Operations will not stop until the area is cleared of all "terrorist concentrations", the army said. Air strikes continued into the early hours of Thursday. The army says 17 soldiers were among those killed after militants launched near-simultaneous raids on military checkpoints in Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah. Local reports put army casualties higher. The attack was one of the largest co-ordinated assaults in the area yet by Islamic State's (IS) local affiliate, Sinai Province. The peninsula has been under a state of emergency and a curfew since October, when dozens of soldiers were killed in a militant attack. Separately on Wednesday, security officials said nine members of the now banned Muslim Brotherhood, including former MP Nasr al-Hafi, had been killed in a police raid on a flat in western Cairo. The security situation in Egypt has worsened since the assassination of the public prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, three days ago in the capital. Analysts said the car bomb attack that killed Mr Barakat also bore the hallmarks of Sinai Province, which was known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis until it pledged allegiance to Islamic State in November and changed its name. In a statement, the army said it had killed "100 members of the terrorist elements" and injured them in "large numbers" in fighting in North Sinai. It said the operation left 17 soldiers, including four officers, dead. By late on Wednesday, an army spokesman said the situation was "100% under control" and militants had withdrawn from Sheikh Zuweid. Brig Mohamed Samir said: "The forces on the ground are completely under control. The group who were captured are being interrogated by the investigation team." Eyewitness earlier reported seeing militants roaming the streets of the northern town of Sheikh Zuweid, clashing with armed forces. Five army checkpoints were also targeted by car bomb attacks. The town's main police station came under mortar and RPG fire, and militants reportedly planted bombs along a road leading to a nearby army camp. Egypt sent F-16s jets to bombard the militants in several locations. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said his country sent its "condolences to the government and people of Egypt for the fallen Egyptians slain by IS terror". He added: "We see IS at the gates, across the border in the Golan, across the border in Egypt... We must stand up to all the forces of militant Islam, those led by Iran, those led by IS." Since October, police and army patrols have been stepped up to deal with militancy in Sinai - which has been on the rise since the military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. At least 600 police and armed forces personnel have since been killed. A buffer zone along the border with Gaza was also created and underground tunnels - which the military says were used to smuggle weapons from the Palestinian enclave - have been destroyed. Following the deaths in Cairo, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement saying that several of its leaders had been "murdered... in cold blood" and urged Egyptians to "rise in revolt" against the actions of

Summary: Egypt has vowed to rid its Sinai Peninsula of militants after major clashes with Islamic State fighters there killed more than 100 people.


Romelu Lukaku has joined Manchester United for £75m, Arsenal have snapped up France forward Alexandre Lacazette for a club-record £46.5m, while Everton have already topped the £100m mark for money spent. But how much are those stars on the move really worth? And what fees will others linked with big-money transfers command? The CIES Football Observatory has calculated the value of the world's top players using variables such as performance, international status, contract, age and position. Test your transfer acumen with our quiz and find out who is worth what this transfer window according to CIES. No cheating - you can check out the entire CIES Football Observatory list here. This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser

Summary: We're less than a fortnight into the summer transfer window, but Europe's top clubs are already flexing their financial muscle.


Pipe, 26, hit Rhys Morris over the head with a wine bottle outside a nightclub in Park Street in September 2009. Mr Morris, 29, was left with a four-inch hole in his skull and needed emergency surgery. Pipe had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Jailing Pipe at Bristol Crown Court, Judge Mark Horton called the player a "talented man with too much time and too much money''. He added: ''A tragedy would be too small a word to describe the tale which has led us to this courtroom." The former Welsh under-21 international, who has also played for Coventry City, was released by Rovers at the end of last season and is currently without a club. The court heard that Pipe had been drinking heavily at Antix nightclub with friends before the attack. He had become involved in a dispute over a woman and once outside the club he hit Mr Morris with the bottle. The court heard that Mr Morris, who needed metal plates inserted into his head after the attack, was an "entirely innocent" bystander. Pipe, who was identified by CCTV, told police that he had no memory of the event. He had made 89 appearances for the Pirates after signing from Notts County in 2007.

Summary: Former Bristol Rovers midfielder David Pipe has been jailed for 38 months for fracturing the skull of another man in an unprovoked attack in Bristol.


Media playback is not supported on this device There has never been a need or desire to brag about her talents. Her swimming speaks for itself. But the 17-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, has recently taken to sporting a snazzy bright hat to make sure she is noticed. It is not a fashion statement or shameless attempt at attention-seeking, simply a safety precaution. "Last year, she had her first epileptic seizure," mum Sharon told BBC Sport. "These are quite a normal thing with cerebral palsy unfortunately. "We didn't want to stop her swimming, so we bought her an orange hat, so when she does her training sessions she is easy to pick out in the lanes just in case something happens in the water." The first seizure was "horrifying". Various tests and plenty of worrying and uncertainty followed. As have "at least six" big seizures in the past 12 months. "It doesn't faze her," Sharon added. "They have all been in the night so she is not really aware of what has happened. "She just happily takes her medication and gets on with it. And the lifeguards are all aware that she is the one in the special orange hat." Milne had a stroke when she was born and is missing a third of her brain on the left side, something she previously joked "sounded cool". It means she has restricted movements on her right side. But the epilepsy - the latest obstacle - has not affected Milne's progress, times or enthusiasm. Having taken her GCSEs and spent a year at college, she now combines her swimming with an apprenticeship, working as a lifeguard and swimming assistant at the Meres Leisure Centre in Grantham, not far from her Lincolnshire home. She is still training five or six times per week at Grantham Swimming Club, and she is ranked in the top two in the country in her category at six events in long and short course this year. And she is now in the highest of two levels for Para-swimmers in the country - the England Programmes Development. Her progress from the Spotlight Programme has given her plenty to think about, but she is embracing the challenge. "Times are obviously important because now she is more senior," explained her liaison coach Carl Cooper. "But it's now about taking information on board and the processes - not just the swimming. "How do we make progress so she is world class? We get the athlete looking at their training and what they do leading up to it. We set goals and work on skills." Cooper is in regular contact, and sees Hayley about 10 times per year. She has one or two National Camps and one or two Zonal camps each year, as well as more bespoke training, and plenty of form-filling to keep tabs of her progress. Milne has taken to the step up. She desperately wants to make the next Paralympics and is well aware of the dedication needed to make that happen. She said: "It's harder for me swimming with swimmers

Summary: As one of the best young Para-swimmers in the country, Hayley Milne stands out.


Some business leaders and politicians claimed the nuclear plant, just outside Bridgwater in Somerset, will lead to an economic boom for the area. Initial estimates from Somerset County Council claimed the regional economy is set to benefit by around Â£4bn. However, others are concerned about the impact of having Europe's largest construction site on their doorstep. Leader of Somerset County Council John Osman said the decision is a "once in a generation" opportunity and will "bring unprecedented investment and job creation to the county and the wider region". Councillor David Hall, cabinet member for business and inward investment, said the plants will be the catalyst for economic growth in Somerset: "During construction alone, the project is expected to bring Â£200m to the local economy." Roy Pumphrey of the Stop Hinkley Campaign said "Bridgwater will not know what has hit it when, and if, the real work on the power station should it ever start, begins. "Once the thousands of vans, hundreds of buses... are all on the roads Bridgwater will become a no go area as far as access is concerned. Speaking on BBC Somerset Emma Gibson from Greenpeace said: "I don't think it's over. The deal may still unravel and cause a great deal of concern for the people of Somerset. "There is huge uncertainty around this project...it's better to invest in renewable energy - it's cheaper and more reliable." However, councillor Leigh Redman, from Bridgwater Town & Sedgemoor District Council, said "Hinkley Point C should be welcomed for the good it will bring our town, but we should be compensated where necessary for inconvenience or negative impact. "I call on Hinkley Point C to remember the small person and go that extra mile to support those that need it." Chief executive of Visit Somerset John Turner said the "eyes of the world will be on Somerset" and they are getting ready to "welcome probably the largest workforce coming into the region". He added that they have "worked very hard with other local government bodies over many years to ensure that Somerset gains the most out of the this project". Professor Tom Scott, co-director of the South West Nuclear Hub and Nuclear Research Centre at the University of Bristol, said the decision will "support the UK nuclear renaissance". He added this is a "huge opportunity opening up in the region for young skilled people to enter the nuclear industry."

Summary: There has been a mixed reaction in the West to the government's announcement that Hinkley C will go ahead.


