Patients at Royal Stoke University Hospital were taken outside in their beds when a fire broke out in the main building on Wednesday evening. The incident followed a fire in toilets at Staffordshire University earlier in the day, police said. Thomas Ashcroft, 39, of Musgrave Crescent, Sheffield, has been charged with two counts of committing arson with intent to endanger life.

Summary: A man has been charged with arson after fires at a hospital and university.


The prime minister said these people were not benefiting from treatment and were increasing the risk of passing the virus on to others. The Health Protection Agency said about 600 people were dying needlessly from the condition each year. Its figures have been released to coincide with World Aids Day. Mr Cameron said the event should be used to "spread the message" about education, testing and early diagnosis. "World Aids Day is a chance to do two things - take action and reflect," he said. "First and foremost, it's got to be a spur to take action, as there are still far too many people who aren't educated about HIV and Aids and who don't get tested. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and on its own it does not kill you. The virus can survive and grow only by infecting, and destroying, the immune system. This continual assault on the immune system makes it weaker and weaker until it is no longer able to fight off infections. Without treatment, it takes about 10 years from infection to the development of Aids - acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It is then that "opportunistic infections", ones a healthy immune system could fight off, become deadly. People can die from pneumonias, brain infections, diarrhoeal illnesses, as well as certain tumours such as lymphoma and cervical cancer. BBC Health: HIV and Aids "People need to know that, diagnosed early, the outlook for most people with HIV in the UK today is a good one, thanks to the availability of effective treatment and the excellent care provided by the NHS. "Above all, people need to know that it's never been quicker or simpler to get tested." The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said its figures suggested about 100,000 people in the UK were currently living with HIV, but about a quarter of them did not know they had the virus, which untreated can lead to the development of Aids. The figures also showed that more than 6,000 people in the UK were diagnosed with HIV last year. Among men, the figure of more than 3,000 diagnoses was an all-time high. Lisa Power, from the Terrence Higgins Trust charity, said fear was stopping some people getting tested, but they were much better off knowing if they had HIV. She said: "It's extremely alarming that so many people in the UK have HIV but are undiagnosed. "Nowadays, if you get tested, get diagnosed and get on the treatment at the right time, you can live to a ripe old age. You'll live into your 70s, maybe even your 80s. "But, if you don't know that you have it... then you could become very ill before you're diagnosed and then the pills won't work as well." She said a shortage of money available to the trust meant it had to target the most at-risk groups, adding: "What's happened over the last decade or so, there has been very little awareness of HIV and sexual health among the general population." To mark World Aids Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a

Summary: There is still too much ignorance about HIV and Aids, David Cameron has said, as figures suggest 25,000 people in the UK have the virus but do not know.


Fintan Treanor, 20, was walking home in the early hours of Sunday, 26 June 2011, when he was struck by a vehicle at Lemgare, Clontibret. He had been walking home after a night out in Castleblaney. Police appeals have centred on an Audi A4 1995 to 2001 model missing its front lower air-vent grille. "Five years have passed and the driver of the car involved has not been located," a gardai (Irish police) spokesperson said. "Perhaps now after five years some person knows a person who disposed of an Audi A4 around that time. "In five years, loyalties, friendships and relationships change and perhaps someone that felt unable to come forward before is now in a position to provide the investigation team with the vital information that would locate the driver."

Summary: Police have renewed their appeal for information on the fifth anniversary of a fatal hit-and-run collision in County Monaghan.


Archant, owner of Mustard TV, is planning to sell to the That's TV Group, which already runs channels in 10 different regions. If the sale goes through, it is understood current staff will not be needed to operate the Norwich station. An Archant spokeswoman said: "We have consistently said the success of local TV will come from consolidation." Mustard TV has broadcast from Norwich for the past three years and was set up as part of a UK-wide government scheme. Its presenters include former Norwich City player Darren Eadie and ex-Anglia TV presenter Helen McDermott. As part of the deal, Archant will take a stake in the That's TV Group. In a letter to Mustard TV staff, seen by the BBC, Archant chief executive Jeff Henry said the sale was anticipated to be completed in September. "We expect that That's TV will broadcast from Prospect House for a year after completion of the share sale, but that, operationally, the Norwich station will work closely with its new sister station in Cambridge," it said. Mr Henry said Mustard TV had failed to turn a profit since its launch. "I have consistently said that the success of local television will come from consolidation which can bring the right mix of shared investment and skills needed to make this financially viable; we simply can't afford this on our own," he said. An Archant spokeswoman said: "Archant can confirm it has started a consultation period with the affected members of staff."

Summary: The owners of Norfolk's local TV station are proposing its sale, which could lead to potential job losses.


Passengers walked along the tracks for more than five minutes because a fault with the track led a train to get stuck outside Shepherd's Bush station. It came to a halt at about 18:00 BST on Wednesday. TfL said the evacuation was "safe and routine". Passengers thanked crews for "leading them into the light." It said it was investigating why the line which carried the electrical current to the trains was dislodged. All affected customers have been offered a full refund. Jasmin Barras, one of the evacuated passengers, said TfL staff were "fantastic". "It only took five minutes to walk once we could get off the train," she said. "But I was in the very end carriage so first to get off - it would have been considerably longer for people further down the train." Commenting on Twitter, Helen Pratt said: "Well, that was fun on the Central Line in the dark. Thanks TfL for sending friendly staff to lead us into the light." A TfL spokesman confirmed nobody was hurt and said: "Emergency staff attended and led passengers off the train and back onto the platform."

Summary: Up to 350 Tube passengers were forced to walk through London underground tunnels after being evacuated from a train, Transport for London (TfL) said.


Kevin Nunes was shot dead in September 2002 but five men jailed for his murder were freed on appeal. Police and crime commissioner (PCC) Matthew Ellis said Mrs Sawyers had "no case to answer on misconduct or gross misconduct" relating to the case. Ms Sawyers welcomed the decision. Police believe Mr Nunes was a drug dealer who was shot in an execution-style killing in Pattingham after straying into another gang's territory. But the men jailed for his murder were freed after it emerged concerns over the credibility of witnesses were not disclosed to the defence. This prompted an investigation into the police's handling of a key witness and how disclosure was dealt with afterwards. In January 2014, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it would be submitting files to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over the case for prosecuting senior officers, including Mrs Sawyers, for either attempting to pervert the course of justice or criminal misconduct. However, the CPS said there was not enough evidence to proceed. Publishing his response, Mr Ellis said while it was clear "something went wrong in relation to the investigation of the murder", Mrs Sawyers was not guilty of misconduct. "My conclusion is that, whilst there were undoubtedly different actions and decisions that should have been taken at the time, the IPCC report does not produce evidence Mrs Sawyers has a case to answer in respect of misconduct or gross misconduct," he said. "I have been clear, however, Jane Sawyers could have been more intrusive and sceptical about the actions of others at the time." Mrs Sawyers said: "I welcome the determination the police and crime commissioner has reached." The IPCC said it was waiting for all of the forces involved, including West Midlands Police, to respond to its report.

Summary: The temporary chief constable of Staffordshire Police, Jane Sawyers, will not face misconduct charges over the fatal shooting of an alleged drug dealer, the force's commissioner has said.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 27-year-old, who tested positive for two anabolic steroids, broke into the British team last year, competing at the European Indoor Championships. Wilson blamed a contaminated sample for her positive test. UK Anti-Doping chief Andy Parkinson said: "This sends a strong message to anyone looking to dope in the UK." Lincolnshire sprinter Wilson tested positive for banned steroids testosterone and clenbuterol after running the 100m in 11.95 seconds at the Bedford International Games on 12 June. Wilson won the Commonwealth Games 100m trials in 2010 only to miss out on a place in the England squad due to not meeting the qualifying time She issued a statement in July calling for UK Anti-Doping, who administer drug testing in the UK, to withdraw the case and open an internal investigation to determine the cause of the contamination. However, an independent National Anti-Doping Panel upheld the European Indoor 60m semi-finalist's four-year ban. "We have successfully argued for a four-year ban which demonstrates that UK Anti-Doping always seeks robust sanctions against athletes who look to cheat the system and betray those around them," Parkinson added. "[It] gives clean athletes the confidence that we are working hard on their behalf, within the framework of the World Anti-Doping Code, to protect their right to compete in doping-free sport." Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France, which he claimed was a result of eating contaminated beef. Clenbuterol, similar to the asthma drug salbutamol, is used to treat breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. It causes an increase in aerobic capacity, blood pressure and oxygen transportation, and speeds the rate at which fats are burned. It is officially classified as a sympathomimetic steroid.

Summary: British sprinter Bernice Wilson has failed in her appeal against a four-year suspension handed out after a positive drugs test in June 2011.


Discussions began last week in a bid to resolve the political row at Stormont. The crisis was triggered when police said they believed IRA members had been involved in the murder of a former IRA man in Belfast last month. Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said finding resolution in the negotiations would be "very difficult". But she added that the parties had "established a sound basis on which to take forward the discussions with greater intensity" this week. She said the "impact of paramilitary organisations" was the matter on the agenda for Monday's round of talks. That is one of the primary issues on the table during the cross-party negotiations. Stormont's finances - a major factor is the implementation of welfare reform - is the other main matter on which the parties are trying to find resolution. Ms Villiers had said the opening week of talks had been "useful and intensive" and that she was encouraged that the parties had shown a commitment to dealing with the impact and legacy of paramilitary activity. In August, police said they believed IRA members had played a part in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr. Chief Constable George Hamilton said the IRA was still in existence, but added that the organisation was not engaged in terrorism. The claims led to a breakdown in trust between Sinn F??in and unionist parties. The Ulster Unionists withdrew from Northern Ireland's ruling executive, with three Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ministers also later resigning, and DUP leader Peter Robinson stepping aside as first minister. Unionists agreed to join the talks when the government ordered an independent review of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland earlier this month.

