The game turned after 10 minutes as Sarries prop Richard Barrington was sent off for a high tackle. Gareth Steenson converted the resulting penalty and Jack Nowell's try gave Chiefs a 10-3 lead at half-time. Saracens performed admirably after the break and rescued two points when Titi Lamositele was forced over the line and Alex Lozowski converted. Sarries, who can be usurped at the top if Wasps avoid defeat against Leicester on Sunday, lost Marcelo Bosch with a head injury after just five minutes, with Steenson missing a penalty four minutes later. But the game's controversial moment was just seconds away as Brad Barritt initially tackled Geoff Parling high, with Barrington following up with his shoulder into the head of Exeter's former England lock. Under the new interpretation of the high tackle rules Barrington was sent off, with Barritt lucky to avoid any sanction, although he may well be cited after the game. Exeter took advantage almost straight away as Nowell raced into the corner after an impressive one-handed catch from Steenson's perfectly weighted chip. Lozowski - replacing the rested England fly-half Owen Farrell - pulled three points back with a penalty, but Exeter were almost further ahead after Don Armand broke through the line on a 30-metre run, only to be excellently stopped by Chris Wyles and Michael Rhodes. After the break, Saracens upped the tempo and did not look like a team with a one-man disadvantage - Lozowski converting a penalty as Steenson missed a similar chance to restore the lead. Exeter's set-piece failed to function as Saracens piled on the pressure, twice going close to the Chiefs try-line before Steenson got his second penalty with 11 minutes to go. But more Saracens pressure finally told as Lamositele was forced over late on and Lozowski added the extras to secure what, at the start of the game, seemed an improbable draw. Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall: "The players were incredible with how they coped and dealt with all the situations that arose, and by the end it was a game that we maybe could have won as well. "I felt Geoff was going to the ground and Richard (Barrington) came in as the adjusting defender, and he made contact. Obviously we hope Geoff's okay. "Today ended up being a titanic struggle between 15 and 14, but I don't think anyone wants to see those kinds of games. "I think we need to be sensible, I'm not saying they weren't today, but we've got to be sensible with how we apply this care for players, and that's all." Exeter head coach Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon: "The players are a little annoyed, and so they should be. Especially in the second half we've got to have a little bit of a look at ourselves and say why did we not really feel like we took the game by the scruff of the neck? Why were 14 men more disciplined than us? Why did 14 men drag that game their way? "You've got to give Saracens a great deal of

Summary: Fourteen-man Saracens battled to an impressive draw with Exeter to go top of the Premiership.


So far, more than 3,500 have been assessed and as a result more homes removed from the list and others added. Historian John McCormack said planners must be "flexible" with owners with regards what warranted listing. Last year he labelled the planning backlog for protected or listed buildings as "outrageous". Mr McCormack said: "I'm whole heartedly behind the listing idea but that doesn't mean everything inside is worthy of listing. "You've got to do it with humanity, courtesy and flexibility and you have to say to people why you want their home to be listed and get their interest going. "They will be the best preservers of what is inside, they after all live there and it's their homes, and they want them to be the best as possible." In 2012 Guernsey's Environment Department held a questionnaire asking how important it was to protect Guernsey's historic buildings. The results showed a majority felt it was important but views were divided on the buildings that should qualify.

Summary: The States of Guernsey planning department has said it is making "steady progress" on visiting and classifying listed buildings.


The charges include rape, attempted rape, child prostitution, child pornography and drug charges linked to boys from Leicester and Coventry. The men, aged between 24 and 78, face accusations the boys were abused by a group of men who befriended them. One man appeared at Birmingham magistrates court on Tuesday and has been remanded into custody. Tahir Hussain, 33, from St Joseph's Road in Ward End, Birmingham, appeared before magistrates on Tuesday and is charged with four counts of rape, one charged of sexual assault, three of sexual activity with a boy, six of facilitating child prostitution and a count of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Six of the offences are said to have been carried out against in a 15-year-old in February 2010. He has been remanded in custody until 24 August. The other nine men have been bailed until 18 August. They are

Summary: Ten men from London and the Midlands have been charged with child sexual exploitation offences against two boys.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 11 October 2014 Last updated at 16:05 BST Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Alexandra Palace and Park says at the moment it is one of London's "least well known architectural treasures". The world's first television station could be renovated too under the plans, as John Thompson of Alexandra Palace Television Group explains. Jim Wheble reports.

Summary: A forgotten part of Alexandra Palace could be given a new lease of life if plans are approved to transform a Victorian theatre into a new film, play and concert venue.


Rod Mackenzie, described as a life-long crofter, was one of six commissioners elected in March and represents the East Highlands. Mr Ewing said the appointment would bring stability to the Crofting Commission. The regulatory body had been involved in a lengthy row that saw calls for the last convener to resign. Earlier this year, Scottish ministers urged for action to address "worrying failures" indentified by a review of the commission. The review ordered by the government found "personality clashes" amid issues with management at the organisation. Crofting is carried out in the Highlands, Northern and Western Isles and Argyll. Mr Ewing said: "As a life-long crofter, Mr Mackenzie will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role and I look forward to working collaboratively with him in the future. "With the appointment of the new convener, the creation of the new board of commissioners and the recruitment of a new chief executive earlier this year, I believe crofting can look forward to a period of stability and a positive focus on issues that will greatly improve the lives of those living in remote and rural areas." Mr Mackenzie said he was delighted to be selected for the role. He said: "We've had several meetings of the board of commissioners since the elections in March, both for business and for training as a new group coming together and I've been impressed by just that - how everyone wants to come together, to do a good job for crofting. "And what I've quickly learnt is that it is no simple thing. As a public regulator, you are working within constraints - there's no magic wand. "But what there is, is the will to work together to make a difference."

Summary: A new convener of the Crofting Commission has been appointed by Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.


Welsh cynghanedd group Carmarthen Bardic School is celebrating its 25th anniversary and hopes to publish a collection of poems written by past members. It has helped train a number of National Eisteddfod winners including Mererid Hopwood, who tutors for the group, and Aneirin Karadog. The lessons are held over a pint at the Carmarthen Quins Rugby Club. Cynghanedd has bee present in Welsh language rhyming since the 6th Century, and developed into a complex set of poetic rules from about the 13th Century. Geraint Roberts, one of the original members, said: "There's a very close correlation between the development of the Welsh language and cynghanedd. "We set homework and that's a critical part of it - going over the homework, looking over mistakes and looking for ways of improving and developing." One of its youngest members, 15-year-old Dafydd Llywelyn, said: "My forefathers learnt this craft and I want to keep the tradition alive."

Summary: A group is calling on former members to contribute poems for a new book.


Under council proposals, the 75 schools could have funding taken away for one hour of lunch staff per day, amounting to £2,200 a year each, according to figures obtained by Plaid Cymru. Plaid said costs could be passed on to parents - which is denied by the council. Caerphilly said it was one proposal as part of a drive to save £9m in 2016/17. A spokeswoman said "extensive consultation" had taken place with head teachers, adding: "There is certainly no intention that any financial impact would be passed onto parents, or that the service would cease to be provided by schools." The Labour-run authority said it was committed to spending an extra £1.9m on county borough schools in 2016.17. A cabinet report set to be discussed next week says the 75 schools may decide to use their lunch-time supervisor to undertake the cleaning task. However, if this happened, 75 posts (working on average one hour per day) would be withdrawn in "a worst case scenario". This would amount to 375 hours of cleaning lost across all schools per week and the work would be shared among the remaining staff. Plaid Cymru said the proposal would save the council £175,000 a year, which equated to around £2,200 being passed onto each school. It added that it would be based on how many pupils eat sandwiches. The party's candidate for Caerphilly in the assembly elections Lindsay Whittle said many parents give their children sandwiches as they cannot afford meals. "It seems likely that this charge will be passed on to parents by many schools or pupils even banned from bringing lunches in," he added. But the council's cabinet member for education Rhianon Passmore said the suggestion was "disingenuous and misleading", saying Plaid was "scaremongering". "Sadly, such claims will undoubtedly cause extra worry and stress for hard pressed parents and their children. This is wrong," she added.

Summary: Primary schools in Caerphilly county could lose money for cleaning up after children who bring sandwiches in.


The cuts include 190 management jobs and 400 non-management staff working at its head office in Hong Kong. In March, the airline said it would save 30% in employee costs at its head office after it posted its first annual loss in eight years. The cuts are part of a three year programme to turn around the losses. The airline said in a statement that the job cuts would be complete by the end of the year, with most of the affected employees to be informed on Monday, and over the next month. The changes will be overseen by the airline's new chief executive, Rupert Hogg, who replaced Ivan Chu Kwok-leung earlier this month. Mr Hogg cited increasing competition and a challenging business outlook for what he called "tough but necessary decisions for the future of our business and our customers". Cathay has been facing tough competition from Chinese and Middle Eastern airlines that have expanded rapidly in the Asia Pacific region. Earlier this year, it posted a net loss of HK$575m ($74m; Â£60.1m) for 2016. It was only the third time the firm posted a full-year loss in its 70 year history.

Summary: Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific has said it will cut nearly 600 jobs as part of the biggest restructuring in 20 years.