Coulson was convicted on Tuesday of conspiracy to hack phones. Goodman had already pleaded guilty in 2006. But jurors could not decide on charges against the pair of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. The judge criticised David Cameron for commenting on the case while the jury was still deliberating. Meanwhile, the BBC has learned that one of the phone hacking victims was Carole Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's mother. On Tuesday the prime minister apologised for employing Coulson as his communications chief but that he had done so "on the basis of undertakings I was given by him about phone hacking and those turned out not to be the case." Coulson's lawyer criticised Mr Cameron's "ill-advised and premature intervention" in the case - a move described as "unwise" by former lord chancellor Ken Clarke. The judge commented: "I consider that what has happened is unsatisfactory so far as justice and the rule of law are concerned." Discharging the jury at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Saunders said a decision on any retrial would be made on Monday. Five people have pleaded guilty in the case, while former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie were among the remaining defendants cleared on Tuesday. Mr Cameron faced criticism from Labour leader Ed Miliband at Prime Minister's Questions for his decision to take Coulson with him into Downing Street. Labour wants an investigation into why Coulson did not receive the highest level of security vetting when he joined the No. 10 operation. But Mr Cameron insisted it had been the civil service's role to vet the appointment and that he had been exonerated by a public inquiry following the hacking scandal. "Every single one of these issues was dealt with exhaustively by the Leveson Inquiry," the prime minster told MPs. "He looked into all of these questions about the warnings I was given and the response I gave and he made no criticism of my conduct." The BBC's Robert Peston said that, if there was to be an investigation, it would be head of the civil service, Sir Jeremy Heywood, facing embarrassment over the failure to vet Coulson. However, Mr Miliband listed a string of allegations about the PM's role, insisting: "When it came to Andy Coulson, you just didn't want to know the evidence. "This is about your character, your judgement and the warnings you ignored." Mr Cameron appointed Coulson as his official spokesman after becoming prime minister in 2010, only for the former News of the World editor to resign in 2011 amid growing allegations about phone hacking at the paper. The prime minister had become "the first ever occupant of his office who brought a criminal into the heart of Downing Street", Mr Miliband added. Phone-hacking verdicts in full: Clive Goodman - the News of the World's former royal editor - and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire have already served jail terms. In 2007 they were convicted after hacking the phones of members of the royal household. Royals, celebrities and victims of crime had their phones hacked by

Summary: A jury has failed to reach verdicts on two outstanding charges against former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and journalist Clive Goodman.


The 3,500-seater auditorium is part of a £500m redevelopment project to transform the city centre. Swansea council has advertised for an operator to run the facility on the former St David's shopping centre site. Officials hope a new arena will attract touring live shows from hit programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor. Swansea council said survey work at the site had been carried out and an outline planning application was due to be submitted in March. Other ideas for the former St David's complex include a café and restaurant quarter as well as a cinema. The proposals were announced in January alongside a scheme to transform the Civic Centre site into apartments, an aquarium as well as an aquatic sciences research centre. It is hoped the two projects would create 1,700 permanent jobs in the future.

Summary: A planned indoor arena for Swansea has come a step closer as council bosses begin looking for a firm to run it.


Allan Bell made the statement during peaceful demonstrations by pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners outside the Manx parliament on Tuesday. Mr Bell said work on changing the legislation would begin "at the end of this year, early next year". The Termination of Pregnancy Act 1995 is the current law governing abortions in the Isle of Man. This means a termination can only be carried out on the island in the case of a pregnancy arising from a criminal offence such as rape, or on mental health grounds. For most women seeking an abortion, the only option is to travel to the UK to pay for the procedure. Manx campaign group, CALM (Campaign for Abortion Law Modernisation), which was established in April, wants island legislation to be brought in line with the UK. Although it is not currently illegal, the group said it is "almost impossible" for women to have a termination on the Isle of Man. A spokesman added: "The current act is incredibly restrictive. We are not saying abortion should be available to everyone at the drop of a hat." Anti-abortion campaigners at the rally held banners saying: "Thou shalt not kill". A spokesman said: "I'm part of a group which is here to represent the rights of unborn babies." Chief Minister Allan Bell said the legislation was due to be reviewed after the Isle of Man's general election in September.

Summary: The chief minister of the Isle of Man has said abortion laws on the island "need changing".


Officers from North Wales and Dyfed-Powys police forces have tweeted photographs of sheep which have been injured or killed in dog attacks. A rural crime team has published a montage of distressing pictures. The caption reads: "This needs no words or music. Just time to reflect on the devastating impact an irresponsible dog owner can have."

Summary: Police are urging dog owners to be responsible following attacks on sheep ahead of the lambing season.


South Wales Police has confirmed that the matter is closed and that the three complainants have been told. The force said it has informed Operation Hydrant, which oversees allegations of historical child sex abuse against high-profile people. Lord Tonypandy, who was born in Port Talbot, died of cancer in 1997 aged 88. Then known as George Thomas, he was a Labour MP in Cardiff from 1945 to 1983. The methodist preacher was also Secretary of State for Wales from 1968 to 1970 and was Commons Speaker between 1976 and 1983. Allegations of historical child sexual abuse were made against him four years ago. A man, now in his fifties, living in Australia, alleged that Lord Tonypandy had sexually assaulted him in Cardiff when he was nine years old while he was staying at the boy's parents home in the 1960s and 1970s. Other allegations against him included that he sexually assaulted a 16 or 17-year-old boy on a train between Newport and London in the 1960s. There were also claims he inappropriately touched someone on a train from London to Aberystwyth in 1959. On Wednesday, South Wales Police said its investigation has come to an end and that no further action would be taken. "These allegations have been investigated proportionately by South Wales Police in line with national guidance," it said in a statement. "The force takes all allegations of sexual abuse seriously no matter when the alleged offence took place and encourages any victims of sexual abuse to come forward, in the knowledge that they will be listened to and their allegations taken seriously." Friends and people who knew Lord Tonypandy have previously said they found the allegations difficult to believe.

Summary: An investigation into sex abuse claims made against the former Speaker of the House of Commons Viscount Tonypandy has ended.


It is claimed the accounts for the Cleddau Bridge are confusing, with some showing a loss and others a profit. Motorists pay 75p - lorry drivers £1.50 - to cross between Pembroke Dock and Neyland. There have been previous calls to scrap the tolls altogether. The council said it will review both the physical and financial management of the bridge. The announcement follows a complaint from a member of the public to the Wales Audit Office, which argued that money collected by the council was not being spent in line with rules governing the bridge. The complaint also suggested that council accounts for the bridge are confusing. One set of Pembrokeshire council figures for 2013/14 show the bridge operation made a loss of £60.6m. A second set of figures for the same period suggest the loss was £9.3m. And a third set of figures state that the council actually made a combined surplus of £17.6m. Council officials have confirmed to BBC Wales that £60m deficit is in fact a 'notional' loss - and does not actually exist. The second part of the complaint to auditors is over whether the council should be allowed to make a profit - and where that money should be spent. Collecting tolls on the Cleddau Bridge is governed by legislation set out by the UK Parliament in the Dyfed Act 1987. Council leader Jamie Adams said the authority's position was that it can make a profit as long as the funds are used for other transport projects. However, he accepted that the wording of the 1987 law was unclear. Mr Adams added: "We've simply followed the example set by our predecessor authority Dyfed. "Certainly there are different ways to interpret the act which allow for different accounting practices to be undertaken." The council said it plans to carry out the review of the lifetime cycle of the Cleddau Bridge by the end of March 2016.

Summary: The way tolls on a Pembrokeshire bridge are managed are to be reviewed after a complaint to a spending watchdog.


Operators Serco said it was a "peaceful protest" and it was talking to the women involved. Two members of staff had earlier been suspended following allegations of abuse. Undercover filming by Channel 4 News had shown staff referring to inmates as "animals", "beasties" and "bitches". The facility houses up to 400 women under threat of deportation. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Home Office Minister Karen Bradley told MPs Serco "immediately suspended" one member of staff and then another after seeing the footage. "The company has also commissioned an independent review of its culture and staffing at Yarl's Wood," she said. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for an independent inquiry into conditions at the centre.

Summary: About a dozen female detainees at Yarl's Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire were involved in a "small" protest on Tuesday night.


The monthly deficit was £4.14bn, up from £1.07bn in September. Between August and October there was a deficit of £8.4bn, a £2.4bn increase from the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The growing deficits were due to a big increase in imports of goods, combined with a small decrease in exports. "October's dismal UK trade figures provided further signs that the economic recovery has remained worryingly-unbalanced in the fourth quarter," said Paul Hollingsworth, UK economist at Capital Economics. "The economic recovery looks unlikely to garner support from the external sector in Q4, and instead will remain reliant on the domestic services sector." The monthly trade deficit figures are notoriously volatile, and the ONS lost the national statistic designation from the series following a series of errors last year. The deficit in goods in the three months to the end of October was £31.6bn, £2.5bn wider than in the previous quarter. That was largely due to a £1.6bn fall in fuel exports and £1.3bn rise in imports of machinery and transport equipment.

Summary: The UK's trade deficit - the difference between the amount it imports and exports - widened considerably in October, according to official figures.


The failure of BHS and tough competition in the clothing market contributed to the poor performance. A report filed with Companies House by Taveta investments showed pre-tax profits for the 12 months to August 27 2016 fell to £36.8m, down from £172.2m the previous year. Total sales fell 2.5% to £2.02bn. Taveta is the holding company of Arcadia which alongside its biggest brand, Topshop, owns Miss Selfridge, Burton, Evans, Wallis and Dorothy Perkins. Taveta's statement reveals its profits were dented by £129.2m in one-off charges. These exceptional costs included £26.4m related to the collapse into administration of BHS in April of last year, and the "subsequent regulatory investigations", it said. Taveta also made a £21.8m provision for "onerous" leases on loss-making stores last year. It said its financial performance was "below prior year levels". "The retail industry continues to experience a period of major change as customers become ever more selective and value conscious and advances in technology open up more diverse, fast-changing and complex sales channels. "Clothing has also become a less important part of the household budget," it added, echoing recent statements made by other High Street fashion chains. Meanwhile, Taveta said Brexit had caused economic uncertainty and the fall in sterling had dented its results. "The group is looking at initiatives to improve margin to offset the ongoing impact of weaker sterling." Market conditions remained "challenging and very competitive", with new players entering the market particularly online, it continued. And while UK unemployment was low and consumer credit availability continued to rise "the slow growth in average earnings impacts the spending power of customers". The last BHS store closed its doors last year when no buyer could be found for the chain. There was an estimated £571m hole in the BHS pension covering all future payouts. The potential of taking on such a burden was seen as one of the reasons that BHS failed to find backers or buyers for the business at a whole. In February of this year Sir Philip agreed a £363m cash settlement with the Pensions Regulator to plug the gap in the BHS pension scheme. The deal means workers will get the same starting pension that they were originally promised.