Summary: Talks between Northern Ireland's five main political parties have moved into a second week, with the focus on paramilitary groups.


The former Ireland head coach, 53, had endured a difficult time since taking charge in April last year. A year ago, he was suspended and then reinstated following comments he made about team selection. Joel Garner, Henderson Springer and Roddy Estwick will lead the team when they face Pakistan in three T20s, three ODIs and three Tests in the UAE. The first match - a T20 game - takes place on 23 September in Dubai. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) cited "differences in culture and strategic approach" with Simmons. The former all-rounder had questioned the omission of all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the one-day squad last year. He was suspended by the WICB, who said Simmons had appeared to "question the legitimacy of the selection process". The departure of Simmons follows the sacking of Curtly Ambrose as bowling coach and Darren Sammy as T20 captain. West Indies are currently third in the world T20 rankings but lie eighth in both Tests and one-day internationals respectively.

Summary: Phil Simmons has been sacked as West Indies coach just five months after their stunning World T20 triumph.


Loosehead Barrington, 26, has featured 82 times since joining Sarries from Jersey in 2013, and has agreed a three-year contract at Allianz Park. USA international Lamositele, 21, has signed a new two-year deal. "Both Richard and Titi are valuable members of our squad," director of rugby Mark McCall said.

Summary: Prop forwards Richard Barrington and Titi Lamositele have signed new deals with Premiership and European Champions Cup winners Saracens.


The 30-year-old Russian is ranked 211 in the world and was given a wildcard in Rome as she continues her return from a 15-month drugs ban. Monday's 6-4 6-2 win ensures Sharapova will move inside the top 200 and earn a Wimbledon qualifying place next month. She will qualify for Wimbledon's main draw if she reaches the Rome semis. However, when asked if she was aware of this week's rankings deadline, Sharapova replied: "Oh, is it? See, I think maybe you guys assume that I know these things, but I genuinely want to take care of each and every single week, and every single match is a priority for me. "The fact that I'm back and playing three weeks in a row now and three events in a row for me is a big deal. That's my focus." Sharapova will learn on Tuesday whether she has been given a wildcard into either qualifying or the main draw at the French Open, which gets under way on 28 May. The five-time Grand Slam champion reached the semi-finals on her return in Stuttgart last month, but lost to Eugenie Bouchard in the second round in Madrid last week. She made a slow start against American McHale, ranked 58th, at the Foro Italico, dropping serve three times before edging through the first set and dominating the second. Sharapova will play Croatian 16th seed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in round two, with world number one Angelique Kerber a potential third-round opponent. Wimbledon's qualifying tournament is played over three rounds and takes place from 26 to 29 June at the Bank of England Sports Grounds in Roehampton. It has previously been an unticketed event but this year there will be 1,000 tickets for sale at £5 each, with proceeds going to the Wimbledon Foundation, along with video coverage of one court.

Summary: Maria Sharapova secured a place in Wimbledon qualifying - at least - with a first-round win over Christina McHale at the Italian Open.


A first-half David McAllister own goal was all that separated the sides in a tight affair at Mourneview Park. Coleraine hammered Glentoran 4-1 at the Showgrounds with James McLaughlin scoring twice. David Jeffrey's Ballymena United ran out easy 4-1 winners away to Carrick Rangers to move into the top half of the table. Relive the action from Friday's Premiership matches Despite suffering their first defeat of the season, Ards are still tied on points at the top of the table. There were few clear chances in the game, with defences on top before McAllister nodded past keeper Aaron Hogg and into his own net after 17 minutes of play. Crusaders and Linfield can overtake the joint leaders if they win their respective games on Saturday. The Bannsiders put four goals past Glentoran, who continued their disappointing start to the league campaign. Coleraine took the lead after eight minutes when referee Mervyn Smith pointed to the penalty spot when Elliott Morris was adjudged to have brought down James McLaughlin despite getting a strong palm on the ball. Neil McCafferty made no mistake from the spot by slotting past Morris, although the Glentoran keeper may feel aggrieved that he wasn't ready to face the kick. Three goals in nine minutes assured Coleraine of the points. Darren McCauley tucked home after being played through by Rodney Brown, before McLaughlin drove the ball home from the edge of the penalty area three minutes later. McLaughlin grabbed his second just after the hour mark to wrap up the victory, before Jonathan Smith fired home after some good work from Nacho Novo to give Glentoran a consolation goal. Defeat for Glentoran means that the East Belfast side slip into the bottom half of the table, while Coleraine's first victory of the season carries Oran Kearney's side up to eighth. Ballymena responded from last weekend's defeat by Ards in perfect style, putting four goals past Carrick Rangers. Allan Jenkins opened the scoring, slamming home from a corner after just three minutes. Cathair Friel doubled Ballymena's advantage on 22 minutes by heading in from a Tony Kane free-kick. Carrick Rangers were provided with a glimmer of hope when Alan Blayney picked up a back-pass and Gareth McKeown's free-kick rebounded off the United wall for Nathan Hanley to make no mistake from the rebound. Jonny McMurray scored Ballymena's goal of the evening, letting fire with a fine 30-yard strike which flew over Simon Steele in the Carrick goal. Ballymena completed the rout when former Carrick player Conor McCloskey slotted home just after the hour mark.

Summary: Glenavon beat Ards 1-0 to join the newly promoted Co Down side at the Premiership summit.


Daria Gavrilova had earlier defeated Elina Svitolina 6-4 7-6 (8-6) in the women's rubber of the mixed event. Svitolina had six set points at 6-1 in the second-set tie-break but lost the last seven points of the match. Kyrgios, ranked 30th in the world, beat Britain's world number two Andy Murray in the group stage on Wednesday. The tournament hosts, who had two squads competing in the eight-team event, last won the competition in 1999.

Summary: Nick Kyrgios secured the Hopman Cup for Australia Green by beating Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 6-4 to give his team a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in Perth.


Media playback is not supported on this device He once again helped rescue England's flaky batting as he hit an unbeaten 107 at a sun-kissed Lord's. Together with 85 from skipper Alastair Cook, Bairstow's third ton in six Tests dragged the hosts out of a hole in near-perfect conditions for batting. Rash strokeplay mixed with disciplined bowling from Sri Lanka had reduced Cook's men to 84-4 just after lunch. But Bairstow profited from a dropped catch and then the most marginal of lbw decisions to continue his wonderful early summer run of form. Not since beating India 4-0 in the summer of 2011 have England whitewashed a Test opponent in a series of three or more matches. And while the weather forecast for the remainder of the match is uncertain, Bairstow's fightback has given them a hold in a contest that had been drifting Sri Lanka's way. Media playback is not supported on this device While England have improved both in style and substance over the course of the last year, serious flaws remain - and the vulnerability of the top order is the most pressing of all. On a true pitch and under benign skies, they once again lost key wickets cheaply - four this time for 28 runs, having chosen to bat and looked completely untroubled in the first hour of play. First Alex Hales lost patience, having been kept runless for 22 balls, heaving unnecessarily at Rangana Herath to send a looping edge to Angelo Mathews at slip. Then Nick Compton, mired in a horrible trot of form and seemingly bereft of confidence, chased a wide half-volley and edged Suranga Lakmal behind for just one. Joe Root followed four runs later, pinned lbw by the same bowler after the initial not-out decision was correctly overturned by the third umpire, and when James Vince had his bail removed by Nuwan Pradeep for 10 just after lunch, England had slumped from 56-0 to 84-4. Compton's dismissal was the most chastening of all: to a ball that should have been routinely driven away for four, greeted by a ghastly silence from the near capacity crowd, followed by a slow walk back to the old pavilion, Lord's suddenly the loneliest place in London. It could have been worse had Shaminda Eranga held on to a straightforward chance at mid-wicket when Bairstow was on 11, the ball flying straight into his hands and out again. But the Yorkshireman, a stark contrast to Compton this summer in terms of sweet touch and confident animation at the crease, continued to play his shots with Cook in more sedate style at the other end. Cook reached his fifty off 89 balls - his first half-century of the series - and the only surprise was that his unflustered progress ended on 85, Pradeep trapping him lbw with a fine inswinger from round the wicket. Bairstow then had his second life, given not out to an lbw shout from Eranga on 56 when the review indicated that the ball appeared to be hitting enough off leg stump to send

Summary: Jonny Bairstow's second century of the series helped England recover from another top-order collapse to reach 279-6 on day one of the third Test with Sri Lanka.


