That was a sequence resulting in the end of manager Ron Atkinson's reign and ushered in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. The season ended with United in 11th place. They currently stand in ninth position, 13 points adrift of leaders and Premier League title favourites Chelsea, having won just three times in the league. Van Gaal admits it was "stupid" to ask observers to assess him after three months and there is no question the formidable coach who led the Netherlands to the World Cup semi-final will be given time to put his stamp on Old Trafford. So, after 10 games and a sixth defeat in the last seven Premier League derbies, here are 10 talking points from the early months under Van Gaal. There are few more self-assured characters in the world game than Van Gaal, his confidence and sheer force of personality a formidable ally to his undoubted coaching prowess. If his predecessor David Moyes often seemed worn down and surprised by the sheer scale of Manchester United, Van Gaal believes this is his natural environment. Despite a stuttering start, Van Gaal is convinced United are "close - but not close enough" to Chelsea and Manchester City after a 1-1 draw with Jose Mourinho's side and a narrow defeat at the reigning champions. Van Gaal is a charismatic figure, brutally honest and open in his assessments. Media playback is not supported on this device The Dutchman praised his side's "incredible willpower" for mounting a late threat with 10 men after Chris Smalling's red card - but also had no hesitation in condemning the defender's sending off as "stupid" and "not so smart". He is outwardly, and no doubt inwardly, as confident as ever in his approach and his conviction that he will get it right. An uncertain start has done nothing to dent that iron-clad self-belief. Van Gaal's attempt to restructure United's squad after last season's failures under Moyes came in the shape of a £150m investment as phase one of his rebuilding programme. No-one can deny, however, that he has been badly hampered by injuries to those he hopes would form the bedrock of his new United team. The sight of £16m defender Marcos Rojo being taken off on a stretcher will have been another body blow to Van Gaal. He was already without £28m midfielder Ander Herrera after a rib injury, while left-back Luke Shaw missed the start of the season and striker Radamel Falcao was missing at Etihad Stadium. Add to this injuries to Phil Jones and Jonny Evans, while Michael Carrick has only just returned, and it is only right that Van Gaal's start must be judged in this context. United's squad has done nothing to dispel the feeling that it is heavily front loaded - packed with attacking intent but short on the nuts and bolts of defence that can lock games down. The comparison about putting the roof on a house before the foundations were secure has been made. Angel Di Maria and Falcao were talents that embroidered the likes of Wayne Rooney and

Summary: Manchester United's 1-0 derby defeat by Manchester City left new manager Louis van Gaal presiding over the club's worst start to a season since 1986-87.


Scottish winger Matt Williams' early touchdown caused shudders round a soaking wet Sixways. But the home side responded with four tries, allied to 18 points from the boot of stand-off Ryan Lamb. Flanker Sam Lewis scored a hat-trick of tries, while winger Dean Hammond also crossed the whitewash. Lamb kicked three of his four conversion attempts, as well as two key first-half penalties - and two more late in the game. Full-back Peter Lydon got the Exiles' other try, which he converted, along with a first-half penalty for a 10-point haul. Scottish trailed by five points from Saturday's first leg, only for that advantage to be wiped out inside the first six minutes. Jamie Stevenson's blindside run set up right wing Williams to score in the corner. But that turned out to be the nearest this contest got to a Scottish gain as Warriors eventually rallied and started to tick the right boxes. Two Lamb penalties in the space of three minutes were followed by a Sam Lewis pushover try in the left corner, from which Lamb was also successful with the conversion. Peter Lydon did reduce the deficit at the interval to 13-8 with a penalty, but two tries in four minutes at the start of the second half killed the contest. All Blacks winger Cooper Vuna, switched to full-back following an early injury to Ben Howard, set up Hammond, converted by Lamb before Lewis crashed over in the right corner, from which Lamb missed his first kick of the night. Lydon converted his own try to bring it back to 25-15 on the night, before Lewis's third try, again converted by Lamb. Lamb landed two more penalties before injury-weakened Warriors brought the biggest roar of the night with the late introduction of 17-year-old schoolboy Jamie Shillcock at scrum-half. Warriors: Howard; Hammond, Grove, Mills, Vuna; Lamb, Bruzulier; Rapava Ruskin, Creevy, Schonert, Percival, Thomas, Mike Williams, Lewis, van Velze (capt). Replacements: Annett, Fainga'anuku, Rees, Cox, Shillcock, Fatiaki, Biggs. London Scottish: Lydon; Matt Williams, Moffat, Gidlow, Doneghan; Newton, Stevenson; Lilley, Kwasnicki, Prescott, Phillips, Thomas Brown, Gillanders, Best, Bright (capt). Replacements: Hallam, Stephenson, Rae, Chisholm, Walker, Heeks, Millar. Attendance: 6,658

Summary: Worcester Warriors booked their place in the Championship play-off final, but they had to come from behind to beat London Scottish on the night.


Anderson is the first recruit brought in by new boss Justin Edinburgh, who took over on Monday with the club 16th in the League One table. The 21-year-old joined Palace from non-league Barton Rovers in January 2015, but has yet to play a first-team game. He had previous loan spells with Doncaster and Bolton and could make his Cobblers debut at MK Dons on Saturday. "I felt we needed a striker who could stretch defences and worry them with speed and movement, and Keshi can do that," said Edinburgh. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.

Summary: Northampton Town have signed Crystal Palace striker Keshi Anderson on loan until the end of the season.


Online defamation was already a crime, but the new law makes specific provisions for the president. Offenders using fake accounts could face a 1,500 manats (Â£676; $855) fine and up to three years in jail for insults against Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan's traditional media is strictly controlled by the government. Social media had been a way for citizens to vent their frustration with the increasingly authoritarian government and failing economy - that is now complicated by the new law. Online insults against Mr Aliyev that trace back to an authentic account will get a more lenient two year sentence and pay a smaller fine. The BBC's South Caucasus correspondent, Rayhan Demytrie, says what constitutes an insult will be decided by domestic courts, which are not independent according to human rights groups. In the past few years, dozens of journalists, youth and pro-democracy activists have found themselves behind bars for being critical of the country's leadership. Around the world, several other countries have imposed harsh controls on the internet and social media, barring their citizens from criticising government officials. In Thailand, strict lese majeste laws protect the royal family from insult or threat. Those who defame or insult the king, queen or heirs face up to 15 years in prison. Turkey has repeatedly blocked social media in the run-up to elections and jailed journalists for critical coverage of the government. Russia recently blocked the social network LinkedIn and has jailed internet activists who have posted material critical of the government, Ukraine or Crimea, the peninsula it annexed in 2014. On Thursday, The Gambia banned the internet and international phone calls during its presidential elections.

Summary: Azerbaijan's parliament has approved a new law which makes insulting the country's president on social media a criminal offence.


Kym Andrew Walter, 25, of Kings Mill Lane in the town, is also charged with possessing a firearm, production of cannabis and abstracting electricity. The incident happened on Springbank Road, in the early hours of Saturday. Mr Walter was remanded in custody at the town's magistrates' court and is due at Leeds Crown Court on 27 October.

Summary: A 25-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after a gun was fired through the window of a house in Huddersfield.


Speaking near Traitor's Gate, at the Tower of London, Robin Tilbrook said a deal between the two parties would be "against the English". He also criticised UKIP for not being interested in English nationalism. The party is fielding 35 candidates at the general election. In the past it has campaigned for an English Parliament but now says it wants to see a fully independent England, as well as withdrawal from the EU. The party chose the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub, near the Tower of London, to launch its campaign, saying it would send a "message from history for those that might want to conspire against English interests", said Mr Tilbrook. "We say that the prospect of a Labour/SNP government, perhaps backed up by Plaid Cymru - and there has been some talks, we gather, with Sinn Fein... will be an anti-English conspiracy of a government and therefore we can start to talk about treason," he said. The SNP has said it is prepared to work with Labour - perhaps as part of a "progressive alliance" with Plaid - to keep the Conservatives out of government, although Labour has ruled out a formal coalition and has described links with Sinn Fein as "absolute rubbish". Plans to film an interview with Mr Tilbrook at Traitor's Gate had to be abandoned after officials from the Tower put a stop to it. But the party, which claims to be the only one offering a "voice to the English" at the general election, was able to unveil a defector from UKIP. Graham Moore said he had been due to stand for Nigel Farage's party at the general election but jumped ship at the start of the year because UKIP "have no interest in England whatsoever". He is now standing for the English nationalist party in Erith and Thamesmead, east London. The English Democrats are fielding fewer candidates than they did at the 2010 general election but are concentrating on areas where they have support, including a full slate in South Yorkshire. They are also standing in the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the most northerly constituency in England, and Monmouth, in Wales, where they are campaigning for a local referendum on whether the area should become part of England again. Mr Tilbrook said the party was "consolidating our position as the English nationalist party", and wanted to be ready to capitalise if UKIP's progress came to a "juddering halt" at the election, offering a home to "those people in UKIP who are basically English nationalists". The party is also campaigning against Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem plans to give more self-government to the English regions, arguing that it would a "shame" to sacrifice England's unity for a "last gasp attempt to save the Union".

Summary: The leader of the English Democrats warned about an "anti-English conspiracy" between Labour and the SNP as he launched the party's general election campaign.