Summary: Profits at Sir Philip Green's retail empire, which includes High Street fashion chain Topshop, plummeted by 79% last year.


The Institute for Science and International Security says images of the Yongbyon plant show patterns of melting snow indicating new activity. Yongbyon's reactor was shut down in 2007 but was restarted in 2013. Six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme have been stalled since early 2009. The think-tank's report says that its assessment in late 2014 was that the reactor at Yongbyon, in the country's west, had been "shut down or partially shut down" but more recent images suggested the plant "may be operating at low power or intermittently". As well as the patterns of melting snow, the satellite photos are also said to capture a stream of warm water coming out of the reactor's discharge pipeline and steam rising off the turbine. This study is a powerful reminder that North Korea's nuclear weapons programme has not gone away. It also shows the important role that independent analysts with access to civilian satellite imagery can play in helping to publicise what previously would have been top secret material available only to a handful of governments. The winter snow and ice provides a helpful environment to reveal tell-tale signs that the Yongbyon reactor may have restarted. There's still considerable uncertainty about the scale of North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Recently Chinese nuclear experts provided their US counterparts with a new assessment of North Korea's nuclear capabilities suggesting it may already have 20 warheads with the capacity to double this total by next year. US estimates are much more conservative. It means that over the past 12 years Pyongyang has developed an expanding arsenal which many see as a significant threat to the region. In 2008, North Korea walked away from six-party talks with South Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia on its denuclearisation. The other countries have since tried to persuade North Korea to return to the negotiating table. Earlier this year North Korea offered to stop nuclear tests if the US stopped holding military drills with Seoul, but the offer was rejected. North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests, in 2006, 2009 and 2013. Also on Thursday, Russia said the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had cancelled his plans to attend World War Two victory commemorations in Moscow. The visit next week would have been his first trip abroad since taking power three years ago. However, a Kremlin spokesman said Mr Kim had decided to stay in North Korea due to "internal issues".

Summary: A US think-tank says satellite pictures taken earlier this year suggest North Korea may have restarted one of its nuclear reactors.


The Warriors have won three Super League games in a row and sit just two points behind leaders Hull FC. "I think we're off it at the moment, I don't think we're anywhere near our potential," Wane, 51, told BBC Radio Manchester. "I was asked a few weeks ago and I said we're four or five out of 10 and I still think the same." He added: "I don't mean to say that in an arrogant way, I genuinely believe that. I know what the players are capable of." Wigan winger Josh Charnley has impressed during their recent run, including a hat-trick in Friday's win at Salford. He has now scored 15 tries in 17 outings in what is his final season with the club before a cross-code switch to Sale Sharks. "I think he's been great," added Wane. "I do think his performances have improved and that shows you the mental strength of Josh Charnley. "He'll be sorely missed by us, but he wants to go out of this season with a bang and the way he's playing at the moment, he's been outstanding. "He has my mentality that we want to win things every single year, and he's playing that way."

Summary: Wigan head coach Shaun Wane believes there is much more to come from his squad in the second half of the season.


Oswell, 24, who scored 22 goals in 2016-17, started his career at Crewe and joined Newtown from Airbus UK in 2014. "It is disappointing to lose Jason, he has been a fantastic player for us in recent years," Newtown boss Chris Hughes said. "But he expressed desire to return to the English system."

Summary: Welsh Premier League top scorer Jason Oswell has left Newtown for National League North side Stockport County.


Its operating profit was $559m in the three months to 30 June, down 2.5% on the same period last year. The company found its core search engine business less profitable in a more competitive market. Baidu announced last month that it would be investing more in its e-commerce and electronic wallets. Research and development costs attributed to its new investments jumped 56.2% in its second quarter to $437m. The company had a revenue of $2.67bn over its second quarter, which is a 38.5% increase compared with last year. Baidu's financial officer said: "We continue to invest decisively in the 'Next Baidu'. We are delighted by the progress we have achieved and are confident that these investments will generate long term shareholder value."

Summary: China's biggest online search engine Baidu missed analysts' expectations as profits took a hit from investment redirected elsewhere.


Age: 44 Nominated for: Blue Jasmine The character: Jasmine is a wealthy New York socialite who suffers a humiliating fall from grace after her husband is arrested for financial fraud. Oscar record: The Australian actress has picked up five previous Academy Award nominations, including two nods for the role of Elizabeth I, whom she portrayed in 1998's Elizabeth and its 2007 sequel The Golden Age. She won the best supporting actress Oscar in 2005 for playing Hollywood star Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. The critics said: "Blanchett, who has played Blanche in Streetcar on stage, is the film's glory. She is miraculous at finding the bruised heart of this bullying elitist. This is Blanchett triumphant, and not to be missed." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Age: 49 Nominated for: Gravity The character: Dr Ryan Stone, an astronaut coping with the loss of her four-year-old daughter, is left adrift in space after a devastating accident. Oscar record: Bullock's one previous nomination converted to an Oscar statuette for her leading role in The Blind Side in 2010. The critics said: "Bullock inhabits the role with grave dignity and hints at Stone's past scars with sensitivity and tact, and she holds the screen effortlessly once Gravity becomes a veritable one-woman show." Justin Chang, Variety Age: 79 Nominated for: Philomena The character: Philomena Lee is an Irish Catholic woman who was sent to a convent when she became pregnant as a teenager in the 1950s, and saw her child given up for adoption. A meeting with a journalist in later life prompts a search to find the son she lost. Philomena Lee is still alive today. Oscar record: Dame Judi has previously landed a total of six Academy Awards nominations. She won for her second nomination, playing Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. Famously, she appeared on screen for only eight minutes. The critics said: "Ms. Dench's Philomena Lee glows with the radiance of someone serene in her faith despite inhumane treatment by the church. That she makes you believe her character has the capacity to forgive, provides the movie with a solid moral centre." Stephen Holden, New York Times Age: 39 Nominated for: American Hustle The character: Sydney Prosser is a confidence trickster who is forced to take part in an FBI sting operation to root out corrupt politicians. Oscar record: Has already picked up four nominations all in the best supporting actress category, most recently for 2012's The Master - but has yet to collect a golden statuette. The critics said: "Sydney Prosser is played with a gleam of pure self-harming passion by Amy Adams." Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian Age: 64 Nominated for: August: Osage County The character: Violet Weston, a family matriarch suffering from cancer with a penchant for taking prescription drugs and doling out searing insults to her loved ones. Oscar record: Streep has collected a total of 17 nominations from previous years, with three wins. One for best supporting actress in Kramer vs Kramer (1980) and two for best actress: Sophie's Choice (1983) and, almost 30 years later, as Margaret Thatcher

Summary: A look at the best actress winner and her fellow nominees at the 86th Academy Awards.


Events are taking place in Dublin to mark the centenary of the 1916 rebellion against British rule, a seminal moment in Ireland's past. Some unionists have been reluctant to take part in or support the events. Michael D Higgins also said the commemorations are an example to the UK of how to reflect on its own history. The Easter Rising, a brief and militarily unsuccessful republican revolt, is seen by many historians as a significant stepping-stone in the eventual creation of the Republic of Ireland and the partition of the island. A greater depth of knowledge, President Higgins said, meant the Easter Rising was now being put "in context of what was happening in Europe" 100 years ago. "I do think that without 1916, and the events that surrounded it, we would not have achieved our independence," he said in a wide-ranging interview for the BBC. "It is one of the founding events, without a doubt, and it is of immense significance in terms of where it occurs historically but also symbolically." President Higgins said Ireland's approach to the rising's centenary was one of "ethical sensitivity". And he added that "it is responsible not to be seeing fears where there are none". "My great hope, as head of state, is that we will put ourselves into each other's history," he said. "We must be able to take your version, my version, move into the shoes of the other, and we must be open to changing our versions as new facts, information and analysis become available to us. "I would hope that people in Northern Ireland will approach these commemorations, and as we commemorate the [Battle of the] Somme, that we'd be able to do so generously." President Higgins said people must not "become a prisoner of the past" and "mustn't allow any distortions of history". He said everyone's take on history must be open to critique, and that Britain, like Ireland, had to closely examine its past. "When we decide to address the issue of violence, let us speak of the violence of empire, the violence of state, the violence of insurrection," he said. "Let's do it all - this is the challenge that people are not rising to. "Having spent decades revising nationalism, where is the evidence that there is as much energy put into addressing the issue of empire? "As empires came to establishing their stamp on neighbouring countries, what was the consequences of that?" He described the Northern Ireland peace process as "fragile" and an "ongoing project", but added it would be "pessimistic and wrong" to say significant reconciliation had not been achieved. "There is real reconciliation going on," he said. "You don't keep picking at the sources of division to undermine what progress you're making in the present in terms of reconciliation." Earlier this week, the Inniskillings Museum in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, presented President Higgins with a green harp flag that had been taken by a soldier from Dublin's Liberty Hall during the rising.

Summary: The Irish president has said he hopes people in Northern Ireland will approach the Easter Rising commemorations "generously".