Asthma UK, which questioned more than 4,500 patients, said two-thirds miss out on yearly check-ups, tailored advice and lessons in how to use their asthma inhalers. It says it is a slight improvement on a year ago but remains a bleak picture. In 2015 in the UK, 1,468 people died from an asthma attack - the highest level in a decade. The latest annual asthma care survey suggests: Asthma UK says this is not good enough. According to the charity, two in every three asthma deaths could be prevented with good basic care. In the UK, 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment for asthma. One million of these are children. NHS England says every asthma patient should be supported to manage their condition and offered regular reviews. Asthma UK says it is not just medical staff who need to do more, people with asthma must take responsibility for their own care too. It says digital health technology, including electronic alerts and reminders to mobile phones, could help patients keep on the right track. An NHS England spokeswoman said: "Whilst we recognise the important issues in this annual survey, we also expect patients to take shared responsibility for managing aspects of this long term condition. "It is important that patients consult with their GP where necessary and know how to use their medication properly. "In future, digital solutions may improve dialogue with health professionals and ensure the widespread development of personal asthma action plans to help avoid unnecessary and costly hospital visits for treatment." Dr Penny Woods, the chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: "The findings of Asthma UK's survey are typical of all lung diseases. "Patients aren't receiving the care they need to help them manage their condition and there are still wide variations in care across the UK. "Due to a lack of prioritisation in health policy, we now have the fourth highest mortality rates from lung disease in Europe."

Summary: Millions of asthma patients in the UK are not getting basic care they need to manage their condition, a charity says.


Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said rock was dug away from cliffs near Bearreraig Bay in an apparent organised search for valuable specimens. The agency said Skye was known as Scotland's "Dinosaur Isle" because of its important fossil records. SNH has appealed for witnesses to contact the police. Skye is a key dinosaur fossil site in Scotland. Bearreraig Bay, north of Portree, is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A crowbar is suspected to have been used to prise away some of the rock. Dinosaur footprints may also have been removed from Valtos on Skye, SNH said. Evidence gathered at Valtos has been used by palaeontologists to explain what has been called the Dino Stampede in Australia, an incident where a group of dinosaurs were pursued by a predator. SNH said the Bearreraig Bay dig had been done without the landowner's permission or the consent of SNH, which manages the SSSI. Dr Colin MacFadyen, SNH's geologist, also said the actions went against guidelines in the Scottish Fossil Code. The codes does allow for the use of mechanical diggers, rock saws and even explosives for extracting fossils, but only when it was to the benefit of palaeontological research. Dr MacFadyen said: "Fossil collecting is important for scientific and educational purposes, and is a popular hobby. "It is better for fossils that fall from cliffs to be found, collected and enjoyed rather than be eroded and washed away by the tide. "However, speeding up the process by large scale rock removal as in this alarming case is irresponsible and illegal, and also potentially dangerous to people as the cliff faces are undermined and destabilised." Dr MacFadyen said permission to remove material from the SSSI would have been needed from SNH, but it had not been sought. He said fossil-rich rock had been damaged at the Bearreraig Bay site. Dr Neil Clark, of University of Glasgow's Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, has described Skye as one of the world's most important palaeontology sites. Its standing is underlined by the number of finds from the Middle Jurassic, about 170 million years ago. Dr Clark told the BBC News Scotland website: "This is quite a shock. It is not something I have heard of happening before. "Without knowing exactly where the damage is I can't say what they were after. It may have been plesiosaur." He added: "Whatever has been taken is now lost to science." Finds on Skye have included the earliest turtles known to have lived in water. The 164-million-year-old reptile fossils were found embedded in a block of rock at the bay of Cladach a'Ghlinne, on the Strathaird peninsula. The new species formed a missing link between ancient terrestrial turtles and their modern, aquatic descendants. The discovery of Eileanchelys waldmani, which translates as "the turtle from the island", was reported in the Royal Society journals in 2008.

Summary: Tonnes of rock has been disturbed at a Jurassic site on Skye in what has been described as one of Scotland's most reckless acts of fossil collecting.


The 32-year-old South Korean speaks no less than six of them - Korean, English, French, Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese. And he says he plans to learn more. With such linguistic skills Mr Lee doesn't have much personal need for translation services, but after friends at university in Seoul started asking him for help with their English homework he was inspired to set up just such a company. Launched in September 2012, his business - Flitto - now has more than five million users around the world, and enjoys revenues of about $2.1m (£1.4m) a year. Unlike most professional translation companies, it doesn't directly employ translators. Instead, Flitto invites members of the public who know more than one language to offer their services via its website and mobile phone app. Today it has one million translators in 170 countries on its books, who offer translations between 17 different languages. They all get paid for each piece of work they do, from which Flitto takes a small percentage. In the first feature of new six-part series called "The Making of Me", we look back at key stages in Mr Lee's life and the development of his business. Due to his father's job with a global company, Mr Lee spent most of his childhood living overseas. He was born in Kuwait, where he spent his first four years, before the family then moved to UK. After three years in the UK, the family relocated again, this time to the US, before moving to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia 24 months later. Educated in international schools, he was quick to pick up English, French and Arabic, the first three languages Mr Lee added to his native Korean. "I met all these different people from different countries," he says. "What I realised is that all human beings are the same you know, but because of the different languages we misunderstand each other." After seven years in Saudi Arabia, Mr Lee's family moved back to South Korea where he finished high school, and then went to the country's prestigious Korean University. It was at college that friends of his started to ask him to help them translate their homework into English, which was required as part of their courses. "So friends would say to me, 'Simon, if you translate this homework into English I'm going to buy you dinner'," he says. "And more and more friends were asking me to do that, so I didn't have enough time." Realising the business potential of translation services, Mr Lee started getting other multilingual friends to help out, and his idea for setting up a company was born. Flitto was launched in September 2012, but rather than start the business in South Korea, Mr Lee decided to relocate to London. He said he chose to do this for two main reasons - he wanted to temporarily get away from his friends who had well paid jobs in corporate South Korea, and because London is such a multi-cultural city. He says: "I was starting a business, so I had no money. So what

Summary: It is fair to say that entrepreneur Simon Lee has a flair for languages.


Nelo Smith, of Fishponds, Bristol was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm over the "horrific" assault. Smith, 24, attacked the 36-year-old man in Marshfield Road, Fishponds on 5 December in a dispute over a drug deal. The victim lost part of one hand and suffered severe trauma to his other hand and a leg, spending 16 hours in emergency surgery. Det Sgt Mark Newbury said: "Smith inflicted severe injuries on the victim, who lost more than three pints of blood before being operated on. "It was an horrific attack which has left the victim permanently disabled." Smith, of Marshfield Road, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday.

Summary: A machete attacker who left a man permanently disabled has been jailed for 14 years.


Emergency services were called to reports of an incident at Daldowie Crematorium, off the M74, near Uddingston, at about 12:30. The two men were taken to Wishaw General Hospital for treatment. There is no update on their condition. Police said inquiries were ongoing and there was no truth in social media speculation about a firearms incident.

Summary: Two men have been taken to hospital following a disturbance at a crematorium in Glasgow.


A police watchdog inquiry into circumstances surrounding the death of Bijan Ebrahimi, who was wrongly branded a paedophile, has been completed. Mr Ebrahimi was beaten to death near his Bristol home, despite making numerous calls to the police. Files on a call handler and a dispatch supervisor have been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) previously sent the CPS a file of evidence relating to three Avon and Somerset police constables and a PCSO. An IPCC spokeswoman said in total 18 police officers and staff members, who had some involvement in the force's dealings with Mr Ebrahimi in the days leading up to his murder, had been investigated. "I have provided the acting chief constable with a report detailing our findings as to whether or not those individuals have a case to answer for either misconduct or gross misconduct and should face disciplinary proceedings," she added. The IPCC is also looking at police contact with Mr Ebrahimi dating back six years prior to his death. This part of the investigation is continuing and Mr Ebrahimi's family, who say they are "desperate" for answers, are being regularly updated on progress. Acting Chief Constable John Long of Avon and Somerset Police said he was "grateful for the thoroughness of the IPCC report". He said his intention was to "address the matters of misconduct, the service failure that took place and the lessons to be learnt in a prompt, firm and direct manner". Lee James, 24, who admitted Mr Ebrahimi's murder in July 2013, was jailed for a minimum of 18 years last November. Stephen Norley, who admitted assisting an offender, was jailed for four years.

Summary: Prosecutors are to decide whether to charge two police civilian staff over events leading up to a murder.


The deal calls for an immediate truce and the formation of a transitional government ahead of the drafting of a new constitution and new elections. The conflict in the world's newest state has left thousands dead and more than one million homeless. A ceasefire agreed in January collapsed within days, with both sides accusing each other of restarting the fighting. US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday's agreement "could mark a breakthrough for the future of South Sudan". "The hard journey on a long road begins now and the work must continue," added Mr Kerry, who played an instrumental role in bringing together the two sides. The UN has accused both the South Sudanese government and the rebels of crimes against humanity, including mass killings and gang-rape. The rivals signed the deal in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa late on Friday, after their first face-to-face meeting since the hostilities began. The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in Addis Ababa says the agreement calls for a cessation of hostilities within 24 hours of the signing. A permanent ceasefire will then be worked on. Mr Kiir and Mr Machar are to issue immediate orders for troops to end combat and to allow in humanitarian aid. It was not immediately clear who would form the transitional administration. The deal was also signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who hosted the talks. Alastair Leithead reports on rape and murder in Bentiu Leading mediator Seyoum Mesfin, from the regional Igad bloc, congratulated Mr Kiir and Mr Machar for "ending the war". However, African Union official Smail Chergui warned that "given the current crisis, the restoration of peace in South Sudan will not be easy". A UN report released on Thursday said that "widespread and systematic" atrocities had been carried out by both sides in homes, hospitals, mosques, churches and UN compounds. It called for those responsible to be held accountable. An estimated five million people are in need of aid, the UN says. The violence began when President Kiir accused his sacked deputy Mr Machar of plotting a coup. Mr Machar denied the allegation, but then marshalled a rebel army to fight the government. The battle assumed ethnic overtones, with Mr Machar relying heavily on fighters from his Nuer ethnic group and Mr Kiir from his Dinka community. The UN has about 8,500 peacekeepers in South Sudan. However, they have struggled to contain the conflict. South Sudan gained independence in 2011, breaking away from Sudan after decades of conflict between rebels and the Khartoum government. It remains one of the world's poorest countries.

