Pete Cresswell was forced to leave Liverpool University without graduating for protesting against its investments in apartheid-era South Africa. The student was one of 10, including Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow, punished for a six-week sit-in at the university's Senate House. Mr Cresswell said he was "gobsmacked". "If I went back through it 1,000 times, my 22-year-old self in 1970 would do it again," said Mr Cresswell, who was the only one of the 10 to be expelled. The former politics student said he was "astonished" to be awarded a degree and had always thought "hell would freeze over" before the university gave him one. Awarding him an honorary Bachelor of Arts degree at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, vice chancellor Prof Janet Beer said "we in the university want to put this right". She said that while the university "cannot undo" Mr Cresswell's "unfair and wrong" treatment, it can "recognise that wrong, and publicly do so" to a man who "saw what was the right thing to do and paid a price for it". Inspired by the 1968 student revolts in France, activists across the UK brought protests and sit-ins to universities into the early 1970s and students in Liverpool were no exception. The chancellor of the university at the time was Lord Salisbury, a known supporter of apartheid. Mr Cresswell said: "Looking back, I think we were right and if you look at the issues, we have been proved right. "This does put a full stop on the whole thing and I just feel pleased that a bit of history has been reviewed and put to bed." The Birmingham-born student stayed in Liverpool and despite having to leave his politics course during his third year with a "CV from hell", eventually became a social worker, holding roles with the council and the Care Quality Commission. Now retired, Mr Cresswell said he was pleased his daughter had had the chance to see him in robes - she graduated herself more than 10 years before him. Mr Snow, who received an honorary degree from the university in 2011, sent him a congratulatory video message, saying: "Well done Pete. Well done Liverpool - I still love you." Mr Cresswell said that while Mr Snow could not attend, he was "there in spirit".

Summary: A student who was expelled from university for taking part in anti-apartheid demonstrations in 1970 has been awarded an honorary degree.


Alan Bennett, of Lingholme, Redcar, was at Teesside Magistrates' Court for the short hearing during which he confirmed his name and address. He is accused of murdering Lynne Freeman, 46, and 30-year-old Jodie Betteridge, on Wednesday evening. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Teesside Crown Court on 29 March. Police were called to Mapleton Crescent, where Mrs Freeman lived on Wednesday evening, then seven minutes later to Ms Betteridge's address in Byland Close. Ms Freeman's children Sarah Helm, 28, James Helm, 27, Kimberley Helm, 25 and Lauren Freeman, 18, previously said in a statement: "We shouldn't have to be writing a tribute to our mother who was taken from us so early. She should still be here to watch her four kids and grandkids grow." In tribute to Ms Betteridge, Theresa Largan, 51, said: "Jodie lived for her kids. I don't think I ever saw her on her own, she always had the tribe with her."

Summary: A man has appeared in court accused of murdering two women within minutes of each other in separate attacks.


Downing, who had only been offered a one-year deal by the Saddlers, made 183 appearances for the club following his release by West Brom in August 2012. The 24-year-old centre-back has also previously been out on loan at Hereford United, Shrewsbury Town and Barnet. "I've always liked Paul as a player," said Dons boss Karl Robinson. The transfer will officially be completed once Downing's existing Walsall deal expires on Thursday. Downing was one of three out-of-contract mainstays from last season's beaten League One play-off semi-finalists to leave the club, having turned down their respective offers. Jason Demetriou signed last week for another League One side Southend, while Romaine Sawyers, remains linked with former Saddlers boss Dean Smith at Championship side Brentford. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: MK Dons have signed defender Paul Downing on a two-year deal after he rejected a new contract offer from League One rivals Walsall.


Most died after buying the black-market spirits, made from ethanol, water and fruit, from a couple in Sleman, north of Yogyakarta city. Several people were also taken to hospital. The alleged maker and seller of the drink has been arrested. It is not the first time moonshine has killed people in Muslim-majority Indonesia. More than a dozen Indonesians died after drinking it at new year celebrations in 2014, and 25 people, four of them foreigners, died after drinking palm wine laced with methanol in Bali in 2009. The most recent deaths occurred late last week. "Most of the victims were students," Sleman's police chief told AFP. Since 2015, small shops in Indonesia have been banned from selling alcohol, despite fears by some critics that it would push people towards consuming illicit alcohol.

Summary: At least 24 people have died in recent days in central Java, Indonesia, from drinking illegally-produced alcohol.


The route, which goes through the East Midlands, was due to be electrified but rising costs have halted the project. Jon Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, said people in the region feel let down by the decision. Alberto Costa, Conservative MP for South Leicestershire, said he wanted to work with Mr Ashworth on the issue. Mr Ashworth said: "Experts in the rail industry were warning about this back in November and it was in the Conservative Party manifesto. "Cabinet ministers came to the Midlands to marginal seats and made these promises. "That's why people feel let down." Mr Costa said he was giving Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin time to speak with professionals ready for an update on the project. He said: "Jon [Ashworth] and I stand as one, we want to see this and I'm happy to work with him on this." Mr McLoughlin is due to be questioned by MPs over his decision on Monday.

Summary: The government is under pressure to reverse its decision to pause the £500m electrification of the Midland Mainline.


Turkey midfielder Turan slotted in the first goal at the Nou Camp from Messi's through pass in the 10th minute. Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo then saved Vicente Iborra's penalty after Samuel Umtiti handled. Turan chipped in his second shortly after the break, with Messi guiding in a sublime header for the third. It is the first time Barcelona have won the Spanish Super Cup since 2013. The two-legged match usually pitches the league champions against the Copa del Rey winners. However, as Luis Enrique's team won both trophies last season, Sevilla took part as Copa del Rey runners-up. Both sides begin their La Liga season on Saturday, with champions Barcelona at home to Real Betis, while Sevilla, who finished seventh last May, host Espanyol.

Summary: Arda Turan scored twice and Lionel Messi once as Barcelona earned a 3-0 second-leg victory over Sevilla to win the Spanish Super Cup 5-0 on aggregate.


Natural Resources Wales (NRW) - which is objecting to the £1.1bn project - said the likely impact of climate change had be taken into account. NRW was giving evidence at a public inquiry into the plans in Newport. Lawyers for the Welsh Government said it was "inconceivable" sea defences would not be maintained. The proposed route of the relief road would cross areas of tidal floodplain within the Severn Estuary on a raised embankment. Gary Purnell, a technical specialist for NRW's flood risk analysis team, told the inquiry that proposals to manage tidal flood risk had not been guaranteed over the lifetime of the project. An assumption that defences would be maintained was not satisfactory, he said. The proposed M4 scheme would increase tidal flooding risk to properties south of the new motorway, whilst benefiting properties to the north, he claimed. Should sea defences not be improved throughout the lifetime of the scheme there was a "serious risk of flooding in that area" in light of climate change. Commitments to flood protection had been made in the case of the HS2 project and the Thames Tideway Tunnel, he added. But Morag Ellis QC, representing the Welsh Government, said for NRW to query whether funding would be available was to "underplay the serious risk" that climate change posed in future. It was the government's position that it was "inconceivable" that measures would not be put in place, otherwise vast areas of Newport and Cardiff as well as important road infrastructure, power lines and industry would be at threat, she said. She added it was not for NRW to question government policy or the allocation of funding and that both these issues were beyond the scope of the inquiry. NRW's evidence will continue with objections set to be discussed surrounding the road's impact on Sites of Special Scientific Interest and protected species such as dormice. The inquiry heard that following weeks of dialogue and work to address issues between Welsh Government and NRW officials, a number of other objections had been removed.

Summary: A long-term commitment to fund flood defences along the route of the M4 relief road is needed before the scheme goes ahead, it has been argued.


Your name in lights, perhaps. Your first award, maybe. But when you have the director of the biggest film of the year - and maybe of all time - asking you to play a part in his movie, that is as good a sign as any. Such was the case for three Indonesian actors who millions of people will see in Star Wars: The Force Awakens this weekend. All three - Yayan Ruhian, Iko Uwais and Cecep Arif Rahman - starred in the widely-praised 2012 Indonesian action film The Raid, or its 2014 sequel. And it was thanks to Star Wars director JJ Abrams' enthusiasm for the films that they got the call to take part. It was only in the past week that their appearances - as intergalactic smugglers - were confirmed. (No major spoilers ahead!) "I was just a fan. It was an opportunity," Abrams told the website Slashfilm. "I knew we needed people for this one sequence that would be particularly fun to see a group of people working together. "I thought 'God, I wonder if the dudes from The Raid would be available?' And to my amazement, and they were willing, and they were incredible. They showed up and did a terrific job." Their roles are not as substantial as Harrison Ford's, or the robot C3PO's for that matter, but they play important enough a part to justify having Lego figures made in their image. Being on the Star Wars set presented challenges to the actors, said Rahman, who is also credited as a stunt choreographer. "Our filming schedule fell during the month of Ramadan and the three of us were fasting," he told the Jakarta Globe newspaper. "It was one of the toughest fasting months for me, because we couldn't eat and drink for almost 19 hours. But the crew always made sure to prepare food for us to break the fast and to make sure we got some time to rest." Their casting has proven popular with fans in Indonesia. One wrote on Twitter: "Caucasian characters work for Star Wars, but we're proud to have you guys in there!" Another Indonesian actor from The Raid 2, Joe Taslim, starred in the 2013 film Fast and Furious 6, and will appear in the next instalment of the Star Trek series next year. The Raid films, directed by Welshman Gareth Evans, follow Uwais' character Rama, a Jakarta policeman, as he battles against the city's underworld. The films were released to critical acclaim, with the first winning the audience award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. The Force Awakens opened across Indonesia on Friday, but Uwais, for one, might find it difficult to catch the reaction, as he is filming deep in the Indonesian jungle, and was unavailable for interview. As for whether they will appear in the many Star Wars sequels and spin-offs to come, Ruhian told the Coconuts Jakarta website he had to stay quiet thanks to a non-disclosure agreement. "One can only hope," he said. "For the last one, we had to be quiet about

Summary: As a film actor, there might be a few signs that you have made it into the big time.