Ivor Gifford from Abertillery sent explicit messages to fake profiles set up by a group called The Hunted One, which claims to "hunt sexual predators". He claimed he believed everyone on the site was over 18, but a jury at Newport Crown Court found him guilty. Sentencing will take place on 2 June. The court heard two profiles 'Jessie' and 'Jodie' were contacted by Gifford. He repeatedly sent messages and made comments which were of a sexual nature despite being told several times by those behind the profiles they were 11 and 12. Owen Williams, prosecuting, said: "He was persistent in his attempts. In over 100 pages of messages, you will see that the vast majority refer to a sexual act. "Mr Gifford graphically describes sexual acts. He sent images of himself naked." The court heard the chat logs described Mr Gifford asking if the person he was speaking to had reached puberty yet, and if she would "dress sexy" if they met. Mr Williams continued: "He then went a stage further, having groomed online he made arrangements to meet her. "Directing a child, who doesn't know how to get from Cardiff to Abertillery, how to get a bus then a train." Two members of The Hunted One confronted Gifford at Llanhilleth train station, where he had arranged to meet his online contact. The police were then called and Gifford was arrested. He had denied inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and a charge of online grooming but a jury deliberated for around an hour before finding him guilty. Det Supt Leanne Brustad, head of public protection for Gwent Police, said while officers relied on members of the public to detect crime, it was important not to cross the line into vigilantism. "Revealing the identity of suspected paedophiles gives the suspect the opportunity to destroy evidence before the police can investigate them," she said. "It also leads to people who have been identified going missing or raising concerns for their safety. "This can divert significant resources into protecting suspects, which would be better invested in investigating and, where there is evidence, prosecuting them."

Summary: A 92-year-old man has been found guilty of using a chatroom to incite what he believed were 11 and 12-year-old girls to engage in sexual activity.


MEP Patrick O'Flynn said the party's support had broadened in the final days of the campaign and suggested their vote share would be more than 10%. Earlier, deputy chairman Paul Nuttall said UKIP MPs could offer vote-by-vote support to a minority government. But he told the BBC a referendum on the UK staying in the EU was a "red line". UKIP is attracting around 14% support, according to the latest BBC poll of polls. The party had two MPs at the end of the last Parliament - both of whom won by-elections after defecting from the Conservatives. The party's leader, Euro-MP Nigel Farage, is standing for election to the House of Commons in the Kent constituency of Thanet South. Here is a full list of the candidates contesting the seat. Speaking about UKIP's prospects, economy spokesman Mr O'Flynn said the party had managed to defy expectations of a squeeze. He said: "Tomorrow we will significantly and perhaps dramatically outperform the expectations of pollsters and pundits alike. What are the top issues for each political party at the 2015 general election? Policy guide: Where the parties stand "That means doing much better than a political class consensus of a vote share of around 10% and one or two seats in the Commons. "The so-called squeeze on the UKIP vote predicted by so many of the media class simply has not happened. "On the contrary we are getting indications of a very substantial energising and broadening of our support in the final days of the campaign." Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Nuttall repeated that his party would not enter a formal deal after the election. He said: "We've made it perfectly clear there will no coalitions, there will be no pacts, and if we did go down the line of a deal whereby we vote with the government on a vote-by-vote basis, it will be a loose deal." He said a "red line" would be a "free, full, fair referendum" on EU membership "as soon as possible, preferably before the end of the year." Mr Nuttall was asked whether a vote for his party could harm the prospects of Tory success and therefore an vote on the EU. He said: "The problem you've got with Mr Cameron's promise of a referendum is one he's promised a referendum before and gone back on that deal and secondly he's talking about a negotiation through 2016 and into 2017 with an organisation that has made it perfectly clear that renegotiation isn't on the table." He added: "We're looking to get as many votes as possible tomorrow to ensure we have real change in British politics, whether that's with the European Union or indeed electoral reform." The best of BBC News' Election 2015 specials

Summary: The UK Independence Party (UKIP) will "significantly and perhaps dramatically outperform" expectations in Thursday's election, a spokesman has predicted.


The Guardian alleges a payment of about £1m was paid into the account during the race to host the 2020 Games. In March, French prosecutors investigating corruption in athletics widened their scope to include the bidding and voting processes for the hosting of the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. The British newspaper says French police are believed to be studying the allegation. In a statement, the IOC said it had been "in contact with the French magistrates in charge of the investigation on the IAAF [athletics' world governing body] case, and with Wada [World Anti-Doping Agency], since its start". It added: "The IOC's chief ethics and compliance officer will continue to be in contact with all interested parties to clarify any alleged improper conduct. The IOC will not comment any further on the elements of the investigations at this stage." The Tokyo bid first came under scrutiny in January when the second part of a Wada commission report into corruption included a footnote detailing a conversation between another of Lamine Diack's sons, Khalil, and Turkish officials heading up the Istanbul bid team. A transcript of the conversation cited in the report suggested a "sponsorship" payment of between $4m and $5m (£2.8m and £3.4m) had been made by the Japanese bid team "either to the Diamond League or IAAF". The footnote claims the Istanbul bid "lost Lamine Diack's support because they did not pay". Wada's independent commission said it did not investigate the claims "for it was not within our remit". A Tokyo 2020 spokeswoman described the note in Wada's report as "beyond our understanding", adding that "Tokyo's bid was about Japan's commitment to address issues around the integrity of sport". Lamine Diack, the former president of the IAAF, is already being investigated by French authorities. He was arrested last year on corruption and money laundering charges, over allegations he took payments for deferring sanctions against Russian drugs cheats. His son Papa Massata, who was employed by his father as a marketing consultant for the IAAF, is also under investigation, and a warrant for his arrest has been issued by Interpol. Diack Jr has been banned for life by the IAAF but told the BBC in December he and his father were innocent of the claims against them. The IOC overhauled its rules - and regained trust in the integrity of its bidding process - since the 1999 Salt Lake City bribery scandal exposed systematic corruption. In February, Wada commission chief Dick Pound said he was "fairly certain" the IOC was free of organised corruption, but just a month later the French prosecutors opened their investigation into the bidding processes for 2016 and 2020.

Summary: The International Olympic Committee has refused to comment on claims that the successful Tokyo Olympic bid team made a "seven-figure payment" to an account linked to the son of former world athletics chief Lamine Diack.


About 80 items, including artwork, letters and clothing from collections around the world will go on display in Winchester in the summer. Exhibits will include the author's silk pelisse coat, her purse and sewing box. A portrait, not been seen in public for more than 40 years, is also included. It is one of five to be brought together for the show. The exhibition takes place at The Gallery in Winchester Discovery Centre - a few miles from Austen's birthplace of Steventon - from 13 May to 24 July. Co-curator Louise West said: "The bringing together for the first time of five portraits of Jane Austen will, we hope, provoke reaction and excite argument about the mysterious Miss Austen. "This is a new way of exploring Austen's identity and we are thrilled to be sharing this opportunity with the public."

Summary: An exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death will feature writings from her teenage years and the original ending she wrote for her novel Persuasion.


The deputy head of the bloc's executive Commission, Frans Timmermans, said it was determined to uphold EU values. Thousands of Hungarians have protested against laws which could see the closure of a prestigious university. Hungary is also forcibly housing asylum seekers in secured shipping containers. There was a serious question whether that was compatible with EU law, Mr Timmermans said at a news conference. He said the Commission would consider its next steps in coming weeks and would act if there were no positive developments. "Taken cumulatively, the overall situation in Hungary is a cause of concern for the Commission," Mr Timmermans said. Hungary's increasingly radical right-wing Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has declared war on liberalism, reports BBC's Nick Thorpe, in Budapest. Hungary to detain all asylum seekers in border camps Large protest in support of Hungary's Soros-backed university His government has come under growing criticism of its treatment of asylum seekers - including on Monday, when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the container camps would surrounded by razor wire would "have a terrible physical and psychological impact on women, children and men who have already greatly suffered". Mr Grandi also said he was "very concerned about highly disturbing reports of serious incidents of ill-treatment and violence against people crossing the border into Hungary, including by state agents". Hungary's Higher Education Law, signed earlier this week, could force the closure of the Central European University (CEU), founded by philanthropist George Soros and ranked among the top 200 universities in the world in eight disciplines. Last Sunday, Budapest also saw the largest protest yet against the move, which has also inspired an international campaign of solidarity. Late on Tuesday, US state department spokesman Mark Toner urged the Hungarian government to suspend implementation of the law. Another protest is planned in Budapest on Wednesday evening. But the Hungarian government says it will not respond to the campaign, saying CEU has a year to comply with the new rules. Hungary passes bill targeting Central European University Hungarian attack on George Soros prompts NGO anger The university built to defend democracy

Summary: The EU has warned it could take legal action against Hungarian legislation cracking down on higher education, non-governmental organisations and asylum-seekers.


A recording, which a US website claims was Gibson on the phone to Oksana Grigorieva, has emerged. He is allegedly heard verbally abusing her. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said officers will "review" the recordings as part of an investigation. A spokesman for Gibson has declined to comment on the claims. "Anything that is connected to the case we will investigate," Mr Whitmore said. Last week, RadarOnline.com posted a recording which it claimed was Gibson. A man can be heard telling Grigorieva he thought she was dressing too provocatively using explicit and offensive language. At one point, Grigorieva accuses the man of "hitting a woman when she's holding a child in her hands". He replies that she "deserved it". Gibson and Grigorieva are currently battling each other for custody of their 8-month-old daughter. The Lethal Weapon and Braveheart star previously hit headlines over an angry outburst in 2006. Then, a leaked police report quoted him making anti-Semitic comments to a Jewish police officer, who was arresting him for drink driving.

Summary: US police have said they are evaluating claims that Hollywood star Mel Gibson allegedly hit his ex-girlfriend.


