Companies bidding for government contracts worth more than Â£10m must show they have a "reasonable proportion" of apprentices. "The greatest asset any employer has is their workforce," the Prime Minister said. "And by investing in them, they are investing in the success and future of their business." The government also reaffirmed plans for an apprenticeship levy, with large companies investing in a fund that is used to train workers. The size of the levy has not yet been set, according to a spokesperson from 10 Downing Street. "Skilled people are the lifeblood of a strong economy, but for too long UK businesses have invested too little in developing their employees' skills to meet the demands of a competitive, global market," said Skills Minister Nick Boles. A government consultation is seeking views on paying the levy, which is expected to be in place by April, 2017. The plan for a levy raised questions from EEF, the manufacturers' organisation. "With little detail of the level of the levy, who will be required to pay it and how much government will give back in return, manufacturers have a right to remain sceptical that the levy will create the three million additional quality apprenticeships that we all wish to see," Terry Scuoler, chief executive at EEF, said. He added that a number of large manufacturers "will be surprised by the suggestion from government that it is they who are currently failing to invest in apprenticeships". The government said levy systems already operated in more than 50 countries. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) welcomed the announcement of the apprentice plan. "Apprenticeship schemes can play a part in meeting important ambitions to boost skills and drive-up productivity," said John Longworth, the business group's director general. But he added that plans to encourage apprenticeships should focus on small businesses, not just larger corporations. "Government policy is currently too focused on major employers, but equal effort ought to be put on encouraging and supporting smaller businesses to offer apprenticeships," Mr Longworth said. The plan is part of the government's commitment to create three million apprenticeships by 2020.

Summary: David Cameron has shared plans to increase the number of apprenticeship programmes that big businesses offer.


The Google-owned video service had been at odds with Gema - a German rights body representing musicians, composers and publishers - since 2009. The disagreement had affected clips in which the artists appeared as well as those that used their songs in the background. Payments will now be made, but neither side has disclosed the terms. Google's Content ID system means that clips flagged as containing Gema-protected tracks can now have adverts automatically added to them to recompense the songs' creators. And red banners that had prevented thousands of YouTube's clips from playing in Germany have now been removed as a consequence. "This is a win for music artists around the world, enabling them to reach new and existing fans in Germany... and for YouTube users in Germany, who will no longer see a blocking message on music content," blogged YouTube's head of international music partnerships, Christophe Muller. Gema said there remained disagreement about whether YouTube or the person uploading a clip was ultimately responsible for licensing the music it contained but the new agreement still marked a "milestone" "We remained true to our position that authors should also get a fair remuneration in the digital age, despite the resistance we met," said its chief executive, Harald Heker. One industry watcher said it was a "significant" that the matter had been resolved. "Gema had been a long-term holdout on and critic of YouTube, hitting out at the video site even when many record companies were supportive of it," said Chris Cooke, director of Unlimited Media. "It has meant YouTube is not the music hub in Germany that it is elsewhere, which has hindered newer artists looking to use it as a marketing channel. "Though it has to be said in the last couple of years most labels have also become critical of YouTube, the way it operates and the royalties it pays compared to, say, Spotify or Apple Music, even though they continue to work with the service. "It will be interesting to know quite what deal Gema has secured and how its songwriter members feel about it."

Summary: YouTube has resolved a long-running dispute that prevented many of its clips being accessible in Germany.


The Shadow Man, and a Christmas poem called Noel, were found at Our Lady's School, Abingdon. It is thought Tolkien got to know the school while he was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. The poems were printed a year before Tolkien's first literary sensation The Hobbit was published. The Shadow Man is an earlier version of a poem eventually published in 1962 in Tolkien's Adventures of Tom Bombadil collection. The existence of the poems came to light after American Tolkien scholar Wayne G. Hammond got in touch with the school. He knew from notes made by Tolkien that two of his poems appeared in a magazine he called The Abingdon Chronicle. This was actually the 1936 annual of Our Lady's School, which was then run by the Sisters of Mercy. School principal Stephen Oliver said: "At first we couldn't find the 1936 edition and referred Mr Hammond to the archives of the Sisters of Mercy in London. "Then, while preparing for an event for former pupils of the school, we uncovered our own copy and I saw the two poems Mr Hammond had been looking for. " The school hopes to put the annual on display at a future exhibition.

Summary: Two poems by author JRR Tolkien have been discovered in a 1936 copy of a school annual.


After a two-hour storm delay in Ipoh before Saturday's 2-2 draw with India, Sunday's kick-off was put back an hour because of further bad weather. GB wasted no time when the match began, goals from Barry Middleton, David Goodfield and Sam Ward putting them 3-1 ahead. With 11 minutes left, Japan were only 4-3 down - Tom Carson scoring GB's fourth - but Alan Forsyth settled it. Japan were considered the outsiders as the lowest-ranked team - at 16th - in the event but claimed a 1-1 draw with hosts Malaysia on Saturday. GB now have four points from two matches, level with India, who recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over New Zealand earlier on Sunday. The six-team tournament comprises round-robin, four-quarter matches and, for the first time, video referrals are available. Defending champions Australia, who drew with New Zealand in their opening match, thrashed Malaysia 6-1 and top the table ahead of Britain and India on goal difference. Britain's next match is against Malaysia on Tuesday. The British side will revert to individual nations in June for the World Cup qualifying tournament in London, with England and Scotland in action. Find out how to get into hockey with our special guide.

Summary: Great Britain beat Japan 5-3 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.


The two victims, both 15, are being treated in hospital. One remains in a critical condition. The attack happened at Kingsdale Foundation School at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday. The teenager accused of attacking the pair has also been charged with grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. He will appear at Camberwell Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

Summary: A 15-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after two pupils were stabbed at a school in Dulwich.


Media playback is not supported on this device Neilson, expected to join MK Dons, saw his side lead when Robbie Muirhead converted Bjorn Johnsen's cross. Joe Dodoo volleyed into the Hearts net early in the second half but team-mate Harry Forrester was flagged offside. Jamie Walker centred for an unmarked Muirhead to fire his second as Rangers' defensive frailties were once again laid bare. A late Joe Garner header was nodded off the line by Faycal Rherras to preserve Hearts' clean sheet. Victory meant that Hearts went ahead of Rangers on goal difference, with both sides eight points behind leaders Celtic, who have three games in hand. The Tynecastle men visit Ross County on Saturday when Rangers host Aberdeen, who trail Mark Warburton's side by two points, but have played two games fewer. Media playback is not supported on this device The home side thrived by swarming all over Rangers' fragile defence. Their dominance was built on hustling and harrying the visitors, but rewarded by individuals being shrewd at critical moments. Muirhead provided the finishing touches, but the towering displays came from Johnsen and Arnaud Djoum, whose accomplishment skewered Rangers. Johnsen was unplayable at times, capable of bringing the ball down from head height and deftly flicking it into the penalty area and almost scoring. The tall, gangly figure nearly broke the deadlock with a header that brought a flying save from Wes Foderingham, then was instrumental in Muirhead's opener, with a flick and then the cross that the attacker converted at the back post. Djoum was peerless in midfield, keeping the ball in tight situations and never panicking in the bustle of the hole in front of the Rangers defence. The second goal was a deftly executed counter attack, with Muirhead again finishing at the back post following Walker's delivery from the right. Hearts barely let up and claimed fiercely, but in vain, for a penalty after Rherras went down just inside the box after getting the wrong side of substitute Michael O'Halloran. For Neilson, on his likely swansong as Hearts boss, his side delivered a fitting farewell and the fans sang his name in tribute at the end. James Tavernier was posted missing for both goals, but he was not alone in failing to deliver for the visitors. Only Foderingham - who kept the scoreline at two with a series of saves, including one that pushed a Johnsen second-half shot round the post - rose to the occasion. Matt Crooks made his first start, but for a tall, physically imposing figure, he was unable to make his presence felt in midfield. Rangers, who have kept just one clean sheet away from home on league duty this term, were never allowed to settle in the game, with Hearts pressing whenever Foderingham and the centre-backs had the ball, and the result was a disjointed performance. There was a moment of frustration for the visitors when Dodoo's effort was ruled out, although it appeared an accurate call since Forrester was offside and in the line of sight of Hearts goalkeeper Jack Hamilton. Even

Summary: Hearts beat Rangers to go second in the Scottish Premiership in what could be Robbie Neilson's last match in charge.


Retirement is an ever receding distant dream - probably just as well, as the pension is probably more likely to cover a week in Southend rather than a grand world tour. Then there's the always present danger that if your manager isn't replaced by a machine, you may well be. But that's not the whole picture - technology can be the great leveller, a transformational entity that could alter society and the future workplace for the better. So which is it - shiny tech-driven utopia, or something more reminiscent of Bladerunner? To round off a month looking at the future of work, I spoke to several experts who have contributed to technology of business over the past few years and found out if they had changed their view of the future. I'm not sure my vision of the future of work has changed much per se, not in a visible way at least. My hope remains that technology will increasingly afford greater freedom in where, when and how we work. But, I think that the biggest change that is yet to come lies with how companies address the cultural and organisational challenges. These must be overcome, in order for the incredible opportunities that are offered by transformational technologies to be able to take effect. The success of the future of work will come down to one thing. People. It will be the extent to which the people are engaged with the "purpose" of their organisation that will dictate the success or failure of that organisation in the future. Engaged employees embrace change, they look for growth and learning in all they do and best of all they unleash the full potential of new technology. They do this by using it to find new ways of working rather than simply making the old ways of working happen a bit quicker. In ten years' time, I hope we will have broken free of many of the physical ties of our current working world. I hope that employees, engaged and empowered with the purpose of their organisation, will use the incredible advances offered by new forms of interaction, like holograms and displays that offer "high empathy presence" where more of our body language can be conveyed to enable us to collaborate more effectively wherever we are. It would be foolish to think that any of this would replace the pleasure or efficiency of being there face to face. But ultimately it provides a greater degree of choice and a greater range of people with whom we can connect and collaborate to deliver a better outcome for ourselves and our organisations. To an extent, we should be worried about [being replaced by machines], as being worried should mean that we take the opportunity of the rising power and automation of the machines seriously and seek to use it to ensure a better outcome for our society. But we should never be thinking in terms of humans versus machines, and rather of humans plus machines. Our future has always relied on our ability to use the potential

Summary: For the workers of today, the future can look bleak.


Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran has written to the UK government offering support for early legislation. The Scottish government has already called for action before Westminster breaks for the general election. Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has said officials are looking at the options. These are likely to include a section 30 order which is much less complicated than an act of parliament. In a letter to the Scottish secretary, Ms Curran said: "I am writing to offer our support for a Section 30 order to devolve the franchise to the Scottish Parliament immediately if it is brought forward by the government. "This will ensure that there is enough time for the Scottish Parliament to make the changes necessary to ensure 16 and 17-year-olds are able to vote in 2016." The Smith Commission on further devolution called for the UK to "devolve the relevant powers in sufficient time" for that election. Its recommendations were agreed by all five political parties in the Scottish Parliament. The independence referendum was the first national vote in which 16 and 17-year-olds were able to take part. The chief counting officer for the referendum, Mary Pitcaithly, chairs the board that oversees election management in Scotland. She said: "If changes of this significance are going to be made, the earlier that election professionals know about this the better, so that appropriate preparations can be made to minimise any risks". Mr Carmichael discussed the issue with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week. Ahead of that meeting he said he saw "no reason" why votes at 16 could not be in place for the 2016 vote. Labour also wants him to consider which other powers might be suitable for fast-track devolution. Ms Curran said: "Many of the Smith Commission proposals will require primary legislation, and Labour will introduce a Scotland Act in our first Queen's Speech. "However, it is right that we should assess which powers could be passed more quickly and where the Labour Party could offer its support." The Scottish government has specifically called for early control of air passenger duty and disability living allowance. But the Scottish secretary has described votes at 16 as an "exception" to the general principle that further devolution "will proceed as a package". Mr Carmichael was asked about when tax powers would be devolved at a Holyrood committee last week. He said: "With the budgetary consequences that come with that, there is probably a greater interest in ensuring that you get the whole thing as a package rather than taking it in dribs and drabs."

Summary: Labour wants the immediate transfer of election powers to Holyrood to allow MSPs to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote in 2016.


The 32-year-old began a third spell at Fir Park on Friday after training there since the summer. "I've been getting fitter every day and it just made sense," he said. "It is a good fit for me and for the club. "It is short term, hopefully everything works out and I will be off to Philadelphia in the new year." McFadden has been without a club since being released by Well's Scottish Premiership rivals, St Johnstone, at the end of last season. The former Everton, Birmingham City and Sunderland striker has travelled to see the set-up in Philadelphia, where former Dunfermline Athletic and St Mirren defender Tommy Wilson is director of the youth academy and former Scotland full-back Iain Munro is a coach. "I went over, I had a trial, they were very happy with how it went and at the time they couldn't sign me even if they wanted to," said McFadden of the club that finished second bottom of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference this year. "It is a case of just waiting. They've got a few things going on in terms of getting rid of some players and then hopefully we'll get round the table to agree a deal for January. "I held off signing anywhere until I knew what was happening as that's what I wanted to do." McFadden made half of his 20 St Johnstone appearances from the bench last season but is hopeful of breaking into Mark McGhee's Motherwell side. "The manager's been impressed with what he saw, so it just made sense," the striker said of his short-term contract. "I just want to help the team push up the league and help the younger players - that was another part of the conversation I had - to try to help the younger players the manager is trying to introduce to the first team. "The motivation for me is purely for the love of the game. I love playing, I love turning up for training, but anybody who knows me knows I am never happy sitting on the bench." McFadden came through the youth ranks at Fir Park to win a move to Everton and he returned in 2013 during a successful spell under Stuart McCall. "The year and a half I was there, we had two second-place finishes and realistically it was never going to be any better than that," he added. "If it turns out to be the last team I play for Scotland, and I don't know if it will be, it will be ideal for me to finish where I started and then go and do something new.".

Summary: Former Scotland forward James McFadden hopes to make a short-term impact with Motherwell before completing a move to Philadelphia Union in January.


The annual June event - known as the Hoppings, after an old English word for dance - features more than 300 rides, sideshows, and other amusements. The Discovery Museum exhibition explores the fair's history and the lives of the travelling showmen. Visitors will also be able to play on vintage slot machines. The gathering began as a Temperance Fair in 1882, in what was seen as an antidote to the Newcastle Races which had, up to then, been held on the Town Moor. Through the years, generations of travelling families from all round the country have taken part in what is believed to be the largest such event in Europe, and it continues to attract tens of thousands of visitors. The Discovery Museum exhibition - which runs until 1 October - features more than 50 vintage working amusement machines, from What the Butler Saw (early moving pictures) to pinball and fruit machines, which visitors can play using old pennies purchased from the museum. Carolyn Ball, Museum Manager said: "The Hoppings is firmly placed in Tyneside's events calendar and has been loved by people in the area for generations. "The exhibition will celebrate the history of the famous fair and visitors can step back in time and have a go on lots of rare vintage amusement machines."

Summary: An exhibition celebrating the 135th anniversary of what is billed as the largest travelling funfair in Europe has opened in Newcastle.


Mr Mackay confirmed that the Scottish government was considering a second independence referendum to keep Scotland in the EU. He also told BBC Scotland a 9.5% budget deficit would not be an obstacle. But the Scottish Conservatives said the SNP was "in denial" about the economic challenges facing Scotland. And Scottish Labour said it was becoming "increasingly clear" that the promises made by the SNP ahead of the 2014 independence referendum were "completely misleading". The EU stability and growth pact urges member states to keep deficits below 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). Government figures for 2015/16 showed Scotland had a £14.8bn deficit when a geographic share of North Sea revenue was included, up from £14.3bn in 2014/15 . This compares with an overall UK deficit of £75.3bn or 4% of GDP. The UK's government's Scottish secretary, David Mundell, said the figures showed that being part of the UK protected Scottish living standards. But Mr Mackay rejected the argument, saying "independence is one of the options that we are considering to secure Scotland's place" in the EU. He insisted that Scotland's deficit was not a barrier to EU membership, arguing that the UK was running a deficit of more than 10% after the financial crisis. The finance secretary told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Take the financial year 2009/10. Coming out of the financial crisis, the UK deficit in terms of relative to GDP was over 10%. "No-one suggested the UK was bankrupt then and would have to exit the EU." The Scottish Conservatives said the minister's comments showed the SNP was "in denial" about the economic problems that would face an independent Scotland. Finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: "We were told the SNP was going to start being honest about the damage independence would cause to Scotland. "Instead Derek Mackay showed this morning that the plan is still to shut their eyes as tight as possible in the hope everyone else does too. "If ever an independent Scotland did seek EU membership, it would need to convince other EU nations that it had a plan to bear down on the huge deficit we're running. The last thing the EU would want is to take on the risk of another bail out. "So Nicola Sturgeon needs to be straight with people - if she wants to make the case for independence within the EU, what would be the price of that be in higher taxes and reduced spending?" Mr Mackay insisted that Scotland's large deficit showed that "UK economic policy isn't working for Scotland". and that an independent Scotland "would be able to make different choices and pull different economic levers to accelerate growth". He also said the Scottish government had "put in place a £100m economic stimulus to support the economy, and that was new investment". But Scottish Labour economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "The £100m Nicola Sturgeon announced was from a previous SNP government underspend, it's not new money - someone should have told the finance secretary. "It's embarrassing that the man in charge of the accounts doesn't know

Summary: Scotland's large economic deficit would not disqualify the country from European Union membership, according to Finance Secretary Derek Mackay.


The United boss has signed Harry Lewis on loan from Southampton and Deniz Mehmet from Port Vale and negotiations have taken place with Kilmarnock, with Bell keen to return to Rugby Park. "There is no situation," McKinnon told BBC Scotland ahead of a 2-0 League Cup win over Raith Rovers at Tannadice. "Cammy has an injury and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of cover." Paul McMullen and James Keatings scored their first United goals in the Group C tie. McMullan broke the deadlock when he curled a shot high into the corner to beat Raith goalkeeper Aaron Lennox. Keatings' scored from the penalty spot in the second half to make the points safe for the home side. However, it is Cowdenbeath who occupy top spot in the group, on goals scored, after they won 4-2 against Highland League champions Buckie Thistle. United's best effort in the first half came in the opening minute when McMullan hit a low shot with the right foot after cutting in from the left to test Lennox, who fumbled but held the ball at the second attempt. Raith should have gone ahead when Mehmet mishit a clearance straight at Greig Spence who squared to Liam Buchanan, but his 20-yard effort towards an open goal was headed off the line by Mark Durnan. Keatings' shot after the restart brought a save from Lennox and the tempo of the game went up a notch, then a touch of class from McMullan from the left of the box saw him pick out the top corner for United's opener. Keatings made it 2-0 from the spot when Ian Davidson bundled on-loan midfielder Sam Stanton off the ball to concede a penalty. Billy King fired a low shot which Raith keeper Lennox saved at full stretch, then Buchanan missed a chance to pull one back for Raith from 14 yards. At Central Park, Craig Dorrat gave Buckie Thistle the lead but David Syme scored the first of two goals to equalise. Cameron Muirhead rounded the goalkeeper to put the home side ahead, and though Drew Copeland levelled Syme's second restored the lead. Ryan Connelly's fantastic solo goal rounded off the win for Billy Brown's side. Match ends, Dundee United 2, Raith Rovers 0. Second Half ends, Dundee United 2, Raith Rovers 0. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Mark Durnan. Scott Robertson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Samuel Stanton (Dundee United). Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Mark Durnan. Substitution, Dundee United. Archie Thomas replaces James Keatings. Attempt missed. Liam Buchanan (Raith Rovers) header from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Paul McMullan. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Deniz Dogan Mehmet. Attempt saved. Liam Buchanan (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Foul by Patrick Nkoyi (Dundee United). Kyle Benedictus (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Aaron Lennox. Attempt saved. Billy King

Summary: Ray McKinnon played down suggestions that goalkeeper Cammy Bell is on his way from Dundee United to Kilmarnock.