Mr Blackman is championing an e-petition demanding the change in Parliament, after it was signed by more than 120,000 people. Muslims and Hindus should have "the most important days in their faiths recognised in law", the petition says. The government has already rejected the e-petitioners' request. In its response to the petition, the government said: "We are very aware of the importance of these festivals which are widely celebrated in the UK. "Whilst we appreciate a new national holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy remains considerable and any changes to the current arrangements would not take place without a full consultation." Mr Blackman pressed ministers to reconsider during a debate in the House of Commons' secondary debating chamber of Westminster Hall. He said the government's concern about cost was "valid". The MP for Harrow East said: "According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, each public holiday costs Â£2.3bn per day due to a loss of retail, commercial services, and other industries. "So we're looking at an overall economic cost of just under Â£5bn if the Muslim faith and the Hindu faith were to be given one specified public holiday each, if the estimate is correct." But, he continued, the think tank had also estimated that annual output would be raised by Â£19bn "if all public holidays were scrapped". "That's not likely to happen. I can't believe any government would every dare to decide to cancel Christmas," Mr Blackman said. "So we can't make a case for or against further public holidays just on the basis of money. If we did, we wouldn't have any public holidays at all." There were "bigger considerations", he argued. "Wouldn't it be a statement that we as a nation embrace these religions, and the people who hold them dear, and we are ready to recognise their place in our society? "Creating these public holidays would be an important step towards promoting the understanding and tolerance of different faiths - not just at home, but abroad too. "We want other nations to look to the UK for a good example of positive integration, and for highly skilled prospective immigrants to consider coming to our country with a sense that their faith is a respected part of their identity." But Business Minister Jenny Willott was not persuaded by the MP's case. "We are very lucky in this country to have such a hugely diverse and mixed and vibrant society that we all benefit from," she told MPs. "Faith groups play a hugely important role in making life better for other people and making communities a better place for people to live." But she emphasised ministers' concern about cost, and concluded: "The government does not believe that there should be a public holiday to mark these particular occasions. "I know that will disappoint some people." If an e-petition gets 10,000 signatures, it is eligible for a written response from the government, which is published alongside the original petition on the government's e-petitions website. If it reaches as many as 100,000 signatures, a

Summary: The UK should show that it "embraces" the Muslim and Hindu faiths by making Eid and Diwali public holidays, Conservative MP Bob Blackman has said.


The target was reached eight weeks after Mr Aikman's death on 2 February at the age of 31. Now the Gordon's Fightback campaign is seeking to raise £1m in his memory to fund research into the disease. Mr Aikman was director of research for the Better Together campaign at the time of his diagnosis. His campaign has been supported by leading figures in all of Scotland's major political parties. Gordon's husband Joe Pike said: "I miss Gordon's voice, his eyes and his smile. I miss the in-jokes and affection and finishing each other's sentences. "But Gordon never wanted pity, and I don't either. I want to turn a negative into a positive. Today, I want everyone to mark Gordon's birthday by giving the gift of a cure for Motor Neurone Disease. "Gordon's real passion was finding a cure. Doctors do not know what causes Motor Neurone Disease, let alone how to cure it. But scientists in labs doing research provided him with hope. Not that he would be saved, but hope for future generations. "A cure for MND - that would be a real gift to remember Gordon by."

Summary: The fund named after Scottish motor neurone disease (MND) campaigner Gordon Aikman has raised £600,000.


Spanish forward Jose Callejon scored the winner for the Naples-based club, who are now one point behind second-placed Roma with four games left. The top two qualify for the Champions League group stage. Inter are now without a win in six league games and are in seventh spot in the Serie A table. Earlier, Roma lost 3-1 to Lazio in the Derby della Capitale to leave leaders Juventus four points away from being crowned champions of Italy for a sixth successive season. AC Milan's hopes of securing a Europa League third qualifying round spot were dented as they were held to a 1-1 draw away at relegation-threatened Crotone. Milan, who are sixth, finished the game with 10 men after Slovakia midfielder Juraj Kucka was dismissed in the 90th minute. Palermo secured only a fourth league win of the season to stave off relegation for at least one more game. The next-to-bottom side beat eighth-placed Fiorentina 2-0 but are still 10 points from safety with four games to go. Former Roma striker Mattia Destro scored twice as Bologna hammered Udinese 4-0 while there were also wins for Chievo, Cagliari and Sassuolo. Match ends, Inter Milan 0, Napoli 1. Second Half ends, Inter Milan 0, Napoli 1. Attempt saved. Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Éver Banega with a cross. Foul by Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli). Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Amadou Diawara (Napoli). Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Faouzi Ghoulam (Napoli). Antonio Candreva (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Marco Andreolli (Inter Milan). Attempt blocked. Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Napoli. Arkadiusz Milik replaces Dries Mertens. Corner, Inter Milan. Conceded by Kalidou Koulibaly. Substitution, Inter Milan. Marco Andreolli replaces Jeison Murillo. Attempt missed. Marko Rog (Napoli) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the left. Assisted by Dries Mertens. Offside, Napoli. Kalidou Koulibaly tries a through ball, but José Callejón is caught offside. Attempt blocked. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Marko Rog (Napoli) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Marko Rog (Napoli). Danilo D'Ambrosio (Inter Milan) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Inter Milan. Éver Banega replaces Éder. Substitution, Napoli. Allan replaces Marek Hamsik. Attempt saved. Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Danilo D'Ambrosio with a cross. Attempt missed. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Dries Mertens. Attempt blocked. Marek Hamsik (Napoli) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Summary: Napoli increased the pressure on Roma in the race for a Champions League group stage place with a narrow victory at Inter Milan.


The 5m (16ft) wide, 3m (10ft) deep crater appeared on Saturday night under the northbound carriageway near the Gateshead MetroCentre. The road, which carries about 90,000 vehicles a day, was immediately closed between junctions 67 and 68. Highways England said repairs had been completed and the road had reopened. The hole was thought to be related to former mine workings. Tyne Tunnel tolls on the nearby A19, which were suspended during the repair process, are now back in force. The latest travel news can be found here.

Summary: A sinkhole which opened up on the A1 on Tyneside and brought delays to tens of thousands of motorists has been repaired, highways officials have said.


Norris, 17, set the second fastest time behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari at the Hungaroring on Wednesday. McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said Norris "impressed us all with his maturity, professionalism and speed". "He's certainly an asset to our test-driver line-up - not to mention a potential star of the future," he said. "His feedback with the engineers has been valuable and accurate." Norris' fastest lap of one minute 17.385 seconds was 0.164secs quicker than the qualifying time of double world champion Fernando Alonso in the McLaren at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. But the times cannot be directly compared because Alonso was on slower tyres, track conditions were different and the specification of the car Norris was using is not made public. Norris, who is a front-runner in the European Formula Three series, said on his Twitter feed on Thursday: "How insane was that? Thanks, McLaren." McLaren replied: "Was totally mega, Lando." After the test, Norris said in a McLaren statement: "Getting used to the car was a bit of a challenge at first, but by the end of the day I felt very comfortable. I got a lot of laps under my belt and I really enjoyed the experience." Another British rising star was driving at the test - Mercedes young driver George Russell. The 19-year-old was eighth fastest without having the opportunity to go for headline lap times on the fastest tyres like Norris. Russell, who races in GP3 this season, tested the 'halo' head protection device which will be used in F1 for the first time next season and said that he had no problems with it - and that in some circumstances it aided visibility. "I had a much better view with the halo than I expected," he said. "When the sun was coming down at the end of the day, it blocked the sun from my eyes. "From a driver's perspective, the visibility is completely fine. The only hindrance could potentially be seeing the start lights. "Getting in and out of the car with the halo takes a bit of experience. I struggled initially, but after a few trial runs I was fine."

Summary: Rising British star Lando Norris had an impressive first test in a current Formula 1 car with McLaren.


Turley, 26, had spells with non-league Salisbury City and Forest Green before joining Eastleigh in 2014 where he made 49 National League appearances. "I'm delighted to be finally making the step up to the Football League and I want to take full advantage of this opportunity," he told the club website. "I'm a quick and aggressive player, your typical centre-half really." Manager Warren Feeney hopes Turley, who turned down an improved deal at Eastleigh to join the Exiles, is the first of several summer signings. "We know exactly what we want in terms of mentality and ability," Feeney told BBC Wales Sport. "It might take a few weeks, but we are confident of putting a very competitive squad in place." Newport have offered contracts to eight members of last season's first team, but Feeney is unconcerned that none of the players are yet to agree to a stay at Rodney Parade. "It is not an issue at this stage," he said. "We won't let it drag on and on and I've made that clear to the players." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Newport County have signed defender Jamie Turley on a two-year deal from National League side Eastleigh.


But chairman Bill Kenwright says he will not make a snap decision. "Eleven years ago I made a decision [to appoint Moyes] and it was an instant decision. I don't think that can happen this time," he said. Media playback is not supported on this device "We have to see what candidates are out there to take the club forward." Laudrup, 48, led Swansea to the League Cup trophy this season - the club's first major silverware - while Martinez, 39, has been at Wigan since 2009. Departing captain Phil Neville, 36, may also figure in Everton's plans. Kenwright will take on board the views of the fans before making an appointment and said: "I will be looking to the fans to get that guidance. "I can't individually poll each one of them but it is important that they get the right manager. "The fans know the adventure they have had for 11 years. A very important part of my life is to see they are not let down because I don't want Evertonians let down." Kenwright praised Moyes for his contribution at Goodison Park over the last 11 seasons. "Manchester United are very lucky," he said. "It will be tough for all Evertonians to say goodbye to him, a great manager. Everton were shocked by the speed of events that have taken David Moyes to Old Trafford. The manager was planning for next season and even held meetings about transfer targets earlier this week before Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. There was a quiet confidence behind the scenes that, in the apparent absence of attractive offers, Moyes would stay at Goodison Park after his contract expires this summer. Now owner Bill Kenwright must find a successor to the man who has led Everton for 11 years. Swansea's Michael Laudrup and Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez head the list but other candidates will merit discussion, such as departing Everton captain Phil Neville. If the decision on who succeeded Ferguson was crucial to Manchester United, the same can be said for Everton as they seek to replace the manager who has been central to the workings of the club since 2002. "We could not stand in his way because he was out of contract. It was his decision; he has made it." Neville, who may yet emerge as a candidate to join the new managerial team at Old Trafford, announced last month that he would leave Goodison at the end of the season. He is highly respected at the club and will gain coaching experience with England at the European Under-21s Championship in Israel this summer. Former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder Laudrup started his managerial career at Danish club Brondby, guiding them to the title and Danish Cup twice during four years in charge. He then had spells at Spain's Getafe and Spartak Moscow in Russia, before being appointed Real Mallorca manager in La Liga in July 2010. He joined Swansea City last summer, replacing Liverpool-bound Brendan Rodgers, and has enjoyed a successful first season in England, guiding the Welsh side to their

Summary: Swansea's Michael Laudrup and Wigan's Roberto Martinez are the frontrunners to replace David Moyes as Everton boss when he takes over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in July.


