but the country's ambassador to Britain has. Downing Street says this is in keeping with diplomatic protocol for such occasions. The Queen will lead the mourners with the Duke of Edinburgh. St Paul's has a capacity of 2,300 and is expected to be full on the day. Invitees include: Some of those who have confirmed their attendance include: Among those not attending:

Summary: Further details of guests invited to attend the funeral of Baroness Thatcher at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday have been released.


Sir Norman Bettison was responding to calls for his resignation over the statement he published on Thursday. Sir Norman said he had not intended to suggest Liverpool fans had hindered police during the disaster in April 1989 in which 96 people died. Liverpool fans were "in no way to blame" for the disaster, he said. Sir Norman said he was sorry if he had "caused any further upset". West Yorkshire Police Authority had earlier referred Sir Norman's conduct in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy to a special committee for investigation. The chief constable was coming under mounting pressure to resign after releasing the statement suggesting Liverpool fans made the job of the police more difficult on the day of the tragedy. On 15 April 1989, the former South Yorkshire officer was an off-duty inspector at Sheffield's Hillsborough stadium, which was hosting an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. In his original statement, Sir Norman said: "Fans' behaviour, to the extent that it was relevant at all, made the job of the police, in the crush outside Leppings Lane turnstiles, harder than it needed to be." John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, said many of his constituents were at the game and had called for Sir Norman to resign. "After the statement he made when he seemed to have a go again at Liverpool fans, I think his position is untenable. He has got to go." Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Sir Norman's comments were "insensitive and ill-judged". In a fresh statement, Sir Norman said: "The fans of Liverpool Football Club were in no way to blame for the disaster that unfolded at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989." That view had been formed after hearing all the evidence presented at the Taylor inquiry into the tragedy, said Sir Norman. "The evidence was overwhelming. The police failed to control the situation, which ultimately led to the tragic deaths of 96 entirely innocent people. I can be no plainer than that." Sir Norman said he was "sorry if my earlier statement, intended to convey the same message, has caused any further upset". The aim was not to "besmirch the fans", he said, and he was "deeply sorry that impression and slight has lingered for 23 years".

Summary: West Yorkshire's Chief Constable has apologised for any upset caused by a statement he issued about his role in the Hillsborough tragedy.


The UK will vote on whether or not to remain in the EU on Thursday 23 June, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. Mr Goldsmith's opposition candidates, Labour's Sadiq Khan and the Lib Dems' Caroline Pidgeon, have both said they will campaign to stay in the EU. Current London Mayor Boris Johnson has also said he will campaign to leave. London Labour has responded to Zac Goldsmith by tweeting: "No serious candidate for Mayor of London would put the prosperity of our city at risk by voting to leave the EU". Mr Goldsmith, the MP for Richmond Park and north Kingston, has yet to release a statement as to why he has taken this decision.

Summary: The Conservative candidate for London Mayor, Zac Goldsmith, will vote to leave the European Union, his team has confirmed.


The rail network has more than 9,000 locomotives - 43 of which are still steam-powered. This vast fleet pulls almost half a million wagons and more than 60,000 passenger coaches over 115,000 or so kilometres (70,000 miles) of track. The railways operate more than 12,000 trains, carrying some 23 million passengers daily. This vast public enterprise is virtually a state within a state. It runs schools, hospitals, police forces and building companies and employs a total of 1.3 million people, making it the seventh biggest employer in the world. But it could soon be broken up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been chided for a lack of radical reform since he took power last year. Yet potentially hugely controversial proposals to restructure the country's railways slipped through last week with barely a ripple. They came from a committee exploring options for reform of Indian Railways, the state-owned enterprise that runs the country's train network, and borrow heavily from the British experience of railway privatisation. The committee's interim report is unambiguous: Indian Railways needs a bracing injection of competition. It says the network should be opened up so private companies can run passenger and freight services in competition with the state. It argues the track should be separated from the train operation business, just it was in Britain. And, just as in Britain, it proposes the whole thing be overseen by an independent regulator whose job is to ensure the new private operators get fair access to the track. The committee wants to shake up the rolling stock business too. Private companies already make wagons for the network - they should be allowed to supply passenger coaches and locomotives as well, the report argues. The authors fear that Indian Railways' manufacturing operations would wither in the face of competition so it suggests they be placed in a new independent company. This would remain publicly owned but would be arms-length from the state and would be free to set salaries and borrow money as it saw fit. In the meantime, management structures and accounting systems across the network need to be completely overhauled. It is impossible to work out whether a project makes money or not, complains committee chief and economist Bibek Debroy. The report also urges that Indian Railways should stop running its myriad hospitals, schools, police forces and other non-core activities. India's biggest railway union has attacked the report, claiming it is an attempt to privatise the railways. That's something Mr Modi has explicitly ruled out. "We are not privatising railways," he assured trade unions last year. "You do not have to worry, it is neither our wish or nor thinking." Yet Mr Modi could adopt all the committee's recommendations without breaking his promise to the unions. The report's authors are careful to avoid the "P" word. "There is a difference between privatisation and competition," explains Gurcharan Das, one of the committee members and a former chief executive of Proctor and Gamble India. "We don't want to sell off the railways, what we want to do is introduce competition. That will bring

Summary: India is a trainspotter's paradise.