Members of the RMT union will walk out for 48 hours from Sunday 7 August, 24 hours on Thursday August 11 and over the weekend of 13/14 August. The RMT is against the increased use of trains on which the driver opens and closes the doors at stations. ScotRail has said such operations are already common on the network. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Recent rock-solid strikes on ScotRail have been supported by the travelling public who understand that the staff are fighting for the basic principles of rail safety. "In spite of this, Abellio/Scotrail continue to ignore the strength of feeling amongst their staff and passengers over the extension of driver-only operation." ScotRail says 59% of customers already travel on a train where the doors are safely opened and closed by the driver, and insists that the job, pay and conditions of conductors are guaranteed. Phil Verster, managing director of Scotrail Alliance, has previously said: "This industrial action by the RMT is not about safety, it's not about a second person on a train and it's not about jobs or pay and conditions. "It is about modernisation of the railway and preparing us for a railway that Scotland can be proud of for the next 40 or 50 years."

Summary: Workers on ScotRail are to stage a fresh wave of strikes in a long-running dispute over the increased use of trains without guards.


Markandey Katju said a high court judge was promoted after pressure from an ally of the former Congress government. He also said some senior judges had made "improper compromises" in allowing the judge to continue in office. A regional party protested in the parliament against "political interference in judicial appointments". The Congress-led government was in power for 10 years before losing the May general election to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ally that Mr Katju has alluded to was the ruling party in Tamil Nadu state. Writing in The Times of India newspaper, Mr Katju said a judge of the Madras high court in Tamil Nadu was promoted and given an extension to continue in office despite "several allegations of corruption" after pressure from an ally of the then-ruling Congress party. Mr Katju, who is now the chairman of the Press Council of India, also told the NDTV news channel that three former chief justices of the Supreme Court made "improper compromises" in allowing the unnamed judge to continue in office. When asked by the channel why he had waited for 10 years to make his allegations public, he said: "Concentrate on whether what I'm saying is correct or not. How does it matter if I spoke now?" Mr Katju then left the interview. MPs belonging to Tamil Nadu's AIADMK party waved copies of the the newspaper carrying Mr Kaju's article and demanded a discussion in the upper house of the parliament. "If you have an issue to raise, raise it through appropriate procedure. This is not the way. You are disrupting listed business," chairman of the upper house Hamid Ansari said. The Congress party has denied the allegations and questioned their timing. "Mr Katju wishes to remain in news. If there was any such thing then he should have spoken that time. Why he is speaking now," Congress leader Rashid Alvi said. There has been rising public demand for greater transparency on the part of judges after allegations of corruptions against some judges over the last few years.

Summary: There has been uproar in the Indian parliament over a former Supreme Court judge's allegations of corruption in the judiciary.


The indictment says Hubert Zafke was an accessory to the murder of at least 3,681 people during one month in 1944. It says he was an SS medical orderly. The trial is to start on 29 February in Neubrandenburg. Mr Zafke remains at home, a prosecution spokesman said. The Nazis killed about 1.1m people in Auschwitz, most of them Jews. During the month covered by the indictment - 15 August to 14 September, 1944 - the teenage Jewish girl Anne Frank arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious Nazi camp complex. Her diary, describing the ordeal of her family hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam, remains a worldwide bestseller. She died in Bergen-Belsen, shortly before that camp's liberation by the British Army in 1945. According to the indictment, Mr Zafke served in the SS in a different part of the Auschwitz complex from October 1943 to January 1944, during World War Two. Prosecutors say that, like the other SS guards at Auschwitz, Mr Zafke was well aware of the camp's function as "an industrial-scale mass murder site". Last year a German court sentenced Oskar Groening, 94, to four years in jail as an accessory to the murder of at least 300,000 people at Auschwitz. Known as the SS "book-keeper of Auschwitz", he was allegedly responsible for counting banknotes confiscated from prisoners. How the Holocaust unfolded, year by year Why did ordinary people commit atrocities in the Holocaust?

Summary: A 95-year-old former SS member will go on trial in north-east Germany next month accused of assisting in the mass murder of Auschwitz death camp inmates.


Seven of her relatives have been arrested, and accused of misusing their royal status to amass vast wealth and carry out numerous abuses. The crown prince himself has now made the disgrace official by ordering her family to stop using the name Akrapongpreecha, which he gave them after he married her in 2001. The king and the crown prince both have this privilege, akin to knighthoods in the UK. Interestingly, the crown prince has not revoked her royal title, "Mom", which translates roughly as "princess", nor yet her use of the royal family's name, Mahidol na Ayutthaya. These are officially bestowed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and it would need his approval for them to be revoked. However if, as expected, the crown prince divorces Princess Srirasmi, she will almost certainly lose both titles. The future status of her nine-year-old son by the prince, Dipangkorn, will depend on his father's wishes. Titles matter a great deal in status-obsessed Thailand, in particular when it comes to those with a claim to the throne. The 1924 Palace Succession Law, enshrined in subsequent constitutions, follows the principle of primogeniture, meaning Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn is the designated heir to King Bhumibol, and his own sons should inherit the throne after him, ranked by age. However, the law also gives reigning kings considerable sway in choosing their own successor - and an amendment to the constitution now allows the possibility of a female successor. The crown prince has four sons by his second marriage, whom he disowned in 1997 when he severed all ties with their mother, Yuvadhida Polpraserth. At the time the crown prince stated that they had renounced all their royal titles. But the palace continues to recognise their right to use the title HSH, or His Serene Highness, even though the boys, now grown up, are banished from Thailand and live in the United States. That leaves some doubt over where they sit in line to the throne, even though most commentators believe they are no longer considered possible successors. It is widely believed that the crown prince may have had another baby boy this year with his current mistress, who is likely to become his next wife. The issue is critical in a country where the monarchy is considered pivotal to political stability, and where King Bhumibol, who turns 87 this week, is in such frail health. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn appears to be sorting out his personal affairs before the succession, so that he can choose who will be his queen, and who will eventually succeed him.

Summary: The downfall of Princess Srirasmi, the wife of Thailand's Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, has been both dramatic and unusually public.


Turner Prize nominee Ciara Phillips is the fourth artist to be commissioned to make a dazzle ship design. The work celebrates the untold histories of women during the war. It was inspired by the team of women who worked under British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, who invented the dazzle technique. Mr Wilkinson designed the abstract dazzle ship patterns and disorientating shapes to prevent the enemy from determining a vessel's range, speed and direction of travel. Ms Phillips's work is entitled "Every Woman" and was co-commissioned by centenary art commissions body 14-18 NOW and Edinburgh Art Festival. A spokeswoman for the festival said it took the artist's medium of screen-printing to a "new scale", covering the entire surface of the ship with a "bold gestural design". It was painted on the MV Fingal, a former lighthouse ship at Leith docks. The design, to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, also celebrates the women who worked as telegraphists and signallers during World War One. It includes a message in Morse code embedded within the pattern in retro reflective paint reading "Every Woman a Signal Tower". The message will shine out in the darkness, celebrating the ship's former role as a supplier to remote lighthouses.

Summary: A Glasgow-based artist has painted a massive design for a 72m (239ft) long ship as part of World War One centenary commemorations.


After a pregnancy lasting 22 months, Thi Hi Way, a 34-year-old Asian elephant at the zoo, gave birth to the female on Thursday afternoon. Zookeepers said the calf, which is yet to be named, was on its feet within three minutes and was doing well. Andy Mckenzie, team manager of elephants at Chester Zoo, described the "very smooth" birth as a "real family occasion". He said: "They all knew that something was going to happen, especially the older elephants that have seen it all before. "It was great to see the younger individuals being around the birth and learning from the older cows in the family." Asian elephants Source: Chester Zoo

Summary: The birth of an elephant calf has been captured on CCTV at Chester Zoo.


The West Indies all-rounder also described WICB president Dave Cameron as "arrogant" and "very immature". West Indies won the World Twenty20 by beating England in a dramatic final on Sunday. But Bravo, 32, says his team turned up for the tournament without their kit being ready and says they played the entire event without caps. "We get to India, our names were not even printed on the uniforms," he said. "Our manager had to leave our camp to get names and numbers printed." Media playback is not supported on this device The comments will do nothing to ease the tension between players and the WICB, who are already in involved in a long-running pay dispute. T20 captain Darren Sammy also criticised the WICB during the post-match presentation after his side's thrilling four-wicket win over England in Kolkata. Bravo told CNC3, a Trinidad and Tobago television channel, that the players faced a lot of criticism in the run-up to the World Twenty20 tournament. "A lot of people come down on the players," he said. "They questioned our commitment. They questioned whether we really committed to West Indies cricket or is it just the money. "A lot of people don't understand the sort of thing we go through as players dealing with our board."

Summary: Dwayne Bravo has described the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) as "the most unprofessional" in the world.


