The direct funding scheme for school sport, announced last year, is going to be extended for a further five years. Each year primary schools will continue to receive £8,000, plus £5 per pupil. As well as promoting good health, Mr Cameron says, school sport has an important role in building "confidence and a sense of achievement". The funding - the Primary PE and Sport Premium - provides money directly to primary school head teachers, carrying on the sporting legacy of the Olympics. There have also been repeated warnings about childhood obesity and lack of exercise. The funding is meant to improve sports lessons, such as paying for specialist coaching, equipment or to help after-school clubs. It was announced last year as a two-year initiative to run until 2015-16, but Mr Cameron has said he wants to keep this funding for another five years - beyond the general election. "Sport is so important because it encourages children to be active, lead a healthy lifestyle, make friends and, of course, have fun," Mr Cameron said. "But quality school sport has benefits that spread right across the curriculum and beyond - it develops confidence and a sense of achievement, it teaches young people how to rise to a challenge, and nurtures the character and skills that will help them get on and succeed in life." Sports presenter Clare Balding said that sport could also help academic results in school. "As well as increasing fitness, it has been shown to help concentration as well as being a key factor in appreciating team work and a healthy lifestyle," she said. Olympic champion Mo Farah said sports could make an important difference to young lives. "The help I got at school was a key part of how I got to where I am today and so it can make a big difference," he said. The funding announcement was also welcomed by representatives of football, rugby, tennis and cricket. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said annual funding of about £9,000 per school would not "add up to a great deal" for schools without a dedicated PE teacher. She said primary schools had suffered from the withdrawal of the £160m per year which had been provided through the School Sports Partnerships. There have been repeated calls to improve school sport, with Ofsted warning last year that there was too little strenuous exercise in PE lessons. The cross-party Education Select Committee also reported that many schools lacked the facilities needed for youngsters to get involved in sport. A Labour spokesman criticised the government's record on school sport: "David Cameron has jeopardised our Olympic legacy by removing the requirement that primary children do two hours of sport per week."

Summary: Primary schools in England are going to share an extra £150m per year sports funding until 2020, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.


Manas Kongpan is among more than 60 people convicted in Bangkok of trafficking Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims, a minority fleeing Myanmar. Another top former official was sentenced to 75 years in prison. More than 100 defendants were on trial. Muslim Rohingya have been fleeing Myanmar for years, paying people smugglers to help them escape. The arrest of the general in June 2015 was seen as part of an effort by Thailand to close down a human smuggling route through the country. The judge found him guilty of human trafficking and organised transnational crime. A former head of administration in the southern province of Satun, Ko-Tong (also known as Patjuban Aungkachotephan), received a sentence of 75 years in prison. Several other defendants were handed jail terms of similar length. Sentences ranged from four to 94 years. In 2009, Manas told the BBC that Thailand treated migrants humanely after he was accused of ordering more than 1,000 Rohingyas to be set adrift at sea on boats with no engines. Correspondents say he is the first member of the military in army-ruled Thailand to be implicated in the trafficking of migrants. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, head of the country's ruling junta, urged the public not to blame trafficking on military figures. "There are many people in this human trafficking network," he told reporters. "Don't group all soldiers in the country as one." In 2015, thousands of refugees were left stranded at sea as they tried to escape through southern Thailand and on to Malaysia and other destinations. The crisis escalated after international pressure forced the Thai authorities to crack down on the smuggling networks. This led to the smugglers abandoning the refugees, leaving them on their sea and land routes with no neighbouring country willing to take them in. The current trial was sparked by the discovery of mass graves of refugees in jungle camps near the Thai-Malaysian border. Most of those indicted are from Thailand but several citizens of Myanmar (also called Burma) and Bangladesh are also being held. A senior policeman who led an investigation into human trafficking in Thailand, Major General Paween Pongsirin, fled to Australia fearing his life was in danger from influential figures implicated in trafficking in his country. The Rohingya - a distinct Muslim ethnic group who are effectively stateless - have been fleeing Myanmar for decades with Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia the most desired destinations. While they say they are descendants of Arab traders who have been in the region for generations, Myanmar's government insists they are not a genuine ethnic group but rather Bengali migrants. Among the refugees stranded during the 2015 crisis were also many economic migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Summary: A former Thai general has been sentenced to 27 years in jail for human trafficking at a landmark trial.


The veteran striker, 37, ran on to a long clearance and steered a shot past keeper Jason Steele in the 88th minute. Rovers' Ben Marshall had the only effort on target in the first half, a free-kick that went straight at home keeper Frank Fielding. Chances continued to be at a premium after the break until Wilbraham secured City's fifth home win of the season. The home fans stood in tribute to the late Gerry Gow in the 64th minute, and were on their feet again when their penalty appeals were turned down after Scott Golbourne's shot appeared to hit Darragh Lenihan's arm. Marvin Emnes saw a shot blocked as Rovers slid to a fifth away league defeat of the season. City, who have now won four of their last six games, move above Birmingham into the play-off spots in sixth, while Blackburn drop back into the bottom three. Bristol City boss Lee Johnson: "It was a tough game for us. I consider Blackburn to be in a false position and they will be very disappointed not to have taken something. "I was happy to reach half-time not one or two goals behind. But we were more like ourselves in the second half and deserved the bit of luck with the goal. "Blackburn had blocked a lot of our shots and by the law of averages a deflection was due to go our way." Blackburn Rovers manager Owen Coyle: "I am gutted for the players and our travelling supporters. A performance like that would normally earn you three points, let alone one. "We should have been ahead at half-time and my only concern is the small errors that can make all the difference in a close game. "The goal came from our corner and one long ball forward after we concede a free-kick. We should have defended the situation better, but it was still an unfortunate deflection. "I can't recall Jason Steele having to make a difficult save. The level of performance was so high and it's a huge disappointment to come away with nothing." Match ends, Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Second Half ends, Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City). Joe Bryan (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers). Attempt saved. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Corry Evans. Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lee Tomlin following a set piece situation. Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers). Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Scott Golbourne. Attempt missed. Tammy Abraham (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a

Summary: Aaron Wilbraham struck late on as Bristol City edged past Blackburn Rovers at Ashton Gate.


The 1.5 percentage point increase was higher than expected, with analysts having forecast a rise of 0.5 percentage points. The bank has already raised rates from 5.5% at the start of the year but the moves have failed to combat inflation. A weak rouble and a ban on western food imports has kept inflation stubbornly high. "If external conditions improve, and a persistent trend for lowering inflation and inflation expectations emerges, the Bank of Russia will be ready to start to ease its monetary policy," the central bank said. The new rate will take effect on 5 November. The last rise was imposed at the end of July. The central bank said that inflation had reached 8.4% and would remain above 8% until the end of March. Economic growth is expected to almost grind to a halt in the final three months of this year and in the first quarter of 2015. The rouble briefly firmed after the bank's decision was announced, but then fell back into negative territory. The rise comes as Russia said it would will resume shipments of natural gas to Ukraine after Kiev makes its first payment for previous supplies next week. Meanwhile, the European Union said it had launched a trade dispute with Russia at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to challenge Russia's treatment of European agricultural and manufactured goods. The WTO said the EU had accused Russia of levying higher-than-permitted tariffs on a range of goods including paper, palm oil and refrigerators. The dispute is the fifth case involving Russia and the EU that has been brought to the WTO.

Summary: Russia's central bank has raised its key interest rate to 9.5% from 8% as it seeks to tackle inflation.


Juhel Miah, 25, told BBC Wales: "All I want is a reason, I want to know why they kicked me off the flight." Mr Miah had flown to Reykjavik, Iceland, with the party from Llangatwg Community School in Aberdulais, Neath, before boarding an onward flight to New York on 16 February. But before the plane took off he was escorted off by security staff. First Minister Carwyn Jones has written to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson for "urgent clarification" in the case, and Neath Port Talbot council has written to the US Embassy to "express its dismay" at the treatment of Mr Miah. In the letter, Mr Jones says he understands Mr Miah was "escorted from the aircraft by US Homeland Security personnel". The US Embassy in London has been asked to comment. Mr Miah, whose first name is Mohammed but is known as Juhel, was in charge of eight pupils at the time and said there were a total of 39 pupils and five members of staff on the trip. The teacher, from Swansea, who says he has a visa which is valid until 2019 and does not have a criminal record, said: "Everyone looked at me like I'd done something wrong. "It made me feel really small, even though it shouldn't have. I repeatedly asked on what ground they were kicking me off the flight, no-one could give me an answer." Mr Miah said he has a British passport and does not have dual nationality. His family's ethnic background is Bangladeshi. "I can't think why they wouldn't want me on the plane, apart from maybe because I'm a Muslim," he said. He added that he had never been to any of the seven Muslim-majority countries included in an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump, temporarily barring people from those places. A federal judge in Seattle has since suspended the ban nationwide - a ruling which was later upheld at an appeals court hearing in San Francisco. Mr Miah, who teaches maths at the 700-pupil school, said he was also denied access to the US Embassy in Reykjavik. He said if he was not given a reason for what happened, he "would like someone to put their hand up and say 'sorry, we made a mistake'." A council spokesman said: "No satisfactory reason has been provided for refusing entry to the United States - either at the airport in Iceland or subsequently at the embassy. "Understandably he feels belittled and upset at what appears to be an unjustified act of discrimination." The Muslim Council Wales said it was "deeply troubled" by what had happened, adding that such incidents "undermine equality and civil life". The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was "providing support to a British man who was prevented from boarding a flight in Reykjavik".