Summary: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar have agreed a peace deal after a five-month conflict.


Len McCluskey joined Unite members from the Oxford Bus Company on the picket line earlier, and warned seven other bus depots run by the Go Ahead Group could be affected. Drivers have walked out on two separate days angry that they were only paid for three bank holidays over Christmas. Oxford Bus Company said its drivers were among the highest paid anywhere. 'Incredible resolution' Mr McCluskey warned that unless the issue was resolved, bus services in London and other parts of the country could also expect industrial action. He said: "I sincerely hope that the Oxford Bus Company pays heed to the incredible resolution of Unite's members. "They are in no mood to roll over, and they know that they have the full support of their union in their corner. "Unless the company restores facility time and starts treating our members with respect I will have no option but to take this dispute to every Go Ahead depot in the country." But Phil Southall, the managing director of Oxford Bus Company, said it was continuing to run about 90% of services. He added: "This is purely a local issue to Oxford about the Christmas and New Year bank holidays. "We were willing to agree to suspend any legal action, reinstate the recognition agreement and the stand down time at Unite's request if strike action was called off and no further dates announced. "It is becoming clearer that this strike is about Unite the union and not about our drivers' and engineers' best interests." The Go Ahead Group says its operations include eight regional bus companies, one of which is in London, where it provides about 24% of services on behalf of Transport for London.

Summary: The leader of England's biggest union has warned that a strike by bus drivers in Oxford over pay could spread.


Police are investigating the death of Russell Peachey, 35, who was found in Grangetown at about 04:20 BST on Saturday. They are now searching for James Mark Williams, 31, from Barry in connection with his death. A 37-year-old man from Barry became the third man to be arrested in connection with the murder on Monday. All three remain in custody.

Summary: Police are searching for a man from the Vale of Glamorgan in connection with a Cardiff murder probe.


The Whites will move above Sheffield Wednesday into the top six if they beat Blackburn at Craven Cottage on Tuesday. Button, 28, who joined Fulham last summer from Brentford, told BBC London: "There's 10 games to go, nearly a quarter of a season. "A lot of things can change so as confident as we are, we've got to make sure we maintain that." Fulham are the Championship's in-form side, taking 17 points from their last seven games, including a 3-1 victory at leaders Newcastle on Saturday. Reaching the play-offs would mark a dramatic turnaround in 15 months under head coach Slavisa Jokanovic after they finished 20th last season. The former Watford manager transformed the squad ahead of his first full season, including bringing in Button - and the goalkeeper praised Jokanovic for his impact. "The gaffer and his team know exactly what they want from us and drilled it into us from day one," he added. "Why it's clicked recently I'm not too sure. Obviously there were a lot of changes in the summer, a lot of new faces. "We're getting to know each other and we've shown on the pitch that it has come together."

Summary: Goalkeeper David Button says Fulham can not afford to be complacent as they target a Championship play-off place.


In a prosecution case running to 12,000 pages, the charges against him cover a 16-year period between 1991 and 2007. On 23 June 2017 the Loyalist supergrass pleaded guilty to the following charges: Between 16 May 1997 and 19 May 1997 he murdered John Harbinson. On 24 February 1994 he murdered Sean McParland. On 17 May 1994 he murdered Gary Convey and Eamon Fox. Between 28 August 1994 and 1 September 1994 he murdered Sean McDermott. Between 5 May 1997 and 8 May 1997 he attempted to murder John Flynn. On 17 May 1994 he attempted to murder Witness A. On 6 April 1997 he attempted to murder Clarence Gould. On a date unknown between 29 May 2006 and 1 August 2006 he attempted to murder Mark Haddock. On a date unknown between 31 December 1994 and 1 January 2004 he attempted to murder police officers. On 24 February 1991 he aided and abetted in the murder of Peter McTasney. On a date unknown between 26 February 1994 and 1 September 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male who resided at Henderson Avenue, Belfast. On a date unknown between 31 March 1994 and 1 June 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown person who lived in the Tiger's Bay area of Belfast. On a date unknown between 1 May 1994 and 31 August 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male, believed by him to be a member of the IRA. On a date unknown between 31 December 1992 and 30 June 1994 he conspired to murder William Spence. On a date unknown between 1 July 1994 and 15 September 1994 he conspired to murder Terry Fairfield. On a date unknown between 1 May 1994 and 1 September 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male at the Ramble Inn, County Antrim. On a date unknown between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1996 he conspired to murder Mark Campbell. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2006 he conspired to murder a person unknown, believed by him to be a member of the Loyalist Volunteer Force. On 13 May 1996 he conspired to murder Archibald Galway. On a date unknown between 31 September 1998 and 1 December 1998 he conspired to murder Samuel Toan. On a date unknown between 27 October 2000 and 1 January 2001 he conspired to murder persons believed by him to be members of the Ulster Defence Association. On a date unknown between 1 January 1991 and 31 September 2000 he conspired to murder Thomas English. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2007 he conspired to murder persons unknown, believed by him to be members of the LVF. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2007 he conspired to murder Willie Beckett. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 September 2005 he conspired to murder Laurence Kincaid. On a date unknown between 1 January 2006 and 31 May 2006 he conspired to murder Mark Haddock. On a date unknown between

Summary: The list of 200 charges Gary Haggarty has admitted runs to 82 pages.


Third seed Murray beat Czech eighth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4 to reach the final for a fourth time. The 27-year-old Scot, who reached 500 career wins this week, won the title in 2009 and 2013. Defending champion Djokovic overcame USA's John Isner 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 to set up a meeting with Murray, whom he beat in Indian Wells last week. Murray's convincing victory, in which he broke Berdych's serve four times, took his career record against him to 6-6. "I did most things well; there's not a lot I could complain about," said Murray. "My second serve was much better in the second set. I served well on the big points and got a lot of free points behind my serve. "I've played well this week, much better than I did at Indian Wells." The match was a repeat of the Australian Open clash in January, which Murray won in four tense sets as he went up against Berdych and former coach Dani Vallverdu. There was another familiar face in the Berdych box in Miami after fitness coach Jez Green recently began working with the Czech, having left Murray's team along with Vallverdu last November. In contrast to Melbourne, Murray made the sharper start on Saturday, breaking the Berdych serve either side of dropping his own. Berdych looked unsettled, complaining about the balls and a line call as Murray saw out the set by making an impressive 77% of first serves. A confident Murray broke to love early in the second set, but two double faults gave the advantage straight back. Both men were stepping in and attacking returns at every opportunity, and Murray's strength in that area proved the difference when he broke Berdych for a fourth time. He almost clinched victory with a fifth break and had to recover from 0-30 to serve it out. Although the first set against Isner went to a tie-break, Djokovic never faced a break point as he won in an hour and a half. "I played a terrific match," said Djokovic, who has won the Miami title four times. "The opening set was pretty close. His resistance wilted a bit in the second set. "Andy has been playing so well this year. He lives here and spends a lot of time practising on these courts, so he's familiar with the conditions."

Summary: Britain's Andy Murray will face world number one Novak Djokovic in the final of the Miami Open on Sunday.


The Nasa probe, which flew by the dwarf planet in July, continues to downlink its data, and as it comes in, the scientists get to work on it. The ripples stretch for many hundreds of km. "It looks more like tree bark or dragon scales than geology," observed mission team member Bill McKinnon. "This'll really take time to figure out; maybe it's some combination of internal tectonic forces and ice sublimation driven by Pluto's faint sunlight," the Washington University, St Louis, scientist said in a US space agency release. The best way to look at "scales" is to browse the new high-resolution enhanced colour view of Pluto that has been made available (PNG file, 70MB). The features are on the far eastern edge. This super image comes from the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera on New Horizons. It combines blue, red and near infrared (NIR) images. The enhanced view will help decode the various geological and climatological processes that have worked together to produce all the complex surface features seen on Pluto. Alex Parker, a team member from the Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, worked on the Ralph portrait. "This image consumed the better part of this week for me," he tweeted. "I removed striping noise and deconvolved the images, massively improving sharpness. "Since the NIR, red and blue images used to make this colour composite are taken separately, they have to be precisely aligned in software. "The instrument is a TDI (time delay and integration) camera, and has funny spatial distortions. I removed all of these by hand to create the final colour product." Also released this week are probably the highest-resolution images seen so far. They come from the Lorri camera and show details down to 270m across. Lorri is a black and white camera, but the imagery released by Nasa has been coloured with Ralph information. The mosaic includes a segment of so-called Sputnik Planum. Incorporating a series of large polygonal features, in previous releases the icy surface has appeared to be ultra-smooth. But in this new higher-resolution view, it is possible to see a more dune-like and pitted texture. New Horizons continues to move deeper into the outer Solar System even as it downlinks its flyby data. It has now gone 90 million km beyond the dwarf, which puts it very nearly five billion km from Earth. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

Summary: A great swathe of Pluto that features a strange rippling terrain is perhaps the highlight of the latest image release from the New Horizons mission.