The special, called The Return of Doctor Mysterio, will be shown on BBC One on Christmas Day. It sees The Doctor working together with a superhero called Doctor Mysterio to save New York from a deadly alien threat. The dynamic duo will be joined on their quest by an investigative journalist, played by actress Charity Wakefield. The mysterious Doctor Mysterio will be played by actor Justin Chatwin, and the episode will be written by Steven Moffat. Writer Steven Moffat said: "I've always loved superheroes and this Christmas Doctor Who dives into that world. My favourite superhero is Clark Kent. Not Superman, Clark Kent." Matt Lucas, who said he would return to Doctor Who earlier this year, will also appear in this episode.

Summary: This year's Christmas special episode of Doctor Who, will see the Doctor teaming up with a superhero.


Victoria Allen, 51, threatened to take Brannel School in St Austell, Cornwall to tribunal over the matter. The dispute was settled out of court earlier. She had told the pupil she did not agree with same sex relationships and she was unhappy that the rainbow emblem was used to represent gay pride. More on the teacher row, plus more Devon and Cornwall news Both parties spent the day behind closed doors at Bodmin Magistrates' Court thrashing out an agreement. A joint statement said head teacher Andy Edmonds "recognised Victoria Allen's right to share her Christian beliefs with students and has apologised for any upset that Victoria Allen may have felt during the disciplinary process". Outside the court, Mrs Allen said she was made to "feel like a criminal" for sharing her "personal, Biblical beliefs". She said she believes the rainbow emblem, often used to represent the gay community, should indicate "God's promise not to flood the world again". Mrs Allen said the student asked her a direct question about her personal religious beliefs. "If a child asks my personal opinion I feel I should give it," she said. In the statement, Mrs Allen acknowledged that staff "should share balanced views". Libby Powell of the Christian Legal Centre, which supported Mrs Allens' claim, said: "Vicky was asked a question about her personal opinion. "We know that there are lots of people who disagree with the Biblical view of marriage and they are free to disagree. "What we want to say is that there has to be space for the other point of view, Vicky's point of view, to be there as well."

Summary: A school has apologised to a Christian teaching assistant it disciplined for sharing her views on gay relationships with a 14-year-old student.


Scrum-half Dan Robson scored Wasps' first try when he found a gap and touched down on the post before Rob Miller crossed from close in. Josh Bassett's score helped make it 24-3 to the visitors at the break. Sam Dickinson scored in the corner for Saints in the second half, but Wasps go above them in the Premiership table. Both sides came into the match on the back of reaching the European Champions Cup quarter-finals thanks to impressive victories last weekend. But Saints, who made seven changes from their win over Scarlets, struggled to cope with a Wasps team who dealt with the wet conditions better to climb to fifth. After Robson's impressive score, the visitors increased their lead to 17-0 on 25 minutes when Miller evaded Harry Mallinder's challenge to cross. Wasps' decision not to pick international quartet Matt Mullan, Elliot Daly, Bradley Davies and Lorenzo Cittadini, despite all having been made available by their countries, looked to have paid dividends when full-back Miller turned provider for Bassett to score a try in just his second appearance of the season. Stephen Myler kicked Saints' only points of the half, and he was on the scoreboard again after an infringement by Nathan Hughes which led to him being sin-binned. But Saints failed to score with the numerical advantage, and in a scrappy second half only went over late on when Dickinson finished in the left-hand corner. Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder: "We were hoping we'd turned a bit of a corner in Europe. We'd put in two good performances, scored some good tries and we needed to back it up. "But that first half was unacceptable. Our defence was poor, we had no line speed whatsoever, we couldn't get our set-piece functioning at all, and so we gave our backs nothing to work from. "Just generally, we looked flat as a team. We made a couple of changes, as did they. You come off a couple of games in Europe and you look to freshen things up, but clearly their changes worked better than ours. "We've had losses before, as every team does, and you really have to look at yourselves." Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: "I couldn't be happier. We spoke about backing it (the Leinster win) up and there were a lot of players out there who haven't had as much rugby as they would have liked. "But you're only as good as your squad and it's important that when boys get a chance, they stand up and take it. They certainly did that tonight. "I thought we were excellent and, from the word go, we really came out of the blocks. We thoroughly deserved our win." Northampton Saints: Mallinder; Elliott, Pisi, Burrell, Collins; Myler, Kessell; Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Paterson, Matfield, Wood (capt), Harrison, Dickinson. Replacements: Williams, Waller, Denman, Craig, Day, Dickson, Hanrahan, Wilson. Wasps: Miller; Halai, Macken, Downey, Bassett; Gopperth, Robson; McIntyre, Shervington, Cooper-Woolley, Gaskell, Myall, Rieder, Smith (capt), Hughes. Replacements: Johnson, Bristow, Swainston, Cannon, Young, Stevenson, Jackson, Tagicakibau. For the latest rugby union news follow

Summary: Wasps comfortably defeated Northampton Saints in difficult conditions to win at Franklin's Gardens for the first time since 2005.


The photos showing militants rigging the temple with explosives and a large explosion were circulated by the jihadist group's supporters. Syrian officials and activists said on Sunday that it had been blown up. The UN's cultural organisation said the deliberate destruction of Syria's cultural heritage was a war crime. Unesco's director-general, Irina Bokova, accused IS of seeking to "deprive the Syrian people of its knowledge, its identity and history". She also expressed outrage at the beheading last week of Khaled al-Asaad, the retired chief archaeologist at Palmyra, who refused to co-operate with IS. The Temple of Baalshamin was built nearly 2,000 years ago and was considered the second most important structure at Palmyra - the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. Syria's director of antiquities, Maamoun Abdul Karim, said IS militants had packed the Graeco-Roman temple with large quantities of explosives and detonated them on Sunday, bringing down the inner sanctum, or cella, and surrounding pillars. Three of the images published online on Tuesday appear to show men placing barrels of explosives connected with detonating cord around the temple's interior and on several exterior columns. Another image shows a large explosion and plume of smoke, and a fifth shows the aftermath, with piles of rubble where the temple used to be. IS threat to 'Venice of the Sands' Syrian ruins that influenced the West Palmyra 'was archaeologist's passion' Your memories of Palmyra One caption reads: "The complete destruction of the pagan Baalshamin temple." The images could not be independently verified, but they carried a logo IS often uses for propaganda from Palmyra, which the group captured from Syrian government forces in May. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict in Syria, reported that the temple was destroyed a month ago. IS has ransacked and demolished several similar ancient sites that pre-date Islam in Iraq, seeing them as symbols of "idolatry". Until the temple was brought down, they had only demolished a statue of a lion from Palmyra, though they used the site's theatre to stage the public execution by children of more than 20 captured Syrian army soldiers.

Summary: Islamic State (IS) has published images of what appears to be the destruction of the Temple of Baalshamin at the ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria.


Kerry Smith stepped down as a candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock after the Mail on Sunday reported leaked phone calls in which he made offensive comments about gay people. Mr Smith told the BBC that his comments were no worse than the language in the TV comedy Only Fools and Horses. UKIP said he was no longer a party member and "can do what he likes". In a recording obtained by the newspaper, Mr Smith made offensive remarks about gay people, other UKIP members and Chigwell in Essex. In his first broadcast interview since resigning as a party member, Mr Smith said ambitious people in UKIP needed to be "very, very afraid" in case more secret recordings existed. Speaking to the BBC's Tom Barton, he said his comments were no worse than the language in the TV comedy Only Fools and Horses, and said he had been "too politically incorrect". After apologising "unreservedly" he added: "My language, for the record, was no worse than watching an old episode of Fools and Horses to be fair. I come from the East End, the word was never offensive and if you talked politically correct where I grew up you were battered for being a boffin." He said this was no excuse. Mr Smith said the constituency had "become a real farce as far as the national party's concerned". Before Mr Smith was chosen last week, the former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton withdrew from the selection process for the seat after a letter querying his expenses claims was leaked to the media. A UKIP spokesman said of Mr Smith: "He's not a member of the party. He can do what he likes. We don't recognise that story."

Summary: A UKIP candidate who resigned on Sunday has said he may have been a victim of "black arts" within the party.