Summary: A Muslim teacher denied entry to the United States while on a school trip said he has still not been told why.


The Ministry of Public Security said 1,168 cultural relics worth more than 500m yuan ($80m; £52m) had been found. The artefacts are thought to be illegally excavated in Niuheliang, a Neolithic archaeological site in north-eastern Liaoning province. The ministry said the activities of the looters had severely damaged the site. Among the artefacts was a coiled jade dragon, one of the earliest known depictions of the mythological creature, authorities said. Unesco says the Niuheliang archaeological site, which dates back 5,500-5,000 years, was a burial and sacrificial centre in the late Hongshan period. State media described the recovery as the biggest operation of its kind since the founding of modern China in 1949. The date of the recovery operation was not provided, but the ministry said in a statement that 1,000 police officer were involved. The looters were said to be split into 10 gangs that were responsible for everything from the excavation to the selling of the relics, according to China Daily. Four archaeologists are also thought to be involved, the newspaper said. "Artefacts are sold at a fast speed and traded frequently in a short time," said Cai Binghui, a police officer who was involved with the case according to China Daily.

Summary: Police in China have taken 175 people into custody in what authorities are calling the country's biggest ever operation to recover stolen artefacts.


The Times reported that telecoms firms AT&T and Verizon, as well as car rental company Enterprise and pharmaceutical giant GSK, have withdrawn all non-search advertising. An investigation by the newspaper found major brands were appearing next to YouTube videos promoting extremist views - generating revenues for the creators. The company has apologised and promised better tools for advertisers. Despite Google’s efforts to contain the row, which began in the UK earlier this week, it appears to have now caught the attention of the US advertising industry - creating a huge problem for Google as it seeks to reassure brands their ad spend is not funding hate groups. According to The Times, Verizon’s advertisements were appearing along side videos made by Wagdi Ghoneim, an Egyptian cleric who had been banned from the US over extremism, and Hanif Qureshi, whose teachings inspired the assassination of a Pakistani politician. “We are deeply concerned that our ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate,” AT&T said in a statement on Wednesday. "Until Google can ensure this won’t happen again, we are removing our ads from Google’s non-search platforms.” The UK-based investigation led more than 250 brands to pull their advertising. In a blog post published on Monday, Google’s chief business officer Philipp Schindler announced the company was expanding its policies on hate speech to include videos targeting vulnerable groups. In response to the latest boycott from the US brands, Google said on Wednesday: “We’ve begun an extensive review of our advertising policies and have made a public commitment to put in place changes that give brands more control over where their ads appear.” “We’re also raising the bar for our ads policies to further safeguard our advertisers’ brands.” Google is the dominant player in online advertising, and ads are by far the company’s biggest source of money. In 2016, the firm generated $80bn in ad revenue - accounting for almost 90% of the firm’s total income for the year. Of the boycotts announced on Wednesday, both Verizon and AT&T have major online advertising ambitions of their own. Verizon in particular recently agreed to purchase embattled web portal firm Yahoo for $4.48bn - a deal it hopes will help it compete with Google for ad sales. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC. You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370

Summary: At least four major US firms have pulled millions of dollars in advertising from Google’s platform amid rows over extremist content.


Ferguson retired in 2013 as the club's most successful manager. The 74-year-old Scot had stayed away from Carrington since then. "He had not been back since he left, but I brought him back to be with his people," Mourinho told the United We Stand fanzine (subscription required). "I wanted the players to see the big man and for me and him to share some minutes and have lunch together. I enjoyed it, he enjoyed it." In his 26 years at Old Trafford, Ferguson led United to 13 league titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups. "I'm the type of person who does not see ghosts. I respect the past and I know he loves the club," said Mourinho, who was appointed in May as the third manager to succeed Ferguson after David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. "We have good relations and I know this is his house. "When he wants to come here, to the dressing room, to see the players train, he knows he is more than welcome." Mourinho also said there was more expected of teenage forward Marcus Rashford in the current campaign after the 19-year-old's successful breakthrough last season. "Last season there were no senior players on the bench waiting for him to make a mistake. The choice was Rashford or Rashford," he added. "The situation is different this season. The number of injuries is smaller. The expectations about the players is higher. "[Former United winger] Ryan Giggs' second season [1991-92] was not comparable to the season when he started. Then, in the third season, he reached the level of Giggs. It was the final explosion of Giggs. We want to play young players but sometimes in football, it is about the moment."

Summary: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed former boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been back to the club's Carrington training ground several times this season.


Dave Hartnett, who was head of tax at HM Revenue & Customs, said: "I'd always expected there to be be more." Mr Hartnett, who left HMRC in 2012, was giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee. HSBC has come under fire over what it knew about some clients' tax affairs. Details of some 30,000 accounts at HSBC's Geneva-based private bank were leaked to the French authorities by a whistleblower, Herve Falciani, in 2007. Information about 3,600 UK account holders were passed to HMRC. Both HSBC and HMRC have been accused of not doing enough to investigate if these accounts were held for the purposes of tax evasion rather than legitimate avoidance. Mr Hartnett told the committee: "I'd like to understand why there weren't more criminal prosecutions. I'd always expected there to be more. I'd have liked to understand what would have happened if more resources were diverted to [investigating the leaked details]." He said there were discussions with the French authorities before the leaked information was passed to the UK, and there were also discussions with HSBC. But he never got involved in the detail, "to pressure the integrity of the investigations taking place". But HMRC tax assurance commissioner Edward Troup insisted that his department had been "diligent" in pursuing the information received from the French. "I don't think there is anything... which suggests that we have not been diligent," he told the committee. "We have collected Â£135m. We believe we have collected all the tax, all the interest, and a significant amount of penalties." Mr Hartnett now works for HSBC. He said that he had followed the rules for former senior officials on taking appointments outside the civil service "to the letter". He said: "Colleagues checked it, the Cabinet Office checked it, the committee checked it, it went to the Prime Minister, and the Financial Conduct Authority also had to approve my appointment."

Summary: A former senior tax official has expressed "surprise" that just one person has been prosecuted in the UK over alleged tax evasion by clients of HSBC's Swiss banking division.


He posted three different photos along with the message: "Today's exhilarating spacewalk will be etched in my memory forever - quite an incredible feeling!" He later sent a second tweet which said: "Wrapping up today's spacewalk activities. Huge thanks to the ground teams who make it all possible & keep us safe out there - you guys rock!" Tim Peake made history on Friday when he became the first British person ever to walk in space. He and fellow astronaut Tim Kopra were outside the space station, carrying out repairs, for four hours and 43 minutes. However, they were forced to finish the walk early, when Tim Kopra found water in his helmet.

Summary: UK astronaut Tim Peake has tweeted a selfie of his historic spacewalk.


It has shared details of the mission that led to America's most-wanted man being found five years ago in Pakistan. But reaction has been largely negative, with one Twitter user calling the move "grotesque and embarrassing". Others posted memes and gifs of people rolling their eyes and putting their heads in their hands. The CIA's other tweets mostly concern historical trivia and artefacts. How the lives of Osama Bin Laden's neighbours changed forever Legacy of Bin Laden's death Who was Osama Bin Laden? Bin Laden's death: How it happened Have we been told the truth about Bin Laden's death? The leader of al-Qaeda, who was thought to have ordered the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, was shot dead at a compound in Abbottabad, in May 2011 after evading capture by the US and its allies for nearly a decade. Speaking on the fifth anniversary of his death, CIA director John Brennan said the United States had destroyed a large part of al-Qaeda. Bin Laden had a great symbolic and strategic significance, he told CBS, and it was important to remove the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks. He said removing the head of the self-styled Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, could have a great impact but added that counter-terrorism agencies were confronting not just an organisation but a phenomenon, and the challenge would continue for many years. "I think it has had a resonance, unfortunately, that has appealed to the hearts and souls and minds of individuals who have been misled by their narrative of it being a religious banner," he said.

Summary: The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been criticised online for live-tweeting the killing of Osama Bin Laden as if it were happening today.


Witnesses said Nelson Curtis, 64, was "a few drinks away from not being able to walk" before he crashed into Lauren Danks' car in Suffolk in November. He pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving. The family of Ms Danks, 22, said they were "disillusioned" with the sentence. Curtis, of High Street, Lakenheath, also pleaded guilty to failing to stop after a road traffic collision and failing to report it. Ms Danks, from Soham, Cambridgeshire, was found dead in her car on the A11 at Red Lodge, Mildenhall, in the early hours of 11 November. Police discovered a second vehicle - a Jaguar belonging to Curtis - had been involved. The court heard Curtis had drunk excessively before driving his high-performance car at 134mph. At the point of the collision he was braking, but still doing 104mph and drove on despite losing a wheel. Earlier that night Curtis was filmed on CCTV at the Brewery Tap pub in Lakenheath, the court heard. He was described as "pretty steady on his feet, but only a few drinks away from not being able to walk" by bar staff interviewed by police. Ch Insp David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said Miss Danks' family were "absolutely disillusioned" with the length of sentence passed. He said Curtis's actions in drinking "10 pints of beer" and driving were "utterly despicable". In a statement to the court, Miss Danks's father, Robert, said: "I feel broken and complete despair". Judge Rupert Overbury described Curtis' actions as "cowardice" saying he showed "complete lack of remorse". The 64-year-old was also banned from driving for eight-and-a-half years.