Crashes similar to those suffered by Fernando Alonso in Australia on Sunday will be part of a risk assessment into the 'halo' device, planned for 2017. The Spaniard's McLaren came to rest upside down after his 180mph crash at the season-opening race in Melbourne. "We need to see if it could become more difficult to get out," he said. Even if the halo made it more difficult for a driver to get out of his car in such a situation, that would not be enough to prevent its introduction. The device is being investigated on a holistic basis and the FIA will weigh any potential extra problems with a driver's ability to remove himself from the cockpit against the increased safety. But only if the cons outweighed the pros would head protection be delayed. Alonso's team-mate Jenson Button said after the race that there was "no need for him to get out in that situation", adding: "It's better to have a halo system. They [safety workers] would tip the car over of course to get him out, so it takes a bit longer. But he was OK so it doesn't matter." Governing body the FIA is aiming to make a final decision on the adoption of the halo by the end of May, following the completion of the risk assessment. Its F1 director Charlie Whiting has told teams the device will be introduced if the process does not throw up any unanticipated risks and that he expects no opposition. Even if a team did object, the FIA could force it through on safety grounds. The FIA is still waiting for all the data to be recovered from the accident data recorders on Alonso's car before investigating exactly what happened. The 34-year-old double world champion sustained a peak force of 46G during the crash, which he described as the biggest of his career. It was triggered when Alonso's right front wheel caught the left-rear wheel of Esteban Gutierrez's Haas as he was trying to overtake on the approach to Turn Three. All cars are fitted with a high-speed camera pointing back towards the driver's head to analyse its trajectory during an accident. The device works at 400 frames per second - 16 times faster than a normal camera - and it will reveal whether there would have been any danger to the driver's head had a halo been fitted. This is considered highly unlikely, as the halo has been designed to be well out of reach of the helmet even in extreme scenarios. These cameras, along with in-ear accelerometers worn by the drivers and data from sensors on the chassis, mean the FIA can build up a detailed picture of the events of an accident. Alonso, who is one of the vast majority of drivers backing the introduction of extra head protection, said it was important to look into what would have happened in his accident and its aftermath had a halo been fitted. The risk assessment into the halo will focus on the potential negatives of the device, and whether they are

Summary: The ease with which drivers can get out of an upturned car will be investigated before finalising the introduction of head protection next year.


The painting was revealed by the veteran broadcaster and naturalist at New Walk Museum, in Leicester. He grew up in the city and volunteered at the museum as a teenager. The artist - Bryan Organ - has also painted Sir David's brother Lord Attenborough, Prince Charles and former prime minister Harold Macmillan. The portrait was commissioned by the City of Leicester Museums Trust and will complement the portrait of Lord Attenborough, the acclaimed actor and film director, which also hangs in New Walk Museum. More on this and other Leicestershire stories Sir David said it was "an honour" to sit for Mr Organ. When asked what he made of the portrait, he said: "I haven't had the chance to have a look at it - I mean, I've only seen it obliquely. As far as I can see, it's very nice. "It was great fun sitting with Bryan, the only problem was the painting got in the way." The Attenborough brothers grew up in the city where their father was principal of the then University College Leicester. Tributes have been paid to Sir David throughout the year since he turned 90 in May.

Summary: A portrait of Sir David Attenborough has been unveiled to commemorate his 90th birthday - in a museum where he once volunteered.


Ovidio Gonzalez was suffering from terminal throat cancer and said he had been suffering unbearable pain. Colombia's Catholic Church has said euthanasia is morally unacceptable and it has threatened to close its hospitals across the country. Colombia is one of the few countries in the world, and the only one in Latin America, where euthanasia is allowed. Assisted suicide was approved by the Constitutional Court in the 1990s. But no procedures had been performed because the measure had not been regulated. It was only in May that the health ministry intervened and issued a set of guidelines for hospitals. Mr Gonzalez died in a clinic in the western city of Pereira, after a legal battle. His son Julio Cesar is a cartoonist with one of Colombia's top newspapers, El Tiempo. "My father received the news [that the procedure had been approved] with relief," said Mr Gonzalez, better known by his pen name Matador, or The Killer. "It is a pity that it had to be like that. My dad deserved to go with less publicity," he added. Euthanasia is highly controversial in the predominantly Roman Catholic country. Critics also point out that the measure has not been voted by Congress.

Summary: A 79-year old Colombian man has become the first person in the country to die legally by euthanasia.


Organisers have announced that the event's poultry competition has been called-off after a vet discovered a case of infectious bronchitis. A spokeswoman for the show said "birds under suspicion" had been removed but it was with "great regret" it has had to cancel the poultry competition. Roger Thomas, who had birds that he was showing, said it was "disappointing". The show, the largest agricultural event in the West country, started on Wednesday and runs until Saturday in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Alan Lyons, head of shows, admitted it was disappointing but said there had been a "great day judging on the Wednesday" with "record entries". "It is very disappointing for the show and all the competitors in the poultry show but we take our bio-security measures very seriously," he said. Infectious bronchitis, according to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is an "acute, highly contagious" viral respiratory disease with "high morbidity".

Summary: Up to 1,200 birds have been removed from the Royal Bath and West Show due to a suspected outbreak of disease.


She was making dinner in her flat in the Leith area of Edinburgh when she made the discovery. The woman called for a friend to help contain the animal, only to find it had disappeared. It was later found in a cupboard and is now being cared for by the Scottish SPCA, which has named him Zak while it tries to trace his owner. The California Kingsnake is non-venomous but can bite and rattle its tail. It is thought he may have squeezed through the pipework in the block of flats. Fiona Thorburn, of the Scottish SPCA, said: "The lady was just about to have her dinner and got a real fright when she reached into the drawer to grab cutlery and found Zak curled up on the knives and forks. "As she has a phobia of snakes, she called her friend for help to contain him only to discover that he had disappeared from the drawer. "Thankfully they managed to locate him in a cupboard elsewhere in the kitchen before he sneaked away. "Zak is quite large for an escapee and it's usually smaller snakes that can squeeze through pipework in flats. "However, all snakes can be really good escape artists, so there's every chance Zak has an owner nearby who is looking for him."

Summary: A woman with a fear of snakes discovered a 2ft-long kingsnake curled up in her kitchen drawer.


Hywel Dda University Health Board is the first in Wales to launch the "Push the Button" system to curb smoking at Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire hospitals. It enables people to anonymously push a red button which triggers an announcement reminding them hospitals are smoke-free. The policy also includes e-cigarettes. The bilingual messages were recorded by pupils at Pembrokeshire's Wolfscastle school and the buttons can be found near the main entrances to Bronglais, Glangwili, Prince Philip and Withybush hospitals. Teresa Owen from the health board said: "While the majority of staff, patients and visitors to our sites respect this policy, some people continue to smoke on-site. "Everyone has the right to breathe fresh air, especially when visiting a health care facility and we regularly receive complaints about people smoking on our sites."

Summary: A PA system is being launched at hospitals in mid and west Wales to discourage smokers from lighting up.


An Â£8m scheme has been unveiled for the home, where Lennon played as a child. The venture will combine an education centre for young people with learning difficulties and an exhibition on the home, the song and Lennon's early life. The gates at the site, which is closed to the public, are a popular attraction for Beatles fans visiting Liverpool. The plans were announced on the 50th anniversary of the release of the single, which was a double-A side with Penny Lane, reaching number two in the UK charts and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA. The original home in Woolton was demolished in the early 1970s and replaced with a smaller building. Major Drew McCombe, divisional leader for the North West branch of the charity, said: "Strawberry Field is special in the hearts of many people in Liverpool, the UK and across the world, and we at the Salvation Army are aiming to redevelop the site to do justice to the many people that have been supported by the children's home or formed a connection with the iconic Beatles song." According to Blue Badge Beatles tour guide Neil McDonald, the gates are one of the must-see Beatles sights in the city. He said: "It is a unique atmosphere. I've seen some people burst into tears and even proposals of marriage." According to Hunter Davies's biography of The Beatles, one of Lennon's childhood treats was the garden party that took place each summer on the grounds of Strawberry Field. His Aunt Mimi recalled: "As soon as we could hear the Salvation Army band starting, John would jump up and down shouting 'Mimi, come on. We're going to be late.'" The musician is said to have found a place of peace and refuge from his troubled childhood in the woods around the home, where he went to play with friends, climb trees and dream the hours away. The song's refrain "and nothing to get hung about" is said to be a reference to Lennon's retort "they can't hang you for it" to Mimi about playing on the property. Official fundraising for the project begins later this year.

Summary: The children's home immortalised by John Lennon in The Beatles hit Strawberry Fields Forever is to be redeveloped by the Salvation Army.


Det Con Anthony Rees-Thompson, 40, was caught by a speed camera doing 35mph in a 30mph zone in Swansea. But the South Wales Police officer from Abercrave, Powys, denied it was him and changed his number plates, Cardiff Crown Court heard. He denied perverting the course of justice but a jury found him guilty. Judge David Wynn Morgan told Rees-Thompson the offence "strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system". He said the points system was to punish people who drive badly, and it depended on the honest completion of the relevant forms. He added: "Yours wasn't a panic reaction - it was a carefully considered and thought out course of action." The court heard Rees-Thompson had been driving along Fabian Way on his way to buy tickets for an Ospreys rugby match when he was caught speeding in a car belonging to his stepfather, who was away on holiday. The defendant, who has worked for South Wales Police for 10 years, challenged the fixed penalty notice and was asked to submit photographic proof that it was not the same vehicle. But the court heard he sent in photographs of the silver Vauxhall Corsa with new plates customised with a blue GB sign and the Welsh flag, bought for Â£21 online. The father-of-four then wrote to the speed camera unit saying there had been a technical error or another similar car was using the same registration number. The jury heard the police officer, a father of four, worked in the covert operations management unit at South Wales Police headquarters in Bridgend. But the prosecution argued he forgot that his car was being filmed every day as he drove it into work. The jury was shown pictures of the car with its old number plate before the speeding offence and the new one allegedly fitted by Rees-Thompson. The court was also told that Rees-Thompson pretended to be his stepfather when he wrote to the speed camera unit trying to avoid a fine and three points on his licence. He denied perverting the course of justice during his trial claiming he changed the plates because they were damaged. Rees-Thompson is set to lose his job and will face a "fast track" gross misconduct disciplinary hearing following his sentence.