David McIlveen, who is still a member of the party, said Mrs Foster had "seriously misjudged" public anger. Mrs Foster set up the RHI scheme in 2012, but its lack of cost controls has left NI taxpayers with a Â£490m bill. A DUP spokesperson said she continued to receive "overwhelming support" within the party and beyond. "Former MLA David McIlveen is entitled to his personal opinions, however, this is the first time that he has articulated any view since losing his seat," they said. On Wednesday, the party said the assembly may be recalled next week to approve emergency legislation to deal with the overspend. Mr McIlveen, who is the son of Free Presbyterian minister and close friend of the late Rev Ian Paisley, Rev David McIlveen, questioned Mrs Foster's handling of RHI in an article for the News Letter. He suggested Mrs Foster was personally responsible for turning the scheme into an "omnishambles" and said she will come under increased pressure from her own party. He drew comparisons with the treatment of former DUP leaders Peter Robinson and the Rev Ian Paisley. Mr McIlveen wrote that Mrs Foster was now "deeply damaged" and unlikely to lead the party into the next election after becoming an "electoral liability". "Does a party obsessed with elections want to move forward with a leader who appears incapable of facing up to their mistakes?" he asked. "The RHI scandal was most likely driven more by a desire to curry favour with the rural electorate than anything more sinister. "Whilst the view in public is that Arlene's team are as loyal and happy as ever, the reality in private is something very different." The party's East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson dismissed Mr McIlveen's comments. He asked what was more credible: "The views of one individual who will have his own motivations, or the views of the vast majority of party members who have publicly come out and given their support to Arlene Foster. "I think that I am maybe in a better position than David McIlveen to make an assessment of the view within the party." However, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said Mr McIlveen's intervention was "significant". "I know you were reporting it as David McIlveen breaking ranks and that is true, but equally true is that he is joining the ranks of those pointing the finger of blame," he said. "And we're not talking about bit players here, David McIlveen was an assembly private secretary for Arlene Foster, he's joining Jonathan Bell who was a junior minister and also a minister for the department of enterprise." Mr McIlveen also criticised Mrs Foster's treatment of Jonathan Bell, who in December, made a series of allegations about the DUP's involvement in the scheme. "When one of her own party members broke rank to express their concern about the scheme, rather than approach the issues raised with a listening ear, the default position was to attack the personal integrity of the individual raising the concerns," he wrote. "In any other context, Jonathan Bell MLA would be called a

Summary: A former DUP MLA has broken ranks and criticised the party leader Arlene Foster, saying the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme is an "omnishambles".


On market days, stalls cover the square of my local town in front of the old abbey and the car parks are full. Wander through the tight streets and it's hard to see that anything is different - it looks and feels the same as it always has - but a silent revolution is under way. Since 2010, national spending on local government has halved and all of our communities are having to make do with less. In Selby, the police cells and magistrates court have been closed, CCTV and bus services have been cut back, street wardens have been axed and many of the street lights turn off at midnight. And a voluntary army is at work. On the outskirts of the town, Terry Heselton manages a team of volunteers who run Barlby library - which would have closed without their efforts. "Most people would prefer it if the council could carry on providing the library service, but in the real world that's simply not going to happen," he says. Nationally, the number of library volunteers has almost doubled since 2010. It is a new model of civic provision and it brings savings, but Terry says he had doubts. "Your initial reaction as a group of volunteers is 'we're taking people's jobs, aren't we?' And I'm sure there are some people who still think that, but at the end of the day, I think we now know year-on-year, there's increasing cuts. We're never going to go back to running things the way they used to be." North Yorkshire County Council funds many of the services in Selby, but its spending power is shrinking by a third. The council has already saved £116m and it says it has done what it can to protect frontline services, with 60% of the savings found in the back office and more than 100 managers leaving. Gary Fielding has to make the figures work. He says the first cuts were genuine efficiency improvements, but it's got harder. "You go for the low-hanging fruit, you then grasp for the medium-height fruit and we're now getting the stepladders out and really climbing up that tree," he says. "We will always provide essential services to the most vulnerable, but change has got to happen - even on frontline services." Eighty-year-old Jean Collins volunteers in the Age UK Selby District offices in the town centre. The council used to pay for workers at the charity to visit isolated elderly people in their homes as part of a befriending scheme, but funding has now been redistributed to other Age UK organisations in Yorkshire and other befriending services in the town. The charity can now only afford to pay for a phone line in the office. One person affected by the changes is 87-year-old Betty McIntyre, who lives on her own in the village of Brayton, just outside Selby. She had a fall last year and has been confined to a chair in her living room for seven months. In one recent call, she told Jean: "I've been crying my eyes out

Summary: Selby is a tidy market town sitting in the flat, open countryside south of York.


On Saturday, she became the first British woman to win a world title when she took gold in the 1500m. And on Sunday the 26-year-old added a gold in the 1000m, bronze in the 3000m and claimed the overall title. The Scot had previously won eight world championship medals but never gold. "I was mainly focused on the 1000m, so winning the 1500m was a bonus for me, as I haven't raced that distance in so long," Christie said. "I don't think my competitors would have expected that either. "This year I have really changed my mindset, it was win or lose. I risked losing to win, taking each distance one at a time this weekend. "I have been physically capable for a long time, and I have shown I am mentally ready now." The world titles represent an impressive resurgence from Christie, who said she was considering her future in the sport after being disqualified from all three of her events at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Livingston-born Christie also finished fourth in the 500m final on Saturday. She has been focusing on the shorter distance events this season and had already set a new 500m world record of 42.335 seconds. Meanwhile at the World Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Championships, Zoe Gillings-Brier finished ninth in the snowboard cross. She only gave birth to a daughter last August and missed out on a chunk of pre-season training. Gillings-Brier, who does not receive UK Sport funding, told BBC Sport: "I loved every minute of it. Back on a big course with all the best competitors. Hopefully I'll get some great training in the summer." American Lindsey Jacobellis landed her fifth world title in a photo finish with France's Chloe Trespeuch. On her first appearance in the competition, 19-year-old Welsh competitor Maisie Potter went out in the snowboard cross quarter-finals.

Summary: Elise Christie has become a triple world champion after victory in the 1000m, 1500m and the overall title at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam.


The Plymouth towers will have cladding removed after it emerged it was made of similar material to Grenfell Tower. It was expected to be removed within days, but authorities now say it won't be taken down until at least November. Plymouth Community Homes says additional safety precautions are in place to ensure its residents' safety. More on tower block cladding delay and other Devon and Cornwall stories Chloe Brewster, 22, fled her flat in the Mount Wise Tower estate with her baby after a fire broke out in one of the blocks earlier this year. "It's absolutely horrifying to think that it's going to be at least to the end of the year that they're going to remove the cladding," she said. "There is a highly likely chance of a fire happening between now and the end of the year. "At the end of the day they're not the ones that are having nightmares about burning to death with a baby in a tower block." Plymouth Community Homes said it would not follow Camden Council's decision to evacuate residents, because the Mount Wise towers have additional fires safety measures and precautions in place. CEO John Clark said last week that the cladding would be removed "over the next couple of days". But in a letter to residents on Tuesday the housing authority said specialist consultants had identified a target date for the removal of the panels by the end of November. Labour MP Luke Pollard has also claimed that some people living in high-rise flats are being refused insurance renewals.

Summary: A young mother says she has nightmares about "burning to death" with her baby after work on three tower blocks was delayed.


A US team writing in the New England Journal of Medicine say Down's syndrome can be reliably tested for in the mother's blood. Meanwhile, Great Ormond Street Hospital has started offering similar tests. A decision on whether the UK's Down's syndrome screening programme should change is due this year. At the moment in the UK, a woman is assessed based on her age and an ultrasound scan, with those deemed high-risk having further tests. These involve a needle taking a sample of the placenta or the fluid that bathes the baby. There is a risk of miscarriage with the procedure. Blood tests look for fragments of DNA from the placenta, which drift about in the mother's bloodstream. Down's syndrome is caused by an extra copy of a huge stretch of DNA and that extra bundle of genetic information can be detected in the blood. If initial tests are more accurate they could reduce the number of women who go on to have the invasive test. Previous research had suggested the tests were effective in high-risk women. Now a team at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests the blood test could replace current tests for all women. They correctly identified 38 cases of Down's syndrome out of nearly 16,000 women tested. The basic risk screening found only 30 cases and had a higher rate of false-positives. The UK's national screening committee will assess the new tests in June. Professor Lyn Chitty, from Great Ormond Street, has been evaluating how they could be introduced across the NHS. She says testing every pregnant woman's blood is unlikely. However, she says it can and should be integrated into the existing screening so that high-risk women have an extra check before deciding if an invasive procedure is needed. She told the BBC: "These are really exciting times; this cell-free DNA is changing prenatal care dramatically. "I think it broadens access to testing. really; a number of women will decline invasive testing because of the risk of miscarriage and they may well take up non-invasive prenatal testing." She said progress in the area was "very rapid" and tests for other genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis were also becoming available. Great Ormond Street already has an approved test which it has started offering in parts of London. The Down's Syndrome Association said that if the changes did come into force then the risks and benefits need to be clearly communicated to parents. "At the time of testing, easily understood and up-to-date information must be provided in an unbiased way by well trained professionals," the organisation said in a statement.

Summary: Testing pregnant women's blood for disorders in unborn children promises dramatic advances in medicine, researchers have said.