The size of the change has come as a big surprise and several insurers have warned their profits will be dented. However, the change has been welcomed by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). They said it was "long overdue" after lobbying for a change in the formula for several years. APIL said the decision of Liz Truss, the Lord Chancellor, was in the best interests of injury victims who might require life-long care, and that the claim that insurance premiums must now rise "beggared belief". The reaction of the insurance industry has been overwhelmingly negative, with insurers' share prices dropping in the aftermath of a flurry of emergency stock exchange announcements. The change in the compensation formula will come into effect from 20 March this year. The discount rate that underpins it - the assumed rate of return on investing the lump sums - has not been reviewed since 2001. The apparently sudden change was prompted by a renewed threat late last year from APIL. It revived a judicial review against the government's reluctance to change the formula, which the lawyers had argued was long out of date. "People who suffer severe life-changing injuries can now be assured that the compensation needed to look after them is calculated correctly and is sufficient to provide care for the rest of their lives," said APIL. "Meanwhile insurance companies, which have saved millions of pounds in unpaid compensation, have been aware that a decision to change the discount rate has been on the cards for six years, since APIL first began judicial review proceedings on the issue." Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Treasury Committee, said the Lord Chancellor appeared to have had little choice but to reduce the discount rate from 2.5% to minus 0.75%, but that it needed to be re-thought. "The principle that people should receive full compensation for the losses that they have suffered is a reasonable one," Mr Tyrie said. "But implementing it in this way is probably not, and has a look of absurdity about it." The Lord Chancellor appeared to acknowledge that the whole business of changing the discount rate had been unsatisfactory. She will now hold a consultation before Easter on how the compensation formula should be reviewed in the future, including the possibility of using an independent body to make the decision on any alteration. The consultation will also look at the frequency of changes to the formula and the validity of basing it entirely on the returns to be made from investing in index-linked government bonds. "I recognise the impacts this decision will have on the insurance industry," Liz Truss said. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said the government's approach was not good enough and demanded an immediate change in the law to abolish the current formula. It argued that in fact there was no legal obligation on the government to make a change at all. "To make such a significant change to the rate using a broken formula is reckless in the extreme, and shows an utter disregard for the impact this

Summary: The decision to radically alter the formula for calculating lump sum personal injury payments has shocked the insurance industry.


Northumbrian Water, which supplies water across the north-east of England, is expanding its cohort of water rangers. It is recruiting new volunteers to walk by streams, becks, burns and bathing waters which are prone to pollution and report back on their condition. The company's wastewater director, Richard Warneford, said the scheme had been "hugely successful" "[It] has helped us to spot and deal with potential threats to the environment at the earliest possible opportunity on a number of occasions," he said. New routes have been added in Northumberland, Tyneside, County Durham and Teesside. The rangers are trained in environmental issues and what to look out for when monitoring watercourses. The new routes are situated in:

Summary: A scheme to tackle water pollution is to be extended.


The carmaker said it would build two new models at its Sunderland plant following talks with the government. Ministers have declined to confirm reports that a written promise was made to protect the company from any consequences of Brexit. Labour said the government should set out exactly what was promised. Speaking on BBC Question Time, Mr Clark indicated there had been no offer of financial compensation or state aid. "There's no cheque book. I don't have a cheque book," he said. "The important thing is that they know this is a country in which they can have confidence they can invest. That was the assurance and the understanding they had and they have invested their money." He said the announcement was "fantastic news", particularly for the workforce as the deal secures 7,000 jobs. The Japanese company's commitment to Britain's biggest car plant had been in doubt following the referendum on EU membership. Mr Clark's department declined to comment on a report in the Times newspaper that he had written to Nissan's board promising to ensure that UK operations would "remain competitive" after Britain left the EU. According to the newspaper, "Mr Clark's letter is regarded by Nissan as a promise that it will not have to bear the cost of punitive tariffs on car exports if Britain leaves the EU customs area without a free trade agreement in place". The Nissan announcement has led to calls from other car manufacturers for similar pledges. Toyota said it trusted the government to provide "fair treatment". But a senior Nissan Europe executive, Colin Lawther, said the company had received "no special deal". "It's just a commitment from the government to work with the whole of the automotive industry to make sure the whole automotive industry in the UK remains competitive," he told the BBC. "We would expect nothing for us that the rest of the industry wouldn't be able to have access to. We see this as a whole industry thing, not a Nissan thing." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the government must disclose any deals struck with the firm, saying it could not hide it from the public. Nissan confirmed it would build both the new Qashqai and the X-Trail SUV in Sunderland. A company spokesman said making the X-Trail could lead to hundreds of new jobs being created in the coming years. It will be the first time the model has been made outside Japan. The plant produced 475,000 vehicles last year - 80% of which were exported. Production of the next Qashqai model is expected to begin in 2018 or 2019.

Summary: There was "no cheque book" involved in the assurances given to Nissan ahead of its decision to boost UK production, Business Secretary Greg Clark has said.


That's the amount raised in a funding round by Grammarly, a firm that boasts of having what it calls "the world's most accurate online grammar checker". It has persuaded venture capital firms including General Catalyst, IVP and Spark Capital to support its platform. The eight-year-old firm, based in San Francisco, offers "mistake-free writing every time" to 6.9 million users. The start-up was founded in 2009 by Alex Shevchenko and Max Lytvyn. Its software uses spell-checking, proof-reading and plagiarism detection tools, scanning text for the correct use of more than 250 advanced grammar rules. But not everyone sees the need for Grammarly. One online reaction posted to the announcement of the firm's venture round was: "I rather learn to write without mistakes than let a program correct it" (perhaps inadvertently proving its usefulness). On the other hand, Grammarly's efforts provide no guarantee that your prose will be a joy to read. Its own website contains the sentence: "Enhance your sentences with Grammarly's context-optimized word choice suggestions to instantly improve the readability of your document." Clearly split infinitives are safe from the software's forensic gaze.

Summary: There's money to be made from other people's mistakes: $110m (Â£85m) of it, to be precise.


The Saudi foreign ministry said the UN needs to be reformed first. It said the Security Council had failed in its duties towards Syria as well as in other world conflicts. Saudi Arabia has previously expressed frustration at what it sees as an international failure to act on Syria, where it staunchly backs the rebels. There has been no official reaction from the UN, but diplomats there expressed surprise at Riyadh's announcement. Russia's foreign ministry called the move bewildering, and said Saudi Arabia's criticism of the UN Security Council about its actions over Syria "is particularly strange". By Bridget KendallDiplomatic correspondent, BBC News Usually there is fierce competition to secure one of the 10 rotating seats on the UN Security Council - a chance to sit alongside the five permanent members for two years on the top UN body which rules on international security issues. Instead Saudi Arabia has used the coveted position to lodge a very public protest. This is the second protest from Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month the Saudi foreign minister pulled out of giving a speech at the UN General Assembly, expressing similar frustration. It is a dramatic gesture, but whether it makes immediate reform of the Security Council more likely, as the Saudis demand, is probably questionable. The announcement came hours after Saudi Arabia was elected for the first time to one of the 10 rotating seats on the Security Council. The non-permanent members sit on the council for two years, along with the five permanent members - the US, the UK, France, China and Russia. "Work mechanisms and double-standards on the Security Council prevent it from carrying out its duties and assuming its responsibilities in keeping world peace," the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement. "Therefore Saudi Arabia... has no other option but to turn down Security Council membership until it is reformed and given the means to accomplish its duties and assume its responsibilities in preserving the world's peace and security," it added. The failure "to find a solution to the Palestinian cause for 65 years" had led to "numerous wars that have threatened world peace," the foreign ministry said. It also criticised the UN's "failure" to rid the Middle East region of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. And it accused the UN of allowing the Syrian government "to kill its own people with chemical weapons... without confronting it or imposing any deterrent sanctions". The UN Security Council last month finally broke a two-and-a-half year deadlock on how to deal with conflict in Syria after voting unanimously to adopt a binding resolution on ridding the country of chemical weapons. Saudi observers say Riyadh would have been working for years to gain a place on the UN Security Council, so such a decision would have to have been made at the very top of the kingdom's leadership. One Security Council diplomat, quoted by AFP, said the announcement was "totally unexpected" and without precedent. Another said: "There was nothing controversial about the election. But the government has made it clear in recent weeks that

Summary: Saudi Arabia has turned down a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, accusing the world body of "double standards".


The publication by German theologian Martin Luther, called On the Freedom of a Christian, dates back to 1520. This was a year before he was excommunicated by the Pope for criticising the Catholic Church. It includes around 50 notes written in red by Luther himself, indicating changes he wanted for a second edition. The American who made the discovery, James Hirsten, said it gave an important insight into Luther's thinking at the time. The annotated edition was found in The Humanist Library in Selestat, in the north-east of France. Martin Luther launched the Reformation in Germany five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the Church. But his works, which also included Christian Liberty, To the Christian Nobility and On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, turned him against many of the major teachings of the Catholic Church. After his excommunication by Pope Leo X in January 1521, Luther was declared an outlaw and a heretic by the Roman emperor at that time, Charles V. He later went on to publish a complete translation of the bible into German, which contributed to the spread and development of the German language.

Summary: A first edition of one of the most important works of the man who inspired the Protestant Reformation has been discovered in a library in France.