In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) said that airstrikes on Thursday and Friday killed at least 18 civilians. It said the Taliban was also to blame, killing at least seven civilians in a suicide bombing on Saturday. The US military says that it is investigating the air strike incidents. The pilots have been defended by the Afghan government who pointed out that such events are inevitable when the Taliban use civilians as human shields. The UN statement said the air strikes were carried out by "international military forces". But US officials say only American planes have recently been in action over the skies of Afghanistan. "The people of Helmand have suffered greatly due to the armed conflict in Afghanistan, with 891 civilians killed or injured during 2016," the statement said. "This figure was the highest in the country in 2016 outside of Kabul." The statement urged all parties to the conflict "strictly to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law" to protect civilians from suffering. World powers jostle in Afghanistan's new 'Great Game' Did the UK leave Afghanistan's Helmand too soon? Afghanistan Taliban: Mistrust and fear in battle for Helmand US military officials say aircraft have carried out about 30 attacks in Helmand over the last week. "We are investigating the allegations and [are] working diligently to determine whether civilians were killed or injured as a result of US air strikes," Brigadier General Charles Cleveland told the Reuters news agency. But the families of those killed last week are outraged. "How could women and children be Taliban?" one man - who said 11 people were killed in his brother's house in Sangin by an air strike on Thursday - asked a correspondent for Reuters news agency. British forces were stationed in Helmand province since 2006, but left in 2014 when Nato ended its combat mission in Afghanistan. Since then the insurgency has continued unabated, and the drugs trade fuelling it is still booming.

Summary: The United Nations has said that it is increasingly worried about the high number of civilian deaths in the Afghan province of Helmand.


Lewis Elliot, 19, predicted both teams would score in both halves of the Crawley v Carlisle, Hibernian v Aberdeen and Chelsea v Tottenham games. The bet came in at odds of 6,858/1 when Eden Hazard scored for Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final. "I am absolutely delighted," said Mr Elliot. "I went crazy when Hazard scored." The first two legs of his bet came in as Aberdeen reached the Scottish Cup final with a 3-2 win over Hibs. Later, Crawley and Carlisle shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw in League Two. Mr Elliot's win was confirmed at Wembley on Saturday evening, with Chelsea's Willian and Spurs' Harry Kane scoring in the first half of the two London sides' cup clash. Dele Alli scored for Tottenham just after the break to leave Lewis requiring just one more Chelsea goal to land his bumper bet. That goal came courtesy of Eden Hazard, who scored in the 75th minute to give the Blues the lead and send them on their way to the FA Cup final.

Summary: An apprentice joiner from Hawick has won more than £20,000 from a £3 football bet.


About 600 people had to be evacuated from their homes in the Borders town of Hawick. There are multiple diversions on roads throughout Scotland and high wind warnings on most of the bridges. Dozens of flood warnings remain in place and police have urged drivers to travel with caution. A severe flood warning in Hawick has now been lifted but flood alerts are active along sections of rivers in the Borders, Tayside and Moray and Speyside. At the scene BBC Scotland's Catriona Renton The sky above Hawick is now blue and there has not been a drop of rain for hours. So very different from last night when the River Teviot flowed fast and angrily through the town. Throughout yesterday 600 people were evacuated from their homes along the river bank. Some sought refuge in the local sport centre, many spent the night in bed and breakfasts or with friends and family. In nearby Newcastleton people were also moved out of their homes temporarily as Storm Desmond made its mark. The local volunteer flood group in Hawick were busy helping throughout. Now the town counts the cost and assesses the damage. Last night the famous Pringle shop in Hawick had water up to its letterbox. Today to look at Hawick you would hardly know there had been a flood here but while the water drains away its effects remain. The River Tay in Perth was expected to reach its highest level for more than a decade and other rivers are at risk of bursting their banks. Homes close to the River Esk in Langholm were also evacuated on Saturday night as water breached the bank, while flooding has also been reported in some areas of Annandale and Eskdale including Wamphray, Cummertrees and Hoddom. The bad weather has also hit rail travel, with services between Glasgow/Edinburgh and Inverness cancelled after flooding on the Perth to Inverness line. And Virgin, ScotRail and First Transpennine have all suspended train services between Glasgow and Carlisle. Find updates about travel problems on the Traffic Scotland website and keep up to date with our Severe Weather Twitter list. However, Nigel Goody, from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said the weather situation was improving. He said: "The heavy rain which we've had overnight, over the last 48 hours really, is now dissipating. And the river levels are responding accordingly. "However, I would say that the danger is not over yet. River levels continue to be high, and in some areas unprecedentedly so. "So the public should be vigilant and should certainly not approach rivers in these conditions." Met Office weather warnings which had been in place throughout Saturday have now all been lifted. Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. View the flood map by tapping on the image below Tap here for the interactive flood map. Note: the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency display their flood alert data differently. While the Environment Agency highlights individual rivers only, in Scotland the entire region is coloured to indicate the level of

Summary: Flooding is affecting many parts of Scotland after the country was battered by strong winds and heavy rain brought in by Storm Desmond.


David Cameron said the UK government had delivered on the so-called ''Vow'' and was now moving ahead with the Scotland Bill at Westminster. Speaking to BBC Scotland ahead of the Conservative conference, he said the SNP had to stop arguing about process. He said: "The SNP cannot point to a part of the Vow that hasn't been kept." Mr Cameron said the tangible benefits of last year's referendum and the vote against independence were that the UK was ''stronger together'' and that Scotland was benefitting from a growing economy. He said 175,000 jobs had been created in Scotland over the past five years. "There was clear result in the referendum but as we said during that campaign, people in Scotland would get the best of both worlds - part of the United Kingdom but with a powerhouse parliament in Edinburgh", he said. "That is what we are delivering, and the Scotland Bill as promised has been making its way very, very swiftly through parliament to fulfil all those pledges in full." Ahead of his party's conference, which begins in Manchester this weekend, Mr Cameron said it was "crucial" that the Scottish Parliament took up the powers it will get in April and when the Scotland Bill gets through. He said: "I think what we now need to hear from the Scottish National Party is how they intend to use the powers. "I get frustrated sometimes that the debate is always about the process. We have delivered on every aspect of the process, the SNP cannot point to a part of the Vow that hasn't been kept. "We promised there would be power to have welfare powers - it is there. "We promised there would be power to have tax powers - they are there. "The Vow has been delivered. Now we need to hear from Scotland's politicians - well, how do you use these powers? What sort of different taxes, different welfare arrangements do people want to put in place? "It is the outcome that matters rather than the process." The prime minister also defended plans to curtail the voting rights of Scottish MPs at Westminster, so-called English votes for English laws, saying it was a matter of fairness. He said: "What we are planning to do is just have a fair system where, when it is English issues, that the English MPs have the decisive say. "I think it is only fair in a devolved system where you have a powerhouse parliament in Scotland where quite rightly on Scottish housing, on Scottish health, Scottish education, English and Welsh MPs have no say whatsoever." Mr Cameron re-affirmed that the UK government would go ahead with a ''like-for-like'' replacement for Trident with four new nuclear submarines. The submarine fleet and missles are based at Faslane on the Clyde. He said it was the ''only way for a credible deterrent''. Mr Cameron said what Labour and the SNP did was up to them, but he described new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's stance as ''complete and utter chaos''. He said: "Britain's national secuirty would be

Summary: The prime minister has said that Holyrood can become a ''powerhouse parliament'' but the SNP must spell out how it plans to use its new powers.


The local authority was expecting to have to tackle a funding gap of more than £21m, but that figure has been revised up to £40m. The council said the figure was reviewed following last week's UK government Autumn Statement. Senior councillors said they wanted to protect education from cuts and avoid compulsory redundancies. Council leader Margaret Davidson said the Autumn Statement had included a 4-5% cut to Scotland's budget and this would filter down to local authorities in terms of less funding from the Scottish government. She told BBC Alba that trying to find savings of £21m, which was on top of £10m of cuts already agreed for 2016-17, had been "bad enough". She added: "Now we are being told the gap could be up to £40m, almost double what we had been expecting." Ms Davidson said Highland Council would be calling for an end to the council tax freeze, as it has done in the past, to allow it to generate more revenue. Budget leader Bill Fernie described the savings local authorities were having to make as the hardest since World War Two. Last week, Highland Council said it was looking at closing all its offices and schools from lunchtime on Fridays to help it save money. Views have been sought from the public on the plan and other ideas to help the council tackle a hole in its budget. Reducing the working and school week to 4.5 days would result in significant savings, the council has said.

Summary: Highland Council has said it must save more money in 2016-17 than it had previously thought.