Darren Kelly, 42, from Basildon, Essex, died after he was attacked in the street. The girl is in custody, police said. A 20-year-old man, 17-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl, all from Pitsea, and a 16-year-old boy from Basildon have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody. A post-mortem examination found Mr Kelly, a lorry driver, was likely to have died from "multiple stab wounds and blood loss", Essex Police said. His daughter Zoe said she was "heartbroken," adding she and her father were very close and lived a short walk away from each other. "To know he's not going to be round the corner anymore is very hard," she said. "I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say that he's going to be truly missed." Residents of Caister Drive, where the attack took place, say Mr Kelly rang their doorbells to ask for help after he was stabbed at about 21:30 BST on Tuesday. Carole Crisp, 56, said: "He managed to get to our block and was just randomly pressing the buzzers for help. "When I answered he said 'help me I've been stabbed'. I'm just in shock and so sad we couldn't do more." At the scene: BBC Essex reporter Chris Flynn Parts of Caister Drive are still sealed off, with much of the investigation centred outside two of the street's blocks of flats. Since I've been here a lorry has been pumping the drains, with police officers and highways engineers working alongside. I saw someone else come along with a shovel to get what they could out of the drains. Aside from the police presence, the street is relatively quiet with just the odd passer-by or neighbour coming and going, as people here come to terms with what has happened down their road.

Summary: A 13-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed to death.


He was injured in a tumble from Cernunnos, for his boss JP McManus, at the final fence in the Summer Plate Handicap Chase won by Long House Hall. Geraghty, 36, will see a specialist to determine whether he needs surgery. "He'll be out for two to three months with that," said Irish Turf Club senior medical officer Dr Adrian McGoldrick. The first big meeting in Ireland that Geraghty will miss will be the seven-day Galway meeting, which starts on 25 July.

Summary: Jockey Barry Geraghty will miss the Galway Festival and is out for at least two months after breaking his right arm in a fall at Market Rasen.


The Department for International Development (DfID) said last month the secretariat in London was "under performing" and needed "urgent reform". Senior diplomatic and political sources - speaking to the BBC off the record - have accused the secretary-general, Lady Scotland, of "poor leadership". But her spokesman said she had backing from all 52 Commonwealth countries that had elected her. He added that the Labour peer had also launched a programme to modernise the Commonwealth Secretariat. Tim Hitchens, a senior Foreign Office official and former ambassador to Japan, has been put in charge of a team preparing for the Commonwealth summit in London next year. Mr Hitchens, a former assistant private secretary to the Queen, will be based in the Cabinet Office and will report directly to the prime minister. Sir Simon Gass, a very senior official who retired from the Foreign Office last year, has been made acting chief operating officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat. He was appointed at the suggestion of the Foreign Office which is funding his salary. He is working directly with Lady Scotland at the secretariat's headquarters at Marlborough House in London. The appointments are being seen in Whitehall as an attempt by the government to shore up a troubled organisation at a crucial time. Ministers are keen to ensure that a meeting of Commonwealth trade ministers in London in March is a success and shows how Britain after Brexit can do more trade with countries outside the European Union. They also want to guarantee that the secretariat is capable of organising the heads of government summit next year that will be hosted by the Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth. Senior ministers will meet next week to discuss the agenda for the summit for the first time. Last week, Theresa May spoke of the "unique and proud global relationships" the UK has through the Commonwealth. The secretariat helps run the group of 52 mostly former British colonies that make up the Commonwealth and that are home to some 2.3 billion people, more than a quarter of the world's population. In a highly critical report in December, DfID threatened to withdraw its funding from the organisation unless it improved its performance. "The Commonwealth Secretariat continues to under perform," the multilateral aid review concluded. "Improvement is essential if DfID is to continue to fund the organisation's Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation." This is worth about Â£20m per year. The report added that the secretariat needed particularly to focus on improving "transparency, results measurement, human resource management, risk management, financial management, and budget discipline". The secretariat said the review related to the period before Lady Scotland took up the post of secretary-general last April. Since then, the peer - who was attorney general in Gordon Brown's government - has faced much criticism. She has been accused of financial extravagance over the refurbishment of her official residence and attacked for appointing political allies to key posts in the secretariat. She has always denied the accusations of wasteful spending and insisted no procurement rules were broken. Her allies have also claimed

Summary: The government has drafted in senior officials to support the Commonwealth amid concerns over the way it is being run, the BBC has learned.


I called it a circus act, a freak show. I said it had all the weird fascination of one of those Victorian Odditoriums with Wang the Human Unicorn and Ella the infamous Camel Girl. The appeal of an Old Firm derby is not so much the football but the grisliness surrounding the football. That's the marketability of this game - the rot. It's not known as one of the most storied derbies in world football because of the quality of the action on the field. Maybe it was back in the day - undoubtedly it was - but that hasn't been the case for a long time now. Those who get drawn to it do so because of its essential madness, its toxicity, its poison. That's an uncomfortable admission given the nature of some of the things that go on around this match - the bigotry, the violence, the viciousness and hysteria on social media. But it's the truth. At its craziest, it's football's equivalent of the Jim Rose Circus. And, love it or loathe it, for the next three months, there will be little escape from it. It's back - or soon will be. It was inevitable. Plenty have missed it. Plenty of others have not. It is possible to celebrate its return while also having an acute dread. That might seem like a contradiction, but in the strange world of the Old Firm, it makes some kind of sense. By the time it comes around, it will have been almost three years since the previous meeting of these two clubs. Expect that to be reflected in the acreage of newsprint and radio hours that will be expended on this Scottish League Cup semi-final. Before a previous meeting, I spent the week counting the number of newspaper pages given over to the fixture, from the Monday before to the Monday after. I gave up halfway through when the count had soared to over 100. One title had 27 pages dedicated to the game on one day alone. After a gap of three years, the mind boggles as to what lays ahead in terms of countdown. If you stop your stopwatch at the point when it was obvious that they would be drawn together, it probably it took a fraction of a millisecond for the first tweets to land, like blows to the jaw of their rivals. Media playback is not supported on this device Some among the Celtic support are steadfast in their belief that a unique occurrence is going to take place next year - the first meeting of the sides. Something akin to virtual spontaneous combustion happened on social media. As commentators ran through the gamut of Things We Cannot Say (TWCS), there was a predictable and plentiful response. "Previous meetings" - there's been none. "Rivalry" - doesn't exist. "Rangers" - no such club. This coterie of Celtic fans say they see this League Cup semi-final as a match with no history. We must assume, by extension, that they believe the Celtic crowd at Hampden for the semi-final will

Summary: A few years back, in the days before former owner Craig Whyte ever darkened Rangers' door and in a time when Charles Green was selling his bombast elsewhere, I wrote a column about the nature of the Old Firm derby as I saw it.


A French court gave the men suspended sentences of three to four months for organised violence, while two others were found not guilty. Another 11 were handed â‚¬500 (Â£425; $530) fines for property damage. The October 2015 protest made headlines across the world after the executives were filmed climbing a fence to escape. A hundred people protesting against restructuring plans broke down a fence and invaded a boardroom at Air France headquarters in the Parisian suburb of Roissy, next to Charles de Gaulle Airport, forcing the executives to flee. Air France-KLM was considering cutting almost 3,000 jobs and extending pilots' working hours. The proposal has since been dropped. But as the executives fled, the angry mob - who were chanting "naked, naked" and "resignation" - began to pull the clothes from their backs. They were left with no option but to scramble over the wire fence to safety. Pierre Plissonnier, director of long-haul operations at the airline, told the court of his "humiliation" at seeing pictures of himself scrambling over a fence to escape the mob, his shirt and suit jacket hanging in tatters. Human resources director Xavier Broseta had his shirt entirely ripped from his body. Most of the 15 who faced trial - four of whom have been fired - were union members. The violence of the protest shocked France, with Prime Minister Manuel Valls calling for the defendants, whom he branded "rogues", to be given stiff sentences. But Lilia Mhissen, lawyer for 11 of the defendants, said the verdict was "outrageous" and that she would advise her clients - whom she described as scapegoats - to file an appeal. Only one person walked away from the court in Bobigny, a suburb of Paris, without being convicted of any charge.

Summary: Three former Air France employees have been found guilty of ripping the shirts from the backs of two executives fleeing a meeting about job cuts.