With the Women's Big Bash League over, Heather Knight reflects on another winter down under, pays tribute to one of her predecessors as England captain, is "put to shame by a 105-year-old", and looks ahead to a trip to Rwanda. We've played some brilliant cricket but have been a little bit inconsistent through the year. Saying that, we've managed to punch above our weight for a second year in a row and make it to the semi-finals, despite many predictions to the contrary. I've really enjoyed my time in the WBBL once again. It's definitely grown since last year with more publicity, more coverage and it's great to see some bigger crowds too. The double-headers with the men's Big Bash League are, I think, definitely the way forward until the competition grows enough to stand by itself - although it would be great to see the time gap between the end of the women's matches and the start of the men's games reduced, in order to get more people to come to both. The live online streaming of every WBBL match, outside of the TV broadcast fixtures, has been a very good addition, with highlights of every game available freely, and the social media presence has also been great. Unfortunately I got roped into embarrassing myself with my woeful singing, featuring in the Hurricanes' rendition of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" on the WBBL Pitch Perfect show with Aussie comedian Bobby. Note: the costumes were to try to mask our dreadful voices! I think there is a lot that can be learned from the WBBL to take into the ECB's second season of the Kia Super League this summer. Having two expanding domestic competitions in Australia and England will only help the global development of the women's game, so hopefully the Super League will bounce off the back of the second WBBL, and of course the ICC Women's World Cup on home soil in June and July. I was deeply saddened to hear the news about Rachael Heyhoe Flint passing away, as she was an incredible lady who I was lucky enough to have met on several occasions. She managed the MCC team that I played in against the Rest of the World back in 2014 at Lord's, and I remember her being thrilled that the game was being played - for obvious reasons, after she had fought so hard to play at the home of cricket herself. On that day, she brought along her old England blazer and she was massively chuffed it still fitted her, 50 years later! The things she has done for women's cricket are remarkable, and as a current group of players, we owe her a massive amount. Talking of past England players, I had the absolute privilege of meeting Eileen Ash, the oldest living Test cricketer (male or female) for some filming before I left for Australia, and she is easily one of the most extraordinary ladies I've ever met. She's 105, does yoga every week and I've met teenagers who have a lot less energy

Summary: The second edition of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) has come to an end and unfortunately for the "Lilac Ladies", my Hobart Hurricanes side, it's ended at the same stage as last year with a semi-final loss.


Dave Duncan, of Otley, West Yorkshire, set up a crowdfunding campaign to help Lukasz Urban's relatives. Mr Urban was found dead after his lorry was crashed into the Breitscheidplatz market in December, killing 12 people. Mr Duncan said he felt compelled to help his "fellow trucker". Attacker Anis Amri left at least 48 injured when he ploughed into crowds at the German market. Mr Urban, a Polish national, had been stabbed and shot. The driver had arrived in Berlin ahead of schedule to deliver steel beams and was asked to return the next day to unload his trailer. Mr Duncan said: "If they had unloaded their freight none of this would have happened and Lukasz would have been able to go home and spend Christmas with his family." He said it was that thought that made him want to do something to help "the innocent people left devastated by this". "It could have been any one of us there that day," he added. Since setting up the online fund, Mr Duncan has met Mr Urban's widow and son. He said: "They were extremely grateful and shocked by the support, and that a stranger would help them this way when nobody else would." Mr Urban's family invited Mr Duncan to attend the driver's funeral in Banie, near the Polish border with Germany. He said it was "a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful place", adding: "Although I felt detached by the language barriers, it was very moving, especially the amount of people who came to pay their respects." The Polish ambassador, Arkady Rzegocki, honoured Mr Duncan on Monday for his actions. He said the lorry driver's "gesture and presence at the funeral of the late Mr Urban, have been greatly appreciated in Poland". Mr Duncan added: "The Polish truckers' own tributes are what being a truck driver is all about. "We have to watch out for one another, as in most cases nobody else does." Mr Rzegocki said he wanted to "personally thank Mr Duncan for his selfless initiative". "His compassion moved many both in the UK and back in Poland. It is an inspiring example of British-Polish solidarity which never fails in times of crisis," he added. The ceremony took place in London at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.

Summary: A trucker who raised nearly £200,000 for relatives of the driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack has been thanked by the Polish ambassador at a ceremony in London.


What would "out" look like? For those who back Britain remaining in the EU, the answer is pretty bleak. If the UK wanted to trade with Europe, the country would still have to be bound by the rules of the EU which would be set - if Britain left - with little regard to this country's opinion. We would not, those pro-the-EU argue, have a seat at the decision-making table. In fact, we would be particularly weak because the remaining EU member states might very well want to teach Britain "a lesson" that being out of the union is not a free hit. The chief executive of JCB, Graeme Macdonald, does not agree. In an interview in The Guardian this morning he says that the UK is far too important a trading nation to be simply pushed to one side. As an example, he points out that Britain is Germany's fourth largest market for car exports. Mr Macdonald also argues that being in the EU is not some form of free trade panacea. "It's easier selling to North America than to Europe sometimes," he says. The chairman of JCB is Lord Bamford, the Conservative peer and major donor to the party. In an interview with BBC Midlands, Lord Bamford says: "We are the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world. We could exist on our own - peacefully and sensibly." This is a key part of the "nothing to fear" argument about the EU and I suspect it will be a strong theme for those who do not reject EU exit out of hand. Interestingly, the "nothing to fear" formulation has been deployed in the past by two figures who will have considerable sway on the issue within government. One is Sajid Javid, the new business secretary. And the other is Jim O'Neill, the former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, who was announced last week as the new commercial secretary to the Treasury, a job with a particular focus on developing economic growth outside London and the South East of England. Mr O'Neill is also the man who coined the term "Brics" (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which he believes will form the powerhouses of the 21st Century global economy. Here he is interviewed in The Telegraph in 2013: "We should not be scared of it [leaving the EU] and exploring a world without it. The opportunities that are arising from the dramatically changing world are huge and I don't think quite a lot of people in our area [the City], never mind people in Brussels, are that interested or understand it," he said. At lunch with the chief executive of a FTSE 30 company before Christmas, I asked whether he would rather Britain was in or out of the EU. He argued that it was better that Britain stayed in. But he also pointed out that if the UK did leave the EU, the company would still retain its headquarters in London. Why? Because, he argued, the capital is the world leader in global finance and enjoys a regulatory

Summary: A large part of the vitally important debate about Britain's future in or out of the European Union will be based around a simple question which raises a whole host of complicated answers.


Any player who dives or feigns injury in an effort to influence match officials will be liable for sanction. At the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, officials were instructed to sin-bin players who committed those offences. Players who need to be substituted because of an injury following foul play will no longer count as one of their team's six allotted replacements. And a change has also been made in the application of a maul law, punishable by a penalty. It means a player in possession cannot slip to the back of a maul, with the ball having to be moved backwards hand to hand instead. The changes have been in effect in the southern hemisphere since January. England are scheduled to play a three-match Test series in Australia in June, while Wales play New Zealand in three Tests and Ireland are touring South Africa. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: World Rugby has introduced a number of law changes to the northern hemisphere game in an effort to stop simulation.


Celtic lead the Dons on goal difference with a game in hand after losing at Pittodrie on their last league outing. "They're going to be more hungry," manager Deila said of his team. "They know that it is very important to keep momentum and winning games and getting performances. So, it [Aberdeen drawing level] is doing us better." Aberdeen beat Celtic 2-1 three days after Deila's side lost their League Cup semi-final to Ross County, who visit the champions on Saturday. "I am very impressed with what Aberdeen have done," he added. "We have won many games in the league, we have lost three games in one year and they have done very well. "Up in Aberdeen is always a tough game. We should have doe more there but now we need to just get back on track again. "You need to react even better if you are pushed from behind." Deila rejected the notion that Saturday is an opportunity for revenge but added that his team has a point to prove against County. Celtic took an early lead at Hampden but were soon reduced to 10 men following a red card for Efe Ambrose and lost out 3-1 to the Dingwall outfit. "We really want to bounce back after the semi-final," said Deila. "We have to take with us the first 12-15 minutes when we created a lot of chances and do that for 90 minutes. "It's about getting momentum now, getting on the right track, winning football games. If we do that, everything will be good, we'll get confidence in the team and play well." Deila also said that it was "normal" that other clubs would be interested in signing Charlie Mulgrew, who is out of contract at the end of the season. He insisted that the focus for the player and the club just now is to "get him back up to his highest level" following a prolonged spell out with injury. There was no progress to report on midfielders James Forrest and Stefan Johansen, who have 11 and 17 months to run on their respective deals. "It's never [straightforward] in football," said Deila. "They have to really want to play for Celtic as well. We will see in the end who is with us for the future and who is not." Deila added that he has not spoken to Leigh Griffiths following threatening remarks aimed at the striker's family on social media but is confident that the player's form will not suffer. "He's quite strong mentally and he knows what's right or wrong," he said of Celtic's top scorer. "He's performed very well this season and he just needs to keep his focus on the same things as he did earlier."

Summary: Ronny Deila thinks the challenge from Aberdeen will only increase the determination of his Celtic players to stay at the top of the Premiership.


The new banknote will be smaller than the current one and be printed on a thin plastic. For more than 100 years, English banknotes have been made from cotton paper. Polymer banknotes are made from a very thin, flexible, see-through plastic film, with the design printed on special layers of ink on the front and back. Because the main material is see-through, the design can include clear spots that are like little windows you can look straight through. More than 20 countries around the world already use polymer banknotes - they include Scotland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Bank of England says that polymer banknotes will be better than paper, because they will be: Cleaner: Shiny plastic doesn't get wet and dirty like paper. More secure: Features like the see-through windows are difficult to copy, so it's harder for criminals to make fake notes. Longer lasting: Plastic won't tear as easily as paper, so the notes should last longer. They're even expected to survive if they accidentally go in the washing machine, although they'd melt under extreme heat. The new £5 note will be going into circulation in September this year. And it's not just the £5 that's going plastic - polymer £10 notes are planned for 2017, and polymer £20 notes should be available by 2020.