Fry faced strong criticism online for comparing costume designer Jenny Beavan to a "bag lady" when she picked up her Bafta for Mad Max. Twitter users demanded Fry apologise for his comments over her clothes. But Fry, a prolific Twitter user, said online afterwards Beavan was "a dear friend" who had "got" the joke. The comedian and broadcaster underlined the point by posting a photo of the pair at the Bafta after-party. He wrote: "Jenny Baglady Beavan and Stephen Outrageous Misogynist Swine Fry at the after party." But on Monday morning, Fry appeared to have removed himself from the site. Fry has been presenting the show for 11 years and audiences have become used to his cutting wit in the course of his role, often involving risque quips about many of the stars involved. Beavan, who won the Bafta for Best Costume Design for Mad Max: Fury Road, came onto the stage at London's Royal Opera House wearing a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and dark trousers. After her acceptance speech and she had left the stage, Fry said: "Only one of the great cinematic costume designers would come to the awards dressed like a bag lady." The joke however was not well-received and Twitter was soon alight with angry reaction and demands that Fry apologise. Twitter user Wendy Evans was one of many others who felt Fry overstepped the mark when she wrote: "Stephen Fry's 'bag lady' comment was vile. Once again the achievement's of a female overshadowed by comments on her appearance." But Fry hit back by first posting the photo of himself and Beavan at the party and then by angrily telling his critics they were "tragic people". Nonetheless, Fry also received support from others, including several celebrities. Radio 1 Scott Mills DJ wrote: "I thought Stephen Fry was an excellent host tonight. Dealing with the biggest stars in the world is scary. I find this. He is a natural." Comedian Matt Lucas joked: "Stephen Fry Didn't you get the memo? No-one is allowed to do jokes anymore." British singer Adele - who has 25m followers - announced she was leaving Twitter in 2012 due to comments about her new-born son. She since returned, but revealed last year that she no longer sends her own messages due to "drunk tweeting". Girls creator Lena Dunham said she was leaving Twitter last year to create a "safe space", after receiving online abuse for posting a picture on Instagram in a sports bra. Although her account is still active, it's believed to be run by a member of her creative team. Actor and writer Matt Lucas left Twitter four years ago after a joke was tweeted about the death of his former civil partner, Kevin McGee. He has since rejoined the site. US singer Chris Brown deleted his account in 2012 after receiving a barrage of tweets following a heated exchange with comedian Jenny Johnson. He was back on the site less than a week later. In 2012, Kanye West quit the site by deleting all his tweets except for one announcing

Summary: Bafta show host Stephen Fry appears to have deleted his Twitter profile in the wake of his controversial comments during Sunday night's show.


Heritage, tourism, climate change and innovation projects will be backed. North and west Wales and south-east Ireland stand to benefit the most. Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the Ireland-Wales Co-operation Programme was "a unique partnership" and the cash would build on "our shared aspirations for economic growth and job creation".

Summary: A plan to spend £80m enhancing economic links between Wales and Ireland has been approved by the European Commission.


The Portuguese, 39, replaced Mike Phelan in January on a deal until the end of the season but could not save them from the drop to the Championship. He led Hull to six wins from his 18 Premier League games, with relegation confirmed after a 4-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on 14 May. In a statement, Hull said they were "disappointed" by the departure of a "firm fans' favourite". The club were relegated in the penultimate week of the season and Silva said at the time: "It's my goal as a manager to work in the Premier League." The former Sporting Lisbon and Olympiakos manager has been linked with Watford after the dismissal of Walter Mazzarri, but said recently he had not received an offer from the Hornets or any other club. "Everyone knows when you have the chance to work in the Premier League, you don't want to work in Championship, it's normal," he said last week. A statement from Hull said Silva "will be forever remembered for his efforts to maintain our Premier League status". It added: "Unfortunately, after considering his future, he has chosen to leave in order to further his career." Assistant head coach Joao Pedro Sousa, first team coach Goncalo Pedro and goalkeeping coach Hugo Oliveira have also left the club. BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Matt Dean: Marco Silva is undoubtedly a loss, although his departure isn't exactly a surprise. His drive, energy and focus for the job was unwavering and his values rubbed off on his players and the fans. He was always viewed as a coach bound for bigger things and brighter times. The club will be hard pressed to find another in his mould. Whoever gets the job will have to pick up the pieces of a squad shorn of six loan players now back with their parent clubs and be capable of galvanising those left, including the fans. There are no guarantees either that players such as Harry Maguire, Andy Robertson and Abel Hernandez will remain at the club. Fans will watch with keen interest to see how serious the club's owners are to get the club back to the Premier League with the next appointment and the resources allocated to them.

Summary: Marco Silva has resigned as Hull City manager after the club's relegation.


US-based Human Rights Watch identified the rebel as Abu Sakkar, a well-known insurgent from the city of Homs, and said his actions were a war crime. The main Syrian opposition coalition said he would be put on trial. The video, which cannot be independently authenticated, seems to show him cutting out the heart. "I swear to God we will eat your hearts and your livers, you soldiers of Bashar the dog," the man says, referring to President Bashar al-Assad as he stands over the soldier's corpse. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Abu Sakkar is the leader of a group called the Independent Omar al-Farouq Brigade, an offshoot of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) Al-Farouq Brigades. He insults Alawites, the minority offshoot of Shia Islam to which Mr Assad belongs. "The desecration and mutilation of a killed person is definitely a war crime," Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director of Human Rights Watch, told the BBC. "This one particularly disturbing because of the sectarian nature of the language used by Abu Sakkar." HRW said those committing war crimes on either side had to know that there was no impunity and that they would be brought to account. The human rights group said Abu Sakkar had been filmed before, firing rockets into Shia areas of Lebanon and posing with the bodies of guerrillas from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement killed fighting alongside Syrian government forces. "Abu Sakkar is a very significant commander - he's in charge of one of the most important battles happening in Syria right now," said Mr Bouckaert. "The danger is that extremists on both sides will feel the need to respond in kind." The video was posted on Sunday, though reporters from Time Magazine said they had first viewed the footage in April. Time said on Tuesday it had spoken to Abu Sakkar, who confirmed that he had bitten into one of the soldier's organs - though a surgeon told the magazine that the organ appeared to be a lung, not the heart or liver, as reported elsewhere. Syria's opposition coalition said the Al-Farouq Brigades were investigating the incident. "The Syrian Coalition strongly condemns this act - if it is revealed to be true," it said in a statement. "The culprit will eventually be tried in court in front of an honest and fair judiciary." It is one of the most gruesome videos to emerge in more than two years of carnage in Syria, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut. The UN says nearly 80,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011, and millions have fled their homes. By Jim MuirBBC News, Beirut The results of many terrible atrocities in Syria have surfaced on internet video clips over the past two years and more. But this one was particularly chilling because it was filmed as it happened, showing an exultantly brazen and barbaric act of gratuitous bloodthirstiness. Even if it was not intended as a provocation, it is likely to have that effect as the struggle between rebel and government forces for control of Quseir

Summary: A video which appears to show a Syrian rebel taking a bite from the heart of a dead soldier has been widely condemned.


The 34-year-old, who came third in Athens in 2004, has concentrated on the 400m hurdles since November 2010. She failed to qualify for the World Championships and has since lost her lottery funding, but began training for multi-eventing again four weeks ago. "I am motivated more and I'm enjoying the fact I could be at the Olympics in the heptathlon," she told Sky Sports. "It has rejuvenated my feelings for the sport." Sotherton later said on her Twitter account: "I've had to keep my gob shut for over 2 months about this! So it's a relief it's out! #heptathlon" Since ending her hepathlon career, Sotherton has been supplanted as British number one by Jessica Ennis and she has previously said that, at her best, she could have run the 2009 world champion from Sheffield close. Sotherton admits that she does not expect to challenge Ennis on her comeback. "I don't think I'm going to be rivalling her as I possibly could have been a few years ago. I know where my limits lie, I'm not striving for a gold medal," she added. The Olympic 'A' qualifying standard is 6,150 points, comfortably below Sotherton's 2005 personal best of 6,547. She scored 6,517 in her last heptathlon in 2008 before heel and back injuries forced her withdrawal from the multi-discipline event.

Summary: Former Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton is to return to heptathlon and hopes to compete at London 2012.


Pompey climbed into the top three for the first time since September with a 2-0 win at Crawley on Tuesday. "We've had so much criticism," Cook told BBC Radio Solent. "Some of it is not fair and we all feel it after a bad result or performance. "That's the way to answer it, with that kind of result." After disappointing home results against Morecambe and Crewe, Portsmouth moved above Carlisle into third with the win at Crawley. Second-half goals from Christian Burgess and Kyle Bennett gave Portsmouth all three points. With 11 games remaining in the season, Cook knows his squad need to keep their focus in the run-in. "I'm quite a strong character," he said. "I've been around football long enough. "We've lifted ourselves off the floor so I've said to the lads: 'Let's stay off the floor between now and the end of the season'."

Summary: Portsmouth manager Paul Cook was delighted with the nature of his side's response as they moved into the League Two automatic promotion places.


Yes I'm talking about dual candidacy. Here's my quick guide. Unlike at Westminster, there are two ways of getting elected for the assembly. There are 60 seats up for grabs next year. 40 are via the first past the post system, while the other 20 are via a form of proportional representation to get on the regional list. It used to be the case that you could stand in both. Then Labour, when it was in power, stopped it, making the argument that it rewarded failure in that someone could be rejected by voters under the first past the post system, only to be elected anyway on the regional list. The best example of this was Clwyd West in the assembly elections in 2003 when the four main parties fielded four candidates and every single one of them won because the three losers won a seat by also standing on their parties' regional list. The ban has been reversed since the Conservatives have been back in power at Westminster who argue that it disproportionately discriminates against the smaller parties in Wales. The result now is that it de-risks any attempt by big-hitters to go for first past the post seats because they can still have the back-up of getting a list seat even if they lose out in the constituency contest. The unwritten aim is also to maintain the quality of candidates by ensuring that those big hitters who do challenge still remain in the assembly. That is the background to the row about the confirmation of Leanne Wood's decision to go for a list seat. Two years ago she announced that she would go for the constituency seat in the Rhondda. It set up a contest against Labour's cabinet member Leighton Andrews in what will be the most high profile personal battle next year. Labour says the Plaid leader's decision two years ago was portrayed as a bold and brave move, which has not been reflected in the fact that she's going for the list seat as a back up. Leighton Andrews says she should have the courage of her convictions and only go for the constituency seat. In other words, her decision to go for the list is a cop out. In response, Leanne Wood has accused Labour of mischief-making, saying that Leighton Andrews himself stood as a dual candidate in 2003. She also makes the point that dual candidacy applies in Scotland. Labour says none of its candidates in Wales will be allowed to be constituency and list candidates. The Welsh Conservatives have yet to make that decision. The obvious question to answer is whether their leader Andrew RT Davies, who like Leanne Wood has only ever been elected on the list system, will feel confident enough to challenge Labour for the Vale of Glamorgan constituency seat. Now that the dual candidacy ban has been removed, he could do so knowing he could still put his name on the regional list. It must be a temptation for him to challenge, knowing that the Tories held on to this seat

Summary: First we had it, then we didn't and now it's back again.