Summary: A drink-driver who killed a woman when he got behind the wheel after drinking 10 pints and drove at 134mph has been jailed for seven years.


Set up at Nostell Priory, near Wakefield, it has been created to celebrate the life of clockmaker John Harrison. Harrison, the son of a carpenter, was born at the estate in 1693 and went on to invent the marine chronometer. The Harrison's Garden installation was created by artist Luke Jerram and fills an entire room. He said: "It is a glimpse of a surreal fictional world or perhaps an image from one of John Harrison's dreams. "Like a garden, the installation is a living and growing collection of different clock 'species'." Harrison and his family moved from Nostell to the Lincolnshire village of Barrow upon Humber in around 1700. He spent his early years creating clocks entirely from wood and he was producing long-case clocks by the time he reached his 20s. The mechanism was made entirely out of wood and one of only three to survive, dating from 1717, is also displayed at Nostell. He spent much of his later life trying to solve the problem of determining longitude at sea. Sailors of the period had no way of calculating where they were when travelling east to west. They knew that for every 15 degrees travelled eastward, the local time moves forward one hour. Harrison realised the solution was creating a reliable clock that could keep the time of a reference place, such as Greenwich, and provide an accurate local time. Harrison's Garden is on display at Nostell Priory until 9 July. It will then tour other National Trust properties including Castle Drogo in Devon, Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire and Penrhyn Castle in Wales.

Summary: More than 2,000 ticking clocks have gone on display in an art installation as British Summer Time (BST) begins.


Police said the 27-year-old victim heard a knock at the door of his home in Brucehill Road, Dumbarton at 00:15. When he answered it, he was "violently attacked" by three men who he did not know. Officers said that images of the men have been captured on CCTV cameras in the area and they appealed for help in tracing them. One of the men walked with a limp and they were all in their 30s. Det Sgt Fiona Macarthur said: "This man was violently attacked on his own doorstep and it is absolutely crucial that we trace the people responsible as soon as possible. "I would like to speak to anyone who was in the area in the early hours of this morning and saw three men or anything suspicious."

Summary: A man is being treated for stab wounds after he was attacked by three men on his own doorstep.


The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 stopped the need for a council completion certificate to be issued. However, the council wants the final say on whether pupils can return to all 17 schools closed over safety fears. The council is to have a "clearer picture" from surveys on Friday. Why are Edinburgh schools closed? Seventeen schools built or modernised just over a decade ago under the controversial Public Private Partnership arrangement scheme were shut earlier this month over safety concerns. The council had entered into a deal to build the schools with the specially-formed private company, the Edinburgh Schools Partnership, and construction work was carried out by Miller Construction. Under the deal, the profit-making company built the schools, runs the buildings and maintains them. The council is, in effect, a tenant. Children at all 17 schools are now back in classrooms but finding alternative accommodation has been a major logistical operation and some youngsters face lengthy journeys to temporary sites. Some form of investigation or inquiry into the debacle is expected to be launched after the Scottish election. 17 Schools closed over safety fears 7,600 Primary and secondary pupils affected by the closures 61 Alternative schools are being used 655 Teachers relocated 70 Bus services laid on to transport pupils A City of Edinburgh Council spokesman said: "The council will appoint independent experts to give us the necessary reassurance that work carried out by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership and its contractors is of the required standard to ensure the safety of children."

Summary: Independent experts appointed by the council will check schools in Edinburgh are safe to reopen in a major departure from the previous system, which saw builders approve their own work.


The poisoning occurred in the village of Dharmasati Gandaman, 80km (50 miles) north of the state capital, Patna. The free Mid-Day Meal Scheme aims to tackle hunger and boost attendance in schools, but suffers from poor hygiene. Angry parents joined protests against the deaths, setting at least four police vehicles on fire. An inquiry has begun and 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation offered to the families of each of the dead. Twenty-eight sick children were taken to hospitals in the nearby town of Chhapra after the incident and later were moved to Patna. A total of 47 students of the primary school fell sick on Tuesday after eating the free lunch. There are fears the number of dead could rise as some of the children, all below the age of 12, are critically ill. The father of one sick child, Raja Yadav, said his son had been vomiting after returning from school and had to be rushed to hospital. By Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent In a country where nearly half of the children are undernourished and struggle to go to school, the school meal programme is a weapon to tackle hunger and illiteracy Economists believe the programme bolsters primary school enrolment and attendance, eliminates hunger, enables children from diverse class and caste backgrounds to share a meal together and bury social prejudices, and provides children with hygiene and nutritional education. There is enough evidence to prove, they say, that the programme, by and large, has been a success. That's precisely why the deaths of more than 20 school children after consuming contaminated free meals in Bihar state is shocking. The state education minister, PK Shahi, told the BBC a preliminary investigation indicated that the food was contaminated with traces of phosphorous. "The doctors who have attended are of the tentative opinion that the smell coming out of the bodies of the children suggests that the food contained organo-phosphorus, which is a poisonous substance," he said. "Now the investigators have to find out whether organo-phosphorus was accidental or there was some deliberate mischief." Earlier, doctors treating the patients had said "food poisoning" was the cause of the deaths. "We suspect it to be poisoning caused by insecticides in vegetable or rice," Amarjeet Sinha, a senior education official, told the BBC. A doctor treating the children at a hospital in Patna said contaminated vegetable oil could have led to the poisoning. Patna-based journalist Amarnath Tewary says villagers told local reporters that similar cases of food poisoning after having Mid-Day Meals had taken place in the area previously. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called an emergency meeting and ordered a team of forensic experts to the school, which is in Saran district. Bihar is one of India's poorest and most populous states. The Mid-Day Meal is the world's largest school feeding programme, reaching 120 million children in 1.2 million schools across the country, according to the government. Mr Shahi acknowledged "that food is not being checked before it is being served". He added that "the scale at which the operation is being carried out, serving food

Summary: At least 22 children have died and dozens more have fallen ill after eating lunch at a school in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.


He said William McNeilly's allegations were either factually incorrect or the result of misunderstanding or partial understanding. The Royal Navy submariner has claimed missile programme system on the Clyde was a "disaster waiting to happen". He wrote a report, detailing "serious security and safety breaches". In a statement addressing the 25-year-old's concerns, Mr Fallon insisted that neither the "operational effectiveness" of the fleet "nor the safety of our submariners or public have been compromised".

Summary: The UK's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said a whistleblower's concerns about Trident nuclear submarine safety have not been proved.


Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed up 0.2% at 21,914.40, while the Shanghai Composite ended down 0.4% at 3,539.18. The index was 9.4% higher for the year, making it one of the best performing markets globally. Investors were also holding off ahead of manufacturing data due out on Friday. The data should shed light on the extent of the slowdown in the world's second largest economy. Economists expect the manufacturing surveys to show factory activity shrinking again in December. Several markets closed early on New Year's Eve such as Hong Kong and Australia, while Japan and South Korea were closed for public holidays. In Sydney, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.5% to 5,295.9, but lost more than 2% for the year. That marked the index's first annual fall since 2011 as slumping iron ore and metal prices hit blue chip mining stocks, while new rules hurt the banking sector. Sliding oil prices hovering around 11-year lows capped gains in energy-related stocks in Australia and across the region. "The correlation between moves in the oil price and equity markets are becoming increasingly concerning and do not bode well for today's Asia session," said market strategist Angus Nicholson at trading firm IG in a note. Crude oil prices held losses after falling 3% overnight.

Summary: Chinese stocks were mostly lower on the last day of 2015 in thin trading with some of Asia's biggest markets closed ahead of the new year.


Women's rugby sevens appears at the Olympics for the first time and Joyce, 20, is the only Welsh player to make the otherwise all-English GB squad. "We're coming out here to achieve a medal and hopefully gold," she said. "Sevens is a game anything can happen, anyone can win. You might be up top and five seconds later you're losing." On the prospect of facing Brazil in their opening Pool C game, Joyce said: "We're just going to take it like it's any other team, go out there fighting. It's going to be one of our hardest games." Team GB also face Japan on Saturday, before a match against Canada on Sunday with the quarter-finals to follow. The only non-English member of the squad, Joyce says she has settled in well and is enjoying the experience. "The facilities here are amazing, we are loving every second of it," she said. "We get free time and chances to play monopoly, cards and we're all loving Mario Kart [a video game]. "It's honestly amazing and one of the best experiences I can ever imagine." The Team GB squad have now arrived in the athletes' village in Rio after a training camp in Belo Horizonte. "I think it's going to be completely different level of excitement in the athletes' village. It will be amazing to get to be with everyone else," said Joyce. "Imagine just walking past Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Andy Murray. It would be a dream come true." Joyce, from St David's in west Wales, is the first Welsh women's rugby player to compete in the Olympics, something which she says is "pretty insane". "I'm getting so much support," Joyce added. "When I went home a couple of weeks ago to my parents' house they had the GB flags and the Welsh flags all around the house. "I live in a little city and they're all cheering for me and wishing me good luck, giving me cards. I've had amazing support." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Team GB rugby sevens wing Jasmine Joyce says her side are aiming for an historic gold in Rio as they prepare to take on hosts Brazil on Saturday.