Summary: The Bank of England has unveiled the design for the new plastic £5 note.


The demonstrators expressed their anger over the handling of the case by President Enrique Pena Nieto. The president's popularity rating has dropped to its lowest point since he took office two years ago. The students disappeared after clashing with police in the town of Iguala on 26 September. The case has shocked Mexicans as allegations of police collusion with drug gangs surfaced during the investigation into their disappearance. In October, Mexico's attorney general ordered the arrest of Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca. Many of the protesters carried placards calling for the president to step down, says the BBC's Will Grant in Mexico City. In Guerrero state, where the students disappeared, they set cars on fire and smashed windows, our correspondent adds. On Monday, President Pena Nieto submitted a package of ten reforms aimed at tackling the crisis to Congress for debate. Some of the more controversial proposals include replacing all 1,800 municipal police forces with state-level units. The president also wants extra powers to shut down local governments considered to have been "infiltrated" by drug cartels. Mr Pena Nieto has announced he will travel to Iguala later this week. He has not visited the town since the students went missing. The students had travelled from a teacher training college in Ayotzinapa to the town of Iguala in Guerrero state to protest against what they say are discriminatory hiring practices for teachers which favour urban students over rural ones. Police opened fire on the students, who were in buses travelling back from Iguala to their college. Three of them were killed and three more people in nearby vehicles also died. A busload of the students attempted to flee but were chased by municipal officers who then took them to the local police station. Some of the officers, who have since been arrested, told investigators they then handed the students over to a local drug gang called Guerreros Unidos (United Warriors). The leader of the gang, who has also been detained, said that he had been told by one of his men that the 43 were members of a rival gang. He then reportedly ordered that they be "made to disappear". Members of the gang have told investigators they killed the students and burned their bodies at a rubbish dump. Remains found at the site have been sent for testing to a laboratory in Austria. 26 Sept: Students from a teacher training college in Ayotzinapa travel to Iguala to protest and raise funds Night of 26 Sept: Police stop the students, 6 people are shot dead, 43 students disappear 30 Sept: Iguala mayor Jose Luis Abarca asks for leave from his post, which is granted 4 Oct: Mass graves are found near Iguala containing 28 bodies 19 Oct: Federal police are deployed to Iguala and replace the municipal force 22 Oct: Mexico's prosecutor general says an arrest warrant has been issued for Mr Abarca, his wife and the town's police chief 23 Oct: Guerrero state governor Angel Aguirre resigns 29 Oct: President Enrique Pena Nieto meets the relatives of the missing students and promises

Summary: Protesters in Mexico clashed with police following a largely peaceful rally in support of 43 students who went missing in September.


Three West Mercia Police officers had now been interviewed under criminal caution, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said. Mr Atkinson died after contact with police in Meadow Close, Trench, Telford, on 15 August last year. West Mercia Police said it continued to co-operate with the IPCC. The three officers had been served with gross misconduct notices, the police watchdog said. IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell said: "At the conclusion of our independent investigation I will consider whether to refer our investigation report to the Crown Prosecution Service to make a decision on any potential charges against police officers. "A criminal investigation does not mean that criminal charges will necessarily follow." Mr Campbell said its independent report would consider whether any officers should, in the watchdog's view, face misconduct proceedings. Investigative inquiries had ended, but the IPCC investigation report could not be finalised "until the full pathology and toxicology reports are provided", the watchdog said. It said IPCC investigators had spoken to about 15 other police officers as witnesses, along with more than 15 members of the public and paramedics. Forensic experts had also been consulted. A Taser used during the incident had been analysed and investigators had "transcribed relevant police Airwave radio transmissions and examined police policies on the use of force". West Mercia Police Assistant Chief Constable Martin Evans said the force's "thoughts and sympathies" were with Mr Atkinson's family and friends and it continued to co-operate with the IPCC throughout its investigation. He said: "It would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time while that investigation is ongoing." Mr Atkinson started his career at Ipswich Town before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Villa and FenerbahÃ§e

Summary: A third police officer has been investigated over the death of ex-Aston Villa star Dalian Atkinson who was shot with a Taser, it has emerged.


With the sound of the drums echoing off the walls of the surrounding buildings, it feels as if it could be an impromptu street performance - but it's not. This is tax collecting Bangalore-style. Fed up with companies refusing to pay their tax bills, the city has gone one better than merely sending out reminder letters. Instead it is striking back, shaming local tax avoiders, through the use of music. Bangalore has a clear message to offenders: Pay up or we send in the drummers, and then everybody will know what you've done wrong. And so far, it seems to be working. "People like this. They gather to hear the drums playing," says one of the band, 19-year-old drummer Shankarantha. The band's co-ordinator is K C Chellaiah, who is standing to one side, watching his team in action. He says while the audience might like it - those targeted do not. "The company owners get afraid of it when the troupe starts beating the drum," he says. "Usually the firms have a good name in their area and when this comes to people's attention and the real picture comes out of it, they start paying their tax immediately - they respond immediately." By Yogita LimayeBusiness reporter, BBC News, Bangalore When we went with the drummers to one company located in south-east Bangalore, dozens of people came out of their homes and offices to see what was going on. The lorry that carried the drummers had big banners on the front and sides displaying the name of the company that had evaded tax. However, no-one from the company was present at the office, and civic officials told us this was probably because information about the drum beating had leaked to them somehow. But the authorities did not call off the drumming. In fact they said the main purpose of the drive was to attract the attention of the company's neighbours and to try to shame the firm into paying up. Bangalore's civic body isn't the only one to adopt this method to try to recover taxes. The Delhi city corporation has launched a similar drive, and some years ago in Patna, the capital city of the central India state of Bihar, eunuchs were deployed to sing outside shops that had not paid taxes. 10 things you might not know about India Bangalore is India's third-largest city, and as the centre of the India's hi-tech industry, its economy is worth some $9.6bn (£6.1bn) a year. But it has a problem with unpaid taxes, and so six months ago it started employing its teams of drummers. And it is proving to be steady work for the musicians. Band member Shankarantha says that he and his fellow players have been called out to beat the drum for Bangalore's tax department four times in the past few days. "Initially we didn't get a good response," says Shivakumar CM, an executive engineer with Bangalore Municipal Corporation. "Since then we have seen that about 50% of the firms we have targeted have come to us to pay up their

Summary: The band of drummers, with their matching shirts and bright bandanas, is beating out a fast-paced tattoo to a small appreciative audience.


The GMB claim half of the staff working at the Glensanda Quarry, north of Oban, face the sack from a new contractor. The union fears Spanish-owned Oban Earth Works will cut 50% of staff when it takes over excavation and haulage operations at the quarry. That work had been carried out by the Hargreaves company on behalf of Aggregate Industries. A spokeswoman for Hargreaves said their contract ended in May, but they would remain during a handover period until the end of July. They say staff have been transferred across to the new company. A spokesman for Aggregate Industries said: "As with any commercial operation, it's important for Aggregate Industries to review and renew our partnerships, to ensure we can offer the best service available. "We are switching load and haul provider at our plant in Glensanda, and as part of that process there are individuals who will be transferred from our current provider Hargreaves, to our new one (FERPI). Unfortunately, due to increasing production efficiencies on site, there are some employees at risk of being made redundant by FERPI. "We understand and appreciate that this is a potentially difficult time for those individuals affected and have been in close contact with FERPI to ensure employees are offered all the support they need throughout the consultation process." The BBC has been unable to speak to anyone from Oban Earth or Aggregate Industries.

Summary: Up to 25 jobs are under threat at Europe's biggest granite quarry in Argyll, according to union leaders.


Local photographer Ron Strathdee captured the phenomenon on Monday at about 23:30 BST. The glow is usually best seen from northern latitudes like Norway, Alaska, Iceland and northern Scotland. Mr Strathdee said seeing the Northrn Lights from Manx latitudes was "fairly unusual." They happen when incoming solar radiation hits the earth's upper atmosphere and excites atoms to a new energy state, emitting energy in the form of light. The photographer said: "I needed a place that faced north so went to Peel Hill and tried some shots over the castle which worked but half the fishing boats in the Irish Sea were discharging fish at the breakwater with enough floodlights to cover a football match! "Going round the front of the castle it was pitch dark and it looks straight north which was where the photos were taken."

Summary: The Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, has been photographed from Peel Castle on the west coast of the Isle of Man.