Midfielder Conor Hourihane made the main headlines with a hat-trick. But teenagers Keinan Davis, who set up Hourihane's opener on his first EFL start, and Andre Green, who curled in a second for the hosts, both shone. Josh Murphy and sub Nelson Oliveira each reduced the arrears after the break but, each time, Hourihane struck. Villa's first four-goal haul since winning 4-0 at Sunderland in March 2015 was only their second league victory in nine matches, going back to last season, and the first time they have scored four at home since their 4-3 win over West Bromwich Albion in January 2014. Hourihane's hat-trick was Villa's first in the league since Christian Benteke's three-goal haul against QPR in April 2015. Meanwhile, Norwich are without a league win at Villa Park since a 3-2 win in November 1992. Davis might have scored in the very first minute when he was thwarted by Norwich keeper Angus Gunn who then dived to save his powerful header. And, after setting up Hourihane's first goal, the teenager was this time denied when his cute lob came back off the bar. There was even better to come for Steve Bruce's side just before the break when boyhood Villa fan Green, also just 19 years old, netted his first goal for the club with a superb right-foot curler. Media playback is not supported on this device There could have been others too. Ahmed Elmohamady just failed to get on the end of Hourihane's cross, while James Chester should have done better with a close-range header at the start of the second half. Those missed chances looked costly when Norwich pulled one back on the hour mark through the tricky, pacy Murphy. Eight minutes later, Hourihane's hopeful right-foot 25-yard strike took a deflection before nestling in Gunn's top-left corner and, although the mood again became fraught when Oliveira scored just five minutes after coming off the bench, Hourihane had the final word. Having been in the right place at the far post to drill home Davis's low right-wing cross for the first, this time he was a lot further out when he again found the top corner to complete the scoring five minutes from time. And there was still time to miss out on a fifth goal when Green was denied only by the bar. Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC WM: "We've had a difficult week, results-wise. But we were close to blowing Hull away in the first game and we were very close to blowing these away. "It just shows you how quickly this club can lurch into a crisis, after a week. What has been going around is nonsense. I've got the nucleus of a decent team. "We're young. And thankfully, under pressure, they've performed really well. We could have scored another four, if truth be known. And to get a hat-trick from a midfield player is terrific." Norwich City manager Daniel Farke: "The reason we lost was the first half. We made some silly and easy mistakes. We have to improve in the areas that

Summary: Aston Villa made light of their early-season wobbles as they deservedly beat Norwich City to claim their first Championship win of the season.


Claire Rafferty and Danielle Carter are recalled to a 23-player squad. The Lionesses qualified for next summer's finals with a 7-0 defeat of Serbia in June. They host Estonia at Meadow Lane on 15 September before concluding their campaign in Leuven on 20 September. Sampson said: "We may have qualified for the Euros but our focus for our last two qualifiers is absolute. "We know we face two challenging matches but our focus is two wins to go to the Netherlands as group winners." England are two points clear of second-placed Belgium in Group 7. England women's squad: Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool), Rebecca Spencer (Chelsea). Defenders: Laura Bassett (Notts County), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Casey Stoney (Arsenal). Midfielders: Mille Bright (Chelsea), Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City), Jade Moore (Notts County), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jo Potter (Notts County) Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Arsenal). Forwards: Karen Carney (Chelsea), Danielle Carter (Arsenal), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Gemma Davison (Chelsea), Nikita Parris (Manchester City).

Summary: England women's coach Mark Sampson has named uncapped midfielder Millie Bright in his squad for this month's Euro 2017 qualifying double-header against Estonia and Belgium.


He's not only trying to mediate a solution to a visceral feud among America's Gulf Arab allies which threatens US national security interests. He has also been undermined by President Trump, who has publicly taken a side in the dispute and may even have helped to trigger it. At issue are the accusations - levelled by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt - that Doha supports terrorists. They've cut diplomatic and travel ties and issued a sweeping set of demands that Qatar claims are so "unrealistic" they're really aimed at forcing it to "surrender its sovereignty". Mr Trump has delegated the mess to Mr Tillerson, but that didn't stop the president from castigating Qatar at a White House press conference for having funded terrorism "at a very high level". He made the remark shortly after a visit to Saudi Arabia that so fulsomely embraced Riyadh some regional observers believe it emboldened the kingdom to take radical action on long-standing grievances against Doha. "We felt that we had Trump by our side," mused a Saudi security expert, "so let's finish this little country that's been bugging us for years." Qatar has been "bugging" its neighbours with its maverick foreign policy. They accuse it of harbouring their opponents and giving them a platform on its Al Jazeera satellite channel, especially political Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which is viewed as a particular threat by the absolute monarchies. The White House has called the tempest a "family issue", but it's not happening in a teapot; with US Mideast military assets spread out among the Gulf States, it can't avoid getting drawn in. America's al-Udeid air base in Qatar is not only the headquarters for the air war against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, but important for its ability to project power into the Indian Ocean. And the feud has thrown a spanner into the works of US Mideast policy, shattering a unified Arab front aimed at countering terrorism and confronting Iran. "This is not a local regional thing," says Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute. "This is not a game." This week Washington was crowded with Gulf foreign ministers making their case, and Mr Tillerson's been in the eye of the storm. His intensive engagement has the backing of the White House, an administration official insisted. "What gets the attention are the tweets and public statements," he said, but on the underlying policy, the "White House and State Department are on the same page." At times, though, it has seemed as if they weren't even reading the same book. Mr Tillerson was reportedly blind-sided and infuriated by President Trump's Rose Garden denunciation of Qatar, delivered just hours after the secretary of state had called for an end to the blockade. His aides were apparently convinced that the true author of Mr Trump's statement was the UAE ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, a close friend of Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to Mark Perry of the American Conservative. Qatari communications, on the other hand, have been channelled

Summary: Rex Tillerson is facing his biggest test as secretary of state over the crisis involving the tiny nation of Qatar.


A BBC freedom of information request to the force revealed 4,789.27 days were recorded in 2010, compared to 12,198.48 in 2014, an increase of 155%. Overall sickness went up by 60% in the same period. The force employs 1,939 officers and 1,568 staff. West Mercia Police Federation said the figures suggest a link to funding cuts. The number of employees off with anxiety and stress in 2010 was 134 but rose to 229 last year, representing a 70% increase. Days lost because of sickness and ill health overall totalled 24,419.89 in 2010 compared with 39,022.75 in 2014, a 60% rise. The force has not said how much the absences have cost. West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police announced plans to form an alliance in 2011, which came into effect in 2013. They two forces started a three-year plan to cut spending by Â£30m in 2012. Russell Yeomans, chairman of the West Mercia Police Federation, said: "On the face of it, it's difficult to say but the figures suggest that there is a direct link to the cuts and the extra responsibilities police officers have faced but it could be difficult to say that based purely on these figures." He said police numbers had dropped over the past five years, a trend which was going to continue. An ongoing recruitment campaign would only replace officers leaving, he said. "Policing is and always will be a stressful profession," he added. West Mercia Police said it recognised the figures showed a rise in sickness absence, particularly for anxiety and stress and a number of measures were already in place to provide support. "A new action plan has been implemented in the past year and additional training has recently become available for line managers to help them support their staff," the force said.

Summary: The number of days lost by West Mercia Police employees through depression or anxiety problems has more than doubled between 2010 and 2014, figures show.


Crimea was formally absorbed into Russia on 18 March, to international condemnation, after unidentified gunmen took over the peninsula. Mr Putin said on TV he had ordered work on "returning Crimea" to begin at an all-night meeting on 22 February. The meeting was called after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted. Speaking last year, Mr Putin had said only that he took his final decision about Crimea after secret, undated opinion polls showed 80% of Crimeans favoured joining Russia. The findings of these polls were borne out by the outcome of the referendum on 16 March, he told Russian state TV last April. Speaking in a forthcoming Russian TV documentary, Mr Putin said a meeting with officials had been held on 22-23 February to plan the rescue of Ukraine's deposed president. "I invited the leaders of our special services and the defence ministry to the Kremlin and set them the task of saving the life of the president of Ukraine, who would simply have been liquidated," he said. "We finished about seven in the morning. When we were parting, I told all my colleagues, 'We are forced to begin the work to bring Crimea back into Russia'." The trailer for The Path To The Motherland was broadcast on Sunday night with no release date announced. On 27 February, unidentified armed men seized the local parliament and local government buildings in Crimea, raising the Russian flag. Among them appeared to be regular soldiers without military insignia, who were dubbed the "little green men". Mr Putin subsequently admitted deploying troops on the peninsula to "stand behind Crimea's self-defence forces". Ukraine crisis: Timeline The formal annexation of Crimea sparked unrest in eastern Ukraine on 7 April, when pro-Russian protesters occupied government buildings in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv demanding independence. A month later, pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence from Ukraine after unrecognised referendums. Ukraine responded by launching an "anti-terrorist operation" against them and the region became engulfed in a conflict which has cost at least 6,000 lives and driven more than a million people from their homes, according to the UN. The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the separatists with heavy weapons and soldiers. Independent experts echo that accusation. Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are "volunteers". Full details of Mr Yanukovych's escape from Ukraine are unclear although Mr Putin spoke of preparations to evacuate him from Donetsk. "Heavy machine guns were placed there, so as not to waste time talking," he added, with preparations made by land, sea and air. The documentary, which Russian TV says will be broadcast soon, was made by Andrei Kondrashov, a journalist with state-run channel Rossiya-1.