Just a day after Mr Trump gave a speech on immigration and national security that included sweeping condemnations of Mr Obama's policies, the president responded with some of his harshest criticisms to date. "Where does this stop?" Mr Obama asked. "The Orlando killer, one of the San Bernardino killers, the Fort Hood killer - they were all US citizens. Are we going to start treating all Muslim-Americans differently? Are we going to start subjecting them to special surveillance? Are we going to start to discriminate [against] them, because of their faith?" Such views, Mr Obama said, are "not the America we want". As the Obama-Trump clash heats up, here are three things to keep in mind. Donald Trump and Barack Obama have a history that predates the current election cycle. In early 2011 Mr Trump repeatedly circulated conspiracy theories about the authenticity of the president's birth certificate and whether he was actually born in the US. Later that year, at a black-tie Washington event, Mr Obama relentlessly mocked Mr Trump while the New Yorker sat stone-faced in the audience - a performance the New Yorker's Adam Gopnik said helped motivate Mr Trump to eventually run for president. Over the past year Mr Trump has questioned Mr Obama's competence and openly speculated about his allegiances in what he labels the war on radical Islam. As recently as Sunday, he cryptically noted that Mr Obama was either "tough, not smart, or he's got something else in mind". Mr Obama has criticised Mr Trump in the past, but his remarks on Tuesday were the sharpest, most direct of this political season. His tone was stern, his language blunt. A few hours later, Mr Trump shot back, effectively accusing Mr Obama of treason. The president, he said in an email to the Associated Press, "continues to prioritise our enemy over our allies, and for that matter, the American people". The president clearly does not like the presumptive Republican nominee - and the feeling appears to be mutual. There's very little precedent in modern US political history for a sitting president to directly and sharply criticise the opposing party's standard-bearer in the run-up to a general election. In part that's because there simply haven't been many two-term presidents in recent memory - George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower are the only ones since World War 2. And of those, only Reagan and Eisenhower left office with high approval and largely free from scandal. Mr Obama is currently above 50% in most opinion polls and has been trending upward, so he is in a position to be an active and eager participant in the campaign fray. Because he's not the nominee, he has a free hand in what he can say, and he can bring the full weight of the presidency to bear on Mr Trump. The Republican nominee will be effectively campaigning against two candidates - Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama. And, at least for now, Mr Trump can only count on the tepid support of many of his fellow Republicans. Following Mr

Summary: The political battle between President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is now fully joined.


Council officers have advised against a self-rising barrier due to technical challenges and environment constraints. The walkway with glass panels would cost about Â£15m to install. A Dumfries and Galloway Council report said a significant amount of work had been done to address public concerns over visual impact and loss of parking. It is the latest attempt to find a compromise solution to tackle flooding from the River Nith in the town. Analysis: Giancarlo Rinaldi, BBC news website south Scotland reporter The time has come, surely, for the words to end and action to start. It will probably never be possible to come up with a solution to the Whitesands flooding which pleases everybody but most people agree something should be done. Anyone who has lived in Dumfries for any length of time knows it is a chronic problem which dates back for decades. The issues must have been aired well enough by now to allow the construction phase of some kind of scheme to begin. Otherwise, we will just have to accept - like previous generations - that it is something Dumfries must learn to live with. More than 5,500 people signed a petition against plans to build an embankment along the waterfront. Now a 1.3m (4ft 3in) raised walkway is being suggested with a 1.2m (4ft) glass wall on top. It comes after the latest round of public engagement events which found 83% of people in favour of some kind of flood protection scheme in the area. However, the questionnaire used to gauge opinion did not ask people outright which of the two remaining options they would prefer. That has led to accusations from some respondents that the survey was designed to give the council the result it wanted. Environment, economy and infrastructure committee chairman, councillor Colin Smyth, said: "After a consultation process that has stretched on for three years, it is now time for councillors to take a decision and make clear the way forward. "We know that options such as dredging and flooding upstream have been thoroughly investigated and, unfortunately, simply do not provide a solution. "However, councillors will have the opportunity to consider options that not only will tackle flooding but also regenerate the Whitesands." He also stressed that "as a direct result of the extensive public consultation" their proposals had "changed significantly". What do you think? Is it time for the talking to stop and some kind of flood protection project be put in place on the Whitesands in Dumfries or should the scheme be scrapped completely? Email your thoughts todumfries@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: A raised walkway has been recommended as the "optimal solution" to long-standing flooding problems in the Whitesands area of Dumfries.


The long-running debate over the future of the B-listed building could finally be decided by Perth and Kinross Council next week. A meeting of the full council will discuss two bids, which re-imagine the hall as either a luxury hotel or an indoor food market and community hub. Experts hired by the council have recommended backing the market plan. Demolition plans are on hold until the redevelopment proposals are considered. The Edwardian building, which dates back to 1911, was closed 10 years ago after a modern new concert hall was opened in the city. The council wanted to demolish it to make way for a new civic square, and hoped Historic Scotland would withdraw its objection to this plan if no firm plans for redevelopment could be agreed. Councillors agreed exactly a year ago to publicly market a 125-year lease for the hall to finally settle whether a realistic alternative to demolition exists. Five bids were received, but only two were found to be compliant with guidelines. One is a £4.8m proposal from the Seventy Group, previously backed by city planners, to convert the building into a 32-room hotel, with a rooftop bar and restaurant open to the public. The other, from Perth Market Place Ltd to use the main hall as a food hall and the lesser hall as a community space for hire, had been rejected by experts at an earlier draft stage. Redevelopment would cost £2.7m, with backing from Market Place Europe and Groupe Geraud, Europe's largest investor and operator of specialist markets. In a report to councillors, independent firm Jones Laing LaSalle recommended choosing the marketplace bid, which they said was far more detailed than the one they had previously advised against accepting. They said the chief difference between the bids was that Seventy Group proposed to pay a nominal £1 a year in rent, while Perth Market Place Ltd offered to pay £20,000, plus 7.5% of their annual turnover above that sum. They also said that the Seventy Group proposal had only outlined 65% of the required funding, which was a "significant weakness" of the hotel bid. If councillors give their backing to either proposal, council officers will be instructed to agree lease terms with the preferred bidder for approval at a later meeting. Officers noted that "an element of risk will require to be borne by the council until a lease is signed" should a chosen plan fall through.

Summary: Two proposals to save Perth's demolition-threatened City Hall are to be considered by councillors.


He told MSPs that the operators of Prestwick Airport had a bid team in place. The owners of Campbeltown airfield were also interested in attracting the venture. Stornoway, Newquay and Llanbedr are also on a UK government shortlist of potential sites. RAF Leuchars has been identified as a potential temporary facility. Ministers are keen to see the spaceport established by 2018. It would be used to launch commercial flights and satellites into space. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Brown said the Scottish government "was keen" to see the port built in Scotland. He said: "I am aware Glasgow Prestwick Airport is making considerable progress. "It has a bid team in place and is working with a range of local and national partners to develop its proposal." Mr Brown added: "The owners of Campbeltown air base are also interested in progressing a bid." Campbeltown is a former military air base and part of the site is used by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial). Earlier this month, the leader of the council in the Western Isles said Stornoway had "critical features" that made it the "ideal location" for a spaceport. Angus Campbell, of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said Lewis's geography and access to research and development facilities were suited to a facility. Hial, which operates Stornoway Airport, said it would potentially support a venture.

Summary: Two Scottish airports are actively bidding to host the UK's first spaceport, according to Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown.


But if visitors from EU countries wanted to work, study or settle in the UK they would have to apply for permission under the proposals. EU citizens are currently free to live and work in the UK without a permit. The Home Office says managing migration is about access to work and benefits as much as the ability to control entry at a physical border. But ministers are likely to face questions about whether there will be a "back door" into Britain and how the Home Office would stop visitors staying longer and getting jobs without a visa or a work permit. Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, a member of the Open Britain campaign against a "hard Brexit", said: "Nobody who voted to leave the European Union expected Brexit to mean Britain losing control of immigration, yet that is exactly what the government proposes. "Restricting the right to come and work in Britain while leaving an open door for everyone else seems to be opposite of a common sense immigration system. "It will not restrict anybody coming here from Europe who does not intend to work and may push other EU nationals into the black economy." He said the proposed new system "offers little control while burdening British businesses with yet more red tape" and the government should "put single market membership back on the table" instead. The Migration Watch pressure group said it was a "sensible, proportionate" proposal but the government would need to spend more money on immigration enforcement to deal with overstayers. The Home Office said: "Proposals for the future immigration system for EU citizens will be published in due course." Prime Minister Theresa May said free movement "as we've seen as members of the European Union" will end and there will be immigration rules "for people coming from inside EU - as today we have rules for people coming from outside the EU". The UK already grants visa-free travel to nationals from 56 countries - ranging from the United States to the Maldives. Passports are stamped on entry, and people are allowed to stay for a maximum of six months. But they are not allowed to work, study or settle. It's hardly surprising that a similar scheme is being considered for nationals from EU countries after Brexit - not least because future arrangements are likely to be reciprocal. In other words, if EU citizens needed visas to come to the UK in the future, UK citizens would need visas to travel to the EU. So it may be that the government's immigration plans will be to add several hundred million Europeans to a scheme that already exists. And the main burden for policing it, and checking whether people are here legitimately, would not fall on a beefed up border guard or immigration service. Rather, it would rest with employers - everyone from the NHS to a small high street cafe - as well as landlords, banks and local government agencies. According to The Times, the new system for EU visitors will be phased in after Britain officially leaves the

Summary: The government plans to keep visa-free travel to the UK for EU visitors after Brexit, the BBC understands.