Mark Jones, 45, of Cwmbran, denies murdering Amelia Jones in Pontnewydd in November, 2012. His daughter Sarah Jones was asked by the defence barrister, Roger Thomas QC, about a trip to the doctors with Amelia on 7 November 2012. She admitted "exaggerating" about the doctor's diagnosis. Mr Thomas asked her what the diagnosis was and Ms Jones told the court: "She had a cold". The court was told that she had previously said, in a text message: "They want to check her, and they might keep her in overnight". Mr Thomas suggested those two accounts differed from each other. Sarah Jones replied "Don't you over-exaggerate with stuff sometimes". Mr Thomas asked, "So you do exaggerate?" Ms Jones then replied: "Yes". Ms Jones, 26, told Newport Crown Court on Tuesday she found Amelia in tears after leaving her in Mr Jones's care in a car during a shopping trip, days before her death. The defendant's barrister quizzed Ms Jones as to why she gave uncertain answers in a police interview about whether she actually went shopping on that day. She said from the stand: "I had all my other children taken off me, I had been arrested for murder; I wasn't in the right frame of mind." Ms Jones was later released and her children were returned to her, the court heard. But Mr Thomas said the incident relating to Amelia being upset in Mr Jones's care "didn't happen at all like this". He said "Amelia was left alone in the house with Mark", and not in a car, as she had suggested. The QC accused Ms Jones of "not being entirely fair and truthful" about her recollection, adding: "The incident you have described yesterday did not occur". "It did occur", she replied. Prosecuting counsel, Paul Lewis, asked Ms Jones if she had "ever laid a finger on Amelia, so as to harm her". She replied: "No, not at all". Ms Jones told the court she now has another child with Amelia's father, Ian Skillern, who was born in 2013. The pair are no longer in a relationship. During earlier evidence, Ms Jones claimed her father said Amelia had been "a nightmare" when he babysat the night before the baby received her fatal injuries. Mr Jones insists he dropped Amelia accidentally on the two separate evenings while babysitting on his own. The case continues.

Summary: The mother of a baby girl allegedly murdered by her own grandfather has admitted she "exaggerates", a court has heard.


The five Katyusha rockets came from part of Syria controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants, the Kilis governor's office said. Turkish artillery fired back at IS positions across the border, Turkey's Hurriyet news daily reported. Kilis has a Syrian refugee camp and shells have landed from Syria before. Four of the rockets hit residential areas of Kilis - a town where an estimated 120,000 Syrian refugees outnumber local Turks. A Turkish citizen and five other Syrians were also wounded in the rocket fire. Cross-border artillery fire has hit Kilis almost daily recently. Twelve people were wounded there on 11 April, then the following day two people were killed and six wounded in a similar strike, Hurriyet reported.

Summary: Rockets fired from northern Syria have killed four Syrians, three of them children, in the Turkish border town of Kilis, local officials say.


Cook (65) started strongly alongside opener Nick Browne (60) as the hosts passed a century for the first wicket. Tom Westley hit a fluent 64 before he was bowled by Ben Sanderson (2-79), who earlier had dismissed Browne. Ravi Bopara (57 not out) and Dan Lawrence (44 not out) saw Essex to 335-3 at stumps. Northants also conceded 45 extras, including 28 no-balls.

Summary: England captain Alastair Cook continued his fine start to the season with a half-century as Essex took control of the first day against Northamptonshire.


Cambridge University engineering student David Knowles, 22, used the components to assist conservators at the city's Fitzwilliam Museum. The Hor mummy case, dating from the 10th Century BC, had collapsed and Mr Knowles designed internal Lego frames to support it after conservation work. A spokesman described his design as "crucial" to the project's success. The cartonnage mummy case - made of layers of plaster, linen and glue - was found in a temple at Ramesseum in Thebes, Luxor, in 1896. The gilded wooden face had been torn out by robbers and the mummy removed. "It came to the museum pretty much after the excavation, and was certainly displayed, but then its history is a bit mysterious," said Julie Dawson, senior assistant keeper of conservation. Source: BBC History Mummies Around the World From Warrior Women to Female Pharaohs: Careers for Women in Ancient Egypt At some point it had been exposed to damp conditions and had sagged around the chest and face resulting in cracking and instability in the painted decoration. There had been some attempts at repair and restoration, most likely in the cartonnage's early years in the Museum. However, conservators at the Fitzwilliam decided that proper restoration required the services not just of an expert in cartonnage material, but a structural engineer to advise on the stress points of the object, and how it could safely be handled. Mr Knowles volunteered to work with conservator Sophie Rowe as part of his final year project. "I love history and engineering, and this was a great way of combining the two," he said. The museum needed a structure that would safely hold the cartonnage during conservation, and a way of supporting the chest area afterwards. "David made something that looks like an instrument of torture with a sort of helmet, and shoulder pads made of mesh they use in hospitals for making casts. "This could be shaped with heat so we could get a very precise fit and precise support," Ms Dawson said. "The case could then lie face downwards so Sophie could work through the back, very slowly." The delicate operation involved gradually humidifying the case from the inside before bringing the collapsed chest back up into place. "We then needed to support that somehow, and David said he could make some small shapes from Lego that would go inside the case," Ms Dawson said. "He created padded platforms - one at the top and one at the bottom - and between there's a screwthread mechanism so we can alter the height. "The top platform can swivel which means it can adapt itself to the shape of a cartonnage." Mr Knowles, who graduated this year, said: "Lego was one of my favourite toys as a child and we use it for lots of things in the engineering department." He said the support platform took about eight weeks to design and build, but described his Lego platforms as "a couple of flashes of inspiration". Project supervisor, Simon Guest, a reader in structural mechanics in the engineering department, said: "This is such a good

Summary: An Egyptian mummy case stored in a museum basement for about 50 years has been restored with the help of Lego.


Money will be given to other projects, and potentially county football associations, if changes are not made, she told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek. Crouch said: "I'm not shy to say to the FA 'if you don't reform your governance structures, I will give that money to other bodies that deliver football'." She said the governing body receives £30m to £40m of public funding. Earlier this month, former FA chairman David Bernstein said the organisation was "outdated" and needed reform. "We have a massive problem in this country at the centre of English football. I'm talking about an outmoded structure which is not modern enough and not independent enough," he said. Asked about his comments, Crouch replied: "I share David's frustration. That's why we've made it clear that all sports governing bodies have to reform their governance codes. "The FA is not excluded from that, and if they don't, they won't get public funding. It's as simple as that." A report from the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee in 2013 called for reforms in English football - and outlined concerns including financial management as well as the balance of power between the Premier League and the FA. Crouch said there was good work being carried out by association executives but problems revolved around the FA Council, which has 124 elected members. "If there's no move whatsoever, and at the moment we are seeing nothing from the FA in terms of progress, they are likely to lose some public money or it will go elsewhere in the delivery of football," she added. The FA declined to comment, although a source stressed that it is a not-for-profit organisation with government funding ploughed into grassroots football.

Summary: The FA could lose millions of pounds of funding if it does not reform, says Sports Minister Tracey Crouch.


Zia Haider Rahman's critically acclaimed debut, In the Light of What We Know, picked up the James Tait Black fiction prize on Monday evening. The Valley: A Hundred Years in the Life of a Yorkshire Family by Richard Benson won the biography prize. The two prizes are awarded annually by the University of Edinburgh. Chairman of the James Tait Black Prize for fiction, Professor Randall Stevenson, said of the winning fiction entry: "Zia Haider Rahman addresses a whole range of issues - the war in Afghanistan, the rise of Muslim fundamentalism and the banking crisis. "Moreover, he also explores problematic areas of politics and finance, which are often exiled from the pages of fiction, immersing his readers, dauntingly but comprehensibly. "The novel's impressive scope is complemented by Rahman's ability to locate the personal in the political." Benson's The Valley: A Hundred Years in the Life of a Yorkshire Family, sees the author draw on his own family history set in a mining community. Biography judge Dr Jonathan Wild said: "Richard Benson's book represents a remarkable reclamation of a once prevalent social group now almost entirely gone." Each winner receives Â£10,000 each in prize money. The James Tait Black Awards were founded in 1919 by Janet Coats, the widow of publisher James Tait Black, to commemorate her husband's love for books. Previous winners include DH Lawrence, Graham Greene, Angela Carter and Ian McEwan.

Summary: A novel about a disillusioned banker who is reunited with an old friend before embarking on an epic journey has won the UK's oldest literary award.


It was alleged in court that the Melbourne Storm prop and fellow Kiwi forward Kevin Proctor bought the drug after Friday's defeat by Australia. Proctor said he had "too much to drink" and "although I can't remember exactly what happened, I don't deny it". New Zealand Rugby League says banning the pair from the 2017 World Cup "could be one of a number of sanctions". The tournament will be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, taking place between 27 October and 2 December. New Zealand's management and senior players are set to meet to discuss possible sanctions against captain Bromwich and Proctor after chief executive Alex Hayton said they had "breached their code of conduct". Bromwich has been suspended for two games by his club and ordered to have counselling and treatment courses. The forward said: "I understand I am a role model to the young players and the poor choices I made do not reflect my personal values. "I regret making the choice of staying out with my team-mates until the early hours of Saturday morning, as well as consuming an excessive amount of alcohol. "I take full responsibility for the poor choices I made, I am devastated and my actions were out of character." Proctor, who has stepped down as co-captain of Gold Coast Titans, will appear before a club board this week and has also been stood down from playing until a "final decision" has been reached. He said in a statement he was "extremely embarrassed and sorry for the damage I've done to the game and my personal reputation since Friday night's Test match in Canberra". He added: "After the game we went back to the New Zealand team hotel and had a late dinner. "After the dinner we went to a local club to have a few drinks. The rest of the night is a bit of a blur as I obviously had too much to drink before the incident that has caused all the trouble. "I am devastated by the whole thing and can't apologise enough to my Kiwi team-mates, the NRL, the Titans, and all fans of the game. "I've never been in this sort of trouble in my career, I have never failed a drug test, and I'm so sorry I've let everyone down by losing control of my personal decisions by drinking too much alcohol." The allegations against the pair emerged in a court case which heard that a local man was captured on CCTV preparing a white powder on his phone. He then handed it to Bromwich and Proctor, who were said to have rolled up bank notes and taken the substance. While both players were named in court, neither has been charged with an offence.