Opposite him, behind a small curtain, a sailor who suffered third-degree burns when a boat engine blew up grits his teeth as the dressing covering most of both legs is gingerly replaced. Here, in this tiny charity-run clinic on Antigua's south coast, this is just a regular day for the volunteer medics operating where government facilities fall short. Amid gasps of breath, Sinclair West, who the team believes probably has lung cancer, says he would be dead without this place. The former security guard is one of about 1,000 visitors who flood annually into the donation-dependent clinic, open and on call almost every day of the year. In addition to providing maritime emergency coverage across 500 sq miles (1,300 sq km), the Antigua & Barbuda Search and Rescue team (ABSAR) has become a lifeline for those on land too. People in the sailing hub of English Harbour, which attracts thousands of tourists each year, know better than to call 911 in the event of a crisis. The seven-digit phone number to reach ABSAR has become as familiar as their own. By the time a state ambulance has negotiated its way across potholed roads from the capital St John's, it will have taken 25 minutes to get here, inconvenient for a victim of a minor fall, fatal if it is a heart attack. Mr West has been a daily fixture at the clinic, a short walk from his house, for months. "He has something in his left lung," ABSAR director Jonathan Cornelius explains, "and he can't get enough oxygen, so he comes and spends several hours here a day using ours. "The hospital won't facilitate giving him oxygen at home. "During his last stay there, they put a tube in his chest which they removed before discharging him, leaving an open wound. We spent three months dressing it for him. "His is not an isolated case," Mr Cornelius continues. The reason? A woeful lack of resources and, some say, a lack of care. "We were quite shocked to see how poor the facilities are at the hospital," remarks a visiting medical student, "and the staff really didn't seem in a hurry to do much." Antigua's chief medical officer Dr Rhonda Sealey-Thomas said efforts were under way to augment the hospital's emergency services, including extra staff and the establishment of a dedicated urgent care centre, while $10m (Â£7m) had recently been spent on new high-tech equipment. ABSAR also responds to about 30 search-and-rescue calls a year, anything from missing scuba divers and overdue fishing boats to yachts marooned on reefs, fires and even seasickness. It also plays a vital role in the numerous annual sailing regattas Antigua is famous for. Yet it does not receive a cent from government, save for duty-free concessions on equipment, and is entirely reliant on donations and a smattering of fundraising events to bridge the annual $75,000 it needs to function. Generous benefactors have helped ABSAR acquire its ambulance, two boats and fire truck. Its miscellany of medication is gifted by visiting yachts. Every single one of its dozen

Summary: Sandwiched between a bookcase of medical literature and a stack of promotional t-shirts, an elderly man sits slumped in a chair, one frail hand gripping the mask administering his daily fill of oxygen.


Charting the Fife town's medieval history, they are to be housed in the existing Carnegie library and a disused bank. Fife Council has pledged £6.8m and the project has a first round pass for £2.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A first round pass means it meets the HLF's criteria for funding before detailed plans have been submitted. The project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award. The buildings would be redeveloped and a new extension added to create a huge development including a museum, art gallery, archive, library and local history services. Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland, said: "Museums, galleries and libraries are extremely valuable community assets. "They make a great contribution to people's education, self-identity and enjoyment. "They keep our history safe for future generations and they impact on the local economy, often as the cornerstone of an area's tourism industry. "We are delighted to be able to give Dunfermline our support at this stage." Jim Tolson, MSP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said he was "overjoyed" with the backing. "HLF's support for this project is crucial to the long-awaited addition of a museum and art gallery in Dunfermline which will benefit both local people and visitors for generations to come," he added. Brian Goodall, chairman of Fife Council's housing and communities committee, said: "The Heritage Lottery Fund's decision to support the development of Dunfermline's new flagship museum is a tremendous vote of confidence in the city. We are delighted with the news. "Fife Council has itself made a major commitment of £6.8m to delivering this project as part of the council's drive to improve leisure and cultural opportunities for all."

Summary: A new museum and art gallery are set to be built in Fife under multi-million pound plans for Dunfermline.


Two adult night herons and two recently fledged juveniles were photographed at a Somerset reserve by Graham Hall. Mr Hall said he photographed the two birds from half a mile away to test his camera and was "blown away" when he realised they were night herons. Somerset Wildlife Trust said it showed for the first time in recorded history that night herons have bred in the UK. Black-crowned night herons are rare in the south of England, according to experts, with only around a dozen spotted in Somerset since the 1800s. It is thought the adults either bred at the Somerset Wildlife Trust's Westhay Moor national nature reserve or the nearby Avalon Marshes site. Mr Graham was getting ready to pack up at the reserve when his friend pointed out two birds roosting half a mile away in a tree. "I thought that would be an interesting shot and a challenge for the camera," he added. "We thought they were bitterns but when I zoomed in - blow me - they weren't bitterns. "I've never seen a night heron in the wild before and two birds together can only mean one thing." Kevin Rylands, RSPB conservationist officer, said: "They are a native bird and in the past there have been some free-flying night herons around Edinburgh Zoo. "But they have never bred here before in the wild so this is a first." Roger Dickey, from the Somerset Ornithological Society, said it was "terribly exciting news". "Night herons are one of southern England's rarer summer visitors. "That they have decided to breed here for the first time on record confirms the Avalon Marshes' significance as one of the UK's most important breeding areas."

Summary: A pair of nocturnal herons has bred in the wild in the UK for the first time, conservationists have revealed.


The IoD is calling for pay strategies to be rethought, if they are rejected by 30% of shareholders. Remuneration should then be put to a fresh vote, it said. Despite some high profile rebellions in recent months, executive pay is usually approved at annual general meetings, the IoD added. "There is still a pressing need to rebuild public trust in big business, to work in the long-term interests of investors and employees, rather than the short-term interests of managers," said Oliver Parry, head of corporate governance at the IoD. "Now is the time for sensible reforms which increase transparency and draw more engagement from shareholders." At present, shareholders have a binding vote on future remuneration policy once every three years. If the policy is rejected by 51% of shareholders, it must be revisited. The IoD is arguing that threshold should be lowered to 30%. Shareholders also have a retrospective, non-binding vote on executive pay every year, and company annual general meetings often see vociferous criticisms of executive pay. In April last year, BP shareholders, for example, rejected a pay package of almost Â£14m for chief executive Bob Dudley at the oil company's annual general meeting. However, the vote was non-binding. In November last year the government outlined its plans to make companies justify high levels of executive pay. Among the measures under consideration were pay ratios, which would show the gap in earnings between the chief executive and an average employee.

Summary: Investors should be given a bigger say over executive pay to help rebuild trust in business, the Institute of Directors (IoD) has said.


The WDBS was launched this week to give more people with disabilities the opportunity to play cue sports. The first event will take place on 28 and 29 November at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester. Five different disability classification groups will participate at the tournament. The WDBS has been set up under the auspices of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, with help from the English Federation of Disability Sport. "We are delighted to announce the tournament and are sure it will be a great success," said WDBS chairman Nigel Mawer. "We encourage anyone eligible to take part regardless of their snooker standard. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet others, get free coaching, and compete in a competitive environment."

Summary: The first tournament staged by the new World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) body will take place in Gloucester in November.


The move comes as US firm General Electric (GE) and Germany's Siemens vie to take control of French engineering group Alstom's power business. Any such takeover will now need approval from Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg. Mr Montebourg is known to favour the Siemens approach over the GE bid. In a statement, he said the government's new powers of veto would be "applied in a selective and proportional manner, taking each situation into consideration". Until now, the French government's power to intervene was confined to deals concerning defence and security matters. The decree extends this to the energy, water, transport, health and communications sectors. Last week, Alstom reported a 28% drop in full-year net profit to 556m euros ($774m; Â£456m). The company blamed the fall on restructuring costs, asset writedowns and tough economic conditions. Alstom is currently considering a $16.9bn offer from GE for its energy business, but Siemens has also shown interest in the unit. The French firm has said it will decide by the end of May which bidder it prefers. The power business accounts for about 70% of Alstom's total revenue, and if a deal went through, it would leave the company as a transport business. Alstom's transport unit makes TGV high-speed trains and signalling equipment. Both GE and Siemens have already met French President Francois Hollande to discuss their potential offers. The French government has opposed GE's offer.

Summary: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has signed a decree giving the government new powers to block foreign takeover bids for companies deemed "strategic".