Summary: A police officer who tried to cheat his way out of a speeding ticket by changing his car number plates, has been jailed for three months.


Media playback is not supported on this device It is 25 years since Howard Wilkinson led Leeds to the 1992 title, the year before the Premier League was formed. "I don't think it will last another 25 years," said Wenger, referring to "many promising young English managers". Wenger also defended his players after they were criticised for being too friendly with the Manchester United team prior to Sunday's game. And he offered sympathy to striker Lucas Perez over his lack of first-team action. The Gunners face Southampton in the Premier League at St Mary's on Wednesday, knowing a win will left them above Manchester United into fifth in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Manchester City. To mark 25 years since the last English manager won the top flight, at 19:30 BST on Tuesday a BBC Radio 5 live special asks if an English manager will ever win the Premier League. Wenger, who has won the title three times with Arsenal since taking over from Bruce Rioch in 1996, said: "I don't think it is especially an England problem, it is down to the fact the Premier League has attraction power internationally and today all the big clubs have foreign managers. "Before, many Scottish people have won the championship in England. We have many young English managers who are promising. "The English federation has done a good job in educating coaches and you will see a change in that. "When I arrived I remember there were articles saying foreign managers can never win the championship. "It will change again, I'm convinced, we are at a turning point in English football history and some English managers will win the Premier League." Media playback is not supported on this device Match of the Day 2 pundits Phil Neville and Martin Keown criticised Arsenal and Manchester United players for hugging and laughing in the tunnel before the Gunners' 2-0 victory at the Emirates on Sunday. The former suggested that Nacho Monreal looked like he was "going to a christening". When asked about the incident, Wenger responded: "I understand the pundits are a bit surprised. Ten, 15 years ago that didn't exist but it is an international thing now - you watch Real Madrid versus Barcelona and it is the same. "It doesn't stop making players focused. It is pictures we're not used to seeing but it is part of the modern game. Maybe it happened 10, 15 years ago but you didn't have cameras in the tunnel." Arsenal signed Perez for £17.1m from Deportivo La Coruna in August 2016 but the 28-year-old Spaniard has made just 21 appearances for the Gunners this season, starting only twice in the Premier League. He has scored seven times, including a hat-trick in the Champions League group game at Basel. "He is a top quality striker, I couldn't give him the games he wants and deserves and I feel sorry for him," said Wenger. "Don't take anything away from his quality. I would love to [keep him] if I am the manager but we have to sit down together

Summary: It is only a matter of time before an English manager wins the Premier League title, says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.


Assistant coach Gary Neville will delay his arrival after his Valencia side lost a third La Liga game in a row. Hart and Sterling could be out for four weeks, making them serious doubts for City's Champions League quarter-final. Winger Sterling has a groin injury, while keeper Hart has a calf problem. Sterling, 21, limped off during City's 1-0 loss to United, while Hart, 28, was hurt after clearing a poor backpass from Martin Demichelis and went off on a stretcher. City boss Manuel Pellegrini, asked whether they would miss England's games in Germany on Saturday and against the Netherlands at Wembley on 29 March, said: "I don't think muscle injuries are one week. Normally this is three or four weeks." Neville, meanwhile, is to stay in Valencia to work with his players after fans called for the ex-England defender to leave following a 2-0 home defeat by Celta Vigo. The 41-year-old, who said he will link up with the England squad on Thursday, said: "You'll report it as panic, but it is not panic, it is something that's important. "I have just spoken to Roy Hodgson and I am going to stay back in Valencia. The players train Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday this week. I feel it's the right thing to do. "Obviously it's not an ideal situation. I'm the assistant coach for the national team of England, with 60 million people, but I understand the two or three million people in Valencia need my attention this week." Stoke City midfielder Ibrahim Afellay and Sunderland defender Patrick van Aanholt could feature against England at Wembley after being added to the Netherlands squad. Coach Danny Blind has been hampered by the withdrawal of several players for next week's friendly matches against France and England. PSV Eindhoven pair Davy Propper and Jurgen Locadia pulled out on Monday, missing out along with Arjen Robben, Daryl Janmaat, Erik Pieters and Ron Vlaar. Afellay was a surprise omission from the original squad, while Van Aanholt could make his first international appearance in more than two years. The Netherlands were World Cup semi-finalists in 2014, but have failed to qualify for Euro 2016.

Summary: Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling are set to miss England's friendlies with Germany and the Netherlands after being injured during Manchester City's derby defeat by Manchester United on Sunday.


The trade body that represents the sector published research suggesting more than 10,700 jobs were directly supported self-catering tourism. A further 4,500 jobs are indirectly supported by the money flowing through the sector, it claimed. The research covers nearly 17,000 premises. They have been classified as self-catering properties by business rate assessors. That does not include homes for rent through websites such as Airbnb. The findings follow economic research into the impact of golf tourism in Scotland, which was published this week and which found there was nearly as much value from that, at £286m. The VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise study found growth of 30% in value between 2008 and 2016, with 4,700 jobs thought to be supported by golf tourism. The self-catering research has been carried out by the Frontline economics consultancy for the Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers. It drew on data from 2015 and 2016, including visitor surveys, assessors' statistics on non-domestic rates, and online surveys of both visitors and property owners. It concluded that 23% of visitors to Scotland rented a self-catering property for at least part of their visit. Of those, 32% came from England, with the north-west being the largest regional contributor and London the smallest. Scots renting self-catering properties in Scotland accounted for 30% of the total, while the other 27 EU nations represented only 4%. Most groups were made up only of adults, with children included in 30% of rentals. The average spend on accommodation was reckoned to be £643 per group, totalling £313m. They spent, on average, £245 on travel to and from the property. While the total spend was reckoned to be close to £800m, the value added to the economy in 2016 was put at £293m. Of that, £79m was in the Highlands, including Moray, supporting 4,100 jobs, directly and indirectly. Edinburgh and the Lothians saw almost £50m of economic benefit over a year. Meanwhile, the golf tourism research estimated that overseas golf visitors spent an average £338 per night during a trip to Scotland last year - more than four times the daily spend of the average overseas visitor. Almost half of golf visitors staying at least one night in Scotland were from overseas, with the average being more than 10 days. The North American market represents 30% of the total, with 14% from the rest of Europe. Most overseas golfing visitors had visited Scotland before, and one in eight golfing visitors was female. Those women tended to be better golfers, with lower handicaps. Danny Cusick of Scottish Enterprise, which co-funded the research, said Scottish golf has "tremendous international appeal, so it comes as no surprise that the value of this important tourism sector has grown enormously in recent years. "But we mustn't rest on our laurels; we want ambitious Scottish golf tourism companies to capitalise on this upward trend and consider how best they can develop and scale their business to meet the growing domestic and international demand."

Summary: Visitors who rent self-catering properties are thought to be worth almost £300m to the Scottish economy, according to new economic research.


The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy includes the ambition of doubling the number of people using bikes by 2025. Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said "sustained investment in cycling and walking infrastructure" was needed. Cycling campaigners warned the strategy "won't be worth the paper it's written on" without sustained funding. A consultation has been launched to seek views on the plans and will close on 23 May, with a final strategy published in the summer. The Department for Transport (DfT) said it wanted walking and cycling to be the "natural choice" for shorter journeys, or as part of a longer journey, by 2040. This would be done through providing "safe and attractive infrastructure" to encourage journeys on bike and foot, it said. The DfT said the strategy marked a "major shift from short term funding streams for cycling and walking to a strategic long term approach". Mr Goodwill said the plans would "benefit the whole of society by boosting the economy, improving health, cutting congestion and improving air quality". He added: "Realising our ambition will take sustained investment in cycling and walking infrastructure. "That's why we have committed over £300m to support cycling and walking over this Parliament and this will increase further when spending on enhancing and maintaining existing infrastructure is taken into account." But British Cycling and CTC, the national cycling charity, have called for the objectives and funding proposals in the draft strategy to be strengthened. They point to the parliamentary Get Britain Cycling report, which called for investment in cycling of at least £10 per person annually, rising to £20, in order to boost cycle use to 10% of trips by 2025, and to 25% by 2050. The draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy provides central government funding of £300m over the period 2015-2020, amounting to £1.39 per person outside London, the campaigners said. Chris Boardman, the 1992 individual pursuit Olympic champion and policy adviser for British Cycling, said "far more ambition" was needed if Britain was to create a cycling and walking culture to rival countries like Denmark and Holland. Mr Boardman said: "The truth is that without sustained funding, this strategy won't be worth the paper it's written on. We know that when faced with other priorities like road maintenance, saving bus routes and new housing developments, cycling and walking will be put at the bottom of most councils' to-do lists." The DfT said it would issue guidance to local bodies on developing local plans when the final strategy is published. A new independent expert committee will be established by October 2016 to advise on the strategy and its implementation, it added.

Summary: The government has unveiled proposals to encourage people to cycle and walk more in England.


A gold medal in the race gives an athlete global recognition. Breaking the world record over the distance ensures sporting immortality. American Donald Lippincott and Czech Marie Mejzlikova were the first, with Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States the current holders of the crown. Before the 2016 Games in Rio, at which Bolt and compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will defend the 100m titles they won in London four years ago, BBC Sport presents a chronological history of world records in the event, showing each time it has been broken and when. An accessible version can be found here Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: The 100m is arguably the Olympic Games' most iconic event.