Summary: Jesse Bromwich has stood down as New Zealand captain following allegations he took cocaine.


Residents will be moved from their homes in the south-western province of Guizhou to prevent interference with the telescope's electromagnetism. The project's lead scientists told China's state news agency that the telescope would further the search for intelligent life in the universe. It will dwarf the world's current largest such telescope in Puerto Rico. The 500m-wide Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is due to be operational this year. Provincial officials have vowed to relocate 9,110 residents living within five kilometres of the listening device by September, the official Xinhua news agency said. The relocations will "create a sound electromagnetic wave environment", the news agency cited regional official Li Yuecheng as saying. Residents will reportedly receive 12,000 yuan (Â£1,280; $1,800) in subsidies for their troubles, with some getting extra support for housing, it said. FAST, built at a cost of 1.2bn yuan, will dwarf the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as the world's largest radio telescope, which is about 300m in diameter. Wu Xiangping, director-general of the Chinese Astronomical Society, said the telescope's high level of sensitivity "will help us to search for intelligent life outside of the galaxy", Xinhua reported. In the past China has relocated hundreds of thousands of people to make way for large infrastructure projects such as dams and canals. Many have complained of poor compensation. As well as upping investment in astronomy, Beijing is accelerating its multi-billion-dollar space exploration programme, with plans for a permanent orbiting station by 2020.

Summary: China is preparing to relocate nearly 10,000 people to make way for the world's largest radio telescope.


Leonne's body was discovered on a pathway off Lordens Hill, in Dinnington, on Monday at 10:55 GMT. A post-mortem examination found she died as a result of multiple stab wounds. Shea Peter Heeley, 18, of Doe Quarry Lane, Dinnington, is due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Saturday. For live updates and more news from across Yorkshire Det Ch Insp Martin Tate, of South Yorkshire Police, said the force was still appealing for witnesses "particularly anyone who was in Dinnington on the evening of Sunday 15 January, into the following morning and who saw or heard anything suspicious". A 26-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released on Wednesday night pending further inquiries. Following her death, Leonne's family said: "We are devastated at the loss of our beautiful daughter and sister Leonne. "She was very much loved and will be missed by all of us."

Summary: A man has been charged with the murder of 16-year-old Leonne Weeks whose body was found on a path near Rotherham.


The officers said they felt sorry for the migrants, who were found in a lorry in Belgium, and offered to give them a lift to the border. But they strayed into France, where they were arrested and questioned. The incident sparked a diplomatic spat, with France's interior minister summoning the Belgian ambassador. Bernard Cazeneuve had a "frank and clear" meeting with the Belgian ambassador, according to French officials, and expressed his disquiet at what had happened. France strongly condemned the officers' action which "does not conform to the normal work practices agreed between France and Belgium". But there was surprise at the French reaction from Georges Aeck, the Ypres police commissioner, because of the two countries' usual close border co-operation. "We didn't do it for money, this isn't human trafficking," he told Belgian broadcaster RTBF. "We only gave them a hand. We took them a little way in the direction they wanted to go," The bizarre chain of events began on Tuesday evening, when French police in an unmarked car stopped the Belgian police van carrying the 13 migrants, including three minors, on the French side of the border in Nieppe, north-west of Lille. The migrants had been discovered earlier in the day and ordered to leave the country. But when the officers spotted them walking on foot towards the border, they offered them a lift and accidentally strayed into France near Nieppe. The two officers were handcuffed, despite identifying themselves, the Belgian police union said. Vincent Gilles, the president of the Belgian police union, complained that the officers had been treated like "criminal suspects" and held for four hours without access to a lawyer. Mr Aeck added: "It's the first time this has happened because we have a good relationship with our French colleagues. We sometimes organise the control system together on the border. We are a little surprised. "The Belgian officers took the migrants in their van because they didn't want to let them go on foot directly along the road to the border. They escorted the migrants as far as the border, in the direction they wanted to go." The migrants themselves were then taken to a police station in the French city of Lille, where three minors were placed in the care of local authorities and the adults temporarily detained to assess their status. Temporary border controls were brought in by Belgium for a few months earlier this year, amid concerns the proposed demolition of the Calais "Jungle" camp would send an influx of migrants north. Calais is less than an hour's drive from the Belgian border.

Summary: Two Belgian policemen have been questioned by their French counterparts after they were caught with 13 illegal immigrants in their car.


Sixty-two Russians and 20 nationals from Guinea-Bissau were detained when the navy raided the trawler, Oleg Naydenov, Senegal's military said. Russia has condemned the "crude and aggressive conduct of Senegalese troops", Russian state media reported. West African governments are battling to curb illegal fishing, which is threatening fishing stocks. The French military is helping Senegal to tackle the problem. The Oleg Naydenov was a "repeat offender" which had been spotted by a French military plane, Fisheries Minister Haidar El-Ali said at a press conference. Senegal was planning to adopt a decree that would allow the government to take ownership of foreign ships "that pillage our resources", he said. Senegal could impose a fine of 200m CFA francs ($414,000; Â£253,000, 304,400 euros) for illegal fishing but it could be doubled for the Oleg Naydenov because it was a "repeat offender", Mr Ali said. The minister said the US Agency for International Development estimated that Senegal lost about 150bn CFA francs a year because of illegal fishing by foreign trawlers. "There are about 50 such ships operating off our coast, entering [Senegalese territorial waters] fraudulently from time to time. We will not allow this," Mr Ali said. Russia's Foreign Ministry said on it was seeking explanations from Senegal over the "military action" taken against the trawler on Saturday. In co-operation with a Russian fisheries agency official in Dakar, diplomats were "undertaking further steps aimed at the vessel's earliest release and departure", Reuters news agency quotes the ministry's statement as saying.

Summary: Senegal has seized a Russian vessel after accusing its sailors of fishing illegally in its waters.


At an event in New York on Monday, Madonna, Beyonce, Kanye West, and 13 other performers announced they had become co-owners of Tidal. The service launched last October, but was recently bought by rapper Jay Z. It is hoping to compete with the likes of Spotify, Deezer and Google Play. However Tidal offers 25 million music tracks, fewer than the 30 million offered by many rival services. As well as a standard subscription for $9.99 a month, Tidal offers a "high fidelity" option for $19.99, which claims to deliver better sound quality. Singer Alicia Keys spoke on behalf of the artists as they all lined up on stage at Skylight at Moynihan Station in Manhattan. Describing the event as a "graduation", she said the artists hoped Tidal would alter musical evolution. "So we come together before you on this day, March 30th, 2015, with one voice in unity in the hopes that today will be another one of those moments in time, a moment that will forever change the course of music history." Their mission, she said, goes beyond commerce and technology. "Our intent is to preserve music's importance in our lives,'' she said. Notably, the majority of the company will be owned by artists, a symbolic move in a business where musicians often have little control over how their work is distributed and consumed. Jay Z's strategy will include encouraging artists to lobby their labels to give Tidal new music a week in advance of other services, giving it a short window of exclusivity. He told Billboard: "We didn't like the direction music was going and thought maybe we could get in and strike an honest blow. "Will artists make more money? Even if it means less profit for our bottom line, absolutely. That's easy for us. We can do that. Less profit for our bottom line, more money for the artist; fantastic."

Summary: Some of the biggest names in entertainment have re-launched the music subscription service Tidal, which they are billing as the first artist-owned platform for music and video.


Prince William made the comment when asked how many children he would like, during the second day of the couple's Diamond Jubilee tour to Singapore. A teenager at one walkabout said the prince had responded by saying "he was thinking about having two". The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also said they would like their "superhero superpower" to be invisibility. The prince, who married Catherine Middleton in April last year, has spoken before about starting a family, but has not mentioned numbers. After the couple's visit to the Gardens by the Bay attraction, Corine Ackermann, 17, said: "Someone asked him how many children he would like to have, and he said he was thinking about having two." Jaz Heber Percy, 13, asked the prince what superpower he would like to have if he could be a superhero. The prince replied: "That's a hard question - I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it. I think invisibility." The duchess had agreed that she would need to be invisible too, "otherwise he would be able to sneak up on her," Jaz said. Several people in the 1,000-strong crowd fainted as they waited in sweltering heat for three hours to see the royals. Local children who had been given the morning off school chanted: "Will, you're brill. Kate, you're great". The royal couple planted a Pachira glabra variegata tree to mark their visit. They also visited a Rolls-Royce jet engine factory, where the prince praised the "cutting-edge aerospace technology developed by one of the United Kingdom's great global companies". During the visit, the duchess fitted the last of 24 fan blades to a Trent 900 engine.

Summary: The Duke of Cambridge has reportedly revealed he would like to have two children with his wife.


The foreign ministry said the remarks by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio were "inappropriate" and "regrettable". But the special rapporteur on child prostitution said she had referred to estimates in open sources to highlight a phenomenon that had to be tackled. Compensated dating sees men offering girls money or gifts for companionship. The US state department warned last year that the practice, known as "enjo kosai" in Japanese, "continues to facilitate the prostitution of Japanese children". At the end of a visit to Japan on 26 October, Ms de Boer-Buquicchio said that she had discovered "the multiple forms in which the sexual exploitation of children develops and manifests itself" in the country. "I'm referring in particular to this phenomenon of 'enjo kosai,' which is a trend amongst school girls. Some 13% of the school girls in Japan are involved in that kind of activity," she was quoted as telling a news conference by the Japanese foreign ministry. The ministry asked the UN to give the source for the statistic, and on 2 November Ms de Boer-Buquicchio issued a clarification which said that she had "received no official statistic" on the scope of compensated dating. "However, many of my interlocutors referred to it as a worrying trend which can easily lead to sexual exploitation of the minors involved in this lucrative business," she added. "In the press conference, I made reference to estimates I had seen in open sources to highlight a phenomenon that must be urgently tackled." But on Monday, the ministry demanded a retraction, complaining that it was "unacceptable" that the UN expert had cited "unreliable information" without a source.