Last summer, he pulled out of the Stormont Executive when Peter Robinson was away, initially wrong footing the DUP as it tried to respond to allegations that Provisional IRA members were involved in the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan. When Peter Robinson returned, he had to engage in some unpopular tactics, such as the DUP's rolling ministerial resignations, to buy time for Stormont. However, his successor Arlene Foster reaped the dividend in the assembly election, by maintaining her party's dominance. The DUP has more than a two to one advantage over the Ulster Unionists. Mr Nesbitt has undoubtedly lost some of the momentum built up by last year's Westminster election. But, he hasn't abandoned his sense of timing. Thursday's inaugural meeting of the assembly looked like it would be all about protocol and procedure. Mrs Foster was itching to get back to the DUP's stand at the Balmoral Agricultural Show. The TUV leader Jim Allister spiced up proceedings by launching an attack on the new principal deputy speaker, Sinn F??in's Caitr??ona Ruane. Then, at 15:10 BST, the story changed. Mike Nesbitt's announcement that, so far as he is concerned, the programme for government negotiations are over surprised MLAs beyond his own party ranks. His rallying call of "let battle commence" ensures the political game at Stormont will change. Business in the assembly could start looking a little more like Westminster, although for historic reasons it's hard to imagine the DUP and Sinn F??in sitting on the same side of the chamber facing their opponents. The SDLP insist the Ulster Unionist decision does not put them under extra pressure. They will continue to negotiate about the executive's future policy. But, with Mike Nesbitt enjoying the extra speaking rights and other privileges accorded to an official opposition, SDLP politicians will inevitably need to consider whether they will pale by comparison. Not only do they need to consider the impact of having the UUP outside the executive, but also the more pugnacious role smaller parties like People Before Profit and the Greens might play in the future. Sinn F??in reckons Mike Nesbitt has repudiated the principles of the Good Friday Agreement that David Trimble signed up to 1998. The DUP is dismissive, insisting Mr Nesbitt is "running into opposition having lost the election". DUP sources claim the Ulster Unionists were so semi-detached when they were in the power-sharing coalition that this latest move will change little. That said, Arlene Foster herself told me on Monday that "perhaps it would be more honest" if those who previously opposed the executive from the inside did so instead from the outside. Mike Nesbitt has taken her at her word and we now have five years to work out if his gambit pays off.

Summary: As a former TV presenter, Mike Nesbitt has a penchant for grabbing a headline.


The report for 2015 is due out in the next few weeks, so the most recent report we have is the 2014 one. In the year covered by that report, 1,013 tests were conducted for IPC sports (which include athletics, swimming, powerlifting and skiing) in which prohibited substances were found nine times. During the year, sanctions were taken against 11 athletes. If you break that down into the sports involved it is clear that most of the IPC's anti-doping problems come from the sport of powerlifting, which was the source of seven of the positive tests and eight of the sanctions. The IPC announced in 2014 that it had suspended 13 powerlifters in the previous 14 months. The sport has been targeted with a "Raise the Bar - Say No! to Doping" campaign. Since then, the IPC has also adopted a new anti-doping code, which came into effect on 1 January 2015. Paralympic athletes have the same list of banned substances as Olympic athletes and, like them, anyone who requires additional medication for pain or treatment must apply for an exemption. "It's a common misconception that a lot of Paralympians will be on prescription drugs. That's not the case at all," Nicole Sapstead, UK Anti-Doping chief executive, told the BBC ahead of London 2012. "Obviously there are athletes with spinal injuries and they need pain relief. But mostly it is the same as the Olympics - things like asthma and diabetes." Only one athlete was given a doping sanction at the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, but since then the McLaren Report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found that Russia's sports ministry manipulated urine samples provided by its athletes between 2011 and 2015. The report identified 27 samples relating to eight Para-sports, five of which are summer sports, including some governed by the IPC. The IPC also found evidence that samples were swapped during the Sochi Winter Paralympics, adding that it planned to reanalyse every Russian sample given at the event. So now the Russian team has been banned from this year's Paralympic Games in Rio, and the IPC is wondering if it has more of a doping problem than it previously thought.

Summary: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) gives details of anti-doping activities in its annual reports.


Thuli Mandonsela, who has vigorously pursued Mr Zuma in her seven years as anti-corruption tsar, told Reuters that legal action was behind the delay. Mr Zuma applied for a court order to ban the publication on Thursday. The report addresses allegations that a wealthy Indian-born business family has had undue influence on his government. The Guptas have been accused of dismissing and appointing ministers, a form of corruption referred to in South Africa as "state capture". The family strongly denies all the allegations, as has the president. Ms Madonsela had been planning to release the findings on Friday, her last day in her role as public protector. But with legal action preventing her from releasing the report before, Ms Madonsela says she has now given "for safe-keeping" to Baleka Mbete, the speaker of parliament. "I'm not the whistle blower. I'm the one who investigates what the whistle blowers tell me," she told a press conference in Pretoria, at which she reiterated several times that she was not able to discuss the findings of the report. Former Finance Minister David Van Rooyen has filed a separate legal application to block publication of any aspects of the report involving allegations against him. When Thuli Madonsela's daughter asked her over breakfast how it felt to be "South Africa's biggest tell-tale", the public protector just smiled. It was an understated reaction from the woman likely to go down in history as the person who rattled President Jacob Zuma more than any other figure in contemporary South Africa, exposed the growing fissures in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and went from being a shy trade unionist to an internationally feted global leader. Ms Madonsela's inquiries over her years in office as public protector have led to the sacking of some of the most senior figures in the country. She has investigated police chiefs, opposition politicians - and even the president himself over multi-million dollar security upgrades to his private Nkandla home. Read Karen's full profile The controversial appointment of Mr Van Rooyen, who lasted just three days in the post before standing down, is one of the key lines of inquiry in the investigation, the BBC understands. The report allegedly contains evidence based on mobile phone records that Mr Van Rooyen was at the home of the influential Gupta family hours before his shock appointment as finance minister, according to details of the report leaked to the BBC. Markets panicked over Mr Van Rooyen's controversial appointment, which followed the sacking of his respected predecessor Nhlanhla Nene, causing the South African currency to plunge to record lows. Critics of Ms Madonsela claims she has exceeded her powers and is on a mission to try to topple President Zuma but she maintains she's just doing her job. In a previous report, she found that Mr Zuma had "unduly benefitted" from the use of taxpayers' money to build a cattle enclosure, amphitheatre, swimming pool, visitor centre and chicken run at his home in Nkandla. Last month, he repaid about $500,000 of the $23m total cost of these upgrades. In

Summary: A corruption investigation expected to contain damning allegations against South African President Jacob Zuma will not be published on Friday, as planned.


Audel, 30, ended a two-year association with the Magpies at the end of last season having made 53 appearances in all competitions. The French centre-half has also played for Triestina and Pisa in Italy as well as Macclesfield, Crewe and Lincoln. He is the National League Bluebirds ninth signing of the summer. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Barrow have signed defender Thierry Audel on a one-year deal with an optional second year, following his release by Notts County.


Pawel Lupa, 41, of Gleneagles Drive in Kirkby-in-Ashfield killed his partner Aleksandra Mrozik, 47, at their home in July, Nottingham Crown Court heard. A jury found him guilty of the murder of Ms Mrozik and guilty of the attempted murder of Wojcek Bocek, 32. Lupa attacked his two victims after an altercation at their flat in a "callous attack", Judge Gregory Dickenson said. The judge said Lupa had shown a "total disregard" for his partner's fate, adding: "You did not lift a finger to try to help or to comfort Aleksandra (after the attack)." Updates on this story and more from the East Midlands Lupa's barrister Peter Joyce said all three of the people involved in the argument on 16 July 2016 were "heavy drinkers". "I've never seen a greater consumption of alcohol in any case," he said. The court heard that Lupa threw a meat cleaver at Mr Bocek and then used a different knife to stab Ms Mrozik in the chest and through the arm. She was treated by paramedics in the front garden of their home but died on the way to hospital. Lupa was sentenced to 12 years for attempted murder and will serve the term concurrently with his murder sentence. Det Ch Insp Hayley Williams of East Midlands Special Operations Unit said: "Both victims were subjected to frenzied attacks. "There was blood in every room of the house, on several neighbours' doors as Mr Bocek frantically tried to get help."

Summary: A man who stabbed his partner to death in a "frenzied attack" after a drunken argument has been jailed for 23 years.


Patients will be transferred from air ambulances to a lift and then a land ambulance, which will take them for treatment at Queen's Medical Centre. The £3m helipad will reduce transfer time from around 20 minutes to two to three minutes, Nottinghamshire University Hospitals NHS Trust said. A ground-level helipad would have been preferable but not possible, it said. Helicopters currently land at a helipad at Highfields Park a mile away and are then transferred by road ambulance. Under the plans approved by the city council earlier, patients will reach the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre on the QMC site within three minutes via a dedicated ambulance which will travel along the hospital's own service road. "We're the biggest major trauma centre in the UK. We see an awful lot of patients," clinical lead Adam Brooks said. "Our results are excellent but by minimising that time we can further improve the care we deliver." The Air Ambulance Association's advice is that helipads should be at ground level but Mr Brooks said the layout of the QMC did not make that possible. The County Air Ambulance Trust, which is giving £250,000 to the project, said every possible solution had been investigated. "It's not the best solution but it's the only solution at the QMC," chief executive Robert Bertram said. A fundraising campaign is underway to raise a total of £3m needed for the helipad. The six-storey car park for more than 650 vehicles will be for staff and visitors and will cost the trust £1.5m. It is set to open in the Spring.