The 29-year-old replaces injured Ospreys forward James King. Shingler, who has eight caps, will join the Wales squad after Scarlets' Pro12 final against Munster on Saturday. "We've got a young squad, but we're not treating this as a development tour. We're going to the southern hemisphere to win two Tests," said Robin McBryde, Wales' head coach for the tour. "So the selection has to reflect a balance between potential and performance, and the new players will have to reach the high levels of expectation we have of them." Shingler's call-up comes a day after uncapped Exeter full-back Phil Dollman was summoned as a replacement for Rhun Williams.

Summary: Wales have called up Scarlets back rower Aaron Shingler for Test matches against Tonga and Samoa in June.


Lord Lisvane took his seat in the House of Lords this morning. He is perhaps better known as Sir Robert Rogers, whose familiar bewigged and bewhiskered features were until late last year seen in the House of Commons, where he was clerk and chief executive and sat in front of the Speaker John Bercow. He has chosen Lisvane as his title from the city of his birth, having satisfied Garter King of Arms of his links to that northern suburb of Cardiff. Lord Lisvane is descended on his mother's side from the Cardiff construction company E Turner and Sons, who built, among other things, City Hall and Cardiff Royal Infirmary. You may recognise a family resemblance in this painting which hangs in City Hall. The firm also built a rather smart family home in Lisvane that was on the market last year for Â£3m. Ty Gwyn passed through the Turners to the Reardon Smiths and then Julian Hodge - a family tree of notable Cardiff names. Lord Lisvane lives in Herefordshire now but chose to reflect his upbringing in his title. In his former Commons role, he is said to have clashed with John Bercow. It was noticeable how he was introduced into the Lords by former Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd and how many MPs made the short journey to watch him take his seat from the steps of the throne.

Summary: Wales has a new cross-bench peer.


But the manager of the restaurant, called Halal KFC, said it had nothing to do with the US company. Police justified the decision saying it was operating under a false licence. The closure comes amid concerns amongst hardliners about growing Western influence in Iran as relations with a number of countries improve. "The shutting down of Halal KFC was due to a misunderstanding," Abbas Pazuki, the manager of Halal KFC, told the Tasnim News Agency. He said police had thought the restaurant was a branch of the American KFC. "We are part of a brand known as Halal KFC, which comes from Turkey. It belongs to Muslims and its target market is Muslim nations," said Pazuki. He said the Turkish brand was a "rival of the American KFC". Earlier reports suggested the authorities closed down the first branch in Tehran of the better known KFC. Ali Fazeli, head of the Iranian chamber of commerce, confirmed that the Iranian KFC has no connection with KFC in the US, according to ILNA press agency. "In accordance with orders from the Supreme Leader, we do not give any authorisation to Western brands" in the fast food sector, Fazeli said. The state media reported the opening of the restaurant as a first sign of creeping US influence, the BBC's Kasra Naji says. Hardliners believe the recent agreement on curbing Iran's nuclear programme, reached between Iran and Western powers, may become a vehicle for softening Iran's anti-Americanism, opening the floodgates of foreign influences, our correspondent adds. Several Western countries are seeking closer business ties with Tehran following the agreement.

Summary: Only a day after it opened, Iran has shut down what officials reportedly thought was a branch of the US fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken.


Safety at HMP Birmingham is at risk as a result, they said, after the 12-hour disturbance involving hundreds of inmates last December. The riot had a "profound" effect on staff who were in shock but committed to moving on, inspectors said. G4S, which runs the jail, said the findings were a "fair assessment" of challenges it faced. February's inspection was carried out to check on how prisoners were being housed after 500 were moved after the riot and not to look at why it happened, chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke said. The findings come as wings of the jail that were damaged in the riot have fully re-opened to inmates. The inspection followed an assessment by the Independent Monitoring Board last October that said an "urgent" solution was needed to stop prisoners taking psychoactive drugs. But, inspectors said illegal drugs were still widely available in February, with 52% of inmates saying said it was easy to get them - including psychoactive substances like Spice. This was up from 37% at the last inspection, in 2014, which said conditions had improved at the Category B jail. One in seven inmates also said they had developed a drug problem at the prison and nurses treated prisoners under the influence of those substances on 52 occasions in January. The use of mobile phones and drones to arrange and deliver drugs was "a significant threat". Violence had increased "substantially", much of it linked to the drug use, and some prisoners felt unsafe, inspectors said. The disturbance took much of the newer accommodation out of use, leaving more than 900 prisoners in older Victorian accommodation. Despite improvements to some internal communal areas, many of the showers, stairways and sluices were dirty, along with cramped cells, many having broken windows. However, security processes in the aftermath of the riot were "broadly proportionate". Inspectors praised many positive interactions between staff and prisoners and said healthcare was generally good and community rehabilitation projects were working better than in other jails. Prison director, Richard Stedman, said: "We are resolute in our determination to move on, make progress and not be defined by December's disorder and this week the prison returns to its full operational capacity." Michael Spurr, HM Prison and Probation Service chief executive, said "There remains more to do to provide purposeful activity and to tackle violence and illicit drug use, but the staff and the leadership team deserve credit for the commendable way they have responded to the challenges to date. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the prison was in the headlines for "all the wrong reasons last year" and remains a hotbed of violence. Source: HM Inspectorate of Prisons

Summary: Violence is on the rise at a riot-hit jail because of a high volume of illegal drugs inside, inspectors say.


The merger would create the world's largest airline. As part of the agreement, which must still be approved by a judge, the airlines will give up slots at several US airports. The two companies argued the consolidation was necessary to their survival. The US Justice Department had sued to stop the $11bn (Â£6.9bn) merger in August, arguing it would reduce competition and result in higher prices for consumers. "This agreement has the potential to shift the landscape of the airline industry...[and] ensures airline passengers will see more competition on nonstop and connecting routes throughout the country," said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement. The two airlines will each give up 57 slots to low-cost carrier airlines at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington DC and 34 slots at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City. The companies say this will result in 44 fewer daily departures at Reagan and 12 fewer daily departures at LGA - a fraction of the close to 400 daily flights that the airlines operate from those two airports. "They dominated Reagan Airport, that's why they had the Department of Justice concerned," Ray Neidl, an airline analyst at Nexa Capital, told the BBC, who said that giving up slots at the airport was an unsurprising part of the agreement. "It was better than litigating," he added. An additional two slots each at Boston Logan International, Chicago O'Hare International, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International and Miami International airports will be released. The slots will be given to low cost airlines like JetBlue and Southwest. "This agreement allows us to take the final steps in creating the new American Airlines," said Tom Horton, head of American Airline's parent corporation, AMR, in a statement. The company now says it expects the merger to be finalised in December 2013. AMR Corp has been in a bankruptcy restructuring for two years and it is hoped that once the merger is finalised, the company will be able to complete its turnaround. Shares in US Airways traded 3.5% higher before being halted on pending news. They were lower once the specifics of the deal had been announced. The anti-trust trial had been scheduled to start later this month. The US Justice Department had been joined by the attorneys-general of Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, but all have agreed to the proposed settlement.

Summary: American Airlines and US Airways have settled an anti-trust suit with US regulators, paving the way for their proposed merger to be finalised.


A 24-hour tube strike is due to go ahead after unions rejected a "new deal" from Transport for London (TfL). But Sadiq Khan has instructed TfL "to continue negotiating". Workers from the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) unions are scheduled to walk out from 18:00 GMT. The strike is expected to cause mass station closures. Tube strike guide: What you need to know The Labour mayor said TfL's negotiating team would "be available around the clock to resolve this dispute". Calling the strike "pointless" Mr Khan said TfL's offer would "ensure station safety and staffing levels across the Tube network". Steve Griffiths, chief operating officer for London Underground (LU), said the process had already begun to hire 200 extra station staff. "Taking into account existing vacancies and natural turnover this means that over 600 staff will be recruited for stations this year." The biggest rail union, the RMT, had walked out of talks at conciliation service Acas on Saturday. On Sunday, the TSSA announced it had rejected the deal after consulting its members overnight. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said the new deal would not "restore Tube safety levels" with the "urgency that is now needed". The offer was made after RMT left the meeting, a point the RMT disputes. In a message to its members, RMT regional organiser John Leach said the talks had "failed" and the strike would go ahead. Talks between both unions and London Underground (LU) had previously broken down on Friday afternoon. No details of the latest deal were revealed but Mr Leach told members of the RMT that LU had "given exactly the same offer again" during Saturday's last-ditch talks. "This is just not acceptable. The unsafe practices and pressure on staff and passengers have to be resisted and will be," he said. Transport for London (TfL) previously said it would address the recommendations of a recent report, which found the closure of ticket offices had caused "significant issues" for Tube passengers.

Summary: The Mayor of London has called for "last-ditch" talks to avert a strike on the London Underground hours before it is due to begin.