Crowds gathered outside the presidential palace on Saturday morning and then marched to parliament. Inside parliament itself, opposition MPs have continued a sit-in that began on Friday. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, in a televised address, called the MPs' actions "scandalous". She said people were free to protest, but had to respect the views of others. Poland's populist right-wing government wants to limit the number of reporters allowed to cover parliament. But opposition MPs accuse it of trying to stifle press freedom. Amid a heavy police presence, a crowd of about 2,000 people gathered outside the presidential palace on Saturday chanting "freedom, equality, democracy". Some held up copies of the constitution. The crowd later marched to the parliament building where they remained throughout the day. European Council President Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, urged the government to respect the constitution on Saturday. Addressing reporters in the western city of Wroclaw, he criticised the government's plans, saying that without media access "democracy becomes dictatorship". In extraordinary scenes on Friday, opposition MPs blockaded the parliamentary plenary chamber, forcing MPs from the PiS party into another room to vote on next year's budget. It was the first time since the restoration of democracy in 1989 that such a vote was held outside the main chamber of parliament. Outside parliament, several thousand protesters gathered overnight on Friday. Police had to forcefully remove people to allow MPs to leave the building. Protester Szymon Roginski said on Saturday that the confrontation was entering "a new, more aggressive phase". "Every day we hear news that makes us understand that we are further and further away from democracy. People have had enough," he said. Leader of the opposition Nowoczesna party, Ryszard Petru, accused the government of usurping parliament's authority. "They [the government] do not allow journalists [access], they close themselves off and meet in other places and call it the parliament," he said. "This is an usurpation of power and there will be no consent from the opposition or Polish society for it. We will protest both at the parliamentary podium and on the streets of Polish cities." PiS has been accused of restricting press freedom since coming to power last year. Next year only a few reporters will be allowed into parliament, with five selected TV stations permitted to make recordings of parliamentary sessions. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Friday that the proposals were no different to the media access in many other European nations. He accused protesters of hooliganism and threatened them with unspecified "consequences".

Summary: Demonstrators in the Polish capital Warsaw have renewed their protest against government plans to restrict journalists' access to parliament.


John MacIntosh, 46, of Dingwall, must serve at least 10 years in prison after being convicted by a jury of four serious sexual offences. At the High Court in Aberdeen, judge Lord Uist said MacIntosh was a "sexual fiend" who targeted vulnerable females. MacIntosh had previously been jailed for seven years for having sex with 13 and 14-year-old girls. The offences heard at the High Court in Aberdeen happened in the Inverness and Dingwall areas between 1996 and 2004. He sexually assaulted and attempted to rape the young girl and raped three women. In his sentencing statement, Lord Uist said: "You targeted vulnerable females in order to gratify your carnal lust. "You have called all these women liars and shown no remorse for what you did." The judge added: "It is clear to me that you have no respect for women and are a sexual fiend." Lord Uist said MacIntosh should not assume that he would be automatically released after having served 10 years in prison. He said: "You will be released only when the Parole Board for Scotland is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that you continue to be held in prison." Police Scotland has welcomed the life sentence. Det Insp Eddie Ross said the case was brought to the attention of police by the NHS. He said: "During the investigation there was also significant involvement from the local authority in terms of housing and social work support for not only the victims but also their children. "However, the most important people in all this are the victims and I must pay tribute to them in both coming forward to the police and staying with the prosecution process to conviction. "I hope that this result will bring some comfort to the victims in this case and give confidence to anyone who has suffered similar experiences to come forward in the knowledge that their case will be sensitively and thoroughly investigated."

Summary: A man who attempted to rape a young girl and raped three women has been jailed for life.


The names of 25 ministers were read out at a ceremony in Kabul presided over by Mr Ghani and government chief executive Abdullah Abdullah. The announcement comes after tortuous negotiations between the two former rivals who agreed to work together following disputed elections last year. The cabinet still needs to be approved by parliament. Mr Ghani's cabinet contains three women, for the portfolios of women's affairs, culture and higher education. As widely rumoured, his new foreign minister is confirmed as Salahuddin Rabbani, son of former president Burhanuddin Rabbani who was killed by a suicide bomber in 2011. New heads for Afghanistan's National Bank and the NDS, Afghanistan's National Security Directorate, were also announced. BBC Afghan's editor in Kabul, Waheed Massoud, says almost all the cabinet are new faces. Some are hardly known to the public. Many of the new ministers are young and have not been deeply involved in the years of political fighting and war which have blighted Afghanistan's recent past, he says. "The government will refer them to the parliament for a vote of confidence," Mr Ghani's chief of staff, Abdul Salam Rahimi, said. He did not say when the vote might be held. The long delay in confirming the cabinet had prompted fears that the unity government might fall apart over the issue. Mr Ghani marked his first 100 days in office last week. He was sworn in on 29 September after an election his rival accused him of winning by fraud. The United States helped broker the unity deal. Reuters news agency reports that the cabinet make-up reflects the two rival camps and contains "prominent ethnic and regional power-brokers". Mr Ghani's time in office has seen a surge in Taliban attacks as militants seek to exploit the vacuum in government. The president's biggest initiative has been to sign security agreements allowing US-led forces to end combat operations at the end of last year. At the start of this year, Afghan forces took over full responsibility for security. Some 13,000 mainly American soldiers remain in a training and support role, together with a few thousand US troops whose focus will be on counter-terrorist operations.

Summary: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has unveiled his unity cabinet more than three months after he was sworn in.


British Divers Marine Life Rescue said 18 of the animals were floated back out to sea at about 04:00 on Tuesday. Two more were later floated. However, several of the whales then stranded on the shores of nearby Staffin Island. It was understood that eight of the whales have died and nine remain stranded on the small island. The coastguard said it could be high tide at 19:00 before those animals could be pushed back into open water. It was believed the stranding was caused by a female whale getting into difficulty while calving. The calf died. Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust raised the alarm after seeing whales in distress on Monday afternoon. Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was offering assistance to the effort to save the whales. He said: "I am very concerned to hear about this stranding of pilot whales on Skye. "Marine Scotland and British Divers Marine Life Rescue are currently working hard to alleviate the situation. "We have a patrol vessel and other staff on-site and I am being kept informed of the situation. "Sadly it appears that some of the whales have already died and the situation is becoming increasingly difficult as the outgoing tide is leaving the stranded animals out of the water."

Summary: Rescuers have gone to the aid of 21 long-finned pilot whales which stranded on the shore at Staffin on Skye.


It was due to be held at the Waterfoot Hotel in Londonderry but its owner called the event after voicing concerns about "health and safety". The dissident republican bomb was discovered in the hotel grounds last Friday. The session will now take place at St Columb's Park House, on the Limavady Road, Derry on Saturday. There were also security alerts at two other venues last week where recruitment events were due to take place. Belfast Met's Millfield campus and Omagh's Strule Arts Centre were evacuated but nothing untoward was found.

Summary: A PSNI recruitment event which was cancelled after a bomb find at the original venue has been rearranged.


John Russell Brown and his company Hyperion Investments face 16 charges relating to the condition of the property and the danger and risk to health of the occupants in it. The migrants were found during a raid on Deeside Lane, Sealand - one of the largest of its kind in the country. Magistrates in Wrexham adjourned the case until 10 December.

Summary: A man has appeared in court after 107 migrants were found crowded into a building in Flintshire.


He defeated Dr Alasdair McDonnell in a vote at the party's annual conference in Armagh by 172 votes to 133. Foyle MLA Mr Eastwood, 32, is the SDLP's youngest member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and becomes the sixth leader of the party. South Belfast MLA Fearghal McKinney has been voted the party's new deputy leader. Mr McKinney received 158 votes, with Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly getting 138. Read more: Colum Eastwood's 10-year rise to SDLP leader After the leadership result was announced, Mr Eastwood paid tribute to Dr McDonnell, who had led the party since 2011. "Alasdair has stretched every fibre of his being for this party," he said. "He is a man who has given the work of two lifetimes for the good of this party and the community he serves." Mr Eastwood also pledged he would work together as a team with Mr McKinney. Under his leadership, he added, the SDLP's "principal conversation" would be "about shaping this country for the next 20, 30 and more years". Among his first tasks as leader will be to make key strategic decisions over continuing negotiations between Northern Ireland's main parties aimed at resolving the current political crisis at Stormont. Dr McDonnell, the MP for South Belfast, told party delegates he had "given his all and a little bit more" during his time at the helm. He added: 'I wish to offer Colum every best wish as he continues, I hope, to renew, regenerate and rebuild the party."

Summary: Colum Eastwood is the new leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).


The 29-year-old flyweight from Belfast will be on the card at the Waterfront Hall in his home city when Jamie Conlan tops the bill. An opponent has not yet been named for Barnes who won his first pro fight in unusual circumstances. Stefan Slavchev was disqualified in the fourth round on 5 November for hoisting Barnes off his feet and shoulder high. Light-flyweight Conlan beat Hungarian David Koos on points at the Titanic Exhibition Centre that right to stay on course for a world title shot. Conlan, brother of 2015 world amateur bantamweight champion Michael, has won all 18 of his fights since turning professional in 2009.

Summary: Two-time Olympic medallist Paddy Barnes will have his second fight as a professional on 18 February.


Following the veteran entertainer's death last week, they have shared some of their best photos. The friends met at university in Brighton and started "doing a Brucie" when posing for photos on nights out. Their homage to the great man went global when they travelled to the Roskilde music festival in Denmark after graduating in 2007. "That trip was where the whole idea of taking these photos in various locations around the world came from," says Joseph Bradfield, 31. "We did it a lot through our university days when we were out drinking, but that trip around Europe after graduating, we pretty much took one everywhere we went. "It became a bit of a thing whenever there was a photo op. It would be, 'Look at the camera, smile, now pull a Bruce.' It just snowballed." Perhaps the best "thinker" tribute was staged when one of the group, Jeremy Dresner, got married in Canada. The friends often attract confused looks when striking the pose in countries where Sir Bruce wasn't a big star, Joseph says. "You do it in the UK and people kind of know what you're doing. They still don't really know why you're doing it but there's at least that glimmer of recognition. "But whenever we've done it overseas there's always puzzlement on the locals' faces." Joseph says the friends - about 10 in all - admired Sir Bruce's approach to his career as well as being fans of his TV shows. "There's that quote where he said, 'I don't see myself as a singer or a dancer or an actor. I'm an entertainer,'" Joseph explains. "That really resonated with us, that approach to life, that you don't have to be the best at any one particular discipline but it's all about the impact you have on other people and entertaining other people." The friends decided to gather the photos after the news of Sir Bruce's death broke. "It's been quite an operation of digging through Facebook photos to find everything," Joseph says. "The second the news happened last week my phone lit up with the Whatsapp group we're all part of saying, we really have to do something with this trove of photos." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Among Sir Bruce Forsyth's biggest fans are a group of friends who worshipped him so much that they have recreated his famous "thinker" pose wherever they have been around the world for the past decade.