Summary: A plan for a helipad on top of a new multi-storey car park at a Nottingham hospital has been approved.


Iain Robertson is a graduate of Heriot-Watt University's Brewing and Distilling School in Edinburgh. He has been appointed distiller of R&B Distillers' Raasay Distillery, which is being constructed at the site of a former Victorian hotel. In the past, whisky was made illegally on the island off Skye using illicit stills. The new distillery is to due to open in September.

Summary: The tiny island of Raasay is to have it first legal whisky distiller.


The man posted a picture of himself holding the baby out of a window in a high-rise building with the caption: "1,000 likes or I will drop him." It prompted other social media users to demand his arrest for child abuse. He was charged with endangering the baby's safety following his arrest on Sunday, police said. The child was dangled out of the 15th-floor window of an apartment block in the capital, Algiers, news site Al Arabiya reported. The man, who is a relative of the child, denied he put his life at risk, saying the image had been altered by social media users, Algeria's privately owned Ennahar TV reported. "The picture was taken in a balcony with protective barriers. These were removed," he was quoted as saying. The child's father urged the court to forgive the man, saying he had just been playing a game. However, the judge ruled against him, saying the picture was clear and the child's life was in danger. Articles shared on social media about the incident got thousands of mostly angry reactions, reports BBC North Africa correspondent Rana Jawad. Many Algerians insulted the man, and praised the authorities for arresting him and sentencing him, she adds. Earlier reports incorrectly described the convicted man as the child's father.

Summary: A court in Algeria has sentenced a man to two years in prison for dangling a baby out of a window in order to attract "likes" on Facebook.


Michael David McCauley, 41, of Cwmbran, denied abusing children as young as six but was convicted of a string of offences and jailed for 15 years at Cardiff Crown Court in January. The case was sent to the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, where the term was upped to 20 years. Lord Justice Treacy described it as a "serious catalogue of offending". "The result of the offending, certainly in the first girl's case, amounts to serious psychological harm," he said. "What took place was planned and involved grooming." McCauley was found guilty of six rapes and seven sexual assaults. He also admitted having child abuse images, which police found stored on his computer, visiting sites and discussing paedophilia online, the court heard. Lord Justice Treacy added: "We are satisfied that the overall sentence passed was unduly lenient."

Summary: A child rapist jailed for grooming young girls for sex has had his "unduly lenient" sentence increased.


Southport led after 71 minutes when James Gray broke the deadlock, only for Will Evans to equalise eight minutes later. The hosts had looked dangerous on the break in the first half and finally took the lead when Gray finished well past Jake Cole with a well-driven shot. Southport then looked to sit deep as the Shots pressed for an equaliser. It didn't take long to come with Evans lashing home after a brilliant counter-attack involving Jake Gallagher and Shamir Fenelon. Shots went closest to a winner as Walker and Fenelon again combined without finding the net. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Second Half ends, Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Jake Gallagher (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Southport. Declan Weeks replaces Jordan Lussey. Goal! Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Will Evans (Aldershot Town). Substitution, Southport. Ashley Grimes replaces James Gray. Goal! Southport 1, Aldershot Town 0. James Gray (Southport). Substitution, Aldershot Town. Charlie Walker replaces Scott Rendell. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Iffy Allen replaces Dion Conroy. Jordan Lussey (Southport) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins Southport 0, Aldershot Town 0. First Half ends, Southport 0, Aldershot Town 0. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Summary: Struggling Southport came close to securing a much-needed win as they drew with Aldershot following a frantic end to their National league clash at Haig Avenue.


It happened at about 03:15 BST on Saturday at a house in Austin Drive, Tandragee. The petrol bomb was thrown at the front of the house and fire fighters were called to put out the blaze. A man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s who were in the house at the time escaped injury. The kitchen in the house was smoke damaged. Police are working to establish a motive for the attack. They have appealed for witnesses.

Summary: A man and woman have escaped injury in a petrol bomb attack in County Armagh.


Richard Bullick was giving evidence to the Stormont inquiry into the sale of Nama's Northern Ireland portfolio. Mr Bullick had a series of meetings with Frank Cushnahan and Ian Coulter between September 2013 and April 2014. Mr Coulter was a leading solicitor, while Mr Cushnahan sat on Nama's Northern Ireland advisory committee. It later emerged that both men could have got substantial payments as part of the £1bn deal. Mr Cushnahan advised the Pimco fund after he left his Nama role and was in line to receive a £5m fee if its bid for the portfolio was successful, an Irish parliamentary committee was told. The bid collapsed when Nama learned of Mr Cushnahan's role in March 2014. The portfolio was eventually sold to the Cerberus fund in April 2014. In the wake of that deal, Cerberus indirectly paid a fee of £7.5m to Tughans, the firm where Mr Coulter was managing partner. A large portion of that money was then moved to an Isle of Man bank account under the control of Mr Coulter. He said that transfer was for "a complex, commercially and legally-sensitive" reason. The money was later moved back and Mr Coulter left the firm. Richard Bullick said his assumption was that any benefit for the men "would come from their clients getting freed up from Nama in the longer term". "If there was greater economic activity, that would provide the opportunity for both Frank and Ian and their various businesses to do well," he said. Mr Bullick said he was not aware of "the specific names" of any clients, and only assumed that some of them were in Nama. He added that in his experience, Mr Cushnahan and Mr Coulter had "always acted in the best interests of Northern Ireland". Mr Bullick said he did not have information to know if Mr Cushnahan had a conflict of interest in his Nama role. The inquiry also questioned Sinn Féin adviser Dara O'Hagan, who worked for Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the run up to the deal. Mr McGuinness previously told the inquiry it was "totally, absolutely misleading" for the DUP to say he was being kept informed about the bid from Pimco. He said First Minister Peter Robinson did at some point tell him Pimco had bid and subsequently withdrawn, but not the detail. Ms O'Hagan was asked about an email sent to her concerning the possible terms of a deal under which Pimco would buy the portfolio. She did not pass that email to Mr McGuinness. She explained that was because Nama matters were primarily dealt with by the Department of Finance, and she expected it to produce a formal, detailed executive paper about the matter. Ms O'Hagan said she would have brought it to Mr McGuinness at that stage.

Summary: A DUP adviser who was "intensively involved" in the Nama loans sale process has said he never had "any understanding" that two businessmen stood to be paid as part of any deal.


It took only 2.1 seconds for Anthony Long to fire the eight shots that were to dog him for the next ten years. When he set off on a surveillance operation on 30 April 2005, he said he was "very conscious" of the danger involved, but little did he know his actions would lead to a public inquiry, a criminal investigation and ultimately a murder trial. His surveillance team was following a silver VW Golf that had left Harlesden and was heading towards Edgware. Driving the car was Wesley Lovell, next to him was passenger Frank Graham and in the back was 24-year-old Azelle Rodney. The firearms officers believed were armed and on their way to carry out a robbery on a gang of Columbian drug dealers. Mr Long was in the front seat of a car that pulled up alongside the VW Golf. He was one of the most respected officers in Scotland Yard's elite CO19 unit and won seven commendations during a tumultuous 33-year career. In court, the 58-year-old described how he saw Mr Rodney turn around. "I saw him look to his left, I saw him look to his right, and then he ducked down," Mr Long said. Jurors were shown a video filmed from the police car behind, in which an unidentified man can be heard saying "Sweet as... sweet as... sweet as" as gunshots rang out. In court, the officer said he feared if he had "hung back" his colleagues would have been in danger. Three guns were found in the car - a deactivated Colt .45 calibre pistol, a Baikal pistol and a smaller gun, described as looking like a key fob. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) began investigating the shooting and in January 2006 a file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). However, prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to mount a criminal prosecution. A year later, a coroner had to indefinitely adjourn an inquest into Mr Rodney's death because neither he nor a jury were allowed to look at secret material relating to how the arrest operation came about because of rules relating to criminal intelligence. It was announced in 2010 an inquiry would be allowed to look at all the evidence - but some of it would not be made public. Chairman Sir Christopher Holland, a retired High Court judge, was tasked with determining how, when, where and in what circumstances Mr Rodney had died. During the inquiry, it was revealed Mr Long had previously shot dead two men during a police incident in 1987 as he feared they were about to shoot a security driver during a heist in Plumstead, south-east London. Inquests into the men's deaths later found they had been lawfully killed and Mr Long received a commendation from the Met Police Commissioner for his conduct. It has also emerged that in 1985, during a siege, Mr Long opened fire twice and injured a kidnapper to rescue a four-year-old girl. In the 1990s, he received a commander's commendation for his conduct in an armed stand-off

Summary: A jury at the Old Bailey has found the former police firearms officer who shot Azelle Rodney not guilty of murder.


The proportion achieving A* to C grades in both maths and maths numeracy exams was 46.1%. The first tranche of more than 20,000 pupils sat the papers last November. The new qualifications started being taught in 2015 and were brought in as part of reforms to improve numeracy standards. The chief executive of exam board WJEC Gareth Pierce said: "Students and teachers in Wales should be extremely pleased with the successes demonstrated by the results in both these new qualifications." Mr Pierce added: "There is of course plenty of time remaining within Year 11 for those candidates who wish to aim for improvement on the grade achieved on this occasion." Schools started teaching the new qualifications in September 2015 and the majority of pupils will sit them, as usual, in the summer. The GCSE numeracy qualification assesses the maths that pupils will need in their everyday lives, at work and in other subject areas in school. More than 12% of nearly 29,000 pupils who took the exam achieved the very top A and A* grades. The GCSE mathematics exam involves aspects needed for scientific, technical or further maths study. About 10% of the 22,686 pupils who took this exam got the highest A and A* grades. Education Secretary Kirsty Williams also congratulated the students and said the "made in Wales" qualifications were aimed at raising standards by placing a sharper focus on literacy and numeracy. "The new qualifications are part of extensive reforms to our education system to give our young people the right skills and knowledge to thrive in the modern word," she said. "Our national mission is to raise standards and make sure everybody has a chance to succeed." They are being called "significantly different" from the old GCSEs, with warnings about taking care when comparing them with previous results. For the whole of the last academic year, 65.5% of 16 year olds got A* to C grades.