The Manbij Military Council, part of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, announced it had "transferred defence of the frontline". The move came after a deal was agreed with Russia, a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad, it added. The villages have been a focus of fighting in recent days. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government or Turkey, whose troops have been supporting a rebel offensive aimed at driving Islamic State militants from a border area north-west of Manbij and limiting gains by Kurdish fighters. Syria's military has accused Turkey of a "flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty". Since launching Operation Euphrates Shield in August, the Turkish-backed rebels have captured more than 1,900 sq km (734 sq miles), according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. After they captured the IS stronghold of al-Bab last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the rebels would next move towards Manbij. Mr Erdogan also said the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia, which dominates the SDF and the Turkish government considers an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), should be forced to withdraw. The YPG captured Manbij from IS militants in August, but it agreed three months later to move its forces east of the River Euphrates after setting up the Manbij Military Council with local Arabs. But Mr Erdogan rejected claims by the US that Kurdish fighters had left. On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Manbij Military Council told Reuters news agency that a string of eight villages about 27km (17 miles) west of Manbij that it controlled had come under heavy artillery bombardment by the Turkish-backed rebels and that there had been fierce clashes. One SDF fighter and two Turkish-backed rebels were killed in the fighting, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On Thursday, the Manbij Military Council said in a statement that defending the town and countering Turkey's "invasion plan" were among its objectives. It had therefore "agreed with Russia to hand over villages on the frontline with Euphrates Shield... to the border guards of the Syrian state", the statement added. Syrian government forces are deployed just to the south of al-Bab and were involved in clashes with the Turkish-backed rebels shortly before the town fell. In a separate development, the commander of the US-led coalition against IS said Russian aircraft had mistakenly bombed SDF fighters 16km (10 miles) south-west of Manbij, resulting in an unspecified number of casualties. Lt Gen Stephen Townsend said the Russian military had thought it was bombing villages held by IS. However, Russian media cited the Russian defence ministry as denying that Russian or Syrian aircraft had launched any strikes on US-backed forces.

Summary: A US-allied Syrian militia has said it will hand over villages west of the town of Manbij to the army in order to stop Turkish-backed rebels taking them.


Vinyl records used to be one of the only ways to buy music up until the 1980s but was then overtaken by CDs, MP3s and online streaming. But the latest figures show vinyl is making a comeback with sales reaching an 18-year high in 2014, at 1.29 million. The sales of vinyl albums are also predicted to grow by another 70% this year. The charts company said it was responding to "the huge surge of interest" that has seen vinyl sales climb. "This isn't just about rock acts targeting men in their forties and fifties. I've got a 15-year-old daughter and her friends have all started to collect vinyl," said chief executive Martin Talbot. The new weekly vinyl albums and singles charts will be published on the Official Charts Company website. The first official vinyl albums chart was topped by All Time Low's Future Hearts. The US rockers also topped the UK album chart for the first time in the week's charts broadcast on BBC Radio 1 yesterday. Chasing Yesterday by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds is 2015's biggest-selling vinyl album so far. Brit Award-winners Royal Blood and Arctic Monkeys also feature in the top 10 of the year. Bestselling singles include David Bowie's Young Americans and the Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars hit Uptown Funk.

Summary: The UK's first weekly vinyl chart has been launched by the Official Charts Company as sales of vinyl albums and singles continue to rise.


Thorpe, 23, has made seven appearances for the Millers this season, but last featured in the 5-2 defeat by Ipswich on 7 November. The former Manchester United trainee could make his Bradford debut against Millwall on Saturday. The Bantams are currently seventh in League One, outside the play-offs on goal difference.

Summary: Bradford City have signed Rotherham United defender Tom Thorpe on loan until the end of the season.


Media playback is not supported on this device Goals from Gareth Furlong, Luke Hawker and Rupert Shipperley secured the win in Belfast. They play Scotland on Sunday before facing France in their final group game on Tuesday, A top-two finish in the eight-team tournament would lift them in the rankings and give them a chance of a first World Cup appearance. The World League is a series of tournaments held over a two-year period with the latest edition running from Saturday 11 to Sunday 19 March in Belfast. The final group standings decide the knockout fixtures and the two teams who reach the final will go through to the next round of the World League in London in June.

Summary: Wales men's hockey team beat Poland in their opening game in the of the World League 2 tournament.


Southgate effectively used a three-man defence in the 1-0 friendly loss in Germany on Wednesday. It is the same system used to good effect by Premier League leaders Chelsea and Italian champions Juventus. "If he [Southgate] feels that's the right way to go, I think it's a really good way of playing," former England player Scholes told BBC's Sportsweek. "Over the past few years we seem to copy whoever is doing well, whether it's Spain or Germany. There was a spell when academies were copying what even Belgium were trying to do. "I think it's about time now that Gareth and his staff brought an identity to English football and the national team that we can be proud of. "It's going to be difficult and it will take a little bit of time, but if he's playing this way and England are being successful then that's what it's all about." Media playback is not supported on this device England's defeat in Germany was their first in four games under Southgate, who was made permanent boss last November after having taken over on a temporary basis following the departure of Sam Allardyce. Southgate, who represented England as a player, was previously manager of the under-21 side, after having led Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009. "I really liked Gareth when I played with him," said Scholes. "He was good with the young lads... he's been successful with England which not many players have been, getting to the semi-finals of Euro 96." Scholes said that Southgate maybe hadn't fully "earned his stripes" at domestic club or European level, but added: "We've been down the route of so-called super coaches who haven't worked. "Now we've got a passionate man in charge, he likes to play young players which is good," added the ex-Manchester United midfielder. "Hopefully the future is bright under him." In Germany, England were without captain Wayne Rooney, who will also be missing for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Lithuania on Sunday as he recovers from a leg injury. The 31-year-old has struggled to claim a starting place for Manchester United this season but former team-mate Scholes still feels he has "a part to play" for both club and country. "He's got great experience and he can pass knowledge on to young players," said Scholes. Rooney has been linked with a return to his first club Everton this summer, but Scholes believes staying and reclaiming his place in the United side would aid his England chances. "I don't want him to go to another English club, I hope he gets back in the United team," he added. "If he gets back in the United team then he is straight back into the England side."

Summary: England boss Gareth Southgate must establish an identity for the national side, says Paul Scholes.


Poachers broke into a zoo in Paris and killed a rhino for its horn. The zoo's two other rhinos weren't hurt. ZSL Whipsnade is home to a herd of greater one-horned rhinos and white rhinos. They're kept in secure enclosures guarded by full time security teams who do regular patrols. They told us: "Our security teams at ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are aware of this tragic incident, and will be increasing their on-site patrols." Rhino horn can be sold illegally in places like China and Vietnam for huge amounts of money. It's believed this is the first time poachers have targeted a rhino in a European zoo. Newsround spoke to several other zoos across the UK who told us they're also looking at increasing or reviewing their security measures. Read Newsround's guide to poaching here.

Summary: The UK's biggest zoo has told Newsround they are increasing security patrols for their animals, after an incident at a French zoo.


Under new anti-terror measures, a 2.6-metre barrier could soon block public access to the much-loved grassy space. The mass tumble took place on Saturday morning, after news of the event spread on Facebook. Lester Yao, who organised it, said he felt the architect had wanted the public to enjoy the grounds freely. While he had originally planned the roll as a gathering of family and friends, he was delighted when almost 3,000 people expressed interest in the unique protest via Facebook. Cricket fans treated to spectacular Canberra sunset Pro-asylum protest halts Australia's parliament Syrian refugee gets top results in Oz Explaining the event, he wrote: "It's a story I hear often from people that live in Canberra or visit Canberra and the Parliament House. They walk up that beautiful green lawn and see the amazing view of Canberra, then they fall to their knees and roll down the hill. "This simple fun action embodies a very simple yet powerful symbol of democracy. That the citizens can walk up and over their elected government. "At least that's what I believe the architect behind the design of the Parliament House intended." Mr Yao, 34, lives in Canberra but is originally from the Philippines. The Canberra Times reported that he recently took a visiting cousin for a joyful tumble down the Parliament House hill - which got the ball rolling on his protest. No firm timetable has been given for the controversial fence, which is part of a A$60m (Â£35m; $44m) security blitz at the seat of Australia's government, but work could begin by summer 2017. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defended the costly plans, telling The Huffington Post Australia that "parliament is the people's house," but that "getting that balance right" on security is "critically important". MPs recently voted in favour of the fence - but not all of them support it. MP Andrew Broad of the National Party of Australia told News.com.au children should be able to roll down the iconic grass. "Let's not let terrorists destroy our way of life," he urged. Mr Broad said that while he has not indulged in a hill roll since he was a child, Australia's leaders should consider taking part. "I reckon at the end of the year that'd be a good look; all the pollies [politicians] finish the parliament with a good roll down the grass and tell people that parliament ultimately is about a bit of fun," he said.

Summary: Hundreds of Australians have gathered to roll on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra, in protest against plans to build a security fence there.


Under the plans announced by Chancellor George Osborne in July, the minimum wage for over-25s will rise from £6.50 an hour to £7.20 in April next year. It will rise to at least £9 by 2020. The Scottish government said the proposals were "simply an enhancement of the national minimum wage" rather than a true living wage. Its Fair Work Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, also argued that the plan discriminated against under-25s and will bring further complications and inequalities to the national minimum wage structure. But a UK government spokesman said its proposals were an "essential part of moving to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society where work always pays and the majority of households are better off." Ms Cunningham has outlined the Scottish government's criticisms in a submission to the Low Pay Commission's consultation on the proposals. And she called on the UK government to set out a clear plan for moving towards a living wage that "truly reflects the cost of living" rather than merely setting an "arbitrary rate". Ms Cunningham added: "The so-called national living wage announced in the UK government budget is not a living wage and should not be referred to as such. "It is simply an enhancement of the national minimum wage which disgracefully discriminates against the under 25s. "Employers also do not need further complications in the national minimum wage structure and I would encourage all bodies looking at this to ensure that younger workers are treated fairly." The Scottish government promotes a living wage of £7.85 an hour, with businesses north of the border encouraged to sign up to a voluntary accreditation scheme. Ms Cunningham said: "We are working hard to increase the number of employers paying the living wage. By this I mean the real living wage, which is calculated according to the cost of living. "There are now over 300 organisations across Scotland that recognise the tangible benefits to their business of being accredited, huge progress in the last 12 months." In response, the UK government spokesman said its proposals were expected to directly boost the wages of nearly three million people and would mean a full-time worker would earn £2,000 more per year by 2020. He added: "For younger workers, the priority is to secure work and gain experience. "In order to maximise the opportunities for younger workers to gain that experience the national living wage will only apply to workers aged 25 and over. "The wages of younger workers will continue to be underpinned by the core national minimum wage."