Summary: Vladimir Putin has admitted for the first time that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the referendum on self-determination.


The £433m motor racing track and leisure project aimed to create up to 6,000 jobs in a deprived area. But Economy Secretary Ken Skates said job claims were "overstated" and there was too much financial risk. The developers "strongly disagreed" with the decision and the rationale behind it. Ministers said a £100m automotive business park would be built instead. First Minister Carwyn Jones said backing the scheme would mean schools and homes would not be built. The project, first unveiled in 2011, has been dogged by controversy. Its backers - the Heads of the Valleys Development Company (HoVDC) - had wanted the Welsh Government to underwrite 80% of the cost, revised down to about 50% when ministers asked for a rethink. Alongside the circuit itself, which would have hosted the British leg of the MotoGP for at least five years, there were also plans to bring BMX and mountain biking, indoor skiing and concerts. The issue of the guarantee meant the Welsh Government would have received £99m over 33 years in exchange for underwriting the project once it was open for business. But in the event of it failing, the public purse would have to pay back £210m over time, while backers Aviva would keep the circuit and the infrastructure. But Mr Skates said on Tuesday the cost of the underwriting was still too high and would have had an impact on ministers' other spending plans. He said after discussions with Treasury officials and the Office for National Statistics, it appeared there was a "very significant risk" that the full £373m debt of the project would be classified against Welsh Government capital spending. Mr Skates added that the true figure on employment was about 100 direct jobs, with 500 indirect jobs and about 500 construction jobs while the track was being built. Later, during First Minister's Questions, Mr Jones said providing the funding guarantees would have meant his government "would lose £373m of capital funding, £173m would have to be found this financial year". He told AMs: "That is schools not being built. Hospitals not being modernised. Houses not being built." Blaenau Gwent council leader Nigel Daniels said he was disappointed with the decision but understood the complex issues involved. He welcomed the £100m investment in a new automotive technology park. But Mr Daniels said he would be "seeking urgent meetings with Welsh Government and other parties to explore other options that can be brought forward to mitigate the impact of this decision given the level of expectation which has grown in the community over the last few years". UKIP assembly group leader Neil Hamilton said it was a "bean-counters convention". "What we need to do here is change the accounting convention rather than to destroy the hopes of those who relying on regenerating the whole of south east Wales," he said. Plaid Cymru finance spokesman Adam Price said it was a "shocking indictment" of ministers that they had "taken seven years and over £9m of public money" to turn down "the single biggest private investment proposal in the history of Wales".

Summary: A plea by developers of the Circuit of Wales in Ebbw Vale for £210m in taxpayer-funded guarantees has been rejected by the Welsh Government.


There had been suggestions that the former Liverpool boss might opt for a man who has working knowledge of the Scottish game or even the club itself but he's gone for a man he knows and trusts. Davies, 31, may now be one of the youngest coaches in Scottish football but he's actually spent more time in the dugout than on the pitch. The defensive midfielder showed promise and captained the Reading youth team - a team managed at that time by Rodgers. He also represented Wales at youth level before he was forced to retire aged just 19 due to injury. His coaching journey to the east end of Glasgow involved time in New Zealand, Swansea, Liverpool and most recently, Reading. He describes himself as a strategist and someone who likes to work with young players and spoke at length about his new role. "Straight away you notice the size of Celtic from the outside but Brendan's unveiling was just sensational. It's a great feeling to be up here now and experience a bit more of Glasgow. This is such an exciting challenge for all of us. We've got a real focus now that we have to bring success consistently and we're looking forward to building that." "I've obviously worked with Brendan for a long time and I think we as a staff bring a lot of experience. Me personally, I've got a big interest in the tactical side of the game and enjoy looking at strategy but I also like to work with players and trying to improve them as individuals." "He's excellent. All the big players that Brendan's worked with rate him very highly. I saw what Luis Suarez said about him recently and that's just testament to how players feel. He's got really human qualities that players warm to. He's really open and likes to be very close to his players and I think they feed off that as people. On the football side his knowledge and attention to detail is second to none - on all aspects of the game." "Yeah, that's started. I think the one thing we've done already is analyse the past. We've looked at where we think the team is at. We've looked at all the goals scored and goals conceded last season. It's not until we get everyone back that'll we'll get a proper feel for the players and how we want to shape it moving forward." "With all due respect to the previous management team, it maybe wouldn't be right to go into detail. We've just looked at areas of the team where we think we could potentially improve or areas that are strong. We've been looking at it objectively without the emotion of how it's been." "Well, when we nearly won the league with Liverpool, we played lots of different systems. The most important thing isn't the system itself but rather the style of play. Whether we play with one or two up front, the most important thing is assessing what's important to win games." "It's something we'll look at

Summary: The thousands of Celtic supporters who were on hand to hail the arrival of Brendan Rodgers were understandably absent when his assistant, Chris Davies, met the media.


Media playback is not supported on this device Three years ago that person was Jonjoe, but after his mum persuaded him to go on a Snow-Camp ski course, everything changed. "I was worried because I felt he just didn't know where he was going," said Debby. "I never dreamed this would come out of that moment." I love the way Snow-Camp uses my sport to support young people who wouldn't ever get the chance to get involved in snow sports The thrill of taking part in snow sports often attracts young people but the associated costs can mean it is an experience only available to the privileged and wealthy. UK charity Snow-Camp works in deprived inner-city areas to use young people's interest in the sports to engage them and provide life skills, qualifications and vocational training. "I was a perfect candidate for it," says Jonjoe, who comes from Hackney Wick in London. "I'd never seen snow before, crazily! And never ever thought I'd put skis on." Jonjoe progressed through the charity's programmes and last year was offered a year's paid apprenticeship in the snow sports industry. "Through the apprenticeship I'm now an internationally-qualified ski coach and working my way up. Just through that one day of saying 'You know what mum, maybe I am going to go...', it's completely changed my life." You can watch more of Jonjoe's story on Ski Sunday on Sunday, 19 February, on BBC Two at 17.15 GMT (17.30 in Wales) - here we introduce two more Snow-Camp graduates and explain more about how the programme works... In 2014, Sami had dropped out of school and was often in trouble with the police. He lacked confidence and was facing a future that involved gangs, crime and continued unemployment. "I was easily influenced and vulnerable to bad decisions. I had an attitude and I wasn't the best with authority," he said. Snowboarding has already inspired me to improve my life and I want to use it to have a positive impact on others. "I didn't know what I wanted to do as I had been through so much and let it drag me to the lowest of the low." He turned to the youth club Ladbroke Grove for support who enrolled him on to Snow-Camp's programmes, and over the next year progressed to gain a Snowsport England Level 1 Snowboarding Instructor qualification. "I never knew I wanted to snowboard for the rest of my life," Sami added. "That's because I didn't want to because it's a sport that people like me don't even consider. "Snow-Camp has had a big effect on my personal life. I now feel like I can do something valuable and worthwhile with my time. "My dream is to become a full-time snowboard instructor. Snowboarding has already inspired me to improve my life and I want to use it to have a positive impact on others." Like many boys of his age, 13-year-old Hamza didn't enjoy school; he was often getting into trouble and had no aspirations for his future. His family were worried he may

Summary: How can one skiing lesson change the life of a young person who is failing in school and getting into trouble?


Brenda Donaldson, from Crook of Devon, was driving a Citroen Xsara which was involved in a collision with a Ford Transit flatbed at about 07:10. The Kinross to Crook of Devon road was closed in both directions. The male driver and passenger from the Ford van were treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Summary: A 55-year-old woman who died following a crash between a car and a van on the A977 in Perthshire on Friday morning has been named.


West Somerset Council agreed to merge with neighbouring Taunton Deane Borough Council in September to save money. However, a group of 15 Taunton Deane councillors opposed the merger and launched a legal challenge against the move. But a High Court judge has ruled the challenge as "premature and academic". In his ruling Mr Justice Lewis said the Secretary of State "wishes consultation" to take place before he makes the final decision on the new council proposal under legislation. Taunton Deane Borough Council leader John Williams said: "This judgement is a vindication our approach so far. "It's also a testament to all the hard work and commitment of our officer team who have ensured we have acted properly and correctly at all times."

Summary: A judicial review of the decision to merge two Conservative-run local authorities in Somerset has been rejected in full.