A Commons committee has said official copies of Acts of Parliament should be printed on archive paper to save money. But member David Amess, Southend West MP, told the BBC he had had "second thoughts" and vellum should remain. Fellow member James Gray, MP for North Wiltshire, said switching to paper would save "very little money, if any". He was late for the meeting in October when the Commons Administration Committee decided to back a call from Lord Laming that Acts of Parliament should be recorded on "high-quality archive paper" instead of the vellum. It said specialised printing on vellum cost too much and top quality archive paper could last for 500 years. Lord Laming said the "slightly over Â£100,000 per year" cost of vellum could not be justified, when archival paper was "superior for print quality". An online database of legislation is also kept. The change must be agreed in the House of Commons, which rejected a previous bid to ditch vellum in 1999. Now one committee member has changed his mind. "I should have given more careful consideration to what we had been asked to decide upon. I now believe that I made a mistake in not voicing my concerns then," Mr Amess told BBC Sunday Politics West. "It's very precious and is at the heart of the United Kingdom's tradition as being the mother of all parliaments." Paul Wright, manager of vellum manufacturer William Cowley, said he was "gobsmacked" at the committee's decision. He calculated the average yearly cost at nearer Â£47,000. North Wiltshire MP Mr Gray said vellum would last for 5,000 years at least and "can be kept in an ordinary cupboard" while paper would require "a new archive centre" with environmental controls to stop it degrading. "I can't think why it is that this committee in Parliament are thinking about changing something that's done perfectly well for 1,000 years. It's a real piece of Parliamentary history," he said.

Summary: An MP who backed moves to scrap Parliament's centuries-old tradition of printing laws on calf skin has admitted he "made a mistake".


The original judgment said long delays in executing prisoners meant the death penalty was "cruel and unusual". The appeal court has now dismissed that ruling as legally flawed, overturning it on procedural grounds. Separate legal arguments about lethal injections mean that executions in California remain suspended. The latest case was brought by Ernest DeWayne Jones, who was sentenced to death 20 years ago for the rape and murder of his girlfriend's mother. His lawyers argued that long delays in the appeals process meant that only a "random few" of those on death row were actually put to death. More than 900 people have been sentenced to death in California since 1978 but only 13 have been executed. A district court ruled in Jones's favour in July 2014, criticising the "dysfunctional post-conviction review process". But on Thursday the court of appeals for the ninth circuit concluded that legal precedent meant the courts should not be considering the merits of the case. No-one has been put to death in California since 2006 and executions will remain on hold pending separate legal arguments about whether lethal injections are constitutional.

Summary: A US federal appeal court has rejected a ruling which declared that capital punishment in California was unconstitutional.


Garita, 20, plays for Chateauroux in France's third tier and was at Ashton Gate on trial in November. "Arnie is a £50,000 punt that will play in our under-21s," Cotterill told BBC Radio Bristol. "We don't have anyone who is as physically strong as he is. He's raw, big, strong, tough and hungry." The Robins are currently short of options up front, with Jonathan Kodjia, signed from French side Angers last summer, starting all but one of their matches in the Championship this season. Cotterill says that Garita will train with City's first team, and could force his way into the senior XI as his search for new players continues. "In the first training session he clattered Nathan Baker, and then Nathan clattered him back, and he had a big smile on his face," said Cotterill, who had been hoping to extend Elliott Bennett's stay with the club before he joined Blackburn from Norwich on Tuesday. "He endeared himself to all the lads by working hard and we have to see where that one goes. If he ends up in the first team it'll be one hell of a story." On the type of player he is hoping to sign in January, Cotterill added: "Good ones if we can - the trouble is there is a lack of good ones available. "We need some players that can go in and help the younger ones. "We are doing our best. My phone is having to be charged two or three times a day - we just want a few good ones. We don't want the wrong ones, we've got a lot going for us."

Summary: Bristol City are closing in on the signing of striker Arnold Garita, a player that manager Steve Cotterill has described as a "£50,000 punt".


The award of the franchise to FirstGroup was scrapped on Wednesday because of bidding process "flaws". The Times has reported that she learned of a potential flaw a week before the Cabinet reshuffle on 4 September. The DfT says this was not the error that caused the process to collapse. Three civil servants - who face possible further disciplinary action pending an investigation - have been suspended after the government admitted major failings over the contract to run the rail line. BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said the department told him Ms Greening had been made aware of an area of "potential concern" but that she had been told it would "not affect the outcome". She asked officials to check it further and it turned out to be a "minor error". The department insists it is not related to the main flaw that they found later on and which brought the whole process down. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said a "terrible mistake" in evaluating the relative merits of four bids had been made by Department for Transport staff and that the fault lay "wholly and squarely" with the department. Staff reportedly failed to include predicted passenger numbers and inflation forecasts in some of the risk assessments of the rival bids from firms. They included Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Trains, which currently runs the route - which links London with Glasgow and Edinburgh via the Midlands and north-west of England. Mr McLoughlin said the estimated cost of reimbursing the four companies for the cost of their bids would be Â£40m. Meanwhile, the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents one of the suspended men, said it would ensure the inquiry examined all the issues, including ministerial involvement and oversight of the bidding process. General secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The way ministers have sought to blame civil servants in the Department for Transport before any of the facts have been established has been deplorable but sadly not out of character. "It is entirely consistent with the way the civil service is being treated by many ministers as an irritation, rather than as a professional body that works to ensure the smooth running of government." Scotland's transport secretary has hit out at the handling of the franchise, saying the Scottish Government had been given no notice of the decision to scrap the FirstGroup deal. In a statement at the Scottish Parliament, Keith Brown said: "The department's handling of the procurement process has been incompetent and shambolic. Most importantly, it has caused a great deal of confusion and speculation about arrangements for West Coast services after the franchise handover date of 9 December." He said the Scottish government would be keeping a close eye on assurances which had been given by the Department of Transport that services would not be affected.

Summary: Former Transport Secretary Justine Greening did not know about the problem which led to the collapse of the West Coast Main Line franchise award, the Department for Transport has said.


Number Seven Boat Trips and Bristol Ferry Boats both operate services in the city's harbour. Number Seven Boat Trips said the changes were "unjust". Bristol Ferry Boats disagreed and said the new timetable was "fairer than the previous one". The city council said it was introduced "following feedback from customers". Both companies operate the same route between Temple Meads and Hotwells, at staggered times. Previously, the two boats collected people every 10 minutes in a 20 minute slot - and then one boat picked up passengers over the next 40 minutes. Changes now mean ferries collect at regular 20-minute intervals and passengers can now stay on the same boat for the whole trip, instead of changing in the city centre. Richard Rankin, of Number Seven Boat Trips, said: "We're told to move from our timetable on the Hotwells route - which we've run for 15 years - 10 minutes earlier. "What it does then is, by running two boats close together it maximises the potential for what passengers there are to get on the other side's boats. "That strikes me as being very unjust." But Philippa Bungard, from Bristol Ferry Boats, said feedback indicated the service was "better for everybody". "[It] is much fairer than the previous timetable and everyone so far seems very happy," she added. In a statement, the council said the changes were made to manage journeys in the "most effective way". "The changes have been made following feedback from customers using the services, to ensure timings between the two do not overlap and deliver the best experience for visitors," they explained.

Summary: A ferry boat firm in Bristol is claiming a new timetable "imposed" by the council favours its rival.


Thusha Kamaleswaran was shot in the chest and Roshan Selvakumar, 35, was also shot in Brixton, last March. Nathaniel Grant, Kazeem Kolawole and Anthony McCalla were convicted of causing both victims grievous bodily harm with intent and attempted murder of rival gang member Roshaun Bryan. Grant was told he would serve at least 17 years and Kolawole and McCalla 14. Judge Martin Stephens QC said the crimes were "of the utmost gravity", adding: "Not one of you has, in my judgment, shown a sliver of remorse." Last month's Old Bailey trial heard the three cycled up to Stockwell Food and Wine and Grant opened fire. A bullet hit Thusha in the chest and passed through the seventh vertebra of her spine, leaving her paralysed. The court heard the gunmen were trying to shoot Mr Bryan when Thusha and Mr Selvakumar got caught in the crossfire. The girl, now six, went into cardiac arrest twice in the wake of the shooting and had to undergo emergency surgery both in the shop and at hospital to keep her alive. She has only recently been discharged from hospital. Mr Selvakumar was hit in the head but survived with a piece of bullet remaining in his head. Judge Stephens said the trio posed "a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm in the future". "You, Grant, were the gunman and the other two your fully supportive lieutenants backing up all your actions to the hilt and giving you the support and encouragement to carry out these terrible deeds," he added. "Shooting into a shop, a confined space where it was known there were people present, is an attack on society itself by men who saw themselves as outside the law and above the law." He said the convictions would not have been possible without CCTV and he hoped Thusha could go on to lead as full a life as possible. Thusha's mother mother Sharmila Kamaleswaran said in a victim impact statement that seeing her daughter, who dreamed of being a dancer, in a hospital bed "took my heart away". Det Supt Gordon Allison said the only time the men had apologised or shown any remorse was when they were seeking to reduce their prison sentences. He added: "The images of Thusha dancing happily in Stockwell Food and Wine are images that many of us will struggle to erase from our memories. "Today, McCalla, Kolawole and Grant will have many years in prison to reflect on the damage they caused to an innocent five-year-old girl and her family but also Roshan and the community that is London as a whole." A team of detectives who investigated the case will take on the Three Peaks Challenge in September to raise money for the vital care and equipment Thusha now requires. They have already raised more than Â£130,000.

Summary: Three men have been jailed for life for a shooting in a south London shop which left a five-year-old girl paralysed.


