Under a tax scheme in place since 2005, some firms could reduce taxable profits in Belgium by up to 90%. Companies that were not part of global groups could not claim the same benefits, which Europe's Competition Commission said "distorts competition". European firms were the main beneficiaries, according to the EU. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "Belgium has given a select number of multinationals substantial tax advantages that break EU state aid rules. It distorts competition on the merits by putting smaller competitors who are not multinational on an unequal footing. The so-called excess profit scheme has been on hold since 2015, when the EU announced its investigation. The Commission did not mention any firms by name, but media reports said they included brewer AB Inbev and British American Tobacco.

Summary: Belgium has been ordered by European authorities to recover €700m (£524m; $763m) from 35 multinational companies after giving them illegal tax breaks.


Wanderers parted company with Neil Lennon after former player Dean Holdsworth's company completed a takeover of the Championship side. Brown made more than 250 appearances for Bolton before serving as assistant manager for over six years. "I have had no approach from Dean Holdsworth," he told BBC Essex. "I have sat the players down this morning. We have spoken about the speculation and newspaper headlines, which inevitably you have to print. "Speculation can take our players and my eye of the ball and that's the last thing that you need at this stage of the season." The Shrimpers, who were promoted via the play-offs last season, are four points off the League One play-off places with 10 matches remaining. "We are involved in winning football games and on Saturday we need 100% focus from myself, the management team, the players and the supporters," Brown added. "If the supporters think there is a manager standing on the sidelines that will not be there in a week or two, you won't get the same level of support. "We need it at this moment in time. It is so important that we get back-to-back promotions and get the status of a Championship side."

Summary: Southend boss Phil Brown has said he will not be taking his "eye off the ball" despite speculation linking him with his former club Bolton.


Matty Russell gave Wolves the perfect start but Joe Mellor's converted score gave Widnes a narrow lead. Peta Hiku put Warrington back in front before they eased clear through Kevin Brown's score against his former club and a second from Russell. Both sides will now play in the Qualifiers as they bid to retain their top-flight status for next season. Huddersfield's win over Leigh Centurions last week meant Warrington, last year's beaten Grand Finalists, knew they would not make the Super 8s this season but they will go into the Qualifiers with confidence after three successive wins. Widnes, who in contrast have now lost four games in a row, could end up finishing bottom of the regular season table if the Centurions beat Salford on Friday. The two sides will face each other again in the Qualifiers, with the Wolves having won all three of this season's meetings in Super League and Challenge Cup. Warrington coach Tony Smith: "It was a good workout and timely for us. I thought we were a bit rusty the way we were playing in the first half and we were rushing things and trying to throw passes when we didn't need to instead of taking control of the ball and maybe taking the tackle and putting on a better play. "But we got hold of things in the second half and our defence also got better which enabled to do more with the ball and come up with some good combinations." Widnes coach Denis Betts: "Overall I'm disappointed we didn't stay in the fight. You want to win these games and be successful moving forward but you want to respect the process that is going to keep us in Super League which we failed to do in the second half. "We were patchy again. It was a great 40 minutes and we probably could have asked a few more questions with some of our kicks but we were solid which we haven't been over the last couple of weeks. "We just failed to apply the pressure when we had the ball in the second half, we dropped the ball twice on their line and gave a penalty away and didn't really get back into the game. "We now have a two-week break and then have seven games in a mini-season and it gives us the chance to right a couple of wrongs when we feel we have let ourselves down by losing close games." Warrington: Ratchford, Russell, Hiku, Atkins, Lineham, Patton, Brown, Cooper, Clark, Sims, Jullien, Hughes, Philbin. Replacements: Currie, G. King, Savelio, Smith. Widnes: Thompson, Armstrong, Chamberlain, Runciman, Marsh, Mellor, B. Walker, J. Chapelhow, Johnstone, Dudson, Whitley, Olbison, Cahill. Replacements: Gerrard, Burke, D. Walker, T. Chapelhow. Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL)

Summary: Warrington overturned a half-time deficit to end the regular season Super League campaign with a win over Widnes.


Some 13,000 people have left the area since Thursday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says. The evacuation deal also includes government-held parts of Idlib province besieged by rebels. The UN envoy for Syria says there are plans for peace talks on 8 February. Some 7,000 people are still trapped in Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory. Conditions there are grim, with no access to food and shelter and minimal medical facilities. Among those evacuated on Monday were 47 children trapped in an orphanage, children's charity Unicef said in a statement. Some were in a critical condition because of injuries or dehydration, the organisation added. The evacuees also included seven-year-old Bana Alabed, whose home in eastern Aleppo was bombed and whose appeals for peace on Twitter were heard worldwide. In a video she expressed relief at escaping the "endless bombardment in Aleppo". After leaving Aleppo city, the evacuees will be moved to parts of Aleppo and Idlib provinces. The operation restarted late on Sunday. It had stalled after armed men set fire to buses that were about to transport the sick and injured from the mainly Shia, government-held villages of Foah and Kefraya in Idlib province. The Syrian Observatory said that 500 of the 4,000 villagers left the areas on Monday. A rebel representative said hundreds of people would also be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya, two army-besieged rebel towns near the border with Lebanon, as part of the deal. At the UN Security Council, the 15 members managed to overcome disagreements between Western nations and Russia and unanimously approved the resolution. It requested the "UN and other relevant institutions to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring" of the mass evacuations from Aleppo. Syria's envoy Bashar Jaafari spoke out against council members who he said had hidden agendas and intended "to legitimise foreign interference, the changing of legitimate governments by force, or even using military force". For monitors to be deployed in Aleppo, they need permission from the Syrian government. Meanwhile, a gunman killed the Russian ambassador to Turkey in Ankara. The attacker, identified as a police officer, shouted "Don't forget Aleppo". Leaders of both countries, who brokered the deal for the evacuations, said the attack was a "provocation" aimed at hurting bilateral ties, and vowed to investigate the killing. It was not clear if the gunman acted alone or had links to any group.