Jerry Brown ordered "all necessary and viable actions" be taken to stop it. More than 2,000 families have been moved from their homes and many people have reported feeling ill because of the leakage, which began in October. It stems from a vast underground storage field in Porter Ranch, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Gas is spewing into the atmosphere at a rate so fast that the well now accounts for about a quarter of the state's total emissions of methane - an extremely potent greenhouse gas. The well is situated in a mountainous area more than a mile away from residential areas, but residents have complained of health effects like headaches, nausea, vomiting and trouble breathing. "Let's call it an environmental and public health catastrophe," Tim O'Connor, a lawyer with the Environmental Defense Fund, told the BBC's environment correspondent, Matt McGrath. "In terms of timelines this is going to surpass the gulf oil problem by a mile. What we do know is that that climate equivalent of this leak is like burning thus far almost 700 million gallons of gasoline or it's the same amount of pollution as 4.5 million cars put out every day, it's tragic." Methane - the main component of natural gas - is a very strong greenhouse gas, capable of trapping solar radiation in the atmosphere. It belongs to a category of gases called short-lived climate pollutants. While methane and other short-lived pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a relatively short time compared to other gases, the California Air Resources Board says that "when measured in terms of how they heat the atmosphere, their impacts can be tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times greater than that of carbon dioxide". The BBC's Matt McGrath says the large amounts of powerful gas that are leaking could have a significant impact on climate change. Residents have been complaining of nausea, headaches and other symptoms, but the utility company says that "scientists agree natural gas is not toxic and that its odorant is harmless at the minute levels at which it is added to natural gas". Health officials in the area have said the long-term effects of being exposed to the gas are unknown. The utility company is providing temporary accommodation or funds for the displaced residents, and several thousand people in Porter Ranch have been relocated while the gas continues to leak and repairs take place. But, according to CBS News, only 2,200 families have been relocated even though 6,500 have applied for help. "You have kids going to school outside their neighbourhoods, families that are living in hotels" says Paula Cracium, president of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council. "The longer this goes on the more stress there is." A broken injection-well pipe about 500 ft (152.4m) below the surface is believed to be the culprit behind the leak, reports say. Pipes like this are used by utility companies to insert gas into the ground for storage until a later time when it can be withdrawn and sold for use. It is not known why the pipe ruptured.

Summary: The governor of California has declared a state of emergency in a suburb of Los Angeles over the leaking of methane gas from an underground storage field.


The midfielder, 20, agreed to a five-year deal with the French champions. He scored 13 league goals for Anderlecht last season to help them win the Belgian title. "Monaco is a club with an ambitious project, recognised on the European stage, and which relies on young players," Tielemans said. "I am very happy to be here. I will now do everything possible to progress here and repay the confidence the club have shown in me." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Monaco have signed Belgium's young player of the year Youri Tielemans from Anderlecht for a reported 25m euros (£21.63m).


They torched the tents at the camp in Brezice to protest at the slow process of registering them and moving them to the Austrian border, witnesses said. They have also complained of a lack of food, water and blankets in the camp. Meanwhile the Greek coastguard is searching for a migrant boat believed to have capsized with 14 on board near the island of Samos amid heavy rain. Samos, where 69,000 people have arrived over the past year, is receiving the highest numbers of migrants of any Greek island apart from Lesbos. Thousands of migrants continue to pour through the western Balkans and the leaders of those countries have been summoned to a special EU meeting. The European Commission said President Jean-Claude Juncker had called Sunday's meeting because "there is a need for much greater cooperation, more extensive consultation and immediate operational action" to deal with what it called "the unfolding emergency". EU response: EU solution seems nowhere in sight No-man's land: Border closures leave thousands stranded Long winter sets in: EU pins hope on deteriorating weather Merkel under pressure: Chancellor's migrant policy faces criticism at home Crisis in graphics: Migration numbers explained Last week Hungary closed its border with Croatia and Serbia and refused to let any more migrants cross, citing security concerns. As a result, the migrants have been diverted to Slovenia on their way to western Europe. Slovenia says it has been overwhelmed by the nearly 20,000 migrants that have arrived since Friday. It had said it could only take 2,500 migrants a day. The Slovenian army and the police are working to manage the flow, but aid agencies have been warning of dire conditions as bottlenecks develop at border crossings along the route, just as temperatures are beginning to drop. But there is no sign that the numbers of migrants and refugees is slowing. A number of boats carrying around 140 people, including children, arrived at the RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus on Wednesday morning. Many of the migrants heading through the Western Balkans are trying to reach Germany, which is predicting an influx of at least 800,000 asylum seekers this year. Some estimates put the number at over a million. Many of those will have their asylum bids rejected and a government spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that it was considering the use of military planes to help speed up the deportation process. Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said army transport planes would be used, but only if civilian aircraft were not available. Chancellor Angela Merkel's domestic popularity has declined in recent weeks because of the influx into Germany. And an opinion poll on Wednesday said the proportion of Germans who were extremely worried by the situation had risen from 40% in August to 54%. However a separate poll of members of Mrs Merkel's conservative CDU party found that 82% were happy with her as their leader. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum.

Summary: Tents have been torched at a transit camp in Slovenia, allegedly by migrants angry at how they are being treated.


Nasheed, the opposition leader, was controversially jailed for 13 years under anti-terror laws last year. He was allowed to travel to the UK to receive treatment on his spine. His lawyer Hasan Latheef said Nasheed had been granted political refugee status, but the British government has not commented. A former human rights campaigner, Nasheed became the nation's first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Why did the Maldives release its most famous prisoner? In 2012, he was detained after being accused of ordering the arrest of a judge. He resigned months later amid an army mutiny and public protests over the judge's fate. Nasheed alleged that he had been removed by a coup, but this was denied by his vice-president, who replaced him. The current President, Abdulla Yameen, was elected in controversial polls in 2013 and is the half-brother of Mr Gayoom. "Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work in exile - for now," said a statement issued by Nasheed's office on Monday. The Maldives foreign ministry said it feared Nasheed had used the request for medical treatment as a way to get out of his prison term. It said the government was awaiting confirmation asylum had been granted. If confirmed, the Maldives government "would be disappointed the UK government is allowing itself to be part of this charade, and further, is enabling an individual to circumvent his obligations under the law", the statement said.

Summary: The former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, has been granted refugee status in the UK, according to his lawyer.


The Australian - one of the most highly regarded drivers in Formula 1 - is known to have been interesting Ferrari. Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen is out of contract at the end of this season and the Italian team are weighing up whether to retain the 36-year-old Finn. Ricciardo said at the Austrian Grand Prix that he would stay at Red Bull, which he believed was "the best place to be next year to challenge Mercedes". Ricciardo, who is 27 on Friday, has been buoyed by progress with the Renault engine, which now has a much reduced performance gap to Mercedes than it did for the last two seasons. Ricciardo signed his new Red Bull contract to the end of 2018 after his breakthrough season in 2014, when he was promoted to the senior team from Toro Rosso and beat four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. The German moved to Ferrari at the end of that season. Ricciardo's Red Bull deal is said by insiders to have no opt-outs or break clauses, but having a contract in F1 does not necessarily mean a driver will stay with a team. However, his remarks clearly rule him out of Ferrari's thinking for next season. Ferrari are not expected to fully address the issue of a partner for Vettel next year until after next weekend's British Grand Prix at the earliest. Raikkonen has a decent chance of being retained, but other drivers in the frame are Force India's Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz, Williams' Valtteri Bottas and Haas' Romain Grosjean. Ferrari had also been interested in Max Verstappen, but the 18-year-old Dutchman is under contract until the end of 2019 and Red Bull intend to have him and Ricciardo as their line-up for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, Red Bull said they had taken up their contractual option on Sainz and that he would be staying at their junior team Toro Rosso in 2017. However, Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has said he would be willing to talk to Ferrari about releasing him if they expressed an interest and offered to buy him out. Perez's candidature is being pushed by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who is on the board of the team's main sponsor, the tobacco giant Philip Morris. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Daniel Ricciardo says he will stay at Red Bull until the end of 2018.


The government plans to raise fees above £9,000 for universities in England with "high quality" teaching. But Exeter has announced that the increase will also be applied to current as well as new students. The Liberal Democrats say they will table an amendment in Parliament to "stop this outrageous practice". Exeter students have used social media to express their irritation at the increase. Tim Quine, Exeter's deputy vice-chancellor, said: "The decision to charge £9,250 has not been taken lightly, but follows four years in which tuition fees have been frozen, while the costs of delivering a world leading education have continued to rise." But Labour's education spokesman Gordon Marsden said Exeter's raising fees, before the increase had been approved by Parliament, was a "concerning and disturbing development". Mr Marsden said students signed up for degree courses on the assumption that fees would not change - and that universities which introduced such increases would face "criticism for changing the goalposts in an unethical manner". John Pugh, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said the increase for current students was "completely unacceptable". On the last day before the parliamentary summer break, the government published details of plans to allow universities to increase fees to £9,250 from 2017-18, scrapping the maximum upper limit introduced during the controversial trebling of tuition fees in 2012. The plan would allow universities assessed as having "high teaching standards" to increase fees in line with inflation, calculated as 2.8% for next year. Universities had begun to advertise these higher fees for students about to apply this autumn, for next year's courses. But Exeter is also applying the increase to students already at the university. The measure is permitted under the government's proposals, but many other universities have so far not made a decision on whether to charge higher fees for students who entered when the legal maximum was set at £9,000 per year. The University of Nottingham has promised current students, and those about to start this autumn, that there will be no increase above £9,000 for the duration of their courses. Exeter's website says that the increase for new and current students is "subject to approval from the government that we meet the criteria in the Teaching Excellence Framework". The Teaching Excellence Framework is the system being created to measure the quality of teaching in universities. For the first year, no universities have failed to reach the necessary quality threshold. There was controversy over whether the university fee increase had been properly debated in Parliament. Opposition MPs were angry that the higher fees were being announced before the Higher Education Research Bill, currently before Parliament, had been approved. The government said the cap on fees could be lifted legitimately, via a statutory instrument, and that a vote would still be required if there was a challenge from MPs. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have warned the government that they intend to block the planned increases and there were warnings that ministers had tried to "sneak out" the fee changes. Universities had been accused by MPs of "disgraceful arrogance" in advertising

Summary: Exeter University has told its current students that their tuition fees are going to be increased to £9,250 from autumn 2017.