The writing, if not on the wall, is clear enough on the roads themselves. Street level democracy is in the rudest of rude health here. Which here in Walsall, really is quite rude! The saucy "double entendre" that's been enlivening local social media is an appropriate piece of signposting for a town where passions run deep and local politics is anything but the dreary, humdrum business of general repute. Although in fairness, we should point out that the council has now responded by repainting the offending road markings since this "hot button" image was recorded for posterity. For this is a town with a very acute sense of itself. Traditionally the home of the leather industry, Walsall has a football team known as the Saddlers. They are mounting a spirited challenge for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Skybet Championship. There they would rub shoulders with an assortment of local rivals including the newly-relegated star attractions, Aston Villa. At the centre of the town, is the art gallery which opened 16 years ago to widespread international acclaim. It is home to works by, among others, Jacob Epstein, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and Turner. No less significantly, it has provided a catalyst for the economic regeneration of the area surrounding the canal basin, like a smaller version of Birmingham's famous Gas Street. And Walsall really is like a microcosm of the political landscape of our part of the country as a whole. It's like all our famous marginals rolled into one electoral battlefield. Or is it a minefield more like? It has long been a predominantly two-party affair: the map shows the west of the town, leaning towards the rest of the Black Country, almost exclusively Labour red. While the east, inclining towards Birmingham's leafy stockbroker belt in neighbouring Four Oaks and Little Aston, is an exclusively blue Conservative preserve. And within the council, where one third of the 60 seats are up for election, the numbers reflect the changeable political weather in a region well-known for swinging back and forth between the two biggest parties. It is a significant weather vane. Labour and the Conservatives have both had long periods in over-all control. But this is a council is famous for its knife-edge outcomes producing no outright majority, with all the back room deal-making and deal-breaking that entails. A year ago the town had a minority Labour administration. But last June, the indefatigable Conservative group leader Mike Bird brokered a minority administration even though Labour have two more seats than his party. He wrestled-back the leadership of the council with the support of the three UKIP and two Independent councillors. A town that's grown accustomed to living on a political knife-edge now faces another equally cut-throat encounter. Labour's fortunes hit a notable high the last time this particular set of seats were contested four years ago, so this time round they appear to have far more to lose than to gain. They must defend nine of their 27 seats while the Conservatives defend seven of their 25. With both

Summary: For anyone who thinks these local elections are dull and boring, I have this challenge - come to Walsall.


The 30-second spot is narrated by a stern-sounding male voice and features grainy images of Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The advert also includes photos of the San Bernardino attackers, so-called Islamic State militants, a US warship firing cruise missiles, exploding buildings and undated footage of migrants purportedly crossing the US-Mexican border. The commercial concludes with Mr Trump offering his trademark call to "make America great again", delivered before a cheering crowd. It wouldn't be Trump without some measure of controversy, of course. The fact-checking website Politifact says the border video is actually from Morocco - and the Trump campaign has since said the use of the footage was intentional and that it was what the US border could eventually look like if it is not adequately secured. Up until now, Mr Trump has maintained his position at the top of presidential preference polls thanks to his seemingly unique appeal to a blue-collar segment of the Republican electorate, buttressed by near-nonstop news media coverage of his non-traditional campaign and his often controversial comments. Mr Trump, in a news release announcing the advert, said that his campaign is currently $35 million (Â£24 million) "under budget". He added that he wasn't sure he needed to spend money on television commercials, but "I don't want to take any chances". While Mr Trump spent about $300,000 on three radio adverts last fall, the release says his new television campaign will cost about $2 million (Â£1.4 million) a week in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. According to a recent report in the New York Times, however, the Trump campaign has yet to reserve airtime in either state - which casts some doubts about the actual size of the advertising purchase. What's clear, however, is that Trump's video has once again made him a top story in the political media, generating yet another wave of free publicity. His campaign gave the Washington Post a sneak preview on Sunday, leading to a 1,300-word article that featured Mr Trump talking about the details of the advert design, including his preference for using campaign rally footage instead of the more traditional, candidate-talks-to-the-camera style. "I don't like sitting down and shooting an ad because I don't think you capture the same energy you see at our events," he said. The content of the advert has some analysts scratching their heads, however. According to the Atlantic's David Graham, a new television campaign traditionally aims to appeal to voters not already in the candidate's camp. "If the point of these ads is to win over new voters, is a recap of months-old messages the most effective way to do it?" he asks. Even if the advertising purchase does total the $2 million a week that Mr Trump promises, that will - at best - only put him on roughly equal footing with competing candidates in terms of paid media over the coming weeks. A group supporting Texas Senator Ted Cruz has announced a $4 million buy over the coming weeks, for instance, and a political action committee tied to

Summary: Donald Trump is taking to the television airwaves, and his first advert prominently features his controversial call for temporarily halting the entry of all Muslim into the US and a border wall "paid for by Mexico".


Members of Unite employed by The OCS Group have rejected three separate offers during a long-running dispute. The union has 200 members with the company and said the majority are paid just Â£7.65 an hour. The OCS Group said it was in "active discussion" with the union and hoped for a "swift resolution". Unite regional officer Jamie Major said: "OCS doesn't seem serious about settling this dispute. "At the last meeting, management gave four separate options, none of which represented an improved offer... "OCS was simply manipulating figures to rob better paid staff to fund workers on poverty pay." In a statement, the company said: "OCS is sorry that we have ended up in dispute... We hope for a swift resolution and we will be working towards that goal in the coming days. "OCS has made a serious offer to our staff and we remain in constant contact with them and the union. "We have responded to an invitation from Unite today to further talks and hope to arrange to meet in the coming week for further discussions." The ballot opens on Thursday and closes on 9 March. Unite warned of "significant strike action" if there is a yes vote.

Summary: Workers employed at Gatwick Airport to help passengers with reduced mobility are to vote on strike action in a row over pay.


The 34-year-old has been playing grade cricket for Sydney side Campbelltown. Panesar toured India on three occasions and took 17 wickets when England won 2-1 in 2012, their first series victory there for 27 years. The left-armer will advise Australia's batsmen and slow bowlers before they depart for the four-Test series, which begins on 23 February. Hopefully there will be opportunities to get involved at a county and get back into first-class cricket "Pat Howard [Cricket Australia's team performance manager] gave me a call and asked if I was available to work with a few players for the upcoming series and I was happy to do that," Panesar told the Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show on BBC Radio 5 live. "The hardest role for a spinner is [to] bowl 30 overs in a day, go for three an over, and give [the captain] control from one end and build pressure, and that's going to probably be one of the things [they] are going to ask me." He added that coaching is "something I've always had a passion for". "While I've been out here I've been helping the [Campbelltown] under-16s, under-21s and also the grade team, so this is a good opportunity to work with international cricketers," he said. "Coaching is more about getting to know the person as much as talking about the technical side of the game. Once you develop that trust in people's opinions, your coaching becomes that much easier." Panesar's stint in Australia is part of a bid to return to his best on the field amid mental health problems. In May 2016 he spoke to the BBC about feelings of anxiety and paranoia that stemmed from a loss of confidence and self-esteem. He spent last summer with Northamptonshire but is without a county for 2017, although he may train with Northants on his return from Australia and has not given up hope of playing at the highest level again. "From a playing side, I'm trying to get my shoulder a lot stronger, trying to get fitter again," he said. "Hopefully when I get back [to England] there will be opportunities to get involved at a county and get back into first-class cricket. "I still have international ambitions." Before leaving England to head down under, he travelled daily from Luton to Wimbledon to work with a fitness trainer and turned down television offers, with some reports linking him to ITV show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Panesar has taken 167 wickets in 50 Tests for England, the last of which came at Melbourne on the 2013-14 Ashes tour.

Summary: Former England spinner Monty Panesar is to work with the Australia team before their Test series in India.


More than 600 of the 800 employees at Porton Down are at risk of having their jobs relocated to Harlow in Essex. The HPA proposed the move to a single site in 2010 but now the Department of Health wants at least another 12 months "to fully assess all the details". Dorothy Fogg, from Unite, said despite uncertainty staff felt more positive. The HPA has been responsible for responding to public health hazards such as swine flu since 2003. In a letter sent to staff, the HPA said the government had requested a "considerable amount of additional work be done" on the business case for relocating staff to Essex which will "add a further year before the case is ready for resubmission". Dr Christine McCarthy, the executive director of microbiology at the HPA at Porton Down, said employees had "anticipated a decision with a five year wait and now it looks like it will be six years". "This is a very large investment of public funds - especially in the current climate - and they [the government] want as much information as possible to inform the final decision and they want to make the right decision," she said. "But it's putting staff in a very difficult position - they have had two and a half years of uncertainty and this uncertainty is now going to be prolonged for yet another year." But Dorothy Fogg, from the Unite union, said staff were also feeling optimistic about the decision. "There's the uncertainty - they keep being told it will be sorted out year after year which causes frustration - but they're also feeling more positive," she said. "And people are quite hopeful that when they review the case that they will hopefully recognise that it is better to keep the work and the people on site at Porton." And MP John Glen said it was "very good encouraging news". "What we're talking about here is spending possibly Â£300m on a very, very sensitive facility to deal with the most tragic circumstances in terms of public health so I think it's important that they get it right," he said. "But what I think is interesting, in the letter that was sent to staff, is that Justin McCracken [chief executive of HPA] says that a decision in principle has not been made. "I think that's an admission that the case has not been made and that those who work at Porton should be very reassured."

Summary: Hundreds of staff at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in Wiltshire are facing another year of uncertainty over the future of their jobs.