It meant the unemployment rate held steady at 4.8% in the period, remaining at an 11-year low. Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses rose by 2.6% - a slight increase on the previous month. But economists warned there were signs the labour market had started to "cool off" since the Brexit vote. In total, there were 31.76 million people in work, which was "slightly down on the record set recently", said ONS senior statistician David Freeman. "The labour market appears to have flattened off in recent months," he said. Fewer people looked for work, leading to lower unemployment but also a rise in "economic inactivity", which measures people without a job who are not seeking or available to work. There were 8.91 million people of working age who were economically inactive - 76,000 higher than in the previous period. "Today's data provides the clearest evidence yet that the jobs market has started to cool off since the Brexit vote," said John Hawksworth, chief economist at PwC. The number of people in work was "flat", whereas before the 23 June referendum it had been "rising strongly", he said. The Bank of England and other economists have forecast that unemployment is set to rise amid uncertainty over the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Although there is nothing too dramatic about these monthly figures, there does seem to be a trend developing. As the ONS says, "the labour market appears to have flattened off in recent months". That means jobs are not being created at the same impressive rate recorded in recent years. While unemployment is down by a small amount, there have also been small increases in the number of people claiming unemployment benefit and a fall in the number in work. That has been possible because of a rise in what is called economic inactivity, which covers large numbers of people including those who are ill, have taken early retirement, or just not looking for a job. The fact that average earnings are increasing by 2.6% a year also suggests that the labour market is tightening - forcing companies to pay more to attract or keep staff. Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green said it was "too early" to conclude Brexit uncertainty was affecting the labour market. "We are in a broadly flat situation, but it's a flat situation at a very low level of unemployment," he told the BBC. Going into next year's Brexit negotiations, "it's extremely encouraging that our labour market is so resilient", he added. The UK has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU, behind only Germany and the Czech Republic. That was helped by more women in work - rising to a record high of nearly 15 million - and the addition of 129,000 self-employed workers to 4.75 million, according to the ONS figures. Surveys continue to indicate more UK jobs will be created and suggest "any further deterioration in the labour market" will not be severe, said Paul Hollingsworth, UK economist at Capital Economics. "The combination of the weakest employment data since mid-2015 and the fastest

Summary: UK unemployment fell slightly to 1.62 million in the three months to October, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).


The approval of the austerity measure is an important victory for President Michel Temer. He took office earlier this year promising to lead the country out of its worst recession in many decades. Protests against the measure turned violent in the capital Brasilia and at least a dozen states in the country. The opposition says the measures will mainly hit areas such as health and education, which are already underfunded. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets during the Senate session to protest against the austerity plan. After the vote, many demonstrations descended into violence. In Brasilia, masked protesters set fire to a bus and marched on the local offices of Globo TV, which they say is biased towards Mr Temer's government. But the marchers were blocked by riot police. In Sao Paulo, the headquarters of the state's conservative Industrial Federation (Fiesp) was attacked. To pass the constitutional amendment, the government needed the votes of 49 senators - three-fifths of the Senate. The measure was approved by a narrower margin than the government expected, passing by 53 to 19 votes. "We have won. That was the main thing: to deliver the product in the middle of a storm," said government leader in the Senate Romero Juca. The project, known in Brazil as PEC 55, freezes expenditure in the executive, judiciary and legislative branches of power, allowing them to grow only by the rate of inflation n the previous year. The government argues it is necessary to boost growth and investments, and contain the country's growing public deficit. But critics say the poorest in society will be harmed and that setting a spending cap for two decades in advance is unrealistic, says the BBC's Julia Carneiro in Rio de Janeiro. The measure takes effect on Thursday.

Summary: The Brazilian Senate has approved a controversial amendment to the constitution capping public spending for the next 20 years.


Two lionesses escaped not long after midnight and were spotted on main roads in the city by morning. Nairobi residents have been urged to stay away and report any further sightings to a free telephone line. "Lions are dangerous wild animals. Don't confront them when you encounter them," KWS's Paul Udoto tweeted. The KWS spokesman told the BBC that reports in the Kenyan media that six lions were on the loose were exaggerated. The BBC's Abdinoor Aden in Nairobi says the park is separated by a main road from densely populated neighbourhoods in the south of the city. Mr Udoto said he was concerned that people would try and tackle the lions themselves, as has happened in the past. In 2012, four cubs had to be placed in an orphanage after a similar incident led to the killing of their mother. One of the lionesses currently on the loose has left her cubs in the park, Mr Udoto said. Answering a question on Twitter from a worried mother, Mr Udoto advised her to keep her children inside until the lions had been safely returned to the park, adding such incidents were the "perils of born town lions". It is estimated about about 30 lions live in the park.

Summary: The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is hunting for at least two lions which have escaped from Nairobi National Park bordering the capital, Nairobi.


Launching on 10 November, it'll show a range of on-demand programmes including interviews, Live Lounge performances and documentaries. There will also be a 15-minute weekly wrap up show hosted by Chris Stark called ICYMI (In Case You Missed It). The Official Chart Bite will be another weekly show presented by YouTube stars Jack and Dean. The station says the move will make the network's distinctive content available to even bigger audiences of young people. Radio 1 and 1Xtra's controller Ben Cooper said: "If you love music, if you love star studded interviews, then you will love Radio 1's new programmes. "I can't wait for us to represent visually the energy and diversity of young people's culture in UK society." Each week, a Radio 1 DJ will also put together their top five things to watch on BBC iPlayer. Other content available for the launch of Radio 1 on BBC iPlayer includes three track Live Lounge sessions and exclusive interviews from Royal Blood and Taylor Swift. There will also be a 2011 Live Lounge special from Adele featuring six tracks from the archive as well as a 20-minute programme featuring highlights and never before seen footage of Zoella and ThatcherJoe during their recent Internet Takeover. A collection of three programmes from Radio 1's Teen Awards, including Dan and Phil's round-up of the event, will also appear on the station's section of the catch-up service. Performances from Radio 1Xtra Live in Birmingham and two special interviews, 1Xtra's Semtex meets Rick Ross and Trevor Nelson meets Mary J Blige, will also be made available after the launch. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Radio 1 has announced some of the content which will appear on the station's section of BBC iPlayer.


Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Kyle Naughton. Offside, Manchester City. Gabriel Jesus tries a through ball, but Leroy Sané is caught offside. Attempt missed. Alfie Mawson (Swansea City) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Gylfi Sigurdsson with a cross following a corner. Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Aleksandar Kolarov. Fernando Llorente (Swansea City) is shown the yellow card. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Fernando Llorente (Swansea City). Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Aleksandar Kolarov. Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabriel Jesus. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Fernando Llorente (Swansea City). Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Leroy Fer (Swansea City). Attempt missed. Jack Cork (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left following a corner. Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Willy Caballero. Attempt saved. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City) right footed shot from long range on the left is saved in the top left corner. Foul by Fernandinho (Manchester City). Martin Olsson (Swansea City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Second Half begins Manchester City 1, Swansea City 0. First Half ends, Manchester City 1, Swansea City 0. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) has gone down, but that's a dive. David Silva (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Martin Olsson (Swansea City). Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City). Martin Olsson (Swansea City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Martin Olsson (Swansea City). Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City). Leroy Fer (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jack Cork (Swansea City). Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross. Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Fernando Llorente. Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Silva. Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Alfie Mawson. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Federico Fernández (Swansea City). Ilkay Gundogan remains a long-term absentee but Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany will hope to earn recalls. Swansea could name an unchanged starting line-up for a third successive game. Captain Leon Britton has returned to training following a calf problem and will be part of the

Summary: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could again select recent signing Gabriel Jesus ahead of top scorer Sergio Aguero.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 27 August 2015 Last updated at 17:56 BST Both games are free to play but have some features which cost money to add. The Advertising Standards Agency, the UK authority in charge of checking advertising, say that the games put too much pressure on children to buy these additional features. That's because they say things like 'Moshi Monster needs you', or tells players they will be 'super popular' if they pay to become members. Now the companies behind both Moshi and Bin Weevils say they have changed the games and will stick to the rules in the future. Watch Newsround reporter Jenny's full report on this.

Summary: The popular online games Moshi Monsters and Bin Weevils have found themselves in trouble for putting unfair pressure on children to make in-game purchases.


8 August 2016 Last updated at 10:28 BST

Summary: The BBC's Dave Lee reports from the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas, where Hillary Clinton has gained some unlikely support from the hacking community.


The pair will miss the World Cup after being stretchered off against Italy. Farrell, who worked with Gatland on the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour, says Wales should not be taken lightly. "Warren will probably use a little bit of a backs-against-the-wall mentality which will strengthen them and galvanise them even more," he said. "They are not down. They have a couple of guys who have come in who have got their opportunity and they are going to try and take that with both hands. "Some people would say that it weakens them a little bit, but we don't see that. The strength of a team - the galvanisation of a team coming together - is more important than any individuals." England and Wales meet at Twickenham on 26 September in what will be the second game of the tournament for both sides. Webb is replaced in the Wales squad by Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips while Ospreys wing Eli Walker takes full-back Halfpenny's spot. Farrell says Halfpenny, the player of the series for the Lions in 2013, is a sad loss for the tournament, after he suffered cruciate ligament damage on Saturday. "He's an unbelievable professional," he added. "His attention to detail is absolutely second to none. "He'll be a big loss to any side, he's a great player. And he will be sadly missed by the competition because we want to see the best out there." However, Farrell feels fly-half Dan Biggar will be more than capable of kicking the goals in Halfpenny's absence. He said: "Halfpenny's as good a kicker as there is in world rugby, there's no doubt about that. He's a phenomenal goal-kicker. "But Dan Biggar is a very good goal-kicker. He's a long-range goal-kicker and he's very confident in taking the shots from anywhere. So they've got a pretty good replacement there." And Farrell also believes Phillips will be a handful. "He's not a bad replacement. An angry Mike Phillips - I suppose he would have been wanted to have been selected in the first place - he will probably have a point to prove. "When he is in a determined mood he will probably be at his best." England lock Geoff Parling described the news of Halfpenny and Webb's injuries as "horrendous". He said: "You never want to see any rugby player get injured, but especially not in the last match before the World Cup." Parling played with Halfpenny on the 2013 Lions tour and said he was "gutted" for the full-back. "He's a really good bloke and I wish him a speedy recovery," he said. "He'll definitely be back, he's a quality guy." Meanwhile, England fly-half George Ford has praised the impact of centre Sam Burgess, who came on as a replacement in Saturday's 21-13 win over Ireland, as "phenomenal". "He's a winner," Ford said. "He's constantly talking. Breaks in play, he'll go up to the lads and energise them. "His attributes in terms of carrying and tackling are there to see, but it's the things that people maybe don't see - his attitude

Summary: Wales boss Warren Gatland will use the injuries to Rhys Webb and Leigh Halfpenny to galvanise his side, says England defence coach Andy Farrell.