The nine members of the team, who will compete across the four events, all won medals at last year's World Championships while two have already won Paralympic gold in the sport. Tom Aggar won single sculls gold in Beijing while Pam Relph was part of the victorious mixed coxed four in London. Rachel Morris will compete in her second sport after winning handcycling gold in Beijing and bronze in London. The 37-year-old double amputee transferred to rowing in 2013 and won silver at the 2015 World Championships in France. Relph, 26, is the only remaining rower from her 2012 boat and teams up with debutants Grace Clough, James Fox, Daniel Brown and cox Oliver James. The boat is unbeaten since the 2011 Worlds and the current crew are two-time World champions. "The team that has been selected is far stronger than any I have been a part of in my six years of rowing for GB," Relph said. There is also a new look in the double with Laurence Whiteley and Lauren Rowles hoping to make an impact in their first Games. Whiteley, 24, spent two years waiting for a suitable partner to come along but his patience was rewarded when wheelchair racer Rowles, 18, who has just finished her A Levels, tried out early last year. The partnership yielded a silver medal at the 2015 Worlds in their first major competition together. Squad: Tom Aggar, Rachel Morris, Laurence Whiteley, Lauren Rowles, Pam Relph, Grace Clough, James Fox, Daniel Brown, Oliver James.

Summary: Great Britain have named an experienced rowing squad for the Rio Paralympics.


Fe gafodd corff Christine Solik, oedd yn 57 oed ac yn wreiddiol o Aberpennar, ei ddarganfod wedi'i glymu 50 milltir o'i chartref yn nhalaith Kwazulu-Natal. Yna ddydd Llun fe gafodd corff ei gŵr Roger, oedd yn 66 oed, ei ddarganfod gerllaw. Mae'r heddlu yn Ne Affrica yn credu bod y cwpwl wedi cael eu herwgipio o'u cartref yn ystod lladrad ddydd Gwener, 17 Chwefror. Fe wnaeth Mrs Solik ddychwelyd i Gymru fis diwethaf i fynd i angladd ei thad Glyn Savage. Mae pedwar plentyn y cwpwl wedi cyhoeddi datganiad yn annog pobl i roi cymorth wedi'r lladrad. Fe ddywed y datganiad: "Roedd ein rhieni yn anwahanadwy ac roedd eu perthynas yn ysbrydoliaeth. "Mae'n anodd deall sut y gallai rhywbeth mor dreisgar ddigwydd ar eu stâd fferm gymunedol, gyda bryniau naturiol hyfryd a chymdogion 100 metr i ffwrdd." Fe wnaeth y cwpwl, sydd hefyd â dau o wyrion, briodi yng Nghymru yn 1980 a symud i Dde Affrica y flwyddyn ganlynol. Yn wreiddiol fe wnaethon nhw ymfudo am ddwy flynedd, ond yna fe wnaethon nhw benderfynu aros yn Ne Affrica.

Summary: Mae cwpwl, o dde Cymru yn wreiddiol, wedi cael eu llofruddio yn Ne Affrica.


The group, and two teachers, were from Joseph-Koenig school in Haltern, western Germany. "This is the worst thing imaginable," the town's Mayor Bodo Klimpel said at an emotional media conference. All 150 people on board flight 4U 9525 travelling from Barcelona to Duesseldorf are assumed to have died. The Airbus A320 airliner went down between Digne and Barcelonnette. The cause of the crash is not known. Most of those who died from the school were girls aged about 16, an official told the BBC's Katya Adler. Students at the school in Haltern were sent home for the day, but some returned to lay flowers and comfort each other. Mr Klimpel confirmed that the group was on the passenger list and said he was informed by the Spanish school they had boarded. He said the school would still open on Wednesday, but instead of normal lessons there would be "an opportunity for the pupils to talk about this terrible [tragedy] and begin to process this". The group had been participating in a week-long exchange at a school in Llinars de Valles, near Barcelona. Their Spanish counterparts visited late last year. Tributes have been paid. "They were flying home after having what was probably the most wonderful time of their lives," said Sylvia Loehrmann, the education minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. "It's so tragic, so sad, so unfathomable." German international footballer Benedikt Howedes, who was born in Haltern, tweeted: "Our thoughts are with the victims and families of the tragic airplane accident. Anyone could have sat on that machine."

Summary: Sixteen teenagers on a Spanish exchange programme were among those on board a Germanwings plane that crashed in the French alps, German officials say.


Trainers contributed £98.6m and stud farms £81.2m, while visitors bring in £8.8m to the racecourses. Forest Heath District Council commissioned research company SQW to carry out the study into the impact of the sport on the 'Home of Horseracing'. The SQW report did not try to measure the amount spent by owners and visitors at local shops and on services. The council said the survey, commissioned along with the Newmarket Horsemen's Group (NHG), aimed to "understand the scale and economic significance" of the industry. SQW report William Gittus, chairman of the NHG, said: "It's a global industry and we are keen to attract global investors and to develop planning and economic policy. "We who work in the industry know it's very valuable to the local economy, but we needed to provide concrete evidence to people who make those policy decisions." Councillor James Waters, Conservative leader of the the Council, said: "We have never before had an independent, fact-based report on exactly what impact the horse racing industry has on Newmarket. "It looks at the impact of racing up to 25 miles away, so will be a really useful document as we plan future growth in west Suffolk." The survey did not attempt to calculate how much visitors or people in the racing industry spent in the town centre. Trainer John Gosden said: "Obviously the report has been very careful to never have any figures challenged and I think they've underestimated the financial contribution to the region, but they didn't have access to people's private accounts. "What we have had here in the last 15 years is an incredible investment from the Middle East and Far East." Kevin Pearson, from Golding clothing shop and a member of the Newmarket Retailers Association, said: "The majority of horse owners and training staff do shop locally and this adds to the vibrancy of the high street."

Summary: The horse racing industry is worth £208m a year to the economy in and around Newmarket, a study has revealed.


Downing Street said "good progress" had been made on the UK's proposals but there were still "difficult issues" to resolve. The prime minister's spokesman said there would be "substantive discussions" on the reforms instead. The UK's PM has promised an in/out vote on EU membership by the end of 2017. The prime minister is said to want to hold an early vote but he has said he will not set the timing of the poll until the negotiations, on Britain's terms of membership of the 28-member bloc, are concluded. Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe Guide to the UK's planned in-out EU referendum BBC News EU referendum special report Mr Cameron spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone on Thursday to discuss the renegotiation efforts. After the call, Downing Street said: "The prime minister explained that his priority is to get the substance right, underlining the need for legally binding, irreversible changes. "He noted that the scale of what we are asking for means we will not resolve this in one go and consequently he did not expect to get agreement at the December European Council. "Instead, we should keep up the pace of discussions and use the summit for a substantive discussion of the proposed changes in each area." The government had never committed to a deal by December but it is thought that was what the negotiating team had hoped. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said it suggested Mr Cameron was "running into real difficulties" in his renegotiations, in particular over proposals to restrict EU migrants' access to benefits in the UK. "That has always been a sticking point," he said, adding that European leaders have "serious reservations" about the proposals.

Summary: David Cameron has said that he does not expect an agreement to be reached on his EU reform aims at December's summit of European leaders.


The shadow home secretary told the Guardian she was diagnosed with the condition two years ago and it was "out of control" during the campaign, when she gave some faltering performances. "During the election campaign, everything went crazy," she said. She said she was managing the condition and was ready to get back to work. Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. It can be controlled by taking medication to reduce glucose to normal levels and also by making lifestyle and dietary changes. Ms Abbott was criticised for her performance during the election campaign, in which she stumbled several times during interviews and appeared unable to give detailed answers to questions. In one interview with LBC Radio, she mistakenly said plans to boost police numbers by 10,000 would cost Â£300,000. It led to a barrage of criticism from the Conservatives who said she could not "add up". She pulled out of an interview on BBC's Woman's Hour with just a few minutes' notice amid unconfirmed reports that some within the party leadership had lost confidence in her. Just 48 hours before polling day, Labour said Ms Abbott was taking a period of sick leave and would be replaced "indefinitely" by Lyn Brown. Ms Abbott, a key ally and friend of Jeremy Corbyn, said she was badly affected after facing six or seven interviews in a row without eating enough food - vital to managing blood sugar levels. "During the election campaign, everything went crazy - and the diabetes was out of control, the blood sugar was out of control," she said. Ms Abbott, who was re-elected as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington with a majority of more than 30,000, accused her political opponents of mounting a "vicious" campaign against her. She told the newspaper she was disappointed a female prime minister had singled her out as a national target. The Guardian says a Conservative source "angrily rejected" Ms Abbott's accusations and said it was "legitimate in a campaign to point out weaknesses in the opposition's front bench" The source wished Ms Abbott well with her health, adding: "No-one knows more about the difficulties of diabetes than the prime minister." Theresa May revealed in 2013 that she had type 1 diabetes. During the election campaign she said she managed it by injecting herself with insulin six times a day. Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar to become too high. More than three million people suffer from type 1 and and type 2 diabetes in the UK.