Prosecutors said the aim was to prevent evidence being destroyed. Police seized luxury cars from the home of the former Brazilian President, Fernando Collor de Mello. The bribery scandal has undermined the standing of the current President, Dilma Rousseff. Mr Collor denied any wrongdoing and posted on social media that "the measure was invasive, arbitrary and flagrantly unnecessary considering that the facts of the case have been investigated for at least two years... and I have never even been called to give any clarification." Fifty-three searches were carried out "in homes, offices, company headquarters, law firms and public institutions." the police said in a statement. Brazilian media said a senator, Ciro Nogueira, a congressman, Eduardo da Fonte and the ex-Cities Minister, Mario Negromonte, were also being investigated. The police said the operation had taken place in the Federal District of the capital Brasilia and six states. Since March last year the Petrobras investigation, nicknamed by police "Operation Car Wash", has placed former Petrobras executives and some of Brazil's most powerful construction contractors behind bars. Thirty-four congressmen and one state vice-governor are under investigation. Investigators allege firms paid corrupt officials in order to get lucrative Petrobras contracts. The scandal has rocked Brazil's governing Workers' Party, with top politicians in several parties accused of taking bribes. But President Rousseff, who chaired Petrobras when much of the corruption is believed to have taken place, has been cleared of involvement.

Summary: Brazilian police have searched properties linked to politicians suspected of taking bribes in a scandal involving the state-run oil company, Petrobras.


Neil Davidson, 28, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody after he appeared in court on Monday. He is charged with importing and possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply. Mr Davidson was arrested in a car at West Bank Road in the city's docks area on Friday evening. The court in Belfast heard that cocaine worth £960,000, heroin worth £500,000 and cannabis worth £2,000 was seized. A detective said he believed Mr Davidson was a member of an organised crime gang based in Dublin with connections to Northern Ireland and Holland. Opposing bail, he said he was concerned that Mr Davidson would abscond, commit further offences or that there could be a threat to his personal well being. The detective said he believed Mr Davidson did not act alone, however, he refused to identify others involved. A defence lawyer told the court that Mr Davidson had serious health problems. He does not have a criminal record. Bail was refused and he was remanded in custody until 24 October.

Summary: Police believe a man arrested over a £1.5m drugs haul belongs to a Dublin crime gang with links to Northern Ireland and Holland, a court has heard.


Border Force officers searched a trailer at Immingham Docks which had arrived from the Netherlands on Thursday night. They found 8,960,000 cigarettes inside 20 wooden pallets. If undetected, the Border Force estimated the haul would have cost the Treasury Â£2.5m in unpaid duty and VAT.

Summary: Almost nine million cigarettes hidden inside packages labelled as containing wooden flooring have been seized at a port on the River Humber.


The team, founded by five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins to develop young British talent, was omitted from the race which runs from 28-30 April. "It's very disappointing and it is very much a surprise," said the team's sports director Simon Cope. Race organisers said the event was oversubscribed and "unfortunately someone had to miss out". A total of 49 teams applied for 36 slots - 18 in the men's race and 18 in the women's. The decision on who was included was made between Welcome to Yorkshire and cycling event organisers ASO, who jointly run the event. A Welcome to Yorkshire spokesman said that Team Wiggins were welcome to apply for any future editions of the race. But Cope told Cycling Weekly that he believed the team, who are the only British third-tier UCI Continental outfit not included, could have made an impact in the race. "Good or bad press at the moment, there's a percentage of the UK population who will be going to the race who want to see (Team) Wiggins there," he said. "You would have thought that we would have got in, but the organisers have made their selection and that's it, we can't do anything about it. We will have to go and find another bike race to do." An investigation by UK Anti-Doping is currently ongoing into allegations of wrongdoing in cycling involving Wiggins - who retired in December - and Team Sky. Cope, who used to work for Team Sky, was questioned by MPs earlier this month about the contents of a medical package he delivered to Wiggins when he was racing at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine in France. Team Sky have admitted "mistakes were made" around how medical records relating to the package were kept but deny breaking anti-doping rules.

Summary: Team Wiggins say they are "surprised" and "disappointed" after being excluded from next month's Tour de Yorkshire.


Mandy and Pete Garland, from Weston-super-Mare, said their home address, phone numbers and flight dates were shared by Thomson in an email. Thomson apologised for the error. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it had investigated and was taking no further action. Mr and Mrs Garland were among 458 customers whose booking details were shared on 15 August. The couple booked a two-week trip to the Dominican Republic in January but later received a balance reminder email with a spreadsheet attached which included details of almost 500 customers from "Scotland to Cornwall", Mr Garland said. "My biggest worry was how many people on that list are going to be prepared to show those details? "Anybody with a little bit of brains would be able to look at the list and go 'there's a pretty good chance that house is going to be empty for at least a week'. "So my biggest concern was the security of the house." A Thomson spokesman said the email was "identified very quickly and recalled". The couple said they had received "no apology and no money back". They said rescheduling their holiday "was not an option" as their jobs did not give them that flexibility.

Summary: A couple whose personal details were revealed in a data breach by holiday company Thomson have cancelled their Caribbean trip over fears they could be burgled while away.


Eight hectares of farmland near Derby will be used for natural burials marked by wooden plaques, carvings, trees or flowers instead of headstones. The Locko Park estate said the cemetery will be screened by trees and would "make the greenbelt greener" and provide an income for the estate. Erewash Borough Council unanimously approved the plans on Thursday. Biodegradable coffins will be used at the site, next to the Bartlewood Lodge pub in Ockbrook. The popularity of green burials has surged in recent years. In 1993 there was just one in the country, now there are more than 270. Estate managing agent William Gagie said it would help the site "diversify" from its farming income. "It is agricultural land and ultimately it will be converted to what appears to be woodland with no structures above ground other than planting of trees," he said, Mr Gagie said: "It's less formal than a traditional cemetery, it probably appeals to people who are not of traditional faiths." Councillor Howard Griffiths said the council had to compulsorily purchase land in Breaston in 1998 to provide more grave spaces after the closure of one of its cemeteries. He said as well as creating more burial space the natural cemetery would improve rather than damage the greenbelt. Mr Griffiths said: "I think it'll make it more revered because people will be buried in the ground and people will come here to visit. "It'll probably protect the ground from development in the future so I'm quite happy this use is coming to this area." Work is due to be completed by the autumn.

Summary: A natural cemetery for 11,000 burials has been approved for greenbelt land in Derbyshire.


The Dow Jones closed at 18,116.04, down 105 points, or 0.6%, while the broader S&P 500 dropped 13 points, or 0.6%, to 2091.5. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 16 points, or 0.3%, to 4,994.73. The dollar rose against the euro by 0.2% to â‚¬0.9154. The dollar's rise can hurt large US companies' profits, as they get less from their overseas earnings after currency conversions. Additionally, the dollar's strength makes it harder for companies to compete with foreign rivals, which may be able to offer similar products more cheaply. There was some welcome economic data on Tuesday, which showed US consumer prices had rebounded in February, but this failed to lift Wall Street. The Consumer Price Index rose by 0.2% last month, after fuel prices increased for the first time since June. The monthly rise follows three consecutive months of declines, including a 0.7% drop in January. On an annual basis, prices in February were unchanged from a year earlier. Analysts said investors were wary of shares because of the possible impact of the stronger dollar on companies' profits. "Right now, we are a bit of in a waiting pattern and the big news is going to be when these earnings reports start to hit in April," Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments, told Reuters.

Summary: (Close): The main US share indexes all fell on Tuesday as investors continued to fret about the effect of the strong dollar on corporate results.


Former Grimsby boss Hurst was appointed on 24 October, with the Shropshire club at the bottom of the table. After beating Oxford, losses to Sheffield United and Fleetwood plus a 0-0 draw at home to Port Vale have seen Hurst's side return to bottom spot. "Sometimes you need a bit of a joker," he told BBC Radio Shropshire. "I'm a believer you can have fun while working hard still. They're a quiet group. I don't know if they feel they're still getting to know me, but I want a bit more from them. "Characters - that's what you sometimes need. I don't want them to feel down." Shrewsbury host fellow third-tier side Fleetwood in the FA Cup second round on Saturday.

Summary: Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst has urged his squad to have more fun and lighten up, in a bid to help their League One relegation battle.


The comment follows an incident where a senior clergyman was injured by a young eagle as he tried to scare it away after it attacked one of his geese. The SGA has called for a public inquiry into the impact of the reintroduction of the birds on the east coast. RSPB Scotland has described the small child claim as "alarmist nonsense". The Scottish government said it was not aware of any attacks by sea eagles on children in other countries and did not think a public inquiry was necessary. In a letter to the Scottish government, the SGA warned that the attack on the Very Reverend Hunter Farquharson in Abernethy, in Perthshire, could be the first of many. The association has asked for the formulation of an "exit strategy" if the sea eagles turn out to have an adverse effect on social, economic or leisure activities. In the letter, the SGA said: "These creatures are being released into what is a comparatively densely populated area so they will come into contact with humans on a daily basis. "That will instil habituated behaviour and remove what should be a healthy fear of humans. "There are reports of buzzards which have obviously undergone this desensitisation and this has resulted in them attacking people. This could pose a serious threat in the future. "Will these very large creatures differentiate between a small child and more natural quarry?" The Perth-based SGA represents gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies, wildlife managers and rangers. Association committee member Bert Burnett said the group did not have a problem with sea eagles on Scotland's west coast. He said: "As far as we are concerned these sea eagles seem to be doing fine and not posing a threat." However, Mr Burnett said more consultation was needed on the release of the birds on the east coast. He added: "Some might think this is gamekeepers making a fuss for some obscure reason. "That's not the case. It is a genuine concern and it is a concern felt by other people out there other than gamekeepers." On the micro blogging website Twitter, RSPB Scotland tweeted: "Alarmist nonsense from the SGA. "Sea eagle could soon be eating small children. Surely ScotGov won't take this seriously." A spokesman for RSPB Scotland said the Perthshire incident was unfortunate and regrettable but that the bird had reacted as other wild animals might do when cornered. He said the SGA claim about eagles, the UK's largest bird of prey, targeting small children as ridiculous. With a wing span of 8ft, the white-tailed sea eagle is the UK's largest bird of prey. It was completely wiped out in Britain in the early 20th Century and only returned when a reintroduction programme began on the island of Rum in 1975. Mull, Wester Ross and Skye also now have established populations. In August this year, a new batch of 16 young sea eagles were released in Fife. A Scottish government said the raptors were widespread in many parts of Europe, including densely populated areas. A spokeswoman said: "We are not aware of any attacks

Summary: The Scottish Gamekeepers Association has raised concerns about whether sea eagles could differentiate between children and their natural prey.