Summary: The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for UN officials and others to monitor the mass evacuations from rebel-held east Aleppo and the safety of civilians still there.


Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) made the recommendation amid concerns that black and minority ethnic drivers are disproportionately affected. It called for forces to make official records of vehicle stops, which they currently are not required to do. Home Secretary Theresa May said the powers "must be properly targeted". Stop and searches on the street are recorded, but the police watchdog also criticised senior officers for failing to improve the use of these powers or to understand their impact. The inspector who led the research, Stephen Otter, said the review had found no official record keeping of vehicle stops and "very little interest" in how effectively and fairly the stops were carried out. He said a large-scale public survey suggested vehicle stops were unfairly targeting ethnic minority groups who were more likely than white people not to be given a reason for the stop. The online survey of 10,094 people - including 7,501 drivers - found that 47% had been in a vehicle when it had been stopped by police. It suggested 7% to 8% of white drivers had been stopped in the last two years, compared with 10% to 14% of black and ethnic minority drivers. An initial HMIC report in 2013 found that stop and search could have been used illegally one in four times. But the watchdog said that despite making 10 recommendations to improve police use of the powers, since then good progress had been made in only one area - improving the use of technology to record encounters. Mr Otter said: "Too many police leaders and officers still don't seem to understand the impact that the use of powers to stop and search people can have on the lives of many people, especially young people and those who are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. "This is disappointing because getting it wrong can lead to resentment, anger and, in time, a loss of trust in the police." Mr Otter said there was a "lack of empathy" among police officers about the impact of the powers, noting 90% of those stopped were not prosecuted. In a report on stop and search powers, the watchdog also found that most forces did not record whether strip searches were involved, and kept no detail of who they stopped or how often. It said, though, "these intrusive searches are carried out in such numbers as to suggest there should be rigorous oversight". HMIC said that within three months police forces should require officers to record all searches involving the removal of more than an outer coat, jacket or gloves. Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock, from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said he agreed there was an "urgent need" for national training, as well as a clearer definition of what constituted fair use of stop and search powers. He said these steps would give both the public and the police "more confidence". Ms May said that although the number of stops and searches had fallen by a third under the current government, it was clear the police had "failed to

Summary: Police forces in England and Wales must record the stops they carry out on motorists, a review has said.


He has made 155 appearances for the Lions since signing from MK Dons for an undisclosed fee in January 2014. The 30-year-old played 56 games in all competitions last season. "Having such success last season made it an easy decision for me to sign another contract," Williams told the club website.

Summary: Millwall midfielder Shaun Williams has signed a 12-month contract extension with the newly-promoted Championship club, with an option for an extra year.


The man was involved in a short pursuit on the westbound carriageway of the M55 in Blackpool before smashing into a roundabout in Yeadon Way on Wednesday. The man, in his 50s and from Accrington, suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is to launch an investigation. The man had been driving a Renault Captur when he collided with the Ashworth Circle roundabout at about 21:00 GMT. A Lancashire police spokesman said: "We immediately referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, this is standard practice following a death after police contact."

Summary: A man has died after the car he was driving crashed during a police chase in Lancashire.


The experiment will begin when the first round takes place on Saturday 24 September. It is an initiative being introduced by the Scottish FA after recent talks with the International Football Association Board. Previously, teams could only use three of seven substitutes in Scotland's premier cup competition. The fourth replacement will only be available if a tie is level after 90 minutes and goes to extra time. There are no plans for the format to be introduced by the Scottish Professional Football League, but it could be used in next season's League Cup in Scotland. The SFA announced the extra substitute plan as Hibernian captain David Gray made the first-round draw at Edinburgh College. One preliminary-round tie remains to be played without the availability of an extra substitute after Scottish Junior Cup winners Beith Juniors and West Superleague champions Auchinleck Talbot drew 2-2 at Bellsdale Park on Saturday. Talbot host their West Superleague rivals this coming Saturday with Highland League outfit Strathspey Thistle now preparing for a journey south to face the victors. East Superleague champions Bonnyrigg Rose and North Superleague champions Banks O'Dee both face a trip to the Highlands to face Turriff United and Keith respectively. East of Scotland champions Leith Athletic host Cumbernauld Colts, who finished fourth in last season's Lowland League. Beith Juniors or Auchinleck Talbot v Strathspey Thistle BSC Glasgow v Rothes Civil Service Strollers v Hawick Royal Albert Clachnacuddin v University of Stirling Dalbeattie Star v Wick Academy Deveronvale v Gretna 2008 East Kilbride v Vale of Leithen Edinburgh University v Whitehill Welfare Forres Mechanics v Lossiemouth Fort William v Brora Rangers Gala Fairydean Rovers v Fraserburgh Girvan v Huntly Inverurie Loco Works v Buckie Thistle Keith v Bank's O'Dee Leith Athletic v Cumbernauld Colts Nairn County v Preston Athletic Selkirk v Linlithgow Rose Turriff United v Bonnyrigg Rose Ties will be played on Saturday 24 September.