Summary: The first students in Wales have received their results for the new-look GCSE maths exams.


The fact that Europe's most-wanted man was able to evade capture for three days, crossing several borders to get from Germany to Italy, has raised questions about security. The missing piece in the puzzle hangs over where Amri headed immediately after the attack. Dutch police are investigating whether the Netherlands was Amri's first stop, before he went on to Paris and then Italy. Their suspicions are centred around a Sim card found in Amri's backpack issued between 20 and 22 December in one of three possible Dutch cities - Breda, Zwolle and Nijmegen, Italian media reported. Police believe he was spotted on CCTV in Nijmegen station and was probably handed the Sim card there. In the aftermath of the attack German police searched a refugee centre in Emmerich, just across the border at Nijmegen. Train tickets found on Amri after he died show he travelled through France. The first was for a journey from the city of Lyon to Chambery, in the French Alps, on Thursday afternoon. CCTV footage has been released of him at Lyon-Part-Dieu station, before he apparently boarded a train to leave the city. Another train ticket, for later that day, was from Chambery for Milan, with some reports that he stopped in Turin on the way. Police have produced a picture of Amri at Milan central station, three hours before was shot dead. The fugitive is said to have arrived at in Milan at 01:00 on 23 December. From the main station, he made his way to the suburb of Sesto San Giovanni. Investigators are trying to find out if the gunman was in contact with anyone in Italy, and what his next destination was should he have evaded capture. He had around â‚¬150 (Â£128) in cash, according to reports, and no food or extra clothing in his backpack. One theory is that he was aiming to take a bus to the Balkans or southern Italy. But by the time he arrived in Milan, it was clear the authorities had lost his trail. It was only a routine police stop that led to his death: he drew a gun, wounding an officer before being shot dead by another. While inquiries continue, foremost on many people's minds is the question of apparent security failures. Germany issued a European arrest warrant for Amri on 21 December. Pictures of the suspect, along with his various aliases, were widely publicised. France - which boosted security following attacks in 2015 - further reinforced checks at key transport hubs. Opposition politicians including centre-right presidential candidate Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Eurosceptic National Front, were quick to criticise what they said was the failure of the authorities to stop Amri from entering the country.

Summary: Anis Amri, the jihadist who rammed a lorry into a crowd at a Berlin market on 19 December, died days later in an exchange of fire with Italian police in Milan.


The trailer concludes with a shot of Vader and the sound of his trademark heavy breathing. Felicity Jones stars in Gareth Edwards' film as the leader of a Rebel mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. The film is set before the time of the first Star Wars film A New Hope, released in 1977, and does not form part of the main series. The two-minute promo, which is different from the one shown at last month's Star Wars Celebration event in London, begins with new character Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) telling Jyn Erso (Jones) that "the world is coming undone". "Imperial flags reign across the galaxy," his voice continues over a shot of an Empire vessel floating above a desert landscape. The trailer goes on to show Jyn and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) being told about the mission for which they have been selected. Subsequent scenes feature a new robot character voiced by Alan Tudyk, a blind warrior played by Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, and an Imperial Walker being struck by a missile. Actress Alyssa Milano, screenwriter Max Landis and DJ Edith Bowman are among those to welcome the new promo on Twitter. US publication Entertainment Weekly, meanwhile, has assembled a frame-by-frame analysis. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in the UK on 16 December. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: A new trailer for Star Wars spin-off Rogue One has been released, offering fans a fleeting glimpse of Darth Vader.


Corbridge in Northumberland was hit by Storm Desmond in 2015, with more than 70 homes evacuated as the River Tyne reached record levels. Water drainage near Station Road and Tinklers Bank was now being improved, Northumberland County Council officials said. Cabinet member Ian Swithenbank said the project was "vital". "We've been working tirelessly since the severe weather last winter to clean-up and repair roads and infrastructure both in Corbridge and the wider area and this major piece of work will help protect the town in the future," he said. A new outfall through Tynedale Rugby Club will replace a culvert badly damaged during the storms, the authority said. Club chief executive Neil Foster said flooding at the ground seemed "insignificant compared to the impact on local residents". "Hopefully this new surface water drainage system will reduce the risk of future surface water flooding, particularly in Station Road where flooding has historically been a problem," he said. The work is expected to take up to four months.

Summary: Work has started on new flood prevention measures for a repeatedly flooded village.


Mrs Clinton is the highest-ranking US official to visit South Sudan since it gained independence last July. A UN deadline for the nations to resolve disputes over their border and oil transit fees passed on Thursday. South Sudan is the second stop of Mrs Clinton's seven-country African tour. The row over oil has led to huge economic problems in both countries - South Sudan has suspended all oil production, accusing Khartoum of stealing its exports, while austerity measures have sparked weeks of protests in Khartoum. "We need to get those [oil] resources flowing again," Mrs Clinton told reporters after talks lasting more than an hour with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. "A percentage of something is better than a percentage of nothing," she said, according to the Reuters news agency. At independence, the South took three-quarters of Sudan's oil with it but all the pipelines still flow north. "While South Sudan and Sudan have become separate states, their fortunes and their futures remain inextricably linked," Mrs Clinton said. "Both countries will need to compromise to close the remaining gaps between them." Ms Clinton's visit to South Sudan came nearly a month after the new state celebrated its first anniversary of independence, which was brought about by a 2005 peace deal between Sudan and the then southern rebels. The two countries came close to all-out war in April, when South Sudanese troops briefly occupied the disputed oil-rich border area of Heglig. Negotiations between the two countries in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, aimed at resolving all outstanding issues, are currently stalled. Arriving from Senegal via the Ugandan capital Kampala, Mrs Clinton spent only a few hours in Juba before returning to Uganda. Remarks by Mrs Clinton in Senegal which seemed to criticise China's involvement in Africa were met with a stinging rebuke by the Chinese state media on Friday. In a speech in Dakar on Wednesday, Mrs Clinton said the United States was committed to "a model of sustainable partnership that adds value, rather than extracts it". The official Chinese news agency Xinhua said in a commentary: "Whether Clinton was ignorant of the facts on the ground or chose to disregard them, her implication that China has been extracting Africa's wealth for itself is utterly wide of the truth." Chinese investment in Africa has surged in recent years. Beijing says it does not interfere in other countries' domestic politics, leading to accusations that it turns a blind eye to human rights abuses and democratic shortcomings. After returning to Kampala later on Friday, Mrs Clinton met Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni. "We deeply respect the role that President Museveni has played in his country's history," Mrs Clinton told reporters before leaving South Sudan, the Reuters news agency reports. However, she also made reference to what critics say is Mr Museveni's increasingly authoritarian behaviour. "Our position is that there has to be a constitution that sets forth the rules that everyone has to follow... So that it's not about... strong men, it's about strong institutions," Ms Clinton said. Ms Clinton had also been expected to press

Summary: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on the two Sudans to settle the disputes that have brought them close to war, as she briefly visited the South Sudanese capital, Juba.


People have reported dead fish in Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Barmouth, Harlech and Chwilog. Other beaches are also likely to be affected. NRW experts said it was a "natural phenomenon" caused by mackerel and other fish chasing food in calm seas. Rowland Sharp, marine fisheries officer for NRW, said: "The calm seas means that mackerel chase small fish all the way on to the beaches. "The fish in these bait balls will ground themselves on beaches in an effort to escape." He added: "It may appear worrying, but it's only nature at work really."

Summary: Reports of thousands of small fish being washed up on beaches in Ceredigion and Gwynedd are no cause for concern, said Natural Resources Wales (NRW).


The cause of the blaze at The Football Factory on Avondale Industrial Estate, Cwmbran, is not yet known. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call-out shortly before 18:50 GMT on Saturday. At the height of the fire, six fire engines and three water bowsers were called to the scene. Fire crews spent Sunday afternoon damping down. Staff at The Football Factory, an indoor sports facility with training pitches and a bar, said they were "devastated and heartbroken". In a post to customers on Twitter, staff said: "Due to a large fire at the Football Factory premises, we regret to inform you that we will be closed for the foreseeable future. "Many thanks to all of our loyal customers and we apologise profusely for any inconvenience to people who have booked with us in the future. Anyone with future bookings/paid deposits etc will be contacted in due time. "All of us at the Football Factory are devastated and heartbroken over this horrific incident."

Summary: Owners of an indoor sports facility in Torfaen have been left "heartbroken" after a large fire at their business.