Summary: The UK government's National Living Wage plans have been criticised as a "misappropriation of the term" by the Scottish government.


Williams met the Olympic qualifying time winning the IFAM title in Belgium in May but failed to gain automatic selection at the British Championships. Sebastian Rodger won the British title with Jack Green second and subsequently both secured selection in Birmingham. Williams, 32, ran at the 2012 Olympics and won European gold the same year. "Rhys was only eligible for selection in round four of selection, and to be successful in this round the selection panel would need to believe he would win a medal in Rio or at a future Olympic Games and/or there were exceptional circumstances surrounding his potential selection/qualification," a British Athletics statement read before the appeal. "Unfortunately it was felt that Rhys did not fit into either of these categories and was therefore not selected." Williams, who received a four-month ban for doping in 2014, ran just under British Athletics' Olympic A standard, winning his Belgium meet in May in a time of 49.22 seconds. The British Olympic qualifying time for the 400m hurdles was 49.40 seconds. Williams believed he should be eligible but British Athletics have rejected his appeal. Seren Bundy-Davies, who helped Great Britain win 4x400m European gold on the weekend, is the only Welsh track and field athlete named in Great Britain's team for Rio 2016 meaning Wales will have just one track and field athlete at an Olympic Games for the first time since the 1952 Helsinki Games.

Summary: Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams has failed in his appeal against his omission from Team GB's athletics squad for the Rio Olympics next month.


The match against Lancashire, scheduled for 20 September, has been earmarked following a successful day/night trial in this week's Second XI home game with Worcestershire at Edgbaston. Day/night Championship cricket was first experimented with when Kent hosted Glamorgan in 2011. Just as then, the Lancashire game would have to have nothing riding on it. If either of the two Division One sides were still battling against relegation, or competing for serious prize money, then switching to day/night hours would not receive approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). If it does take place, it would the first time it has happened in English cricket's top flight, the Kent-Glamorgan game at Canterbury having been in Division Two. The future of day/night cricket, especially at Test level, remains on the long-term ECB agenda, especially given the success of the third Test between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide in front of record-breaking crowds in November 2015. The first game to be played in England with a pink ball was at Lord's in April 2008, when the MCC beat Scotland in a 50-over game. Alan Fordham, head of cricket operations, was one of a host of ECB officials who attended Edgbaston over the course of the three days: "For me, much of this is about the cricket ball. We want to try to get to a cricket ball that produces a game of cricket that is as similar as possible to when we are using a red ball in the longer form of the game. "It's one step at a time really. I'm hoping that the modern cricketer will look at this and think this is something we're pleased to be a part of because it's about making the game as accessible as possible. "Cricket has changed enormously in the last 15 to 20 years, and I see this as something that could certainly play a decent part in the future." Neil Snowball, Warwickshire chief executive, has a long-term vision to host a day/night Test at Edgbaston: "First of all we wanted to see how the ball behaves under the lights here, and also how visible it is, particularly later on when we get into the proper darkness. We also wanted to see how it works with the dew. "We've been working closely with the ECB and the MCC who have been pioneers with the pink ball. We like being involved in innovation here at Edgbaston. We had the first county day/night game here in 1997. Who knows, it might happen." William Porterfield captained Warwickshire in the three-day Second XI Championship draw against Worcestershire: "There's been a bit of talk about visibility but it was all fine. It swung a little bit, but it hasn't behaved too dissimilarly to what a regulation Dukes ball does. "A day/night Test at Edgbaston? I don't see why not. You might need to bring a coat for the last session. But apart from that, I think it's going to be pretty good. Whatever's going to draw the crowds in. If it's going to mean getting more exciting

Summary: Warwickshire are hoping to make this season's final County Championship home fixture a day/night match.


Schools and offices in northern cities are expected to close on Friday afternoon as the storm nears. The typhoon was 450 km (280 miles) southeast of Yilan county on Friday morning, Taiwan's weather bureau said. In 2009, Taiwan was hit by Typhoon Morakot, which left hundreds dead in floods and mudslides. Typhoon Soulik, which was earlier classed as a "super typhoon", weakened overnight and has been downgraded to a medium-force typhoon. However, it still had wind speeds of around 173 km/hour (100 mph) on Friday morning. It is expected to hit north and northeast Taiwan on Friday, before moving onto mainland China's eastern provinces on Saturday. Hundreds of soldiers are on stand-by for emergency response operations and 102 military camps have been prepared as emergency shelters, the Central Emergency Operations Center said. In a statement, the centre also warned that some areas of Taiwan were prone to landslides. "The central region of Taiwan has experienced two earthquakes with magnitude six or above on 27 March and 2 June, [and] loose soil after seismic activities are potential disaster areas under heavy rainfall," it said. It advised that fishing boats return to the shore before the typhoon hit, and asked members of the public to avoid mountain and coastal areas. More than 2,000 tourists were evacuated from Taiwan's Green Island, near the city of Taitung, on Thursday as a precaution. Some flights to Taiwan have been disrupted, with both Cathay Pacific and China Airlines announcing cancellations or planned cancellations. Typhoon Soulik is expected to arrive in mainland China's eastern provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang on Saturday. Local authorities have been asked to implement emergency response plans, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Typhoons are common during the summer in parts of East Asia, where the warm moist air and low pressure conditions enable tropical cyclones to form.

Summary: Taiwan is braced for the arrival of Typhoon Soulik, a tropical hurricane expected to bring strong winds and torrential rain to the island.


Work is to be carried out on Edinburgh Airport's main runway over the next three weekends between 23:00 and 05:30. Areas affected include Bonnyrigg, Loanhead, Fairmilehead, Colinton, Sighthill, South Gyle, Oxgangs, Kirkliston and Bo'ness. The work will resurface runway areas particularly the touchdown zones. The airport said 16 flights would operate during the renovations, and the main runway would reopen before 06:00 each morning. Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: "As the airport continues to grow our runway is subjected to heavier loads and more frequent aircraft movements. "These heavy forces can cause the runway surface to degrade over time. "The work we're carrying out over the next few weeks will involve resurfacing a number of areas on the runway, particularly at the aircraft touchdown zones. "As we'll be operating a different take-off and landing route, some areas around Edinburgh may notice a slight increase in the number aircraft operations between the hours of runway maintenance. "Although this runway maintenance work may cause some minimal inconvenience in the short term, it is essential that we continue to invest in and improve our facilities."

Summary: Residents close to Edinburgh Airport have been warned about increased aircraft noise while the regular flight path is temporarily changed.


One of those held is a former minister, Slobodan Milosavljevic. Two former interior ministry officials, several serving and former mayors, and a number of executives in state-owned firms were also detained. The move comes after Serbia opened talks to join the EU, which has long pressed Belgrade to tackle corruption. Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said the charges for those arrested included abuse of office, money laundering and other financial crimes. The alleged offences date back to 2004, involving the suspected embezzlement of 7.8bn dinars ($70m). Mr Stefanovic said police were searching for five more suspects. Another 39 are under investigation. A ministry statement said that Mr Milosavljevic was being charged with abuse of office when Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management from May 2007 to July 2008 and when head of the Chamber of Commerce, from 2004 to 2007. Former head of the government's anti-corruption agency, Zorana Markovic, was also detained. Many of those arrested are from the opposition Democratic Party. Its leader said the detentions were politically motivated. Tackling corruption and organised crime will be high on the agenda of the Serbia-EU accession negotiations, which began on 14 December.

Summary: Police in Serbia have arrested about 80 people in what has been described as the country's biggest anti-corruption investigation in decades.


Parliamentary Speaker Radoslaw Sikorski announced that parliamentarians will be trained at an army firing range. The country's military age is capped at 50 but exceptions will be made for "healthy and youthful looking" MPs. Poland's recently adopted security strategy states that the country is threatened by warfare and names Russia as an aggressor. Speaker Sikorski said he hopes the training would demonstrate to young Poles that it was time to start preparing to defend the country. He added that these are "troubled times". Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has called on Poles aged between 18 and 50 to undergo voluntary military training. The offer comes after Krystyna Pawlowicz, a 63-year-old MP, asked to be given military training to provide an example to others. Warsaw has been a firm opponent of Russia's actions in Ukraine and many Poles are concerned the country could come under attack. An opinion poll from May last year found 61% of respondents felt the Ukraine crisis threatened Poland's security. In another poll from April, when asked which country Poland should most fear, 80% of respondents said Russia, up from 49% in 2010. On Thursday, a top Polish official said that arming the Ukrainian army could stop the conflict in eastern Ukraine escalating. Stanislaw Koziej, the head of Poland's National Security Office, said that it was in the "interest of Europe, of Poland and of Ukraine to strengthen Ukraine's army and to supply it with weapons." So far Poland has only offered non-lethal supplies and training to the Ukrainian government.

Summary: Polish MPs will be offered military training because of fears that the war in Ukraine could spread.