The 40-year-old was found to have made 86 accumulator-style bets between 2006 and 2016, on which he lost £2,995. Burden was also fined £5,000, with his ban to be activated if any more breaches occur before 1 January 2018. Governing body the WPBSA was satisfied he did not "influence match outcomes or engage in any corrupt activity". Chairman of the WPBSA (World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association) Jason Ferguson said: "It is a key part of any sports integrity strategy that players cannot bet on their sport. "Alfie Burden put his career at risk by so doing and it is only through his full admissions and his cooperation with the disciplinary committee that he has avoided a career-ending suspension." Burden turned professional in 1994 - earning £392,258 during his career - and had his best ranking tournament performances last season when he reached the quarter-finals of the China Open and European Masters.

Summary: Snooker player Alfie Burden has been given a six-month ban - suspended for a year - for placing bets totalling £25,000 on matches including his own.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 52-year-old replaces Richie Foran, who was sacked following relegation from the Premiership. He has signed a two-year deal after leaving his head of coach education post at Hearts, where he spent 18 years at a player and manager. The Highlanders won promotion to the top flight for the first time under Robertson's guidance in 2003. Robertson left in 2004 to take over at Hearts and has had spells in charge at Ross County, Livingston and Derry City. He has not held a managerial position since leaving East Fife in March 2012. "This time last week it wasn't even on the radar," Robertson said of the job. "I didn't apply for the job, I had a very responsible, high-profile job at Hearts - commercial and the academy, working as head of coaching there to rebuild it. "I was as surprised as anybody when the call came in to say, would you like to come up and have a chat? "This is a massive challenge and one I'm looking forward to, and it's one we can achieve together as a club. We know what's ahead of us. It's far easier to stay in the Premiership, I think, than get out the Championship, but it's a challenge we're going to meet head-on. "The fans' expectations will be high, and they should be, but they'll not be any higher than mine." Caley Thistle chairman Willie Finlayson added: "We had an excellent interview process with some strong candidates but John emerged as our unanimous choice. "We were hugely impressed with his tremendous drive, determination, communication and motivational skills. "He clearly has a great knowledge of the game in Scotland and is both well respected and connected. We firmly believe he is the right man to lead us back into the Premiership." After the departure of John Hughes, Foran was promoted to player-manager last summer on a four-year contract, having been at the club since 2009. They won three of their last five fixtures but could not avoid finishing last and dropping down to the Championship. Chairman and chief executive Kenny Cameron stood down three days after relegation was confirmed. Aberdeen granted Inverness CT permission to speak to Under-20s coach Paul Sheerin about their managerial vacancy before deciding Robertson was the man to take them forward.

Summary: John Robertson is the new manager of Inverness Caley Thistle, returning to the club he left almost 13 years ago.


Dickson, 29, made 42 appearances last season, scoring winning goals against Accrington and Mansfield as the club finished 19th in League Two. The left-back initially signed on a one-year deal from Crawley at the beginning of the season, with the option to extend by a further year. He told the club's website: "It would be silly not to stay on board. The club is now heading in the right direction." Yeovil, who for a large part of the season were battling relegation, finished 14 points clear of the bottom two. Dickson added: "Everyone at the club has worked so hard to create a togetherness and positive atmosphere, which has driven us all forward in such a short space of time." Dickson signs a two-year deal similar to goalkeeper Artur Krysiak who put pen to paper on Tuesday, and defender Nathan Smith, 29, who signed a one-year contract extension yesterday.

Summary: Defender Ryan Dickson has extended his stay at Yeovil Town by two more years.


But the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels information sets were made available with a warning. The Scottish government said they required further development before their accuracy could be relied upon. The statistics come as it was revealed that pupils do less well in reading, writing and numeracy through their primary years. For example, in reading, 81% of P1 pupils achieved "Early Level", 75% of P4 pupils achieved "First Level" and 72% of P7 pupils achieved "Second Level". However, the figures improve in secondary schools where the proportion of S3 pupils achieving Curriculum for Excellence Third Level or better is between 84% and 87% for each curriculum area which includes reading, writing, listening and talking, and numeracy. By Jamie McIvor, BBC Scotland education correspondent The data on Curriculum for Excellence attainment is being published for the first time. Therefore it is impossible to say from these figures whether things are getting any better or worse. The figures for S3 performance are bound to provoke some discussions. The numbers reaching Level 3 - the basic level expected of an S3 student - are broadly in line with the number of primary school children reaching the levels expected of them. But a relatively small proportion reach the more advanced Level 4. Essentially this is a sign a youngster is academically able. It means that their work at the end of S3 would already be broadly equivalent to the standard required for a National 4 qualification. The National 4 is the qualification, ordinarily obtained a year later in S4, by students who aren't studying for a National 5 or even a Higher. It is broadly equivalent to a General level pass in an old Standard Grade. This may highlight a key challenge - ensuring youngsters continue to make progress in secondary school. Problems, for example, ensuring boys keep on making progress once they leave primary school have been well debated for many years. Another issue with the Level 4 data is that there are significant differences in the data from different part of the countries. The government says there are inconsistencies in the way young people are assessed in different areas. It argues the planned standardised assessments will ensure a far greater degree of consistency.

Summary: Data about how well schools in Scotland do on reading, writing and numeracy has been published for the first time.


The Wales star has agreed a £300,000 per week, six-year deal after sealing an £85.3m (100m euros) move which eclipses the £80m Real paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. "It's very important for Gareth to throw his heart and soul into this move. "He's got it all and ability-wise he is phenomenal. The only question is whether he's got the mental strength to cope with such a big transfer and the spotlight that will be immense in Spain. "But it's a fabulous opportunity for him and the important thing is he really needs to grasp it with both hands." Read more analysis from Gary Lineker and BBC Sport's chief football correspondent Phil McNulty "I have had six very happy years at Tottenham but it's the right time to say goodbye," said 24-year-old Bale. "We've had some special times together and I've loved every minute of it." Bale will have a medical and then be presented to the Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu at 12:00 BST on Monday before speaking at a media conference. He added: "I am not sure there is ever a good time to leave a club where I felt settled and was playing the best football of my career to date. "I know many players talk of their desire to join the club of their boyhood dreams, but I can honestly say, this is my dream come true. "Tottenham will always be in my heart and I'm sure this season will be a successful one for them. "I am now looking forward to the next exciting chapter in my life, playing football for Real Madrid." Bale joined Spurs as a left-back for £10m from Southampton in 2007 and scored 26 goals last season as he was named both the Professional Footballers' Association's and Football Writers' player of the year. His representatives that he wanted to speak to the Spanish giants. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti's claim at the start of August that they were "in talks to find a solution" to the transfer angered Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, but the clubs have now reached a settlement. After his side's 1-0 loss to Arsenal, Villas-Boas said: "Bale is a wonderful player. He is going to join Real Madrid so we wish him all the best. "He left us with some great memories from last season." Bale, who becomes Real Madrid's fifth signing of the summer, paid tribute to both Southampton and Tottenham for developing his career. He said: "I am well aware I would not be at the level I am today were it not for firstly Southampton and then Spurs standing by me during some of the tougher times and affording me the environment and support they have. "I would like to thank everyone at the club; the chairman, board, staff, coaches and players, and, most of all, the fantastic fans who I hope will understand this amazing career opportunity." Spurs have been busy in this transfer window, signing seven players for a total outlay approaching £105m. Brazil midfielder Paulinho has arrived from Corinthians for around

Summary: Real Madrid have broken the world transfer record to sign Tottenham forward Gareth Bale.


The gaffe was picked up by a number of viewers, among them Sanjeev Bhaskar, who suggested the broadcaster had "misunderstood diversity issues". ITV News blamed the mistake on "an error in the production process". Sir Lenny said he was "very thankful" to receive a knighthood from the Queen for services to drama and charity. The Comic Relief co-founder has often spoken out on the subject of diversity in the media, a topic he was again asked to comment about on Friday. "We've made progress as far as on-screen representation is concerned," said the 57-year-old following the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. "But there's a lot of work to be done in the furthering of diversity behind the camera." "ITV News apologises for the error broadcast in the lunchtime news package today regarding Sir Lenny Henry's knighthood at the palace," said an ITV News spokesperson. "This was the result of an error in the production process in a piece intended to celebrate Sir Lenny's significant achievements in British entertainment." BBC News has contacted Ainsley Harriott for comment.

Summary: ITV has apologised for showing a news item about Sir Lenny Henry receiving a knighthood that briefly featured footage of TV cook Ainsley Harriott.


Rose Polge, 25, whose car was found in a car park near Ansteys Cove in Torbay, disappeared on Friday. Divers have been searching just south of the cove, as part of a major operation. The family statement thanked everyone for their "help, hope and kind words". The BBC understands that a note was found in Dr Polge's car. It is believed its contents were mainly related to personal issues, but there was a passing reference to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. It is understood Dr Polge is an active campaigner against plans to change working hours and conditions for junior doctors, and in January posted a new Facebook profile picture, featuring the hashtag #NotFairNotSafe. On Thursday, Mr Hunt confirmed the government would impose a new contract on junior doctors in England. Dr Polge's family said: "The support we have received from family and friends has been much appreciated, and clearly Rose is loved far and wide. "We are overwhelmed by the support from her friends and colleagues, dozens of whom have been combing the Devon Coast in search of Rose. "As the search continues we would appreciate some privacy from the press in our time of distress." Police said her disappearance was "totally out of character" and concerns for her welfare were rising. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed an item of clothing had been found at the cove, but would not say whether it belonged to Dr Polge. Coastguards and search and rescue groups searched for her in Torquay at the weekend. Friends and local residents combed the beaches in the area on Saturday and Sunday, while police also searched more remote areas such as cliff tops and woodland. More than 100 people have been involved in the search operation, including Dr Polge's boyfriend and her family, who live in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. Police are appealing for the public to contact them with any information or sightings of Dr Polge. A Department of Health spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with Dr Polge's family and friends at an extremely difficult time."