Instead, it will be used to assess the impact of immigration on schools. Schools in England were asked to start collecting this information in September, leading to fears it may be used to find illegal immigrants. Campaigners have written to Education Secretary Justine Greening to ask her to axe the data collection plans. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Collecting this data will help ensure our children receive the best possible education. "It will be used to help us better understand how children with, for example, English as an additional language perform in terms of their broader education, and to assess and monitor the scale and impact immigration may be having on the schools sector. "Data on pupils' country of birth, nationality and level of English proficiency is collected through the school census in line with the national population census. "These data items will not be passed to the Home Office. "They are solely for internal Department for Education use for analysis, statistics and research." An earlier letter to Ms Greening from at least 20 organisations said: "Without assurances to the contrary, our grave concern is that the new data collected will be shared with the Home Office and therefore potentially used for immigration enforcement purposes. "We have already seen data sharing between the Home Office and other departments increase since the government announced its commitment to creating a 'hostile environment' for undocumented migrants. "Such measures deter vulnerable children and families from accessing essential services, exercising their human rights, and participating on an equal basis in our communities." Under the new expanded census, schools are, for the first time, asking parents to say which country their child was born in. Disclosure is not compulsory, but a report by Schools Week found many schools were demanding copies of pupils' passports amid confusion about the new stipulation. Gracie Mae Bradley, from Against Borders for Children, which is leading the campaign to have the policy overturned, urged parents to boycott the data collection. She said: "School should be a place where all children are treated equally. "In the context of a 'hostile environment' in which employers, landlords and even healthcare workers are being turned into border guards, we believe this new requirement could be used to add school administrators to the list. "We are also deeply concerned that this data will be made available, without time limit, much more widely outside the schools system, which cannot be acceptable. "Over the coming weeks we expect the organisations opposing this divisive approach to be joined by many more and for parents and schools to join the boycott and protect young people from this dangerous threat to their privacy."

Summary: Data on pupils' nationality now being collected by schools will be not passed to immigration officials or the Home Office, the government has said.


"Revenge porn" broadly describes the act of publishing explicit images of someone without their consent. The MPAA said the Minnesota draft law could restrict the publication of "items of legitimate news, commentary, and historical interest". But supporters of the proposal said its reach was "plainly legitimate". Revenge porn commonly refers to the sharing of intimate images after the end of a relationship, but is also used in a broader sense to describe any publication of explicit images without consent, for example when private photographs of a celebrity are leaked online. A number of countries and US states have introduced legislation that prohibits the practice, but there is no US-wide federal law on the subject. Opponents of revenge porn legislation have argued that some of the new laws are too broad in scope, and that existing copyright, communication and harassment laws sufficiently cover the subject. The MPAA, which represents six major Hollywood film studios, said the Minnesota law could "limit the distribution of a wide array of mainstream, constitutionally protected material". It cited images of Holocaust victims and prisoners at Abu Ghraib as examples of images depicting nudity which are shared without the subjects' consent. The MPAA called for the legislation to clarify that images shared without consent only broke the law if they were shared with an "intent to harass". In a statement, the organisation said: "The MPAA opposes online harassment in all forms. While we agree with the aims... we are concerned that the current version of the bill is written so broadly that it could have a chilling effect on mainstream and constitutionally-protected speech." But the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, which has campaigned for revenge porn to be made illegal, said an "intent to harass" provision would render the law "incoherent". "It would allow people to distribute private, sexually explicit material of no public concern unless it could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that their motive was to harass," the organisation said in its response to the MPAA. "The motive of a distributor has no bearing on whether the material is newsworthy or a matter of public concern. "A photograph of a dirty restaurant kitchen is not rendered less newsworthy because the distributor intends to harass the restaurant owner." If passed, the Minnesota law would become effective on 1 August.

Summary: The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has opposed draft "revenge porn" legislation that is being considered in Minnesota.


However, the other measure of unemployment, the Labour Force Survey, rose by 0.1 percentage points to 6.2%. That is higher than the UK unemployment rate which was unchanged at 5.5%. The figures also show long-term unemployment in Northern Ireland is significantly above the UK rate. Other figures show that output in Northern Ireland's service sector, the largest segment of the economy, grew slightly in the second quarter of the year. Output was 0.5% higher compared to the first quarter of the year and 0.7% higher than the same point in 2014. The strongest growth was in the retailing and hospitality sectors which was up 2.2% compared to the second quarter of 2014. Analysis: BBC News NI Economics and Business Editor John Campbell Northern Ireland's recovery has been weaker than in the UK as a whole and these figures suggest an economy which is just about growing. The labour market picture is more complicated than just a falling claimant count - for example long-term unemployment is a real problem. One of the more concerning factors is a slowdown in some parts of the manufacturing sector. It has been a star performer in the last couple of years, but external factors like the strength of sterling appear to be taking a toll. The picture was mixed in the production sector, which includes manufacturing. Output was up by 1% over the year, but down by 1.9% compared to the first quarter of the year. The food and drink sector is under particular pressure - output is almost 5% down compared to the second quarter of 2014. That is likely to be related to global falls in commodity prices, particularly in the dairy sector.

Summary: The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Northern Ireland fell by 1,000 in August to 42,000.


The 37-year-old woman and 42-year-old man were pronounced dead at the scene. A further two people are in a critical condition and a third has been described as "serious". The crash, which involved a silver Mercedes car and a white Vauxhall van, happened on the eastbound carriageway between Polmont and Linlithgow at about 21:00 on Friday. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact police. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "This has been a serious road traffic collision. "We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed it or who has information that can assist us in our inquiries."

Summary: A nine-year-old girl has died, along with a man and woman, in a crash on the M9 in West Lothian.


The building at Devesulu, which houses radar and 12 interceptor missile tubes, appears remarkably similar to the "sensors and shooters" that have already been placed on US Aegis warships. It has even been painted in the same battleship grey and is manned and operated by US Navy personnel who will rotate on six-month tours as if they were at sea. They might as well be, because there are few signs of human life nearby. Devesulu is the first land-based ballistic interceptor system to be set up in Europe. At a ceremony attended by Romanian, US and Nato leaders on Thursday it was declared "operational". It is now able to fire "a bullet at a bullet": the interceptor missile tries to hit a ballistic missile on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Work is now starting on building a second base in northern Poland. Together with four US Aegis warships, these Aegis Ashore sites will provide a network that can identify, track and shoot down ballistic missiles fired towards Europe. Turkey already has an early warning radar that activates the Aegis system and will eventually be joined by one in the UK. Dutch and Danish warships are also being fitted with sensors that will plug into the system. It will all be controlled from the US base in Ramstein, Germany. Ostensibly under Nato control, in reality it is the US that is largely driving and funding this programme. So where does the threat come from? Nato's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, says "many countries are seeking to develop or acquire their own ballistic missiles". The Middle East region is often mentioned but US officials have been more specific in naming Iran as a potential aggressor. Despite the recent agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme, it is pressing ahead with its own ballistic missile programme. Still, it seems odd to ramp up the pressure on Iran so soon after it's made concessions to the West. As for other "threats from the Middle East" it is all rather vague. Strangely, the clearest language from both Nato and US officials is about what the system is not. "It's not about Russia" is the prefix to any description of the system. At the Deveselu ceremony the US Deputy Defence Secretary, Robert Work, said: "I want to make clear - neither this site, nor the site going into Poland - will have the capacity to undermine Russia's strategic (nuclear) deterrent." Mr Stoltenberg insisted: "The interceptors are too few and located too far south to intercept Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles." The language, though, appears to be deliberately precise. There is no mention of Russian short and medium range ballistic missiles. Nor is there any denial that the sensors will be able to look into Russian territory. Few would argue the two nations housing the land-based interceptors, Romania and Poland, are more worried about say Iran or North Korea's actions than their biggest and nearest neighbour. There are, of course, plenty of good reasons to play down any potential impact on Russia as tensions are already high. Russia has been flexing its military

Summary: America's latest addition to its Ballistic Missile Defence System looks out of place surrounded by mile after mile of flat Romanian farmland.


Swedish prosecutors issued a European arrest warrant for Mr Assange after allegations of sexual assault related to a 2010 visit Mr Assange made to Stockholm to give a lecture. He denies the claims. These are the key dates: Below is more information on how events have unfolded: Julian Assange arrives in Sweden on a speaking trip partly arranged by "Miss A", a member of the Christian Association of Social Democrats. He has not met "Miss A" before but reports suggest they have arranged in advance that he can stay in her apartment while she is out of town for a few days. "Miss A" and Mr Assange attend a seminar by the Social Democrats' Brotherhood Movement on "War and the role of media", at which the Wikileaks founder is the key speaker. The two reportedly have sex that night. Mr Assange reportedly has sex with a woman he met at the seminar on 14 August, identified as "Miss W". Some time between 17 and 20 August, "Miss W" and "Miss A" are in contact and apparently share with a journalist the concerns they have about aspects of their respective sexual encounters with Mr Assange. Mr Assange applies for a residence permit to live and work in Sweden. He hopes to create a base for Wikileaks there, because of the country's laws protecting whistle-blowers. The Swedish Prosecutor's Office issues an arrest warrant for Mr Assange on allegations of rape and molestation. Both women reportedly say that what started as consensual sex became non-consensual. Wikileaks quotes Mr Assange as saying the accusations are "without basis" and that their appearance "at this moment is deeply disturbing". A later message on the Wikileaks Twitter feed says the group has been warned to expect "dirty tricks". The arrest warrant is withdrawn. "I don't think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape," says one of Stockholm's chief prosecutors, Eva Finne. Prosecutors say the investigation into the molestation allegation will continue but it is not a serious enough crime for an arrest warrant. The lawyer for the two women, Claes Borgstrom, lodges an appeal to a special department in the public prosecutions office. Mr Assange is questioned by police in Stockholm and formally told of the allegations against him, according to his lawyer at the time, Leif Silbersky. The activist denies the allegations. Swedish Director of Prosecution Marianne Nye says she is reopening the rape investigation against Mr Assange. "Considering information available at present, my judgement is that the classification of the crime is rape." The Wikileaks founder is denied residency in Sweden. No reason is given, although an official on Sweden's Migration Board tells the AFP news agency "he did not fulfil the requirements". Stockholm District Court approves a request to detain Mr Assange for questioning on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. Ms Nye says he has not been available for questioning. By this time Mr Assange has travelled to London. His British lawyer, Mark Stephens, says his client offered to be interviewed at the Swedish embassy in London or Scotland Yard

Summary: Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012, after seeking asylum there in his bid to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation.