The incident happened on Wednesday after the match at Kingsholm between Scotland and Japan. One departure was delayed by about 20 minutes while a new train manager was brought in to replace the one who was injured, a Great Western Railway (GWR) spokesman said. Many fans complained of overcrowding on trains and poor communication. GWR spokesman Dan Panes said there was an incident "between a member of the public and a member of staff". "As a result that member of staff couldn't work on the train and we had to get a replacement in, which took around 20 to 25 minutes." Mr Panes said GWR put on four additional trains and "strengthened" existing trains due to the high number of passengers travelling. "It's very, very difficult to get more than 2,500 people onto trains almost instantaneously," he said. "We had plenty of capacity but we could provide all the trains that we have in the fleet just for Gloucester and it would still take some time to load that number of people on board those trains." The BBC's head of sport for English Regions, Charles Runcie, who was at Gloucester station after the game, said there was "an almighty scrum" to get on a two-carriage train just before 18:00 BST. "Word filtered through that the driver was refusing to take the train out," he said. "GWR have had three three years to prepare for this and they still put on the same little carriage. There was no communication. It was just rank awful." There were also complaints about overcrowding in Cardiff after Australia's match against Fiji on Wednesday, and at the weekend.

Summary: A train manager was injured in an assault on a platform at Gloucester station after a Rugby World Cup match.


On Monday, SSI said it was mothballing iron and steelmaking at the site for up to five years, citing poor trading conditions and low world steel prices. It said prices would need to recover before the plant could reopen. The focus of the talks is on the mothballing process, which will involve 450 people continuing to work at the Teesside plant. Part of the process involves keeping the coke ovens and the power station in operation in order for steel production to resume if it is deemed possible. The Thai-owned company initially "paused" production of iron and steelmaking at the site, one of the largest steel plants in the UK, on 18 September. It said it had carried out an assessment of its business and concluded there was "no other option". Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said pressure should be put on the government to devise a rescue plan. She said: "Energy costs in Britain are on average 80% higher than those in the rest of Europe and do we really think that Angela Merkel would sit by and let the German steel industry go down the pan? Certainly not. "She would be calling in the unions and the company and looking at how we secure the long-term future of what is a strategic industry for the whole economy." Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald, who is also Parliamentary Private Secretary to the shadow chancellor, said that the true number of job losses, once contractors and the supply chain were taken into account, could be about 9,000. "The government should be playing a proper role, not just picking up the pieces," he said. "We should be looking at the sustainability of the steel industry, with the government going in as administrators, keeping it active, stockpiling steel if necessary." But James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South and Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse ruled out re-nationalisation. "An industry which has made a loss over each of the last three years would pass that responsibility to the tax payer," he said. "It would present huge issues for the rest of the steel market in this country in terms of how they would then be able to compete with, what will be, a nationalised company. "It's just not something that is going to happen." Jonathan Aylen, an expert on the steel industry from the University of Manchester, said it was hard to see what the government could do. "Of course this leaves a very sour taste because seven years ago the banks, who'd acted completely irresponsibly, were bailed out," he said. "And this firm instead invests and innovates for export and then, when the time comes, its fate is ignored." During his maiden speech to the Labour conference in Brighton, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged David Cameron to come to the aid of steel workers facing job losses on Teesside "as the Italian government has done" with its industry. A Downing Street spokesman said ministers were "working to help those who will lose their jobs at the Redcar steel plant" and the

Summary: Union officials are in talks with SSI's Redcar plant executives after the firm announced the loss of 1,700 jobs.


Kadiza Sultana was 16 when she left Bethnal Green along with two friends. Her family's lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, told BBC Newsnight they heard a report of her death in Raqqa a few weeks ago. But he said they had not been able to independently confirm it because of the nature of information from Syria. Who are Britainâ€™s jihadists? The Britons signing up for Jihad Mr Akunjee said the teenager had grown disillusioned and wanted to leave IS and return to the UK - but had decided not to risk being captured and facing a "brutal" punishment from the terror group. He told the programme the family were "devastated" and that it was a "great loss to us all". Kadiza Sultana and schoolfriends Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15 at the time, flew from Gatwick to Turkey on 17 February 2015 after telling their parents they were going out for the day. The Bethnal Green Academy pupils later entered Syria and were thought to be living in Raqqa, a stronghold for the so-called Islamic State. They had been studying for their GCSEs at the school in Tower Hamlets, east London - where they have been described as "straight-A students". Mr Akunjee said Kadiza had expressed a desire to return. He said: "The problem with that was the risk factors around leaving are quite terminal also, in that if ISIS [IS] were able to detect and capture you then their punishment is quite brutal for trying to leave. "In the week where she was thinking of these issues a young Austrian girl had been caught trying to leave ISIS territory and was by all reports beaten to death publicly, so - given that that was circulated in the region as well as outside - I think Kadiza took that as a bad omen and decided not to take the risk." Mr Akunjee added: "I think she found out pretty quickly that the propaganda doesn't match up with the reality." Recordings of phone calls between Kadiza and her sister Halima, who is in the UK, were filmed by a freelance journalist for ITV. In them, Kadiza said the man she had married had been killed, and that she wanted to return to the UK. She also said she "felt scared". She added: "You know if something goes wrong, that's it. You know the borders are closed right now, so how am I going to get out?" A fourth girl from the school is believed to have travelled to Syria in December 2014. Kadiza's family issued a statement shortly after she went missing. In it they said: "In your absence, we, as a family, are feeling completely distressed and cannot make sense of why you left home. Due to the speculation that you may be travelling towards Syria, we are extremely worried about your safety. "We would like to emphasise that we are not angry with you and you have not done anything wrong. We just want you all to return home, safe and sound." Sara Khan, co-founder of the counter-extremism organisation Inspire, told BBC

Summary: One of three schoolgirls who left east London last year to join so-called Islamic State (IS) is believed to have been killed in a Russian air strike in Syria, her family solicitor has said.


Set a target of 218 off 34 overs, Jack Taylor's 34 off 17 balls and Geraint Jones's unbeaten 39 saw them to 218-6 with an over to spare. Michael Klinger, dropped on nought, was the pick of the batsman with a fine 87. Earlier, Hampshire's Jimmy Adams was run out for 97 and Will Smith hit 50 off 25 balls in the visitors' 217-7. After four inspections because of overnight rain, play finally got under way at 13:45 BST - a delay of more than three hours. Having been asked to bat, Hampshire slumped to 1-2 with Michael Carberry dismissed for a three-ball duck while Adam Wheater joined him in the pavilion shortly after. As the early-morning gloom was replaced by mid-afternoon sunshine, Hampshire's batting improved, led by Adams - who was celebrating his 100th List-A appearance for the south coast side. But his 99-ball innings, which included six fours and two sixes, came to an end three runs short of a deserved century when he was run out by James Fuller while attempting to come back for a second. Media playback is not supported on this device In the chase, Gloucestershire were thankful for a dropped catch from Adams with Klinger yet to score, but at the halfway stage of their innings they were 81-3 with Chris Dent, Gareth Roderick and Hamish Marshall the men to fall. Klinger looked to be taking the hosts to victory as he upped the run-rate, but was eventually caught by Adams to leave Gloucestershire 163-5 - still needing 55 off 33 balls. However, two big overs of 19 and 17 runs gave Gloucestershire hope before Taylor gave his wicket away with 11 required. But Jones smashed a six to take his side to victory, with Gloucestershire now facing an away trip to either Yorkshire or Essex.

Summary: Gloucestershire sealed a place in the semi-final of the One-Day Cup after winning a thrilling rain-reduced match against Hampshire in Bristol.


The Russian club, managed by former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas, won their domestic league with two games to spare last weekend. And just how did the Villas-Boas and his players celebrate? By dressing in traditional Russian clothing, as you do. A picture was posted by former Manchester City player Javi Garcia on his Instagram account featuring a sharp-looking Garcia and his equally snappily-dressed team-mates, which includes former Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin, surrounding Villas-Boas. Zenit's title win, the fourth in their history, came in Villas-Boas's first full season in charge.

Summary: As far as team photos go, Zenit St Petersburg's will take some beating.