Summary: The family of a missing junior doctor has said they are "overwhelmed by the support" of dozens of people who have helped to search for her along the Devon coast.


The big difference is that the numbers from which you make your six selections will go up in October from one to 49 to one to 59. While this doesn't sound like it will make a huge difference, it actually takes your odds of winning the jackpot from one in 14 million to one in 45 million. Camelot, which runs the lottery, says that the new system will create bigger, rolling jackpots, which is true. Because it is so much less likely that anybody will win the top prize, there will be many more rollovers. It also says that the chances of winning a prize have increased, which is true, because people who match two numbers will get a free go on the game the following week. The chances of winning a cash prize, however, have fallen considerably. There will also be a raffle that will give prizes of £1m and £20,000, for which the odds of winning depend on the number of entries, but the organisers estimate that you have a one in 10 million chance of winning either £1m on the raffle or the jackpot. This change comes only two years after the last set of changes, which doubled the price of a ticket to £2 but introduced the raffle with £20,000 prizes. At the time, the prize for matching three balls increased from £10 to £25. The odds of matching three balls were unchanged, but of course the cost of entry had doubled, which effectively doubled the odds (because £2 would previously have bought two tickets). The estimated prize for matching five balls plus the bonus ball fell from £100,000 to £50,000 while the prize for matching five balls went from £1,500 to £1,000. It appears that the Lotto organisers have discovered that what persuades people to buy lottery tickets is rollovers to create enormous prizes. Camelot's commentary in its financial reporting about the effect that Euromillions rollovers (or the lack of them) have on ticket sales is very clear about that. The company is clearly counting on the lengthening odds of winning both vast amounts of money and small and middling sums having less effect. Because honestly, who can cope in their head with the difference between odds of 14 million to one and odds of 45 million to one? It's like comparing the odds of flipping a coin and getting 22 consecutive heads with the odds of getting 24. They both represent staggeringly unlikely events - it's just that in the case of a lottery it happens to someone every now and then.

Summary: There has been outrage on some front pages about the shake-up to the Lotto game announced this week.


The charge relates to a $44m (£29m) payment to German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky of Bayern Landesbank, linked to the sale of a stake in F1. Mr Ecclestone denies bribing Gribkowsky, and says the money was intended to stop the banker from exposing him to a UK tax inquiry. Mr Gribkowsky was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in jail in Munich. Speaking to the Financial Times on Wednesday, Mr Ecclestone said: "I have just spoken to my lawyers and they have received an indictment. It's being translated into English." "We are defending it properly. It will be an interesting case. It's a pity it's happened." Mr Ecclestone has six weeks to respond to the indictment, Formula One Group said in a statement. The charges are related to the 2006 sale of a 47% stake in Formula 1 by Bayern Landesbank, which had acquired it from the bankrupt Kirch media group. Gribkowsky had been in charge of managing the sale to private equity group CVC Capital Partners. Bernie Ecclestone - the man, the myths and the motors CVC has since reduced its stake in a series of deals. It has not commented on the indictment. At his trial last year, Gribkowsky admitted corruptly receiving $41.4m (£26.6m) in bank commissions and a large payment via the Ecclestone family's Bambino Trust. He maintained he had been paid to undervalue the shares. But Mr Ecclestone says he paid Gribkowsky to keep him quiet, believing the banker was planning to give false information to the UK authorities about his tax affairs. Mr Ecclestone said at the time that proving the allegation was false "would have been very expensive for me". "The tax risk would have exceeded £2bn. I paid him to keep calm and not to do silly things," he said. Mr Ecclestone has until mid-August to respond to the charges. The court will then decide whether to take the case to trial - it could be heard by mid-September. He faces a possible jail term if found guilty, something he has previously said would force him to stand down as head of F1. His lawyer told the Financial Times the indictment was largely based on statements from Gribkowsky, and that Mr Ecclestone intended to dispute these.

Summary: German prosecutors have indicted Formula 1 motor racing boss Bernie Ecclestone on a bribery charge.


The research says the Trojan exploited a previously unknown vulnerability embedded in Word files, allowing Duqu to modify computers' security protection. The code is believed to have been designed to gather intelligence from industrial control-systems. Microsoft says it is preparing a software patch to address the issue. The Laboratory of Cryptography and Systems Security (Crysys) at Budapest University made the discovery. "We carefully analysed the available forensics data from the original incident where Duqu was uncovered," Dr Boldizsar Bencsath, who led the investigation, told the BBC. "We found suspicious files that we further analysed, and in one case, we were able to prove that the file contains the installer of Duqu and it uses a zero-day exploit." A zero-day exploit is a computer threat that make use of a previously unknown software error to allow the attacker to gain permissions they should not have. Dr Bencsath added that it is possible that Duqu may also be installed by other means, but he had not found any evidence to suggest it. The news is being publicised by the internet security firm Symantec. It says that it has confirmed the Duqu infection at six different computer networks belonging to unidentified organisations across a total of eight countries. They include Iran, India, France and Ukraine. In addition other security firms have reported suspected infections in a further four countries, including the UK. Duqu has been compared to last year's Stuxnet worm attack, but Symantec says they operate in two distinct ways. "Stuxnet was about spreading as far and as wide as possible to hunt down systems that could pass on control of industrial organisations - such as nuclear power plants," said Greg Day, Symantec's director of security strategy. "Duqu has specifically targeted a number of organisations looking to scan across their internal systems, gather intelligence and pass it back out. "The sort of things it's collecting are design documents and other information that could be the reconnaissance for a further attack." So far neither Symantec nor Crysys have been able to trace who is receiving the data. Efforts to address the exploit are ongoing. "Microsoft is working with our partners to provide protections for a vulnerability used in targeted attempts to infect computers with the Duqu malware," a company statement said. "We will be providing a security update for customers through our update process." Experts say these types of focused attacks appear to be on the rise. Earlier this week Symantec reported that 29 chemicals firms had been targeted by a separate Trojan named PoisonIvy. "Industrial espionage is the natural evolution from cybercrime," said Mr Day. "Cybercrime is like pick pocketing. But these latest threats are like great train robberies, where the attackers have taken time to understand the intended victim and have a carefully constructed plan to rob them."

Summary: The Duqu computer infection was spread with the help of an infected Microsoft Word document, according to a report.


He was re-elected for a second term by the UN General Assembly, unopposed and unanimously, on 21 June 2011, with effect from 1 January 2012. Mr Ban describes his priorities as mobilising world leaders to deal with climate change, economic upheaval, pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy and water. In style, he prefers quiet diplomacy and sees himself as a bridge-builder, aiming to give voice to the world's poorest and most vulnerable people, and to strengthen the UN itself, which was dented when he took office by scandals over the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq, and corrupt procurement. The South Korean diplomat took over from Kofi Annan at the UN in 2007. At that time he promised to push for peace in the Middle East and Sudan's Darfur region, and he prioritised climate change. The consensus on his first term was largely positive, despite the elusiveness of many of his goals. He wants to be remembered as the UN leader who presided over a global agreement on climate change. Born on 13 June 1944 in Chungju, Mr Ban served as South Korea's minister of foreign affairs and trade immediately before moving to the UN, at the culmination of a 37-year career as a diplomat. That career included the tough, high-wire act of negotiations with North Korea over its development of nuclear weapons. He is married with three children and three grandchildren. In the past, UN leaders have normally served two terms, although Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali was ousted after just one term in 1996 by the United States, which felt he had performed poorly over the Balkan wars. Mr Ban is the second Asian to lead the UN. He has enjoyed broad support, but he has his critics, who point to his low-key style, lack of charisma, and failure to criticise human rights abuses in powerful countries, like China and Russia. At the end of his first term, however, he won praise for his commitment to climate change, nuclear disarmament and women's issues, as well as his strong backing of pro-democracy movements in North Africa and the Middle East. Mr Ban says he first dreamed of becoming a diplomat when as an 18-year-old student in 1962, he met US President John F Kennedy at the White House on an American Red Cross programme. When he was first vying for the top job at the UN, he said of himself: "I may look soft from the outside, but I have inner strength when it's really necessary."

Summary: Ban Ki-moon is the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations.


Capita shares had fallen more than 14% on Thursday after the outsourcing group issued its second profit warning in three months, and by midday on Friday they had lost a further 3%. However, overall the market was up, with the FTSE 100 index rising 18.75 points to 6,950.30. MedicClinic International was the biggest riser on the index, up 4.1%. The FTSE 100 is on track to record five consecutive days of gains. Financial stocks have helped to bolster the market this week, but there were signs that this rally was coming to and end with Prudential down 2.5% and Barclays dropping 2%. In the FTSE 250, shares in Euromoney fell 5.7% after Daily Mail and General Trust said it would cut its holding in the company to about 49% from 67%. On the currency markets, the pound edged up 0.1% against the dollar to $1.2595, and rose 0.5% against the euro to â‚¬1.1913.

Summary: The FTSE 100 remained on track for its best week since July, but shares in Capita continued to fall.