Summary: Diane Abbott has revealed she has Type 2 diabetes and that the condition is what forced her to take a break from the election campaign.


Enrique is leaving after three years in charge at the Nou Camp. Ibai Gomez hit the post for Alaves before Messi scored his 54th goal of the season with a 20-yard curler. Theo Hernandez bent in a free-kick to equalise, but Neymar turned in from close range and then Messi played in Paco Alcacer right on half-time. It has been a disappointing season for Barcelona, who finished runners-up to Real Madrid in La Liga and were eliminated from the Champions League by Juventus in the quarter-finals. They did at least restore some pride with victory over last season's second division champions in what was the final match to be played at Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon Stadium. There were some records set along the way as Enrique's team retained the trophy, having beaten Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla in the last two finals. Messi, who struck the opener after exchanging passes with Neymar outside the penalty area, became the first player to score in four Copa finals since Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra in 1950. Neymar, who forced in Barcelona's second when Messi played in Andre Gomes to cross low from the right, is the first man to score in three successive Copa finals since Ferenc Puskas, who achieved the feat with Real Madrid between 1960 and 1962. Messi's through pass for the third goal was sublime, and was finished calmly by Alcacer - who has been inconsistent since his move from Valencia last summer. The one major worry for Barcelona was a nasty head injury to Javier Mascherano, who was carried off on a stretcher after an early collision with Marcos Llorente, He suffered concussion as well as a cut to his head, and an injury to his right knee that will need further tests, the club said afterwards.

Summary: Lionel Messi was inspired as Barcelona beat Alaves to secure the Copa del Rey for the third year running and give coach Luis Enrique a winning send-off.


Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, from Rutland, died when his Hawk T1 aircraft - Red 4 - crashed after a display at Bournemouth Air Show in August 2011. A new display will open at the Bournemouth Aviation Museum which includes a model Red Arrow Hawk T1A. It will also include a collection box for the Jon Egging Trust, a charity set up in the pilot's memory. Museum trustee David Shore said: "After running a Red Arrows day last August and the level of interest it generated, we decided we wanted to do something in Flt Lt Egging's memory. "We had discussions with a model maker at last year's Bournemouth Air Show about creating a display for us. "The display will have information on both Flt Lt Egging and the history of the Red Arrows with a collection box for any donations to the Jon Egging Trust." The trust helps young people with vocational and academic qualifications. Its Blue Skies Programme pairs students with role models from aviation, engineering and science. Bournemouth Aviation Museum's display is the latest tribute in the town to Flt Lt Egging. In August 2012, a sculpture on Bournemouth's East Overcliff was unveiled featuring three glass Red Arrows planes and stainless steel contrails to coincide with the first Bournemouth Air Show since the crash.

Summary: A new memorial will be unveiled later in honour of a Red Arrows pilot killed in a crash during an air show.


The British Infrastructure Group (BIG) claims the tax acts directly against a policy of extending UK business links to the "farthest reaches of the globe". The tax is set to rise again in April to £150 for some long-haul flights. Opponents accused the aviation industry of wanting a "free ride" on air taxes. In its report, BIG said air passenger duty (APD) should be cut by 50%, then scrapped altogether. Grant Shapps, the former international development minister who leads BIG, said Prime Minister Theresa May needs to make good on a promise she gave on Monday to "forge a bold, new, confident future for ourselves in the world". He said: "Particularly post-Brexit, now is the time to do it." He added that reducing APD could provide an immediate "Brexit dividend" because the government would not have to wait until Article 50 is triggered to make the cut. Britain has one of the highest air travel taxes in the world. On economy class flights of over 2,000 miles, passengers pay £73 in tax, which will rise to £75 next year. On long-haul business class journeys, flyers currently pay £146 in duty which will increase to £150 in April. In the report, BIG cites industry figures that show UK APD for non-economy tickets is three times more expensive than France and four times higher than Germany. It notes that Ireland has scrapped APD completely. Also, Scotland is planning to reduce APD by 50% in 2018. "APD has disproportionate effects on different tickets, disadvantaging flights to the Far East and especially to developing economies, where the cost of a plane ticket from London can be well over 10% tax," the report said. "If the government is to act on its commitments, especially those of securing new trading partners outside the EU, it must make it as easy as possible to do business, conduct negotiations and to stimulate the exchange of people and skills. "It cannot continue to actively make extra-European travel more expensive than it needs to be." Some MPs will strongly resist any attempt to cut aviation taxes. Earlier this week, the Environmental Audit Committee said the Treasury must consider the environmental impacts of its decisions. They are likely to point out that the biggest beneficiaries of a duty cut would be long-haul holiday makers, who might otherwise be spending their money in the UK. Business passenger numbers are stagnant - the growth in demand is for holidays. They will mention that aviation is already uniquely protected from efforts to cut carbon emissions: under the government's plans, emissions from motoring and home heating will have to be cut to accommodate the growth in carbon dioxide from aviation. Critics are also likely to say that families travelling by air pay less tax per mile than car drivers, even though driving a family on holiday causes less pollution than going by plane. They will also question whether £150 tax will really deter a company director who has forked out for a business class seat. While the former Chancellor George Osborne exempted children under 16 from APD,

Summary: MPs are urging the government to halve air passenger duty in next week's Autumn Statement, saying the tax hampers post-Brexit Britain's ability to trade outside Europe.


The Wrestler star, 62, defeated Elliot Seymour - a former California Golden Gloves champion 33 years his junior. Rourke sent Seymour to the canvas twice in the second round before the referee stopped the fight. The Oscar nominated actor was an amateur boxer before finding fame in Hollywood movies such as 9 1/2 Weeks. The organisers of the match said the boxers were receiving "large amounts of money" in fees but declined to give details. "I'm very happy to be back to the boxing ring. Thank God for letting me do this", Rourke said ahead of his fight with 29-year-old Seymour. He refused to go into detail about his motivations for returning to the ring, but told Russian TV boxing had "sort of saved me from myself". The actor is reported to have lost more than 33lbs (15kg) for the fight, weighing in at 179.2lbs (81.3kg), the same as his rival. Seymour is ranked 256th in the United States and before the fight with Rourke had one knockout and nine losses in 10 bouts. Rourke returned to boxing as a professional in the 1990s and was undefeated in eight fights, with six wins and two draws. However he suffered a number of facial injuries, which required surgery and changed his appearance. In 2008 Rourke won a Bafta and Golden Globe for his role in the film The Wrestler, which told the tale of a former wrestling professional who decided to return to the sport. He was also nominated for a best actor Oscar, but lost out to Sean Penn in Milk.

Summary: Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke has won an exhibition boxing match in Moscow after returning to the ring for the first time in 20 years.


A signalling system at Diss has been damaged, resulting in Greater Anglia services between Norwich and London being cancelled. Services from Norwich to Cambridge and Norwich to Sheringham have also been suspended or delayed. The rail company is advising passengers of alternative travel options and of its delay repay policy. Greater Anglia said disruption on the Norwich to London Liverpool Street line is expected until 21:00 BST. It said services are unable to depart from Norwich towards Diss and Ipswich and from Diss towards Norwich whilst Network Rail engineers examine the line. There are currently no replacement bus services available to run between Norwich and Diss, it said. Greater Anglia has apologised for any inconvenience caused. All lines were blocks on the Norwich to Cambridge line after lightning struck between Attleborough and Ely. Disruption is expected until the end of the day. Greater Anglia said Network Rail staff are on site and are repairing the signalling system however there is currently no estimate for the line re-opening East Midlands trains services between Norwich and Liverpool Lime St are also affected.

Summary: Lightning strikes on rail routes through East Anglia have sparked travel chaos.


Many have now taken refuge in the Evangelical Church in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya. The Coptic Church has condemned the attacks, saying they were aimed at "dividing" Egyptians. On Sunday, Islamic State militants released a video, warning of more attacks on Egypt's Christian minority. The Copts - who make up about 10% of the country's 90 million population - have often been targeted by Islamists in recent years. Most of the Islamist militant attacks of recent years have been focused on the Sinai peninsula, where an IS-linked jihadist group is active, but the capital Cairo has also suffered a string of attacks in the past two years. About 250 Christians with their belongings were now in Ismailiya's church, deacon Nabil Shukrallah said on Friday. "They've come running with their children. It's a very difficult situation. We're expecting 50 or 60 more," he told the AFP news agency. Meanwhile, refugees said they were now "scared of our shadows", adding that they "are being targeted in an ugly way". Many of them were from the city of El-Arish, where at least seven Christians have been killed. Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013 when the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an elected leader who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a crackdown against Islamists. Some of Mr Morsi's supporters blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow. In December, a bomb explosion in the Coptic Christian cathedral in killed at least 25 people. The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian Church in Egypt. While most Copts live in Egypt, the Church has about a million members outside the country. Copts believe that their Church dates back to around 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. Mark is regarded as the first Pope of Alexandria - the head of their church. This makes it one of the earliest Christian groups outside the Holy Land. The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) in a dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire, and there were intermittent persecutions after Egypt became a Muslim country. Many believe that continues to this day.

Summary: Dozens of Coptic Christian families in Egypt have fled North Sinai province after a number of killings in recent weeks by suspected Islamist militants.