Four charities withdrew as official partners from the Kiltwalk earlier this year and its chief executive stepped down a few weeks later. The Kiltwalk stages sponsored walks across Scotland to raise money for leading children's charities. Its 2013 accounts showed more was spent on costs than went to charity. There is no suggestions regulations were broken. Kiltwalk chairman Michael Ure said it had incurred additional costs because of a "re-structuring". Mr Ure and the rest of the trustees have now stood down. The Kiltwalk said a new board would oversee the continued development of the charity. The group has also attracted support from one of Scotland's richest men, the entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter, whose foundation has committed long-term funding. Mr Hunter said: "The Kiltwalk is a fantastic concept for raising much-needed funds for Scotland's children's charities and has our absolute support. "We intend over the next couple of months to redefine and improve the model, building on the foundations already in place, to maximise returns for charities and turbo-charge Scotland's Kiltwalkers for 2016." The Kiltwalk was set up in 2011 with the aim of bringing Scotland's leading children's charities together for a series of sponsored walks. It grew from 800 walkers that year to more than 12,000 across the country in 2014. However, earlier this year four charities - CLIC Sargent, Cash for Kids, Aberlour and Edinburgh's Sick Kids Friends Foundation - withdrew as official partners. CLIC Sargent and Aberlour indicated to BBC Scotland that they had concerns over the amount of money reaching them from the Kiltwalk. The most recent set of accounts for the Kiltwalk showed that from an income of just over Â£1.6m, Â£780,000 had been spent on running costs - more than the Â£776,000 which went to charity.

Summary: A Scottish charity has replaced its entire board of trustees following concerns over the amount of money it was giving to charitable causes.


The UK agency said it lost 32,000 pages of data and 81 audio tapes linked to a bribery probe into BAE's al-Yamamah deal with Saudi Arabia. The investigation into the huge arms deal was discontinued in 2006 after intervention from then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. The SFO said the lost material comprised 3% of data about the deal. It said it lost the items when it returned more material than intended to a source in the investigation. The data loss took place between May and October 2012 and was discovered in May this year. The SFO said it had contacted the 59 suppliers of data for the investigation to inform them of the situation. "Any loss of data is a serious matter and the SFO has taken action to ensure no further material can be wrongly sent out," the agency said in a statement. It continued: "The SFO has a duty to return material to those who supplied it, upon request, after the close of an investigation. "In this instance the party requesting the return was sent additional material which had in fact been obtained from other sources." Peter Mason, former director of security at the Palace of Westminster, has conducted a review and made some recommendations, including raising the profile of data handling as a key risk in the SFO's business. A former civil servant, Alan Woods, is also conducting a wider-ranging review of SFO processes. The al-Yamaha deal involved the sale of tens of billions of pounds worth of arms by BAE Systems to Saudi Arabia, beginning in the 1980s and ending in 2006 with the sale of 72 Typhoon fighter jets. Allegations of corruption and bribery led to an SFO investigation in 2004, but it was closed in 2006 on grounds of public interest, amid concerns that relations with Saudi Arabia were being harmed. The firm paid $450m (Â£289m) in fines in the UK and US three years ago to end other corruption investigations in both countries. It pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to make false statements to the US government, including on deals in Saudi Arabia, and in the UK on one charge of breach of duty regarding payments made in Tanzania. Speaking about the data loss, a BAE spokesman said: "Ultimately, this is a matter for the SFO and as far as BAE Systems is concerned, it is now closed." Labour MP Emily Thornberry, shadow attorney general, said the incident "raises more questions than it answers" and asked what the government was doing to "ensure that this never happens again".

Summary: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) says it has lost thousands of documents relating to a probe into BAE Systems.


Is the chancellor intent on using his soft power to take on the hard Brexiteers? He's certainly using it to isolate one very vulnerable prime minister. Mr Hammond, while seemingly content to let her remain in political limbo, has also vented his frustration about his boss, making it clear that Theresa May's team had made sure he had been shut away during the election, forbidden to talk about the economy. He has suggested that this was the key, fatal, majority-losing mistake. His message now: "It's the economy, stupid," and that goes for Brexit too. Monday's talks in Brussels are one baby step on a long journey to a new future. The election has changed everything. There are those in the Conservative Party who think the lesson was clear: hard Brexit has been rejected. "Our power is now limited. To say it is a mess is to state the bleeding obvious," one former minister, an ardent campaigner for Leave, told us. A former minister on the other side of the debate made it clear she had kept her seat because she was an ardent Remainer and was pinning her hopes on the chancellor softening Brexit. Whether or not the chancellor is "on manoeuvres", Mr Hammond is certainly marshalling his arguments. A planned Mansion House speech was postponed because of the Grenfell fire, but was briefed as potentially lobbing a missile into Number 10 and that the chancellor was toying with the idea of arguing to stay in the Customs Union. He hasn't done that. Instead, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that he would prioritise the economy, jobs and skills, while adding: "We're leaving the EU and because we're leaving the EU we will be leaving the single market. And by the way, we'll be leaving the Customs Union." The postponed speech will now be delivered on Tuesday 20 June. In a wider context, to understand the chancellor's language you have to decode the debate and the movement of the Tories biggest beasts, those who consider themselves the natural rulers, who feel that those they see as rebels, or Leavers, have seized control of their citadel. It looks as if a counter-strike by these forces is unfolding before our eyes. Consider: two former prime ministers, John Major and David Cameron, who were humiliated by Eurosceptics, have backed Mr Hammond's view, calling for the economy to be put first and for an agreement on Brexit with other parties. So has former Conservative leader William Hague. So has the only Tory hero of the hour, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservatives' leader. Almost unnoticed, the generally rather underwhelming reshuffle was at the heart of the coup. Chancellor Phillip Hammond secure in place, Remainer Damien Green elevated to First Secretary of State, Remainer Gavin Barwell, former Croydon MP, the prime minister's new chief of staff, a critical appointment. Brexit Secretary David Davis's top team has been eviscerated. His main ministerial enthusiast for leaving the EU, David Jones, was sacked without warning. The other resigned. The department didn't know it was coming. More importantly, Mr Davis didn't

Summary: What does Chancellor Philip Hammond's increasingly vocal stance on Brexit say about his intentions, his prime minister and his party?


12 September 2014 Last updated at 06:51 BST But the contrast could not be more different in India where consumers are being bombarded with low-priced smart devices. These cheaper handsets are set to open up new online opportunities, as millions of people take to the internet for the first time. From Delhi, David Reid reports. Watch more reports on Asia Business Report's website.

Summary: Smartphones were one of the big themes of the week - and the release of Apple's latest iPhone could well shake things up at the top end of the market.


Terry, 35, said last week that he had not been offered a new deal when his contract expires in the summer. Asked after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United whether anything had changed, he told Sky Sports: "Not from my point of view." He added: "I made it very clear I wanted to stay." Since Terry suggested last weekend that he would leave, Hiddink appeared keen to discuss a possible contract extension with the centre-back. But speaking on Sunday, Hiddink said was not going to speculate further. Terry added: "It's a difficult one. The club is the most important thing. There is no communication between me and the club at the moment. "I'll never forget my memories here and they will live with me forever." Terry has been linked with moves to Qatar side Al Arabi - managed by his ex-Blues team-mate Gianfranco Zola - as well as Major League Soccer in the United States and the lucrative Chinese Super League.

Summary: Chelsea captain John Terry said there has been "no communication" between him and the club despite boss Guus Hiddink suggesting he could stay.


The film director had originally meant to shoot the sunset, but pointed the drone downwards to return home when the battery ran low. It wasn't until he was going through his footage later that he saw the shot. Mr Li says he posted it online in a bid to find out who the pair are, but the photo is not entirely what it seems. "I was with a friend trying to get a good shot of the sunset but the drone battery was running low so we just pointed it down as it returned home, and I thought we'd just keep the camera rolling," Mr Li told the BBC. "I didn't notice anything interesting until I went through the footage later and saw this grassy rooftop." Mr Li, who was raised in the US but has family in Hong Kong, then posted the picture on Facebook hoping one of his friends would know the couple. From then, it "kinda just took off", he says. The shot, which he believes shows the roof of the J residence apartments in Hong Kong, was definitely not staged, says Mr Li. "So many people think that I staged the photo," he says. "I'm a filmmaker not a wedding photographer so I don't really have an incentive. It's really just a lucky catch." But he did make some adjustments to the original photo, which was taken on 28 September. The photo he captured shows two people standing near the couple's feet, presumably photographers, who Mr Li airbrushed out to make the couple stand out more. A person sprawled out on some seating in the corner, however, was spared the cut. Mr Li says he applied some colour correction to the image as well. For now, the identity of the couple - who might in real life not actually be a couple - remains a mystery, though Mr Li has made enquiries with the building's management who have yet to respond. But even if the photo fails to make it into the wedding books, he thinks it's a great metaphor for life in Hong Kong. "You usually see these really cold pictures of Hong Kong looking really crowded and grey, and here's this moment where two people are doing something very good and joyous. "It's like making your own oasis of joy in the city."