After the blood-letting of the early part of the year following the Ashes, they have been desperate for some stability - to keep Alastair Cook in charge for the World Cup, which starts in February. But following the 5-2 series defeat in Sri Lanka, their fourth in a row under Cook, the time has come to realise he is not the man to lead them in the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. Here are four reasons why. Since Cook took over as one-day captain in 2011, there have been changes to the one-day format - the introduction of two new balls, theoretically an advantage for bowlers, offset by the limitation to four of the number of men allowed on the boundary. Scores have risen around the world (the average is about 270 now) and the number of totals of more than 300 has doubled. Openers who set out to bat the innings and make 100 should now look at a minimum of 150. Cook does not have the proactive game for this objective. His last ODI hundred was 45 games ago, and he lacks the power and range to have a major impact. His strike rate this year is only low 70s (openers need to have a minimum of 80). Being inventive does not come naturally and he can be controlled at the crease. That is underlined by the relative statistics of Cook and other international openers over the past 12 months. He has by far the lowest combined average and strike rate (a reliable measure of the effectiveness of a batsman) and is therefore holding England back. One-day internationals are very much pre-planned operations, organised in the dressing room. Batsmen know their specific roles, bowlers know roughly which overs they are going to bowl. ODIs are much less free-flowing than Tests, therefore captaincy is a less vital influence. Every player must deserve his place in the team, there is no need to 'carry' a captain. Though he has been short of runs himself, Eoin Morgan is a must-pick for England and actually has excellent tactical nous and a calm demeanour (and plays well when he's in charge). And, as a middle-order player, he does not have to have half a mind on batting in those frenetic late overs of an innings in the field, which can be very distracting. Morgan is now playing in the Big Bash in Australia so will get advance preparation for the World Cup. Both the England management and members of the team are nervous of jettisoning Cook because of the stability and reassurance he brings as a batsman and a man. They are thinking particularly of England's first World Cup match against Australia in the MCG cauldron in front of 80,000 baying Aussies, and the need to send out at least one opener with authority and experience. But this burden is playing heavily on Cook's mind and inhibiting him. He is so taut with determination, he can barely move to the ball. It is even affecting his fielding. The opposition almost feel sorry for him.

Summary: The England selectors will sit down on Friday to decide what to do about the one-day captaincy.


"The attacker is trying to extort us money to make it stop," representatives of the company, which has 15 million users, said in a blog post. "We refused to give in," they added. On Tuesday, the popular online notes and web clippings service Evernote suffered a similar attack. It is not yet known whether the two are linked, but Feedly and Evernote work closely together. After coming under attack earlier on Wednesday, Feedly assured users their data was safe, and said it was working with its network provider to remove the threat. On Tuesday, Evernote members were temporarily unable to synchronise their notes from one device to another while it continued. The California-based company announced last month that it had more than 100 million users. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are caused by what can be thousands of computers sending huge amounts of data to a target's servers in an effort to overwhelm them. This sometimes involves hijacked PCs - whose owners may be unaware of their involvement - in what is known as a botnet. This is not the first time Evernote has been compromised. In 2013 it said hackers had managed to access user names, email addresses and encrypted passwords. However, it appears that the latest cyber-assault is more limited. Spokeswoman Ronda Scott told the BBC that the cyber-assault, caused by an unknown perpetrator, began at 14:25 local time [22:25 BST] on Tuesday and had not yet ended. "We continue to mitigate the effects of the attack, but have successfully returned Evernote to service," she added. "As is the nature of DDoS attacks, there was no data loss, and no accounts were compromised."

Summary: The news aggregator Feedly says it has come under a "distributed denial of service" attack from cyber criminals, which is preventing users from accessing its service.


Speaking to 1Xtra's Semtex, the rapper said: "I'm not trying to tell people not to use it and I'm not saying that you should use it. "I'm just saying here's the information that I've gathered. "I've put it into five minutes, and I want you to take that information and go and research yourself." Swiss, who is best known for being part of So Solid Crew, added: "Gather the information and then make a decision on what you want to do with it." Before the show, Radio 1Xtra explained to Newsbeat that: "The track, which tackles the complex issues around the word, will be played in the late-night specialist show with full warnings ahead of its play and an appropriate introduction giving context to the song. "The decision to play the track is based on musical merit and it is in line with audience expectations." Before playing the five-minute track in full during his 22:00 - 01:00 show, Semtex reflected the mixed response the track has had online. He said: "In case you haven't heard it this is a track that stopped the internet this week. "It didn't break the internet it stopped the internet. "It stopped everybody to put down what they were doing and think about what this guy was saying on the track. "Some people got offended, some people were like 'I'm glad somebody said that', other people were educated." The track opens with a series of samples referencing black slavery, including quotes from Django Unchained and references several cases of when the media has reported the term being used in a negative way. A sequence of lyrics, which ends with the song's title, reiterate the point Swiss made during the interview. "It can be a term of endearment or an emotional trigger. "It can be the difference between jovial and bitter. It depends on how it's presented, said, spoken delivered. But the expression presents a social dilemma. "Everybody should understand the historical picture before we ever choose to use the word nigger." After the track was played a clip of Professor Randall Kennedy Harvard University, who teaches a course on race relations, explained the thought that some rappers put into their use of the N-word. He said: "With hip-hop there have been some who have put great store on the spelling... because that differentiates from [the traditional spelling] which has principally been used a as racial slur." Following the clip Semtex added: "I think in hip-hop it's confusing" before playing a Y.G track and referring to a Rick Ross song which both contain heavy use of the word. He asked Swiss if hip-hop is at fault for using the word, even when it's seemingly used in an endearing way. "I don't think hip-hop's at fault," replied the rapper. "A lot of negative things are celebrated in our society. "I think the word's got a strange journey. "The way our language works if that it can change over time. "It has no sort of loyalty to any gender, any race or any time period. Words can change and this

Summary: Swiss has said the aim of his new track is for people to educate themselves about the use of the N-word, rather than trying to stop them using it.


Carl McHugh was red-carded for a lunge on Don Cowie early in the second half. Hearts went ahead when Alexandros Tziolis' shot took a deflection off Keith Lasley and looped over goalkeeper Craig Samson. And Esmael Goncalves struck twice late on, the striker scoring his first goals for the Tynecastle club. Goncalves had an early low shot just wide before Louis Moult's header hit the bar, but the flag was up - wrongly - for offside against the Motherwell striker. The hosts had started the match with a back three in an attempt to stymie the Hearts attack, but as the half wore on the away side became more dangerous. First, a great run from left-back Lennard Sowah forced a save from Samson. Media playback is not supported on this device Then Jamie Walker threatened with a couple of fierce efforts which were just off target. He perhaps should have had a penalty when it looked like he had his shirt pulled in the box. Malaury Martin then stung the palms of Samson with a free-kick from 25 yards, but Motherwell would finish the half strongly. From a corner Lionel Ainsworth fired in a shot which was cleared off the line by Anastasios Avlonitis. McHugh then fired an effort over the bar. Moult was wrongly awarded awarded a free-kick at the edge of the box, having actually been tripped by team-mate Ainsworth. Referee Andrew Dallas even mistakenly booked Hearts midfielder Martin. Moult took the free-kick himself and the ball flew narrowly wide of Jack Hamilton's goal. Red cards defined Motherwell's match with Rangers last weekend and another sending off played a massive part in this match. This time it was McHugh who lunged in, catching Cowie painfully. There were echoes of Scott McDonald's red card tackle on Rangers' Kenny Miller, and it looked like the right decision by Dallas. Just minutes later Hearts opened the scoring. The impressive Greece international midfielder Tziolis fired in a shot from 20 yards which took a massive deflection off Lasley and beat Samson. But Lasley almost levelled moments later, his effort narrowly off target. Goncalves has shed 8kg and with his improved conditioning and professionalism it's intriguing to ponder what he can do for this Hearts side. The management at the club clearly believe in the talents of this mercurial player, and that belief will give Goncalves added confidence. He looked determined to get his first Hearts goal and caused Motherwell problems all afternoon. It finally came as he fired home with a composed finish. It clearly meant a lot to him as he celebrated with the travelling fans - for which he was duly booked. Goncalves restrained himself from a second yellow after he scored again as Hearts made it two wins in four days following Wednesday's 4-1 defeat of Rangers. Match ends, Motherwell 0, Heart of Midlothian 3. Second Half ends, Motherwell 0, Heart of Midlothian 3. Attempt missed. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian)

Summary: Esmael Goncalves scored twice as Hearts overcame 10-man Motherwell in Saturday's early Scottish Premiership match.


Unite said workers at the Atomic Weapons Establishment's (AWE) two Berkshire sites would strike for 12 days over a pensions dispute. AWE, which builds the UK's Trident submarine warheads, said it had put "resilient measures in place". It added that its pension scheme was "very competitive". The walk-out of around 700 workers at Aldermaston and Burghfield in June, July, August and September will bring the number of strike days since November to 30. Unite regional officer Bob Middleton said: "We know that our members' action has caused serious disruption to the production of the Trident warheads. "We also know that convoys to Scotland carrying the missiles have been limited." The dispute centres on Unite's claim that promises about pensions were broken after the scheme was moved to the private sector in the 1990s. An AWE spokesperson said: "We are actively seeking to re-engage with Unite to find a positive resolution to this dispute." The union Prospect agreed a pension settlement for its AWE members in February.

Summary: A union claims strikes have resulted in "serious disruption" to the UK's nuclear weapons programme as it announced further industrial action.