The Ferrari driver was penalised 10 seconds for moving while in the braking zone while defending from Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo late in the race. The 29-year-old also had two penalty points added to his racing licence. Vettel had been promoted to third after Ricciardo's team-mate Max Verstappen was penalised for cutting a corner. Four-time champion Vettel had indicated after the race that he realised there may be a problem with his defence against Ricciardo. "I want to look at it again; he [Ricciardo] told me to. I am fighting hard and am supposed to give him just enough room," Vettel said. "I know Daniel is sometimes optimistic going for a gap. I knew he would go for it whatever the cost. I tried to defend; we made contact. That is not ideal. That's why I want to look at it again. "If there was something, I will talk to him. Before that, Max was brake-testing me into the first two corners. I was very upset with the fact Max held me up and didn't move and made me run into Daniel." Ricciardo said before learning of the penalty: "He doesn't deserve to be up there. I thought I had every right to be there but he kept closing the door under braking. I was frustrated with that." The rule Vettel broke was only introduced specifically at last week's US Grand Prix. Media playback is not supported on this device It was a rule clarification issued by race director Charlie Whiting on a specific issue that has caused controversy this year because many drivers felt Verstappen had transgressed their gentleman's agreement not to move under braking. Ironically, Vettel was one of the prime critics of Verstappen's driving. The new clarification states: "Any change of direction under braking which results in another driver having to take evasive action will be considered abnormal and hence potentially dangerous to other drivers. Any such move will be reported to the stewards." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Sebastian Vettel lost third place in the Mexican Grand Prix after becoming the first driver to be punished under a new dangerous driving rule.


The pilgrims congregated from sunrise at the site and the vast plain which surrounds it, about 15km from Mecca. Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon at the location. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which all Muslims are called upon to perform at least once. On Saturday it emerged that Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, would not deliver the traditional Hajj sermon for the first time in 35 years because of health complications. It follows controversy sparked by his remarks that Iranians were "not Muslims". The comments came after Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Saudi Arabia's management of the Hajj. Iran has boycotted this year's pilgrimage., instead endorsing an alternative event on Saturday at the holy city of Karbala in Iraq. Tensions between the two countries have risen after a crush in last year's pilgrimage killed at least 2,426 people, including 464 Iranians, according to an unofficial count. Saudi Arabia and Iran do not have diplomatic relations and are at loggerheads over a series of regional issues including the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. But news of the Ayatollah's absence has not diminished the enthusiasm of the pilgrims. "It's marvellous," Egyptian pilgrim Louza, 45, was quoted as saying. "I'm here closer to God. It's an indescribable feeling." Against a backdrop of other mountains the pilgrims squatted, stood, or climbed up steps constructed into the hill while reciting incantations. "We feel at ease and are totally benefiting from our pilgrimage," Soumaya, 30, from Mali, told the AFP news agency. Her friend, Khadija Bechir, 23. agreed, praising the event for being well organised. Pilgrims come from all over the world to the Hajj but Indonesia - the most populous Muslim nation - has the largest quota. Official figures issued late on Saturday revealed that more than 1.3 million pilgrims attending the Hajj are from outside Saudi Arabia. A vast expanse of white fireproof tents has been pitched at Mina, to accommodate in excess of 2.5 million pilgrims. The stampede in Mina last September is considered to be the worst disaster in Hajj history. It took place as pilgrims were going to the Jamarat Bridge for a stoning ritual which this this year will start on Monday, officials say. Saudi Arabia has consistently downplayed the number of casualties. It has announced an investigation but no conclusions have been released.

Summary: The annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has reached its climax with 1.5 million Muslims gathering at Mount Arafat to offer day-long prayers and recitations from the Koran.


The Hoyer Group's diesel carrier came to a halt on the northbound hard shoulder at junction 16 for Stoke-on-Trent at about midday but the rear later burst into flames. The motorway has reopened with one northbound lane closure and there are delays, said North West Motorway Police. The driver of the tanker was unharmed. A Hoyer Group spokesman said: "A detailed investigation will be undertaken to establish the cause of the incident and any learnings."

Summary: A fuel tanker broke down and then caught fire forcing the closure of a stretch of the M6 in Staffordshire.


The photographer, who has visited India more than 60 times, once said the country had taught him to watch and wait on life. "If you wait, people would forget your camera and the soul world drifts into view," he told an interviewer. McCurry, whose picture of a young orphaned Afghan girl with green eyes became an iconic image of war and the most recognised picture in the history of National Geographic magazine, has now published a book of his pictures of India. "These magnificent pictures, some justly famous, many new and revelatory - reveal the beauty of the country and highlights its extraordinary contradictions," writes author William Dalrymple in his introduction. "This is a very different India indeed, and it is here, in the places suspended between modernity and tradition, that most of the pictures in the book were made." Here is a selection from Steve McCurry: India published by Phaidon/Roli Books.

Summary: Celebrated American photographer Steve McCurry has been coming to India for more than three decades.


Gordon Henderson, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, received 30% burns to his body and spent 10 days in intensive care after the accident on 26 July. "I can remember vividly. It really was terrifying," said the Conservative MP. "I hope it teaches everybody else a very valuable lesson. Do not ever use petrol on a bonfire." More news from Kent Mr Henderson said he had recently built a brick container for bonfires in his garden at Eastchurch, Kent. "I built the bonfire and I put the petrol on it but I hadn't taken into account the build-up of fumes," he said. "When it went up it was like a bomb exploding in my face because there was a three-sided container and all the force came to me. "My hair caught light but with the rest of me it was the heat that caused the burns." Mr Henderson's wife Louise cooled him down with a garden hose and took him Sheppey Community Hospital. An air ambulance was then called to fly him to Tunbridge Wells Hospital, from where he was taken to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. "I realised then that if they were taking me to East Grinstead, which is a fantastic burns hospital, that it was something really serious," he said. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it urged people not to use petrol to light bonfires or barbecues. "Use firelighters or rolled-up newspaper and wood but please don't put flammable liquids on bonfires," said community safety spokesman Charlie Smith. "The burns that can result from these fires can be really nasty and they can take a long time to heal."

Summary: An MP has said he is still suffering flashbacks after a bonfire he doused with petrol to set it alight exploded in his face.


It said it had introduced the technology to help people get better results when they search. Often, it said in a blogpost, the best answers to a query were found in an app rather than a web page. Initially nine apps have been selected to work with the streaming system as it is tested. Jennifer Lin, Google engineering manager, said the firm started indexing information found in apps two years ago to bolster its larger corpus of search data. About 40% of searches done via Google now turn up content found in apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb or Pinterest, she said. Until now, Google has only answered queries with information that is available both on the web and in apps. Now, however, it is starting to show results that are only found in apps. One example of when these results would show up might be when someone is looking for hotels during a spur-of-the-moment trip to an unfamiliar city, wrote Ms Lin in the blog. Google said it was using an in-house developed streaming system to give people access to results in apps they do not have installed on their Android handsets. This lets people try the app and use it as if it were installed, said Ms Lin. An experimental cloud-based virtualisation technology Google has developed underpins the streaming system. Apps from HotelTonight, Useful Knots, Daily Horoscope and Gormey are among the first to be available via streaming. Danny Sullivan, founding editor of the Search Engine Land news site, said the streaming system made visible a lot of information that was hard to get at easily. "It's a bad experience to show links to an app that no-one can view unless they install an app," he said. Plus, he added, it could mean data found in apps was now more widely available and could be put to other uses. "Potentially, the new system could even cause some apps that might seem to lack linkable content, such as games, to consider app-only links," he wrote. Streamed versions of apps are available via Google's own app and on its Chrome browser. Users must also be on a fast wi-fi connection and be using a handset running Android Lollipop or a more recent version. Lollipop was released in November 2014. The test of the app streaming and search responses is currently only taking place in the US. Google has not said when, or if, it will be expanded to other parts of the world.

Summary: Google has started streaming apps to Android phones so people can use them even if they are not installed on a handset.


It was a second win of the campaign for Pete McGrath's Erne men who had lost three in a row and they move off the foot of the table. Fermanagh's top scorer Tomas Corrigan limped off early on but Sean Quigley bagged eight points for the hosts with five frees, two 45s and one from play. Derry are now bottom following their 5-15 to 2-15 defeat away to Galway. Goals from Benny Heron and Emmett McGuckin helped Derry to a 2-10 to 2-7 lead at the break in Tuam Stadium, with Danny Cummins and Tom Flynn netting for the hosts. Galway, with the wind in their favour, surged clear in the second half with Johnny Heaney netting before a Eamonn Brannigan penalty and Shane Walsh goal. Fermanagh's last two matches are Meath away next week and a home match against Derry. McGrath's men were 0-8 to 0-7 up at half-time and extended that lead with Aidan Breen scoring three points from play. However, Keelan Sexton palmed in a 46th-minute goal for Clare against the run of play which proved a wake-up call for the hosts. Fermanagh rattled off five points in a row to seal the valuable victory.

Summary: Fermanagh dug deep for a 0-18 to 1-10 win over Clare to boost their chances of survival in Division Two.


Real - who have won 29 of those 38 matches - are one short of equalling a best-ever run by a La Liga team. James Rodriguez scored twice as he made a rare start in the absence of the rested Cristiano Ronaldo. Raphael Varne also headed home to put Real firmly in control with the second leg in Seville on 12 January. It is a second leg which now appears a formality amid a hectic schedule that could see Real play 21 times in 11 weeks. Madrid started a second consecutive home game without any of their first-choice front three with Karim Benzema on the substitutes' bench, Ronaldo rested and Gareth Bale sidelined with a long-term ankle injury. Rodriguez had previously said he would consider his future in January after playing a minor role so far this season, but made the most of a rare start by scoring a spectacular long-range opener and adding his second from the penalty spot after Luca Modric was fouled by Mariano. Real Sociedad also took a huge step towards the last eight with Willian Jose, Carlos Vela and Mikel Oyarzabal scoring in a 3-1 win over Villarreal.