The total population is now estimated to be less than 500 breeding pairs. The situation is even worse south of the border where the iconic bird of prey is said to be heading to the brink of extinction. The latest survey found 460 breeding pairs in Scotland in 2016 compared with more than 500 when the previous study was carried out six years earlier. The RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Raptor Study Group, along with a range of other UK partners carried out the survey. It found Scotland remained a major stronghold for hen harriers, with 80% of the UK population. However, having a breeding population of fewer than 1,000 birds makes the species vulnerable to the effects of habitat degradation and, in some areas, wildlife crime. The west Highlands continue to provide a home for the majority of Scotland's breeding harriers, while Orkney and the Hebrides were the only areas of the country to show a slight increase in the number of the birds. A major project aimed at maintaining their population has also been carried out at Langholm Moor in Dumfries and Galloway. Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland, said: "The hen harrier is an indicator of the health of our upland environment, and the fact that its population continues to decline is of major concern. "The hen harrier is a high priority for our conservation work and urgent steps need to be taken to tackle illegal killing of this species and to improve their moorland breeding habitats." Eileen Stuart, SNH's head of policy and advice, said the decline was a "serious concern". She said they were committed to working with others to tackle wildlife crime throughout the country. "There is a very concerning trend of a long term decline in the number of breeding hen harriers in Scotland," added Wendy Mattingley of the Scottish Raptor Study Group. "For the population to begin to recover and expand over all suitable habitat, the intensively managed grouse moors of east and south Scotland must produce successful breeding hen harriers again. "The hen harrier is a wonderful spectacular raptor and more action must be taken to ensure that its future is secure." Tim Baynes, director of the Scottish Moorland Group, said the decline was disappointing but said it would be working to better understand the reasons behind poor breeding and help to rebuild the harrier population. Simon Wotton, lead author of the study, described the survey as a "monumental effort". "We hope these results will convince everyone in a position to help hen harriers to take positive steps to ensure their protection and rebuild the country's population for people to enjoy for generations to come," he said.

Summary: Hen harrier numbers have fallen by 9% in Scotland since 2010, according to the latest national survey.


The FTSE had fallen earlier in the day, with investors concerned about the continued plunge of the rouble. However the index strengthened on news of the Russian central bank's pledge to provide additional capital to the country's banks, if necessary. Figures showing a rise in UK wage growth also cheered investors. The price of Brent Crude oil, which has been falling for weeks, recovered by almost 4% late on Wednesday, reaching $62.32 a barrel. Shares in oil firms Tullow Oil, BP, and BG Group all rose more than 3% as a result, with Royal Dutch Shell 'B' rising by 2.9%. Meanwhile British Airways owner IAG fell by 4%. Dixons Carphone rose 3% after it reported a 30% rise in underlying half-year profits. The firm, which owns the PC World and Currys chains as well as Carphone Warehouse, said its UK and Ireland business had enjoyed a "barnstorming performance". All eyes will be on the US Federal Reserve later when it announces the results of its latest meeting. There is speculation that the US central bank will end its commitment to keep interest rates low for a "considerable period", suggesting a rate rise is moving closer. On the currency markets, the pound fell 0.55% against the dollar to $1.5664 and rose 0.16% against the euro to â‚¬1.2609.

Summary: (Close): London's benchmark index, the FTSE 100, closed marginally higher on Wednesday, gaining 4.65 points in late trading to close at 6336.48.


At the end of an even first half, Fabio Borini buried a penalty following Andre Wisdom's rash challenge in the box. The Italian put in an excellent cross for Jermain Defoe to turn in a second after the break before Duncan Watmore scored a third in injury time. Nathan Redmond hit a post and Norwich had penalty appeals turned down - but the comeback never gathered real pace. Instead Sunderland could easily have increased their winning margin before Watmore darted onto fellow substitute Sebastien Larsson pass and finally made the hosts pay for the space left behind as they committed numbers forward. Relive Sunderland's crucial victory Relegation fight 'going down to the wire' Sunderland rely heavily on Defoe for goals. Fortunately for the Black Cats, he has managed 16 in 30 games this season and they had success as they repeatedly tested the Norwich defence against the 32-year-old striker's pace with long balls forward. It may have been one-dimensional, but that direct style paid off as Borini chased up on a swift counter-attack and was clumsily fouled by Wisdom in the box as he controlled Defoe's return ball. After the break, another fast transition after a dawdling Sebastien Bassong was robbed by Jan Kirchoff saw the roles reversed with Borini threading a perfect delivery to the far post for Defoe to slide in and convert. Sunderland's goal difference is now seven superior to Norwich's and they might have increased that advantage further with Watmore wasting a fine opening before belatedly adding a third. Norwich had 19 shots to the visitors' eight and 14 corners with Sunderland unable to force a single one. But for all their industry, endeavour and possession, they lacked the cutting edge and ruthlessness that the Black Cats showed. Instead they were largely restricted to long-range efforts, with Martin Olsson, Bassong and Wisdom bringing saves out of Vito Mannone. Redmond then struck the base of a post with a skimming effort, while referee Andre Marriner turned down a trio of weak penalty claims to the home crowd's disgust. The two clubs have competed for the Friendship Trophy in their league meetings since they played each other in the 1985 Milk Cup final, but with the far greater prize of Premier League survival on the line there was little cordial about this encounter. Norwich's Robbie Brady nudged DeAndre Yedlin into the advertising hoarding in front of the Sunderland bench, sparking a shoving match in which Black Cats' boss Sam Allardyce and Norwich substitute Cameron Jerome jostled each other. Relations were not improved by Borini's goal celebration which finished with him sliding on his knees in front of the home supporters, some of whom returned fire with the paper clappers that had been distributed before kick-off. The closing stages of the match played out to the travelling fans' taunts that Norwich are heading to the Championship with their north-east rivals Newcastle. If that prediction proves true, this result will feature heavily in Norwich's post-mortem of the season. Media playback is not supported on this device Norwich boss Alex Neil: "The two

Summary: Sunderland climbed to within a point of safety by beating relegation rivals Norwich at Carrow Road.


They told the BBC they went to the embassy as there was no security for them in the capital city Bujumbura. Social media has been blocked, radio stations closed and protests banned. People have been protesting since Sunday over President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to stand for re-election in June. African news at it happens: 1 May 2015 The government closed the university on Thursday citing "insecurity". Earlier on Thursday several hundred students tried to organise a march into the centre of Bujumbura. They wanted to stop the president from officially presenting his nomination papers to the electoral commission. The students told the BBC's Maud Jullien that the US embassy was the only place they felt safe and that they feared security forces were pursuing them. She estimates around 500 students are outside the embassy. The US has not reacted to their presence. Senior US diplomat Tom Malinowski met Mr Nkurunziza on Thursday, and afterwards said he had warned that the situation in Burundi was "dangerous". "Some of the measures that have been taken... to shut down social media, to suspend radio stations not only are wrong as a matter of principle but very counter-productive," he told journalists. Rupert Colville from the UN human rights office also said on Friday that he was "deeply concerned" about the authorities' curtailing people's freedom of speech. At least seven people have died amid the biggest protests Burundi has seen since the civil war ended in 2005. In a Labour Day radio broadcast Mr Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader, warned of "severe sanctions" against protesters who are found to be behind an "insurrectional movement". President Nkurunziza said there would be a judicial inquiry into the protests. Under the constitution, presidents can only be elected to two terms in office but Mr Nkurunziza's allies say his first term does not count as he was appointed by parliament. Burundi's senate has announced that the constitutional court will examine the legality of the bid. Mr Nkurunziza has been in power since 2005, when a 12-year civil war officially ended. More than 300,000 people died in the conflict between the minority Tutsi-dominated army and mainly Hutu rebel groups, such as Mr Nkurunziza's CNDD-FDD.

Summary: Hundreds of students in Burundi have spent the night in front of the US embassy after their university was closed amid anti-government protests.


Seven-year-old Lily-Grace Hooper was told she could not use her cane at Hambrook Primary School in Winterbourne Down near Bristol. Her mother Kristy Hooper said she was "devastated" when she was told of the decision last Thursday. The school stressed the measure was a temporary one while the situation was discussed with the family. Ms Hooper, who first spoke to the Bristol Post, said her daughter suffered from severe sight impairment after she suffered a stroke at four days old. She had been using the lightweight cane in school since April without issue, her mother added. "When I picked her up on Thursday her teacher said... Lily-Grace could no longer bring her cane into school. I was quite shocked," Ms Hooper said. "Lily-Grace is quite sad because she likes to use her cane because of the independence it gives her." Head teacher Jo Dent said: "The pupil has not been banned from bringing in their cane, we have simply asked them to not use it around school as a temporary measure until we have the chance to meet with the parent and discuss the situation. "It was initially hoped we would have this resolved within a day or two. "The school's mobility officer raised health and safety issues around the new cane following a recent risk assessment. "We have to consider all of our pupils, so it is important that we have an opportunity to discuss the situation before we make any decisions. "We are very keen to resolve this issue as soon as possible and have been actively seeking to engage with the parent to bring this to an agreeable conclusion." Geoff Cox, from the Health and Safety Executive, said there was nothing in HSE regulations that would stop a child "from using a walking stick in school". He said it was up to those involved to work out "sensible" arrangements. "I hope common sense prevails here," he said.

Summary: A blind schoolgirl has been asked to stop using her white cane in school due to health and safety concerns.