Summary: Japan's government wants a UN expert to retract a claim that 13% of Japanese schoolgirls engage in "compensated dating", which can involve sex.


The world champion, who faced being banned for the Games after missing three drugs tests, finished fifth. Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten went to hospital with severe concussion and three small fractures in her lower back after crashing as she led the race. Team-mate Anna van der Breggen won gold, ahead of Sweden's Emma Johansson and Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini. Van Vleuten later tweeted to say she was "fine" but "super disappointed after best race of my career". Watch: Follow the winding descent of the women's road race London 2012 silver medallist Armitstead, 27, was cleared to compete at Rio after a successful appeal and was in contention until the final stages. Van der Breggen won the 141km race in a time of three hours 51 minutes 27 seconds, ahead of Johansson and Longo Borghini, who took bronze. However, the race was marred by Van Vleuten's crash. The 33-year-old had sped off from the pack when she came off her bike on the descent of the steep Vista Chinesa, where several men - including Britain's Geraint Thomas - crashed on Saturday. Van Vleuten was taken to hospital where Dutch cycling officials later said she would spend the next 24 hours in intensive care. British former Olympic champion Chris Boardman, working as an expert analyst for BBC Sport, believes the Rio course was "too dangerous". "I'm actually quite angry because I looked at the road furniture and thought nobody can crash here and get up," he said. "This was way past technical, this was dangerous." Cycling's governing body, the UCI, defended the course, saying it "was carefully designed and extensively tested. It added: "We do our utmost to design safe, challenging courses but unfortunately crashes do sometimes occur due to a combination of factors." Van der Breggen, 26, said Van Vleuten's crash made her more determined to win gold for the Dutch. She won the sprint to the line along the Copacabana, holding off Johansson and Longo Borghini as the trio overtook American Mara Abbott on the straight. "I was pretty shocked about it, I think she crashed hard," said Van der Breggen. "I realised I was first in the team and had to chase. We knew we had to do it." Armitstead, the world and Commonwealth champion, was one of the pre-race favourites. But the Yorkshire rider's preparations were hampered by the possibility of a ban for missing three drugs tests - and the increased scrutiny she faced when the news emerged. She avoided a suspension of up to two years by winning a Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) appeal. Not only did Armitstead face questions about her mental focus as she lined up, many wondered whether she had the physical capability to cope with the mountainous course in Rio. She responded with a gutsy performance on a course she described as "brutal", but ultimately missing out on a second Olympic medal. Armitstead was part of a group that wiped out a gap of over a minute between themselves and the breakaway as they climbed Vista Chinesa. "I felt a little

Summary: Britain's Lizzie Armitstead missed out on an Olympic medal in a women's road race marred by a horrific crash.


Ildar Dadin is serving two and a half years for a series of street protests. He told his lawyer that he had been strung up by his handcuffed wrists, had his head shoved down a toilet and been threatened with rape and death. Russia's prison service says the claims are untrue but will investigate if the activist complains formally. Unusually, the allegations made the headlines on state-controlled television on Tuesday after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the case merited "the closest attention" and that President Vladimir Putin would be informed. Dadin's supporters gathered outside the justice ministry on Tuesday evening in protest. Ildar Dadin, 34, says his problems began after he was transferred to Prison Number Seven in the Karelia region of north-western Russia in mid-September and sent directly to a punishment cell. More on this story: Now out of isolation, Dadin has dictated a letter to his wife via his lawyer, in which he says he was beaten and kicked repeatedly by up to a dozen prison staff. One day, he alleges, he was hung from his wrists for about half an hour causing "extreme pain". "They then took off my pants and said that they would bring in another prisoner who would rape me if I didn't agree to end my hunger strike," Ildar Dadin writes. He had stopped eating in protest at being held in a punishment cell. Russia's FSIN prison service told the BBC that Mr Dadin was put in isolation for what a spokeswoman called "violations of the detention regime", but insisted that his claims of beating and torture were false. "There's no way illegal methods were used, especially for such a well-known character," Kristina Belousova told the BBC by telephone. "It's not the first time we've seen this, by people trying to attract maximum attention," the spokeswoman added. Ildar Dadin was sentenced in December 2015, under Article 212.1 - a controversial law that makes repeat violations of Russia's strict laws on street protests a criminal offence. "We didn't expect this to happen. It's awful," lawyer Alexei Liptser told the BBC, after visiting his client on Monday and transcribing his account. "He is frightened and subdued," the lawyer added. As the allegations of abuse spread on social media, and reached the Kremlin, Russia's human rights ombudswoman ordered a regional representative to visit the prison and said she was taking the case under her "personal control". In a dramatic conclusion to his letter, Ildar Dadin tells his wife "I am not afraid of dying. I'm most afraid of not being able to tolerate the torture."

Summary: Russian officials are investigating claims that a well-known opposition activist has been repeatedly beaten and threatened in prison.


Organisers said they intended the Hope over Fear rally to send a message that the journey to Scottish independence continued. The city of Glasgow voted in favour of independence at last year's ballot. Hope over Fear said it is an apolitical organisation, which evolved from Solidarity co-convener Tommy Sheridan's referendum campaign speaking tour. Twenty-eight speakers were to address the all-day gathering and organisers said thousands of people were expected at "Freedom Square". Police estimated the crowd at about 1,500 at its peak. They said there had been no issues and no arrests. Mr Sheridan told BBC Scotland: "We are very pleased that the Yes family is here in Glasgow again to say loud and clear, one year on, not only are we still Yes but more of us are Yes." The former socialist MSP said independence was "no longer a question of if but a question of when" and he called the No campaign's success in the referendum on 18 September last year a Pyrrhic victory. "They won a battle but they have lost the war for the hearts and minds of the people of Scotland," he said. "Scotland is now a Yes country and the next referendum will prove that." Mr Sheridan said a second referendum must be held by 2018 at the latest.

Summary: A large crowd has gathered in Glasgow's George Square for a pro-independence rally one year after the referendum.


The Syrian leader also said the army faced a shortage of soldiers. A day earlier, he declared an amnesty for draft-dodgers and deserters. The conflict is thought to have left more than 230,000 dead and displaced millions. Vast areas are no longer under government control. Syria's conscript army was once 300,000 strong, but has been roughly halved by deaths, defections, and a rise in draft-dodging, AFP news agency said. The Syrian leader said the army did not have the manpower to defend the entire country, especially as rebel groups were receiving increased support from outside - a reference to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. "Sometimes, in some circumstances, we are forced to give up areas to move those forces to the areas that we want to hold onto," Mr Assad said in a televised speech to dignitaries in Damascus. "We must define the important regions that the armed forces hold onto so it doesn't allow the collapse of the rest of the areas." The BBC's Jim Muir - in neighbouring Lebanon - says it has been evident for some months that Syrian government forces have been focusing on defending certain key areas while not doing everything they might to defend outlying regions where the army is really overstretched. This year, the Syrian military has lost the north-western provincial capital Idlib, parts of the south, and Palmyra in the north-east, which was taken over by militants of Islamic State. Bashar Assad said he was sure the army could defend the core areas where it was consolidating - meaning Damascus, the cities of Homs and Hama and the coast. But other big cities such as Aleppo in the north and Deraa in the south may come under question, our correspondent says. However, Mr Assad pledged to fight on and ruled out the prospect of any negotiated settlement at the moment. "The word defeat does not exist in the Syrian army's dictionary," he said, adding that "collapse" was not on the cards. "We will resist and we will win." The Syrian army, which is fighting rebels and jihadist groups, began a recruitment drive at the start of July to try to tackle its manpower shortage. At least 70,000 men have avoided military service, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than 80,000 soldiers and pro-government militiamen have been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

Summary: The Syrian army has been forced to give up some areas in order to retain others in the war against rebels, now in its fifth year, President Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged.


The image of Saffiyah Khan has been shared thousands of times since it was taken at Saturday's demonstration. Ms Khan, from Birmingham, said she felt moved to intervene when she saw another woman surrounded by about 25 men. "I don't like seeing people getting ganged up on in my town," she said. Ms Khan, who said she was not part of an organised counter-protest, told the BBC she had been "quite surprised" when the photo was retweeted around the world. She said she had initially been happy "to stay out of the way", but "stepped forward" when another woman shouted "Islamophobe" at members of the EDL who had gathered in Centenary Square. "A group of 25 quite big-looking EDL lads, they surrounded her," she said. "She was 360 surrounded... I stepped forward and identified myself as someone who supported her and contradicted them." After that, Ms Khan said, protestors gathered around her instead, which led to the scene captured by a Press Association photographer. Ms Khan, who was born in the UK and is half-Pakistani, half-Bosnian, said she "wasn't intimidated in the slightest". She added: "He put his finger in my face. It was very aggressive. A police officer was there and the man took his finger out of my face. I wouldn't have responded violently." The picture was shared by, among others, Piers Morgan, who called it "photo of the week", and Birmingham Labour MP Jess Phillips. The BBC has been unable to reach the EDL for comment.

Summary: A viral photo of a woman smiling at an English Defence League (EDL) protester in Birmingham was snapped after she stepped in to defend a "fellow Brummie", she has told the BBC.