Summary: Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run to 38 games with a 3-0 victory over Sevilla in the first leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey tie at the Bernabeu.


Peter Baldwin, 13, from Cardiff, died in 2015, just days after he was diagnosed. His family are working closely with Diabetes UK Cymru "to put a stop to completely preventable deaths". A national assembly committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss how health boards diagnose the condition. It follows a petition set up by the Baldwin family calling on the Welsh Government to introduce routine screening for children and young people. People with type one diabetes cannot produce the hormone insulin, which controls the amount of glucose in the blood. It is an unpreventable, lifelong condition and the cause is unknown. It usually affects children or young adults, with symptoms starting suddenly and progressing quickly. Diabetes UK Cymru figures show it affects around 1,400 children and 18,600 adults in Wales. About one in five of children are not diagnosed until they are in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is life threatening and requires urgent medical attention. The symptoms, commonly known as the four T's, include going to the toilet more often, feeling really thirsty, tired and looking thinner. Despite showing the symptoms, Peter's diabetes went undiagnosed until he was seriously ill with DKA. His mother Beth Baldwin said: "Losing a child is beyond anyone's worst nightmare. "It's something that no family should have to go through and now it's our mission to make sure that parents and medical professionals have the symptoms of type one at the front of their minds." She said type one diabetes could be "easily mistaken" for other illnesses, and because Peter was unwell with a chest infection, it made his symptoms harder to identify. "We need to be much more vigilant if we're going to put a stop to completely preventable deaths," she added. "Being able to recognise the symptoms, get a quick diagnosis, and early treatment could save your child's life. This is Peter's legacy, and it's all about helping as many other families as we can." The family also want to raise awareness of the need to check for the condition in anyone who has unexplained flu-like symptoms or who is generally unwell. They want to make the test, which involves a finger prick or urine sample, as routine in GP surgeries and clinics as temperature and blood pressure checks. The national assembly petitions committee agreed in February to write to all of the health boards in Wales for information on their diagnosis and referral pathways for type one diabetes in children and young people. The responses will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting. The Welsh Government diabetes delivery plan for Wales 2016-2020 highlights the need for prompt diagnosis of type one diabetes to reduce the risk of harm associated with DKA. Diabetes UK Cymru will launch its Know Type 1 campaign in Cardiff Bay on Tuesday, to coincide with National Diabetes Week. The charity's policy and public affairs manager Sara Moran said: "We want the four Ts to be common knowledge and to just roll off the tongue." She welcomed that the Welsh Government was reviewing health board responses to "identify any gaps in pathways", especially

Summary: The family of a teenager who died from type one diabetes have made it "their mission" to raise the profile of the condition.


Reporters said they appeared healthy but a little distressed after their long journey. A circus surrendered some of the lions, while others were taken in raids. The US-based group Animal Defenders International (ADI), which was behind the action, says almost all the lions have had teeth or claws removed. They would not survive in the wild. The lions are being transferred by land to the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, a 5,000-hectare reserve in northern South Africa. There, the lions will have drinking pools, platforms, toys and veterinary care. "This is a hugely important rescue mission because it does make a statement around the world about the way people treat animals," ADI spokeswoman Jan Creamer said. "These lions have suffered tremendously." The first group of nine lions was collected in Colombia's capital Bogota on a cargo plane, which then flew to Peru's capital Lima to pick up 24 more animals. "It will be hugely satisfying to see these lions walking into the African Bush," ADI Vice-President Tom Phillips was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. The lions were freed after the use of wild animals was banned in Peru in 2011 and Colombia in 2013. The 5,000-hectare (12,355 acres) Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary is on private land and already houses six other rescued lions and two tigers. The lion habitats there would be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions became familiar with their new life and were introduced to each other, said ADI.

Summary: More than 30 lions rescued from circuses in Colombia and Peru have been flown to South Africa to start a new life in a sanctuary.


Fifa's ethics committee is looking into the "disloyal payment", made nine years after Platini carried out consultation work for Fifa president Sepp Blatter. Platini, a Fifa vice-president, and Blatter are serving 90-day bans while corruption claims are investigated. In September, criminal proceedings against Blatter began in Switzerland. BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Richard Conway says a written contract did exist for Platini's work for Fifa between 1998 and 2002, according to sources. A total of SFr 1.05m (£710,000) is believed to have been paid to the Frenchman. It is an additional SFr 2m (£1.35m) that was paid in February 2011 that is under scrutiny - and for which no written contract is said to exist. Both Platini and Blatter are believed to have told investigators the additional payment was an oral agreement for SFr 0.5m to be paid for each of the four years (January 1999 to June 2002) the Uefa president was employed by Fifa. In a statement this month, Platini said "the remuneration was agreed at the time". It is understood the men claimed an agreement to delay payment was reached at the time due to Fifa's then financial position. Under Swiss law, an employee cannot seek to have a contract paid up after five years have elapsed irrespective of whether it was written or oral. Both men have denied any wrongdoing, have appealed against their bans and believe they will be exonerated. Uefa, which meets in Nyon on Thursday to discuss the issue, has said it has "full confidence" in its president and "stands fully behind him". However, one Uefa executive committee member, Allan Hansen, has been quoted by Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet as saying "we can no longer support him" - if no contract exists. Meanwhile, Fifa has banned Thai football chief and former executive member Worawi Makudi for 90 days for an ethics breach and indicated he could face further punishment.

Summary: Uefa chief Michel Platini produced no documentary evidence for the 2m Swiss francs (£1.35m) payment made to him by Fifa, the BBC has learned.


Officers were called to reports of an altercation at the Intu Bromley Shopping Centre at 15:45 GMT. Video filmed by a member of the public appears to show shoppers fleeing in panic, while a photo shows a police officer holding what appears to be a large knife. A man in his 20s, who suffered a minor head injury, was arrested. He was detained on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man holding a machete. Footage posted on Twitter by Alexander Adeosun, who was shopping with his friends at the time, shows people running through the shopping centre. "There was panic and people were running and falling over," he said. "My brother had to jump over the escalator." Mr Adeosun said he was filming from the floor above and saw police arresting a man. He said he also saw an officer placing what appeared to be a machete in a bag. Keith Moon, 35, said he had been shopping with his wife at the time. "We walked back in and saw the police leading a young guy in handcuffs away. One of the policemen was holding a machete around 2ft long," he said. Armed officers were called to the scene but their assistance was not needed as it was not a firearms incident, the Met said. A force spokeswoman said: "At this stage officers believe he sustained the injury as a result of an altercation. Officers wish to trace "approximately six youths" seen running off from the scene, she added. Earlier, the Met said it was seeking a man seen fleeing the scene, possibly discarding a weapon Police recovered two knives from the scene.

Summary: A machete has been recovered after a suspected knife fight broke out at a shopping centre on Boxing Day.


The film, based on the fantasy game World of Warcraft (WoW), will open in China on 8 June, two days before it begins screening in the US, although it will be screened in various countries prior to that. The game sees players exploring a vast landscape, complete quests and interact with other gamers, and is known for its colourful array of monsters and landscapes, giving rise to its Chinese name "World of Magic Beasts". China is one of the biggest markets for WoW. The Chinese are estimated to make up about half of its five million players. One of the studios behind the movie, Legendary Entertainment, is majority owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, which acquired a controlling stake in January. But the decision is also part of an accelerating trend where Hollywood has been wooing China by staging elaborate premieres and tie-ups. The last Transformers movie was partly funded by Chinese backers and shot in China - though that ran into controversy - and the latest Star Wars movie was heavily promoted in China with publicity stunts and the appointment of pop star Luhan as an ambassador. The love story between China and WoW is one of perseverance, as the game's popularity has soared despite deep government suspicion prompting heavy controls, according to tech blog Engadget. Chinese players had to make do with a special version of the game with its violence, gore and even character design toned down. Skeletons were "covered up" with flesh, and even the colour of spilt blood was changed to a darker, less shocking hue. The government also insisted that a timer mechanism be built into the game to prevent people from playing it for too long, following widespread fears of internet addiction. Last year one WoW player reportedly collapsed and died after playing it for 19 hours without a break. Operation of the game in China was originally in foreign hands, but it eventually was bought over by Chinese company NetEase. But such obstacles could not stop its runaway success - part of the reason was the timing, as the game was first introduced China in 2005, at a time where online access and internet cafes were fast proliferating amid a booming tech scene. In a nod to its popularity, creator Blizzard Entertainment made a Chinese-inspired expansion to the game called Mists of Pandaria in 2012, featuring panda warriors and monk characters. In recent years the number of players of WoW globally has dropped, but it has made a lasting mark in China as a cultural touchstone. Entrepreneurial Chinese have cashed in on the craze - sometimes without official permission. There is WoW merchandise, a WoW-themed restaurant, and even a massive knock-off theme park in Changzhou. Perhaps unsurprisingly there is also a knock-off Warcraft movie - this month, a Chinese-produced movie called MyWoW will open in cinemas ahead of the official film.

Summary: Hollywood film Warcraft will come to China next month, in what is the culmination of a decade-long love affair between the world's most populous country and one of the most popular online games of all time, writes the BBC's Tessa Wong.