The government's preferred route for the second phase of the line, linking Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, includes a spur junction at Crewe, but no stop at Stoke-on-Trent. The council has submitted a bid and leader Mohammed Pervez said Stoke-on-Trent would become a "core city". A decision is due later in 2014. Alison Munroe, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, told BBC News that the public consultation had just been completed and the secretary of state would make a decision at the end of the year. Current proposals for the Â£50bn HS2 project would allow trains to run at 225 mph (362km/h) from London to Birmingham from 2026, with branches to Manchester and to Leeds via Sheffield planned by 2032. Mr Pervez has said the proposed station would put Stoke-on-Trent within 55 minutes of London. Councils in Coventry, Warwickshire and rural Staffordshire are opposed to the rail plan. "This would make Stoke-on-Trent a core city," Mr Pervez said. "The amount of growth that will happen is unimaginable and actually, the amount of contribution the area that Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire can make to the overall economy of the UK is absolutely huge."

Summary: A station in Stoke-on-Trent as part of the high-speed rail project "has not been ruled out", the HS2 boss says.


The 46-year-old, who met the Scottish Championship club's board on Friday morning, succeeds Ian Murray, who resigned on Saturday. Rae left Genk in the summer, having been assistant manager to Alex McLeish at the Belgian top-flight club. It will be his second stint as a manager in his own right, having had a two-year spell at Dundee from 2006. The Press Association has reported that Buddies chairman Stewart Gilmour originally wanted to hand Rae a short-term contract until the end of the season. But a statement on the club's official website said: "The new manager has signed a deal that will see him take charge until at least the summer of 2017." Rae's spell at Dundee was also in Scotland's second tier and he takes over in Paisley with the Buddies sitting third bottom ahead of Saturday's visit to bottom side Alloa Athletic. Murray's six-month reign ended after a defeat by Dumbarton, the club he left in the summer to replace Gary Teale, who was sacked following St Mirren's relegation from the top flight. Rae was appointed player-manager at Dens Park in May 2006 and they finished third then second in the old First Division in his first two seasons in charge. However, having already retired from playing, he was sacked as manager in October 2008 with his side sitting eighth in the table. He joined Milton Keynes Dons as first-team coach under Paul Ince and then moved to Notts County and Blackpool as assistant manager to the former England midfielder. After Ince was sacked in January 2014, Rae teamed up with McLeish at Genk until the former Scotland manager left the Belgian club in the summer. Rae's playing career began with Falkirk and he subsequently was on the books of Millwall, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rangers before he joined Dundee. He briefly revived his playing career as cover for injuries while with MK Dons.

Summary: Former Rangers and Wolves midfielder Alex Rae has become St Mirren manager after signing an 18-month contract.


Arriva Rail North staff will walk out for three days from 8 July, while Merseyrail staff will strike on 8, 10 and 23 July, the final day of The Open. Workers at Southern also plan to walk out on 10 July. The RMT is in dispute with the rail companies over driver-only-operated trains which they say would be unsafe and lead to widespread job losses. The strike will also clash with the British Style Collective, the Clothes Show's big event in Liverpool from 7 - 9 July. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said any responsibility for disruption to services lay with the companies and their refusal to enter meaningful talks with the union. "It is that flagrant disregard for the safety issues at the heart of the dispute which leaves us with no option but to press on with the campaign of strike action," he added. However, Richard Allen, deputy managing director for Arriva-run Northern, said he was "deeply disappointed and hugely frustrated" by the announcement of further action. "Only this week we wrote to RMT again, urging them to engage in meaningful modernisation talks with us. "We have been clear that for all our conductors we are prepared to guarantee jobs and current pay, and continue with annual pay reviews, if we can reach agreement with RMT," Mr Allen said. He added fresh industrial action would not solve the dispute. Merseyrail's managing director Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde criticised the timing of the strike which he said was designed to "cause maximum disruption to people attending the last day of the Open Golf at Royal Birkdale". Mr van der Velde claimed the company "brought several new initiatives to the table in the last round of talks, the RMT is unprepared to work with us to find middle ground". "While we, as always, will do our best to minimise disruption, our passengers should not be made to suffer at the hands of the RMT, and the Liverpool City Region should not be caught in the cross-fire of a national dispute directed by unions in London." The latest strike announcement comes as a long-awaited report into the troubled Southern rail franchise has blamed the unions for widespread disruption over the last year.

Summary: Train passengers across England are to be hit by further strike action, RMT officials have said.


In a report, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said there were "significant areas of concern" at the Widbrook Medical Centre in Trowbridge. Inspectors found issues with systems and processes, but said the level of care given to patients was "good". The medical centre has pledged to improve services. The health regulator inspected the practice in December and was told the booking and telephone systems made it difficult for patients to get an appointment that was suitable for them. Inspectors found staff were good at raising concerns and reporting incidents but there was no formal structure for "sharing any learning within the practice". Sufficient recruitment checks to verify that staff are "of good character and have the qualifications and competence" to carry out their jobs was also criticised. However, inspectors said the majority of patients "were treated with compassion, dignity and respect". A spokesman for the medical centre said an action plan to address the findings of the inspection was being put in place. He said: "We will continue to improve the service we provide to our patients so that our patients are confident they are receiving a quality general practice service and are reviewing our appointment system to support our patients."

Summary: A GP practice in Wiltshire has been placed in special measures after its overall quality of services was rated "inadequate".


The 19-year-old, who has yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for the Premier League club, scored eight goals on loan at Poole last season. Glovers manager Darren Way said: "We feel this next move is a fantastic move for Sam and Yeovil. "We must thank (Bournemouth manager) Eddie Howe for trusting us with the development of his young talent." Yeovil begin their League Two season on Saturday with a trip to face Luton Town. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Bournemouth forward Sam Surridge has joined League Two side Yeovil Town on a season-long loan deal.


Dear Colleague I am writing to clarify the Government's position with regard to the changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) for the self-employed, announced in last week's Budget. As I set out last Wednesday, the gap between benefits available to the self-employed and those in employment has closed significantly over the last few years - most notably by the introduction of the new State Pension in April 2016, worth an additional Â£1,800 to a self-employed person for each year of retirement. It remains our judgment that the current differences in benefit entitlement no longer justify the scale of difference in the level of total NICs paid in respect of employees and the self-employed. Colleagues will be aware that there has been a sharp increase in self-employment over the last few years. Most commentators believe that at least part of the increase is driven by differences in tax treatment. HMRC estimates that the cost to the public finances of this trend is around Â£5bn this year alone and the parallel increase in incorporation will cost more than Â£6bn a year by the end of the Parliament. This represents a significant risk to the tax base and thus to the funding of our public services. The measures I announced in the Budget sought to reflect more fairly the differences in entitlement in the contributions made by the self-employed and addresses the challenge of sustainability of the tax base. The Government continues to believe that this is the right approach. Since the Budget, however, there has been much comment on the question of commitments made in our 2015 manifesto. Ahead of Autumn Statement last year, the Prime Minister and I decided that, however difficult the fiscal challenges we face, the tax-lock and spending ring-fence commitments we have made for this Parliament should be honoured in full. I made this clear in the Autumn Statement speech. As far as National Insurance contributions are concerned, the locks were legislated for in the National Insurance contributions (Rate Ceilings) Act 2015. When that Bill was introduced, it was made clear that the lock would apply only to Class 1 contributions (employer and employee). The measures proposed in the Budget fall within the constraints set out by the tax-lock legislation and the spending ring-fences. However, in light-of the debate over the last few days it is clear that compliance with the "legislative" test of the Manifesto commitment is not adequate. It is very important both to me and to the Prime Minister that we are compliant not just with the letter, but also the spirit, of the commitments that were made. In light of what has emerged as a clear view among colleagues and a significant section of the public, I have decided not to proceed with the Class 4 NIC measures set out in the Budget. There will be no increases in NICs rates in this Parliament. We will continue with the abolition of Class 2 NICs from April 2018. The cost of the changes I am announcing today will be funded by measures to be announced in the

Summary: Here is the full text of Chancellor Philip Hammond's letter to Conservative MPs explaining his decision to drop National Insurance increases announced in last week's Budget.


Steven Frater, 32, hid 167 diazepam tablets and quantities of heroin and oxymetholene inside his body. He then stole a television from the Asda store in Galashiels, hoping to be arrested and sent to Edinburgh Prison. Frater, formerly of Jedburgh, admitted at Selkirk Sheriff Court the theft and refusing an internal examination at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in February. The court heard he attempted to defeat the ends of justice by refusing to be examined in hospital knowing he had the controlled drugs inside his body. However, he was subsequently found to have swallowed a number of substances that he had hoped to distribute in jail. Sheriff Jamie Gilmour sentenced him to three years in prison for the offences.

Summary: A man who swallowed a large quantity of drugs in order to smuggle them into prison has been jailed for three years.