Built in 1937, the concrete structure was the "last fragment" of the derelict seaside lido used for the street artist's "Bemusement Park" exhibit last year. Conservationists said they had been told the fountain, in Weston-super-Mare, would be spared from destruction. But North Somerset council said it was demolished due to its poor condition. Visitors to Dismaland were greeted by the sight of the fountain upon entering, and it was picked out by a spotlight at night. Its dilapidated appearance, however, was not the work of the elusive Banksy, but rather a truck which hit the fountain after the site became derelict. The impact caused the upper cascade to tip over, leaving it sitting on its side atop the bottom part of the structure. Weston Civic Society chairman Howard Smith said he felt "angry and upset" the fountain had gone. "They [the council] gave us an assurance at the end of last year that it would be conserved," he said. Mr Smith said the fountain survived the building of the Tropicana at a time when the original diving stage was destroyed. "It was the last fragment of the actual bathing part of the original Art Deco pool. "It was a beautiful object and it would not have taken much to erect it in another part of the town." Work to turn the site into a space for arts and performances has been taking place since the end of 2015. A spokesman for the council, which owns the site, said: "The top of the fountain was dislodged, the surround of the base was broken down and could not be used as a water reservoir, the main stem had numerous cracks in the structure and the edges on the lower main tier were damaged. "Given its condition, the decision was made to take it down and demolish it."

Summary: The demolition of an Art Deco fountain which featured in Banksy's Dismaland show has been slammed by campaigners.


The 24-year-old full-back has signed a two-year deal, having turned down the offer of a new deal with the Pilgrims. "The last couple of years at Boston I've always wanted to make the step up," said Mills. "I'll be jumping two steps, but I'm sure I will pick it up quite quickly." Mills' arrival follows the signing of fellow full-back Danny Andrew from League One side Fleetwood Town.

Summary: Promoted Grimsby Town have made their second signing since returning to the Football League by bringing in defender Zak Mills from National League North neighbours Boston United.


More than 62% voted in favour of amending the country's constitution to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. It is the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage through a popular vote. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said it was a "small country with a big message for equality" around the world. The referendum was held 22 years after homosexual acts were decriminalised in the Republic of Ireland. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 20 countries worldwide. BBC Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler said the atmosphere at Dublin Castle, where thousands of people gathered to watch the results being announced, was more like a festival than a referendum result. Counting began at 09:00 BST on Saturday, and the final result was declared shortly before 19:00 BST. Cheers and applause greeted the announcement of the results by the returning officer RÃona NÃ Fhlanghaile. The turnout was more than 60%, and the outcome seemed clear a short time into the count, with prominent "no" campaigners declaring defeat early on. The Republic of Ireland has a written constitution which can only be changed by referendum. Now that the proposal has been passed, a marriage between two people of the same sex will have the same status under the Irish constitution as a marriage between a man and a woman. They will be recognised as a family and be entitled to the constitutional protection for families. Civil partnerships for same-sex couples have been legal in Ireland since 2010, giving couples legal protection which could be changed by the government. However, married gay people will now have a constitutional standing that can only be removed by another popular vote. Reaction to 'yes' vote In total, 1,201,607 people voted in favour of same-sex marriage, while 734,300 voted against. Out of 43 constituencies, only the largely rural Roscommon-South Leitrim had a majority of "no" votes. Many people returned to the Republic of Ireland from abroad to cast their votes. Minister for Health Leo Varadkar, who earlier this year came out as the Republic of Ireland's first openly gay minister, said the vote showed that the "traditional cultural divide" between rural and urban areas had vanished. "This is really Ireland speaking with one voice in favour of equality," he told Irish broadcaster RTE. Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, said if the referendum was an affirmation of the views of young people, the church had a "huge task in front of it". "I think really the church needs to do a reality check," he told RTE. "I appreciate how gay and lesbian men and women feel on this day, that they feel this is something that is enriching the way they live. I think it is a social revolution." Voters were asked whether they agreed with the statement: "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex." In 2010, the Irish government enacted civil partnership legislation, which provided legal recognition for gay couples. But there are some important differences between civil partnership and marriage, the critical one being that marriage

Summary: The Republic of Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to legalise same-sex marriage in a historic referendum.


Now Swansea's St Helen's ground is to be honoured with a blue plaque by Swansea council. It will mark the venue's contribution to sport since it first opened in 1873. As the home of Swansea RFC, it saw famous wins against touring international teams, but it is probably as a cricket ground that St Helen's helped to make the most history. On 31 August 1968, legendary West Indies cricketer Sir Garfield "Gary" Sobers became the first player to strike six sixes in an over, off the experimental left-arm spin of Glamorgan's Malcolm Nash. In 2006, the history-making ball was sold at auctioneers Christie's for Â£26,400, despite some doubt over whether it was definitely the right one. According to Swansea historian Prof Peter Stead, the entire episode has become cloaked in local myth and legend. "In its heyday St Helen's could hold more than 50,000 people, but if everyone in Swansea who claims to have been there when Gary Sobers hit six sixes is telling the truth, then there would have been well over 100,000 in there that day," he said. "As for the ball? Well I know at least two dozen people who swear blind they have the real one. "I wasn't there unfortunately, but I have seen some wonderful cricket and rugby at St Helen's over the years - from exquisite centuries by Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, to the famous victory over the Wallabies." However, Prof Stead maintains that there is at least one six-hitting record at St Helen's which Sir Sobers cannot claim. "As another St Helen's legend has it, during one match a six was hit out of the ground and on to a passing coal train on the heart of Wales line which used to run past the ground," he said. "That's reputed to have ended up in Shrewsbury, so it's comfortably bigger than anything Gary Sobers managed." Nowadays, barring the occasional visit, both the Ospreys and Glamorgan have moved on and international rugby matches are just a distant memory. The famous east stand, which provided iconic cloisters over part of Oystermouth Road, was demolished in 2005 leaving St Helen's with a capacity of just 4,500. But had it not been for World War Two, the story could have been very different. Damage caused by the Swansea blitz meant the council's plans to transform St Helen's into a super-stadium holding more 70,000 did not come to fruition. "The war put pay to some of the grander schemes for St Helen's, but I do think Swansea should have fought harder to keep at least some top-level sport there," Prof Stead said. "Cricket, and of course rugby, are in the DNA of Swansea's Welsh-speaking hinterland, and for over a century St Helen's acted as a hub to nurture that local culture." St Helen's blue plaque will be installed close to the clubhouse steps leading to the main pavilion and will be unveiled by the start of October. Others to be recognised under the blue plaque scheme include Dylan Thomas, Bletchley Park code breaker Vernon Watkins, singer Pete Ham and

Summary: It has hosted rugby and cricket internationals and witnessed one of sport's most incredible feats.


No sooner will the European Championships end than Wales' three league and one non-league club get under way before the 2016-17 football season starts But who is facing who and when and where? BBC Wales Sport looked at the line-up. Francesco Guidolin's side have announced a pre-season tour of the United States beginning on 13 July when they play Charlotte Independence. On their return, The Swans will go on to play Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town before facing former manager Kenny Jackett's Wolves at Molineux. They will then round off their pre-season campaign with a home fixture against French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais on 6 August. Fixtures Charlotte Independence, Thursday, 13 July 23:30 BST (Ramblewood Stadium) Richmond Kickers, Sunday, 16 July 00.00 BST (City Stadium, Virginia) Bristol Rovers, Saturday, 23 July 15:00 BST (Memorial Stadium) Swindon Town, Wednesday, 27 July BST 19:45 BST (County Ground) Wolverhampton Wanderers, Saturday, 30 July 15:00 BST (Molineux) Stade Rennais, Saturday, 6 August 15:00 BST (Liberty Stadium) Paul Trollope's Cardiff City will take part in a pre-season tournament in Germany on Saturday, 23 July, which will see them join Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach in facing 2. Bundesliga sides VfL Osnabruck and FC St. Pauli at Osnabruck's Bremer Brucke stadium. The Osnabruck Tournament will consist of four 60-minute matches in total - of which Cardiff City will play in two - over the course of the day, with a penalty shoot-out being used to decide games that end in a draw. Prior to making the trip to Germany, the Bluebirds will play Forest Green Rovers and Shrewsbury Town and will face another 2. Bundesliga side VfL Bochum three days after the tournament. They will then return to Britain to play away fixtures at Exeter City and Premier League side AFC Bournemouth ahead of the 2016-17 Championship season. Fixtures Forest Green Rovers, Wednesday, 13 July 19:45 BST (The New Lawn) Shrewsbury Town, Saturday, 16 July 15:00 BST (Greenhous Meadow) VfL Bochum, Tuesday, 26 July 18:00 BST (Stadion am Schloss Strünkede - home of SC Westfalia Herne) Exeter City, Thursday, 28 July 19:30 BST (St James Park) AFC Bournemouth, Saturday 30 July 15:00 BST (Dean Court) Warren Feeney's side will take in six pre-season fixtures as they look to prepare for their fourth season back in the Football League since clinching promotion from the Conference Premier in 2012-13. Fixtures Ton Pentre, Wednesday, 6 June 19:15 BST (Ynys Park) Caldicot Town, Friday, 8 July 19:00 BST (Jubilee Way) Undy Athletic, Thursday, 21 July 18:45 BST (The Causeway) Coventry City, Saturday, 23 July 15:00 BST (Spytty Park) Forest Green Rovers, Saturday, 30 July 15:00 BST (The New Lawn) Gloucester City, Monday, 1 August 19:00 BST (Whaddon Road) Fresh from a disappointing eighth-place finish in the National League, Gary Mills' side begin their pre-season campaign with a short trip to Lex Glyndwr on 1 July. The club, who are still to arrange a final fixture on 30 July before the beginning of the 2016-17 National League season, will not use their Racecourse Ground in pre-season as work is due to be carried

Summary: The fixtures for the new season have been released and Wales have reached the quarter finals of their first major international tournament for 58 years.