Its brutal tactics, including mass killings and abductions, as well as the beheadings of soldiers and journalists, have caused fear and outrage and led to US military intervention. IS is also known as Isis and some companies have changed their names to stop themselves being associated with the group in any way. The latest people to announce a rebrand are the team behind Archer but there are many more organisations who are associated with the name Isis. The spy comedy has been focused on the work of the International Secret Intelligence Service. At Comic Con over the weekend, the creators confirmed that the fictional organisation would be phased out in the upcoming sixth series and instead the team would be working for the CIA. They also revealed vast quantities of merchandise with the Archer Isis logo would have to be scrapped. The high street adult shop launched a range of lingerie recently which was branded with the word Isis. The range of black and white underwear is still available on their website, although some of it is in the sale. The Crawley family dog, who features in the opening credits of the ITV show, is called Isis, in reference to the Egyptian God. There have been no suggestions that the production team will be changing the pet's name. With sites in London, Brighton, Oxford, Toronto and Canada, Isis Schools have been teaching English for more than 20 years. There is no indication on their website or on social media that they are planning to alter their name and a request by Newsbeat for a comment was not returned. Now known as Thairish Cafe, owners Bernadette Lyons and Sa-Nguan Lyons changed the name of their Levenshulme restaurant after the death of Alan Hennings. Bernadette says they received warnings from the police that the name might attract trouble to the cafe. The new name reflects the owners' Thai and Irish backgrounds. Another company which has decided to change its name is Isis Equity Partners, a firm which supplied investment to UK businesses. They've yet to reveal the new name they are going with and are still listed online under the name Isis. This isn't the first time in history that international politics and conflict have conspired to create brand identity problems for a company. Back in the 1930s SS Cars became a successful sports vehicle brand. With the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party in Germany, the name SS became increasingly associated with the SchutzStaffel, the primary organisation responsible for the Holocaust. In 1945 SS Cars was launched under the title Jaguar. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: The rise of Islamic State (IS), the jihadist militant group that has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq, has sent shockwaves around the world.


The pair, who were wearing stage make-up, fake blood and white contact lenses, were returning from filming online sitcom Dead Town on Sunday. Steve Lowe and Diane Holden of Ashton-under-Lyne were on the M62 near Warrington when they were pulled over. Police shared a picture and tweeted "posing as Zombies - takes all sorts". The pair were filming the third and final episode of Dead Town which is based in Runcorn, Cheshire when the North West Motorway Police officer pulled them over in an unmarked car. Mr Lowe said the officer burst out laughing when he saw their attire. "I think he was very surprised; he wasn't frightened but pleasantly amused. "He asked if he could take a photograph because no-one would believe him back at the station." Mr Lowe, 60, said he has been dressing up as a zombie for a couple of years. "It is brilliant; really good fun. There is a big zombie community - it's a nice big zombie family." A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police added: "No further action was taken."

Summary: A couple dressed as zombies were stopped by concerned motorway police responding to reports of a woman being assaulted in a car.


Sebastian Zuchlinski was found with stab wounds in Davenport Street, Bolton, on 6 February and died at the scene. A post-mortem examination confirmed he had suffered multiple knife wounds. A 37-year-old man, from Bolton, has been charged with murder and is due before Bolton Magistrates' Court later. Six other people arrested in connection with the attack have been released on bail.

Summary: A man has been charged with murder after a 39-year-old was stabbed in a street attack, police have said.


Black, who was convicted of murdering four young girls across the UK, died in Maghaberry prison last month. The detectives were in Northern Ireland last week to question Barry McCarney who is serving life for the murder of 15 month old Millie Martin in 2009. They questioned McCarney twice over three days, for four hours each time. After Black's death in January, McCarney told prison authorities that the paedophile had confessed several murders to him. Although Black was convicted of four child killings, he never admitted any of them. Timeline of Robert Black's killings The only crime which Black admitted to was the abduction of a girl in his native Scotland when he was caught red-handed. The BBC understands Black and McCarney became close while they were both housed in Maghaberry prison's hospital wing. Black is suspected of at least 12 other unsolved child murders, including that of Genette Tate in Devon in 1978. She disappeared while riding her bicycle on her newspaper round. Her body has never been found. Detectives from Devon and Cornwall Police were close to charging Black with her murder when he died. The force, however, has not confirmed if the detectives who visited McCarney came from there. Meanwhile, in a separate development, a former RUC detective who said he found the crucial piece of evidence which helped convict Black of Jennifer Cardy's murder has been speaking to the BBC. He said he found a petrol receipt which proved Black was less than a mile from Jennifer's house on the day she disappeared. That was 16 years before Black stood trial for Jennifer's murder and a delay which the former officer said was unacceptable. "We went to the headquarters at Shell at Worthenshaw and it was there we sat in the room with monitors and we were looking for Robert Black's signature coming up where he had got petrol. "Whenever we found the receipt that he was only less than a mile from McKee's Dam on the Hillsborough Road where he got petrol. "We were able to tie him down that he was in Northern Ireland at the time Jennifer Cardy went missing."

Summary: Claims that serial child killer Robert Black confessed several more killings to a prisoner in Northern Ireland are being examined by English police.


Recep Tayyip Erdogan said voters had chosen stability following unrest. With almost all ballots counted, state-run Anadolu news agency said the AKP had won 49.4% of the vote, with the main opposition CHP on 25.4%. European observers have criticised the government for stifling media freedom. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said violence, especially in the country's south-east, had also had a significant impact on the election. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) went further and denounced the entire process as "unfair". President Erdogan hailed the result early on Monday, saying: "The national will manifested itself on 1 November in favour of stability." But he also attacked media criticism of him and called for global recognition of the election result. "Now a party with some 50% [of the vote] in Turkey has attained power... This should be respected by the whole world, but I have not seen such maturity." Gavin Hewitt: President's triumph leaves Turkey polarised Erdogan: Turkey's bruised battler Lira strengthens after result Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will now begin the process of forming a new government. Mr Erdogan called the second general election this year after his AKP lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 13 years in June and attempts to form a coalition failed. The pro-Kurdish HDP crossed the 10% threshold needed to claim seats in parliament, but it got 21 fewer MPs than in June's election. The nationalist MHP's share of the vote also declined, to 11.9%, and commentators suggested it had lost voters to the AKP. Reported results also showed: Clashes were reported in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, in the south-east of Turkey, as the results were being counted. Reuters said police had fired tear gas at protesters throwing stones. Since elections in June, a ceasefire between the Turkish army and militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has collapsed. Critics have accused Mr Erdogan of renewing violence to curb support for the HDP - something the government denies. In a statement on Monday, Ignacio Sanchez Amor, head of the OSCE observer mission, said: "Physical attacks on party members, as well as the significant security concerns, particularly in the south-east... imposed restrictions on the ability to campaign." He added that pressure on journalists - including a police raid on the Koza-Ipek media group in Istanbul last week - was a major concern. Meanwhile Andreas Gross, head of the PACE delegation, said: "Unfortunately, the campaign for these elections was characterised by unfairness and, to a serious degree, fear." HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas said on Sunday that it had not been "a fair or equal election". The party suspended campaigning after a bombing in Ankara last month killed more than 100 people. The government said the attackers were linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. Violence has escalated in Turkey since a suicide bombing in July by suspected IS militants. The attack near the border with Syria killed more than 30 Kurds. Turkish newspaper front pages reflect the contrasting euphoria and gloom from government supporters and opponents

Summary: Turkey's president says the world must respect the results of the election, which saw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) regain its parliamentary majority.


Some might see the claim by care home operators that there could be a "catastrophic collapse" because of the higher costs associated with the National Living Wage in such a light. The residential care providers might be accused in some quarters of crying wolf after their warnings that homes might close if ministers don't agree to fund increases in the bills paid by local authorities. They have written to the Chancellor George Osborne just weeks after a similarly worded missive from the UK Homecare Association, which represents providers of social care to people in their homes. And yet... There is a sense that the latest warning letter is reflecting deeper problems in the world of social care. Care home operators have complained for some time that their finances have been severely squeezed because of cuts in real terms in the fees paid by local authorities on behalf of elderly residents. Staff wages account for about 60% of their total costs, so any pay hike will have a significant impact on each business. Increases in costs, such as higher wages, can be passed on in the shape of higher fees to residents who pay for some or all of their care. But that's not possible for places wholly funded by local authorities - which account for nearly 40% of the total at the five care home companies which wrote the letter. The BBC has launched an online guide to the care system for the over-65s. The "care calculator" covers both residential care and the support provided in people's own homes, for tasks such as washing and dressing. Users can submit their postcode and find out how much each service costs where they live in the UK. There is also a dedicated BBC Cost of Care website with news stories, analysis and video. That has led to the operators' demand that central government should provide ring-fenced funding for councils to raise their fees. The backdrop to this argument is the ageing population and the changing role of residential care homes. A few decades ago they fulfilled the role of "retirement homes" with mostly healthy residents. Now with the prevalence of dementia and people living longer, often with multiple conditions, care homes have a more challenging role in society. How they are resourced is an important policy issue. The division between health, funded by central government, and social services run by local councils is widely regarded as out-dated and inappropriate for the 21st century. While NHS funding was a dominant issue in the election campaign, little was heard from national politicians about the state of social care. Labour criticised the coalition for cuts in social care funding in England over the last parliament but the argument did not seem to resonate in the same way as the repeated spats over "billions more for the NHS" pledges. Since polling day, a commitment to introduce reforms proposed by the commission headed by the economist Andrew Dilnot has been shelved until 2020. These included a lifetime cap on care costs, limiting an individual's liability and reducing the need

Summary: It is easy to be cynical about companies who do business with the public sector warning of dire consequences if their income is not increased.