It is an anti-government gesture used by protesters in the Oromia region. Ethiopia's government normally keeps a tight grip on the country and there has not been anything on this scale in the last 25 years. There has not been a specific trigger and what we are seeing is an accumulation of years of frustration from ethnic groups who say they have been marginalised by the government. Demonstrations began in Oromia last November. Protests have also sprung up more recently in the Amhara region. Oromia and Amhara are the homelands of the country's two biggest ethnic groups. New York-based Human Rights Watch says that more than 400 people have been killed in clashes with the security forces in Oromia, although the government disputes this figure. The Oromos, who make up around a third of the population, have long complained that they have been excluded from the country's political process and the economic development which has seen the capital, Addis Ababa, transformed in recent years. The protests were initially over a plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into the Oromia region. That plan was dropped, but the demonstrations exposed some underlying issues and protests continued with the latest round taking place on Saturday in many places in Oromia and the capital, Addis Ababa. At the root of the recent demonstrations in Amhara is a request by representatives from the Welkait Amhara Identity Committee that their land, which is currently administered by the Tigray regional state, be moved into the neighbouring Amhara region. The Welkait committee says community members identify themselves as ethnic Amharas and say they no longer want to be ruled by Tigrayans. Amharas used to form the country's elite and the language, Amharic, remains the most widely spoken in the country. Source: CIA World Factbook estimates from 2007 Observers say that Ethiopia's governing coalition is dominated by the party from the small Tigray region (TPLF), that led the guerrilla war against the military regime of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam. Some see both sets of protests as a way of criticising the country's government. There is no formal connection between the Amhara and Oromia demonstrations but at a recent protest in Gondar, banners could be seen expressing solidarity with people from the Oromia region. Oromo activists referred to the demonstrations in Amhara in their Facebook post calling for protests on the first weekend in August - when Amnesty International said that more than 100 people died - but highlighted the fact that they thought the protesters there had been treated more leniently. The central government, a close ally of the West, is in a very powerful position and has total control over the security forces. There is not a single opposition member in parliament, so it faces no real political threat. But its reaction to a big protest at the beginning of August suggests that it is worried: It shut down the internet across the country for two days, fearing that was how the demonstrations were being organised. There is only one, state-controlled internet service provider so this was fairly

Summary: Ethiopia's Olympic marathon silver medallist Feyisa Lilesa crossed his hands above his head as he finished the race in Rio - bringing the world's attention to a wave of protests in his home country.


Debutant Jordan Kirkpatrick put Clyde in front after eight minutes but Arbroath turned the game on its head early in the second half. Bobby Linn's penalty levelled 11 minutes after the break, then Richard Little's right-footed effort two minutes later left Clyde stunned. Clyde failed to capitalise on leaders East Fife's 1-1 draw with Queen's Park.

Summary: Struggling Arbroath came from behind to earn a victory which denied Clyde the opportunity to go top of League Two.


Spaniard Michu top scored for the Swans with 22 goals in his first season after a £2m move from Rayo Vallecano in 2012. However, within two years of helping Swansea finish ninth in the Premier League, he was playing fourth-flight football in Spain after a recurring ankle injury. Michu spent the 2016-17 season with Oviedo and plans to move into coaching. "The current state of Michu's right ankle makes it very difficult for him to take part in any sport," said a spokesman for the player. "He now finds it impossible to continue his profession as a footballer. After seeking medical advice, he has decided to abandon the sport. He will instead pursue a career in coaching football." After starting his career with Oviedo, Michu played for Celta Vigo before joining Rayo Vallecano, and was capped once by Spain in 2013. Signed by Swansea for just £2m, Michu went on to become arguably the biggest bargain in the Premier League as he made a major contribution to Swansea's historic 2012-13 season. He scored twice in the Swans' opening day 5-0 win over QPR at Loftus Road - manager Michael Laudrup's first Premier League game in charge of the Swans. Among the memorable strikes were two late goals in a 2-0 away win over Arsenal in December 2012, and a trademark cool finish in a 2-0 win at Chelsea in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final. Michu also scored as the Swans crushed Bradford 5-0 in the final at Wembley to claim their first major English football trophy. He ended the season with 22 goals as Swansea finished ninth. He was valued at £30m by the club, who had given the player an extended contract in January 2013. At the start of the 2013-14 season, Michu made his debut for Spain as a replacement in a 2-1 win over Belarus. However, the ankle injury which was to blight the remainder of his career meant his second season in south Wales failed to live up to expectations. Early season highlights, like a goal in the 3-0 away win over Valencia in the Europa League, gave way to frustration as he struggled for first-team appearances. Michu played only five times after Christmas 2013 and finished a season in which manager Laudrup departed and was replaced by Garry Monk with six goals in 25 matches. The 1-0 defeat by Hull on 5 April 2014 turned out to be Michu's last game for the Swans. In the summer of 2014 he joined Serie A side Napoli on a season-long loan - but played only six times. He was released by Swansea in November 2015 and spent a season playing fourth-tier football for Langreo in Spain, before agreeing a one-year deal with Oviedo for 2016-17. Michu made 27 appearances in the 2016-17 last season, but scored just once.

Summary: Michu, the forward who helped Swansea win the League Cup in 2013, has been forced to retire at the age of 31.


Palm-sized fidget spinners have become the latest "must-have" for children. But while some schools have banned the toys as a distraction, Castle Gardens Primary School in Newtownards, County Down, has taken a different approach. The toys are being used as a teaching aid in some maths and English lessons. Primary four teacher Heather Hutchinson is behind the idea. "These crazes come into school and you either go with them or they're a complete annoyance," she said. "The children wanted to know whose spinner was going to spin the longest, so I saw an opportunity for a maths investigation." "They timed each other's spin, recorded it on a table and then put it on to a graph." "It was an opportunity for something a bit different with their learning." There are strict rules on when the spinners can be used in Ms Hutchinson's class, however. She collects them at the start of the school day and only hands them out for certain lessons. Her pupils have also honed their English skills by holding debates on whether they should be allowed in school and writing up their opinions. Despite all of the children owning fidget spinners, they are divided on their role in school. Eight-year-old Zach thinks they are a good idea. "If you don't have neat writing you can spin them to help your finger muscles," he said. But his classmate Anna disagrees. "I don't think they should be allowed in class, as they distract the teacher and if you were asked a question you wouldn't know what to do as you'd be sitting fidgeting," she said. Fidget spinners were originally developed as a way for children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism to relieve stress. When it is placed between the thumb and a finger, the child can give it a quick flick to trigger a spin. There are many different types but the most popular is a small, three-pronged one with rounded ends. There are many different types but the most popular is a small, three-pronged one with rounded ends. There have been safety concerns, however, about ones with sharp edges or spikes. Castle Gardens principal John Gray said his staff checked which fidget spinners children are bringing into school. "It is using a degree of common sense," he said. "Ones that are appropriate and safe will be used and if they're not, the children wouldn't be allowed to have them and they'll be returned to the parents at the end of the day." But he does think the devices have their place in the classroom if used well. "If the children are engaged and enthusiastic about something, the quality of learning will be higher," he said. "We wouldn't use them for every lesson. "It would be the occasional opportunity to use them in a numeracy or literacy lesson to engage the children in activities they would be doing anyway. "For example, they would be doing graph work so we're using something to record real data they've taken themselves. "They then plot the graphs, but because they're recording something

Summary: They are the new craze sweeping school playgrounds.


The artist and photographer David Gwinnutt was part of the 1980s art scene that centred around the Blitz club in London's Covent Garden, leading to the creatives who frequented it being dubbed the "Blitz kids". Although they were known for their flamboyant makeup and performances, Gwinnutt captured these young men and women relaxing around their homes, which were often squats or rented council houses. Against a backdrop of the economic recession and unemployment of the early 1980s, some of these club-goers went on to become established artists and film-makers in their own right. "Derek Jarman [the experimental British filmmaker] really liked the photographs I had taken of him and asked me who I'd most like to photograph. I said David Bowie," Gwinnutt remembered about this photograph. "He laughed and said I should photograph John Maybury." Maybury was also a film-maker, who used theatrical themes and visuals in his work. The portrait above was taken as he smoked his first cigarette of the day in his Camden flat. Gilbert & George are artists who have spent their lives as "living sculptures", wearing sharp suits and making their entire existence a performance, down to claiming to eat in the same Turkish restaurant every evening. Gwinnutt met them at Planets nightclub in Piccadilly and, noticing how they stood out from the crowd in their neat suits, asked to photograph them in their East London home. The artist Cerith Wyn Evans stands on the set of his film Epiphany, which took inspiration from the London club scene and starred friends such as the flamboyant performance artist Leigh Bowery. In the image below, the artist Maggi Hambling looks in the mirror while smoking at a sink. She is best known for her sculpture on Aldeburgh beach dedicated to Benjamin Britten, as well as another sculptural "conversation" with Oscar Wilde, located near Trafalgar Square. In this photograph (above), co-founder of the fashion label BodyMap, David Holah, reclines on a sofa during a dinner party in Bloomsbury. At the time of this photograph below, Norman Rosenthal was the Exhibitions Secretary of the Royal Academy in London. Sensation, an exhibition he curated for the Academy in 1997, featured the work of Cerith Wyn Evans amongst others. The picture was taken in Rosenthal's flat opposite the Academy, which was so sparsely furnished the curator and art historian was forced to sit on the floor. Although Rosenthal was reclining, Gwinnutt recalled, "I felt all the time that he was observing me." The film producer Alison Owen, mother of singer Lily Allen, stands in a doorway in the mid 1980s. Since this was taken, she has worked on films such as Shaun of the Dead, The Other Boleyn Girl and Brick Lane. Although known for his flamboyant dress sense and immaculate makeup, fashion designer Stephen Linard is seen below in bed in his Kings Cross flat. On graduating from St Martin's School of Art, his first catwalk show of "mean and moody menswear" propelled him to overnight success. The man at the centre of this artistic scene, Derek Jarman [below] stares intensely down

Summary: David Gwinnutt: Before We Were Men runs at the National Portrait Gallery from 16 March-24 September 2017.