The scheme would link Peru's Pacific coast with Brazil's Atlantic shores. The decision came after talks between the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and Peruvian President Ollanta Humala. If completed, the railway would stretch 5,300km (3,300 miles) but campaigners fear the impact on indigenous people. Brazil, China and Peru will now begin feasibility studies into the railway. Mr Li secured Brazil's consent earlier this week, as part of his tour of Latin America. The railway would "consolidate Peru's geopolitical position as a natural gateway to South America", President Humala said. For China, it would reduce the cost of shipping raw materials and farm products. But campaigners are concerned it might destroy untouched parts of the Amazon rainforest, affecting hundreds of indigenous communities. Mr Li sought to ease fears, saying "to create the infrastructure, it is necessary to protect the environment" in a declaration with Mr Humala, AFP reported. It is likely to cost more than $10 billion (Â£6.5 billion). The route is still being examined, but would begin in the gigantic Brazilian port of Acu and ending at a Peruvian port. The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, pledged earlier this year to invest $250 billion (Â£161 billion) in Latin America over the next decade.

Summary: A Chinese scheme to build an east-west railway across South America, cutting across parts of the Amazon rain forest, has moved a step closer after Peru agreed to study the proposal.


Cambridge Assessment, which owns OCR, hopes for "millions of questions", with the best appearing on exam papers in England within the next five years. OCR would check all questions to see they are of the right standard. But there are concerns these "crowdsourced" exam questions could give some pupils an unfair advantage. Cambridge Assessment research director Tim Oates told the TES: "Really interesting questions which - put to children - encourage them to think hard, to integrate things, to understand things and challenge their ideas a bit, are really important. "We don't think we should necessarily just commission those through asking a limited number of people. "We want to know what questions teachers ask in the classroom and whether they were good for unlocking that bit of thinking or revealed that misconception." Currently, exam papers are drawn up by exam committees made up of teachers with detailed knowledge of each subject. Plans are at an early stage of development and would need to be approved by the exams regulator Ofqual in order to go ahead. However, Mr Oates said: "I can see within three to five years' time we might be able to start doing some work [with crowdsourced questions] in formal examinations." OCR said questions would have to go through technical and tough quality assurance processes before being used in a real exam. The questions submitted by teachers would also be made available to other teachers online through a question bank, so that they could be used in the classroom. School leaders and assessment experts have welcomed the idea of an online question bank for teachers. Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "The only potential weakness I can see in the system is, if I'm sending in questions and using the same questions in preparation for the examination, if they then turn up on the exam paper it advantages those youngsters because they're seeing a question they're familiar with. "You're going to have to find a way of overcoming that." But Mr Oates said schools already guessed exam questions and prepared pupils for likely questions using past papers. He said the "crowdsourcing" approach would not create unfairness because there would be so many questions in the pool that teachers would have little incentive to drill pupils for any particular question. OCR and Cambridge Assessment are already working on a project to crowdsource questions from computing teachers, which will be available to other teachers to use in classroom-based assessments.

Summary: Teachers are to be asked to submit challenging GCSE and A-level exam questions by a key exam board, the Times Educational Supplement reports.


The Premier League champions were the last surviving English team in this season's competition. But, despite a spirited second-leg display, a 1-1 draw meant Atletico progressed via a 2-1 aggregate win. "The whole club, from the supporters to the players to the owners can be immensely proud," said Shakespeare. "We had them rattled with the effort and commitment we showed. It's no discredit to lose to a team of that calibre. "I've just said to the players that they should want more of this and they've agreed that that's what they want. "All players want to play at the highest level and the Champions League is the highest level but we have to get back to winning ways in the Premier League now." Seeking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, Leicester fell further behind to Saul Niguez's header in the first half on Tuesday, meaning they required three goals to progress. The Foxes dominated the second half and gave themselves hope when Jamie Vardy finished from close range on the hour mark. But, despite sending on Leonardo Ulloa for Shinji Okazaki at half-time and leading the shot count 17-2 after the break, they were unable to breach a resolute Atletico defence for a second time. "In the first half, we played really well but the goal changes the game plan - we knew we had to score three - so I had to make the change," Shakespeare told BT Sport. "In terms of effort, commitment, application - as a group we were tremendous. "The momentum was with us when Jamie scored but it just wasn't to be." Shakespeare was appointed Leicester manager until the end of the season following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri in February. The 53-year-old, previously Ranieri's assistant, oversaw six wins in his first six games to steer the Foxes away from the relegation zone. When asked about his future, he replied: "It's not in my hands. It's in the club's hands. I've said we'd sit down at the end of the season. I'm more than happy to do that before if it arises but the contract says until the end of the season. "I've enjoyed it, pitting your wits against one of the best managers in the world, one of the best sides in the world. "Now is a time to reflect and I'm sure at the end of the season I'll be able to reflect on my own performance as well as the club's." Ex-England defender Danny Mills on BBC Radio 5 live: "Ranieri wasn't on anybody's radar and clearly they went for a big name and it worked. "There's just part of me that feels a little bit sorry for Craig Shakespeare because the same thing might happen again. "He almost becomes unemployable because wherever he goes. If he goes in as a number two, the moment you have a bad game [people will think] he's going to want the job and someone's going to get sacked. "So no-one is going to want to employ him as a number two. Does he get a big job

Summary: Manager Craig Shakespeare challenged his Leicester team to reach the Champions League again after their quarter-final loss to Atletico Madrid.


Seau, a 1990s star with the San Diego Chargers, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday, after his girlfriend found him unconscious. His death followed the 2011 suicide of former Chicago Bears star Dave Duerson. Their deaths have led to questions over the effect of concussions on the brains of professional football players. "They [the family] believe that through allowing this procedure, it will allow the betterment of other individuals and athletes in the years ahead," Pastor Shawn Mitchell, former chaplain for the Chargers, told the Reuters news agency. "Their thought is, if it can benefit others, then it's probably worth going forward with." The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said Seau's brain would need to be conducted by outside researchers. Seau's family has not said whether they believe concussions could have played a role in the football star's death. But recent studies have found a connection between repeated concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease with symptoms including memory loss and mood swings. On Thursday, a more than a hundred former National Football League players filed a lawsuit claiming the National Football League (NFL) deliberately hid the dangers of concussions from them. They join an additional 1,500 former NFL players who have put their names to similar lawsuits. Duerson's family have already filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that the organisation did not do enough to prevent or treat concussions that had damaged his brain. He died in February 2011. Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told the Associated Press news agency that over the course of his 20-year football career, Seau also suffered concussions. But his relatives and friends say they did not know of any issues that may have led to his death. Police have said they did not find a suicide note. In 2010, Seau drove his car off a cliff hours after he had been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. Seau starred with his hometown San Diego Chargers for 13 years before playing with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2010.

Summary: The family of former American football star Junior Seau has donated his brain for research into the effects of head trauma on football players.


The 31-year-old South Africa international was found guilty of tip-tackling scrum-half Charlie Mulchrone in the first half of his side's win over Harlequins last Saturday. The Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel said they were "satisfied" that the initial decision was correct. He will be able to make his first-team return against Saracens on 26 March.

Summary: Bath flanker Francois Louw will serve a two-week ban after his appeal against the decision was dismissed.


Managers of teams comprised mainly of Muslim players have had to work around the majority of their squads fasting from dawn until dusk. Ramadan coincided with the 2012 London Olympics, the 2014 Fifa World Cup, and last year's European Championship in France. With the long summer days in Europe, the quality of player performance can be an issue. During London 2012, the Emirati football team received special dispensation from the country's highest religious authority not to fast on match days. Germany's Mesut Ozil also elected not to fast during his nation's World Cup campaign in Brazil. Others insisted on fasting. Many members of Algeria's national football team fasted during their last-16 match against Germany, despite receiving special dispensation from religious authorities, although goalkeeper Rais M'bolhi subsequently broke his fast with some dates and water at half-time. This year, Ramadan stretches from 26 May to 24 June and many national teams across Asia and Africa have delayed kick-offs until well into the night. The Asian Cup qualifier between Palestine and Oman on the outskirts of Jerusalem earlier this week was one fixture that posed extraordinary challenges. The Palestine Football Association had originally scheduled Tuesday's match to start at 9.45pm local time, then moved it back to 10.45pm, and again to 11pm. Scheduled to give the team and its fans the opportunity to break fast before heading to the stadium, it inadvertently created a headache for fans outside the Jerusalem/Ramallah area. The Palestine FA tried to coax fans into attending by granting free entry, but with people from the far northern and southern reaches of the West Bank, as well as Palestinian majority cities in Israel, needing more than two hours to commute to the match, there was always a worry not enough would be present. From a preparation standpoint, both Oman and Palestine moved workouts and training to night-time hours, while also adjusting diet and conditioning habits accordingly. Bader Aqel, one of the Palestine physicians, outlined the adjustments made to the national team's routine during Ramadan. "We stress to the players that they drink at least three litres of water after sunset to fight against the effects of dehydration." Outside of Ramadan the players would be offered a buffet-style spread at their team hotel - but this week Aqel and the rest of the medical team carefully monitored the players' intake, giving them set plates to prevent overeating. The players were served equal parts carbohydrates - such as white rice - lean protein and mixed greens or salad. The menu was designed to give players easily digestible food and energy for the match. Often the coaching staff would send the players to the gym one hour before Iftar - the meal that commences immediately after breaking the fast - to jolt metabolisms after a day of relative inactivity. "The most important thing is for players not to remain too sedentary during the day," added Aqel. "We want to avoid having the players sleeping too much [which is a common occurrence during Ramadan]." Palestine's training sessions took place at 11pm, after which the players

Summary: This week's international fixtures took place during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims worldwide observe a month of fasting.