Summary: A "lucky catch" is how Brandon Li describes the accidental drone shot he captured of "newlyweds" on a rooftop in Hong Kong.


The fruit can cause overdoses of some drugs by stopping the medicines being broken down in the intestines and the liver. The researchers who first identified the link said the number of drugs that became dangerous with grapefruit was increasing rapidly. They were writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The team at the Lawson Health Research Institute in Canada said the number of drugs which had serious side effects with grapefruit had gone from 17 in 2008 to 43 in 2012. They include some drugs for a range of conditions including blood pressure, cancer and cholesterol-lowering statins and those taken to suppress the immune system after an organ transplant. Chemicals in grapefruit, furanocoumarins, wipe out an enzyme which breaks the drugs down. It means much more of the drug escapes the digestive system than the body can handle. Three times the levels of one blood pressure drug, felodipine, was reported after patients had a glass of grapefruit juice compared with a glass of water. The side effects are varied depending on the drug, but include stomach bleeds, altered heart beat, kidney damage and sudden death. Dr David Bailey, one of the researchers, told the BBC: "One tablet with a glass of grapefruit juice can be like taking five or 10 tablets with a glass of water and people say I don't believe it, but I can show you that scientifically it is sound. "So you can unintentionally go from a therapeutic level to a toxic level just by consuming grapefruit juice." The report said: "We contend that there remains a lack of knowledge about this interaction in the general health care community." They added: "Unless health care professionals are aware of the possibility that the adverse event they are seeing might have an origin in the recent addition of grapefruit to the patient's diet, it is very unlikely that they will investigate it." Other citrus fruits such as Seville oranges, often used in marmalade, and limes have the same effect. Neal Patel, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: "Grapefruit isn't the only food that can cause issues, for example milk can stop the absorption of some antibiotics if taken at the same time. "Although some of these interactions may not be clinically significant, some may lead to more serious outcomes. "Pharmacists are the best port of call for anyone concerned about how their diet may affect their medication. Information about any interactions would always be included in the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine." A spokesman from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said: "We encourage patients and healthcare professionals to report any suspected adverse drug reactions to our Yellow Card Scheme. "You can get more information about the scheme and report online."

Summary: Doctors have warned of a "lack of knowledge" about the dangers of mixing some medications with grapefruit.


He was in his hotel room in London, where he is due to perform at the Lyric Theatre, when officers barged in. Tweeting about his predicament he said hotel staff mistook him for a guest who had threatened staff with a knife. He was handcuffed and led from the room shouting "but I'm in my kegs". Met Police said he was mistakenly detained. Geordie comic Ramsey is touring the country with his show All Growed Up and provided a running commentary on Twitter of Sunday night's events. "Well... The police have definitely just kicked my hotel door in and handcuffed me," the first tweet, sent at 00:47, said. In a string of follow-up tweets he said: "Hotel staff ID'd me as someone who had been in the hotel earlier threatening staff with a knife. So when I checked in just now they called the police and sent them up to my room! I kept asking 'is this a joke?' When he said 'no come with us' police put the handcuffs on me and began to march me out of the room when I shouted 'but I'm in my kegs'. "I love the idea that someone who was in earlier threatening staff with a knife, would then check in later for a kip!!", he tweeted. On his way to breakfast he said he was taking precautions by wearing an anonymous black cap and black T-shirt, lest he be mistaken for "a murderer or something". Ramsey - who is a panel show regular and has also starred in BBC sitcom Hebburn - tweeted that his ordeal might be discussed during his stand-up routine later. A Met Police spokesman confirmed officers had initially been called to deal with a man who was threatening hotel staff with a knife in a racially aggravated attack. Officers returned to the hotel after midnight when they mistakenly arrested and subsequently released Ramsey, the spokesman said.

Summary: Comedian Chris Ramsey was arrested at midnight in his underpants - but has since said he sees the funny side of the case of mistaken identity.


Jobbik came second in 18 out of 19 counties, ahead of the Socialists, as in the May European elections. It won control of 14 towns and villages. The party has been accused of anti-Semitic and anti-Roma rhetoric. Fidesz won all but six districts of the capital Budapest, where its mayoral candidate Istvan Tarlos was re-elected. It has a two-thirds majority in the national parliament and the local election consolidated its grip over the country's politics. It came top in nearly all the big towns and cities. Jobbik is the third-largest party in Hungary's parliament and has three MEPs. It has tried to soften its image recently, but remains committed to defending conservative Hungarian values and thwarting integration of Roma communities, many of whom are desperately poor and marginalised. The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Budapest writes: "From 2018, Jobbik will govern this country," Jobbik leader Gabor Vona told cheering supporters in Budapest as the election results came in. But he faces an uphill task to overtake Fidesz. His main problem is that Prime Minister Orban has stolen most of his Eurosceptic clothes. Jobbik did well in this election, but not as well as it hoped. In 18 of 19 counties, it came second to Fidesz, proving that it now has nationwide support. In the countryside, Jobbik won five towns and nine villages, up from one town and three villages in 2010. Most spectacularly, it won narrowly in the northern industrial town of Ozd, which has a large Roma population. Jobbik's initial success was largely based on its ability to tap into widespread fear of the Roma in the Hungarian countryside. In all three elections this year - parliamentary, European and municipal - it has considerably toned down its rhetoric. It is now trying to appeal to middle-class voters who have abandoned Fidesz, as their standard of living stagnates and their children leave to work abroad.

Summary: The far-right Jobbik party in Hungary has made gains in local elections won convincingly by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling nationalist Fidesz.


Mr Hayes, 71, spent three months making and decorating the framework which contains 128 pots of home-grown blooms. "It was supposed to be 40ft high but the wife wouldn't let me go any higher," said Mr Hayes, who also built his own home. The tower is made up of six box sections welded and stacked on top of each other and tethered to a wall. Mr Hayes spends three hours twice a week weeding and watering his upwardly mobile flower be, and has already given it a replanting makeover. The part-time office furniture salesman said he thought up the project when he was left with a surplus of steel struts after recycling some office desks. "My wife loves it to bits, so do all my neighbours," he said. "The reason I'm proud of it is it's a one-off, it looks beautiful and I didn't need any help to make it, everything was done by me, nobody even handed me even a spanner." With its overhanging cover, the pots in Mr Hayes's flower tower each contain five different plants. Initially, they had daffodils and tulips but when those died out he replaced them with fuchsias, geraniums, pansies and others. The couple live in the bungalow Mr Hayes built over three levels himself almost 40 years ago. He has also worked as a window builder and fitter and has done odd jobs throughout his life. Mr Hayes moved to Newport from Iraq when he was 19. His father was an engineer but Mr Hayes says he is totally self taught. He said: "If you can't think how to do it, think harder!" "Some say "Jack of all trades but master of none" but I don't believe in that saying - I would challenge any plasterer, any welder."

Summary: Retired steel worker Edward Hayes has built a 26ft (8m) tower of flowers in the drive of his Newport home.


The 30-year-old winger was named player of the season in his first year at The Valley, which included 13 goals. "It was a no-brainer for me to sign a new contract," Holmes said. "Hopefully we can get promoted this season." Holmes also produced six assists in his 38 appearances after joining on an initial two-year deal from Northampton Town in June 2016.

Summary: Charlton midfielder Ricky Holmes has signed a new three-year deal with the League One side.


Without elaborating, Michael Flynn told White House reporters: "As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice." Washington earlier declared the test to be "absolutely unacceptable". Iran confirmed on Wednesday it had tested a missile over the weekend, but denied violating a UN Security Council resolution. Iran denies missile test violated UN resolution Tillerson confirmed as top US diplomat Mr Flynn did not provide any further details of what actions the US may be planning in response to the test, which Pentagon officials say failed upon re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. The launch prompted the US to accuse Iran of violating UN resolution 2231, which "calls upon" Iran not to "undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons". As part of its final negotiations for the 2015 nuclear agreement with six world powers, Tehran agreed to an eight-year extension of the UN ban on ballistic missile development. During the White House daily press briefing, Mr Flynn did not accuse Tehran of violating that nuclear accord. But the national security adviser did describe the Obama administration-brokered deal as "weak and ineffective". "Instead of being thankful to the United States for these agreements, Iran is now feeling emboldened," he said. He said "the Obama administration failed to respond adequately to Tehran's malign actions - including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms". Mr Flynn also pointed to a recent attack against a Saudi warship by Iranian-backed Houthi militants as evidence of "Iran's destabilising behaviour across the Middle East". During Mr Trump's campaign for president, he frequently attacked the nuclear pact with Iran, vowing to "dismantle the disastrous deal". In December 2016 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told an audience at the University of Tehran that he would not allow Mr Trump to "rip up" the deal, Reuters news agency reported. On Wednesday Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan stood by their missile test. "We have previously announced that we will execute the programmes we have planned in production of defence equipment meant for our national interests and objectives," Iranian media quoted him as saying. "Nobody can influence our decision. We will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defence affairs."

Summary: US President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor has accused the Iranian government of "malign actions" after a missile test.


30 December 2015 Last updated at 13:37 GMT The storm has also brought heavy rain and gales to Northern Ireland and Scotland, with flood warnings in place across the UK. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated and thousands left without power with many areas fearing the storm will bring more flooding.

Summary: A large batch of sea foam has washed up on the coastal town of Tramore as Storm Frank moved across the Republic of Ireland.