Summary: A fourth substitute will be available in extra time for the first time in this season's Scottish Cup.


He returned to his home town of Middlesbrough for the ceremony, in which he was made an honorary doctor in professional achievement. Mr Mortimer paid tribute to the area for its "distinctive, dry, sense of humour". Many of the characters created in his double act with Vic Reeves were based on locals, he revealed. He said: "I was here until I was 25, and the people that you meet then remain with you a lot longer than people you meet when you are older. "It always makes me sad when I come home, in that nice way, as I have so many fond memories of the place." When asked if he thought Middlesbrough FC would win promotion back to the Premier League, he said he would not curse them with a prediction. As for his doctorate, he said: "I will frame it and put it above my son's bed to prove to him that I did amount to something."

Summary: TV comedian Bob Mortimer has been awarded an honorary degree from Teesside University.


The fired officers include Michael Brelo, a patrolman cleared of manslaughter charges over the incident last year. Six other officers are facing suspensions ranging from 21 to 30 days. The shooting followed a high-speed chase that involved 62 police cars and more than 100 officers. Steve Loomis, president of the city's largest police union, said he would contest the firings and suspensions. "This is unprecedented... it's absolutely politically motivated," said Mr Loomis. "This discipline is not supported by fact." The incident began with the sound of a small car in poor repair backfiring, which was mistaken for the sound of gunfire. It ended with the death of Timothy Russell, who was shot 24 times, and Malissa Williams, who was shot 23 times. Several officers fired, but only Officer Brelo faced charges. He stood on the car's bonnet and fired 15 shots through the windscreen in 7.4 seconds. He was cleared of the charges in May of last year, after a judge said that he could not be certain that Mr Brelo was responsible for the deaths.

Summary: Police officials in Cleveland, Ohio, have fired six police officers who shot more than 100 rounds into car and killed an unarmed black couple in 2012.


Media playback is not supported on this device Hamilton was running second to Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg when the German ran into problems with his throttle early in the race and had to retire. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel took second to pass Rosberg in the title standings. Force India's Sergio Perez was a fine third after Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen dramatically collided with Williams' Valtteri Bottas on the final lap. Hamilton's ninth win this season means he needs nine more points than Vettel and two more than Rosberg at the next race in the USA to clinch the title. Raikkonen's eventual fifth place turned to eighth when he was given a 30-second time penalty after the race for causing the crash. Media playback is not supported on this device The result meant Mercedes claimed the Formula 1 constructors' title after securing enough of a difference in points from Hamilton's 25 for the win. With Russian President Vladimir Putin watching from the stands, and later greeting the drivers before they went onto the podium, the second running of this race was a dramatic contrast to the soporific first last year. Two safety car periods - the second following a high-speed crash for Lotus's Romain Grosjean in the long Turn Three - meant drivers went into the final part of the race on divergent tyre strategies. The second safety car was introduced on lap 13, several laps before the window opened for the ideal pit stop on a one-stop strategy, but several teams decided to take the gamble of stopping for tyres and trying to make it to the end of the race. At the head of them, Force India's Perez and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo went into the closing laps in third and fourth places, with the fresher-tyred cars of Bottas and Raikkonen closing them down. Bottas stopped 13 laps after Perez and Raikkonen a massive 18. Media playback is not supported on this device The Williams driver found a way past Ricciardo on lap 45, with eight laps to go, and quickly closed onto Perez's tail, while Raikkonen passed the Red Bull three laps later and closed the three-second gap to the Force India and Mercedes. Bottas was told by his team to go to "mode one" on his engine on the final two laps - the most powerful setting. That enabled Bottas to pass Perez around the outside of Turn 13 on the penultimate lap, with Raikkonen following him through to demote the Mexican to fifth in the space of just two corners. But the action was not finished - Raikkonen then tried an optimistic move on Bottas into Turn Four on the final lap and the two collided. The Williams retired as a result of the damage from the accident but Raikkonen limped around the final lap with sparks cascading from the car to take fifth after being passed by Williams's Felipe Massa and give Ferrari just enough points to keep the constructors' championship open for one more race. Ricciardo retired with what he said he thought was a suspension failure and

Summary: Lewis Hamilton took an easy win in the Russian Grand Prix to move to the brink of his third world championship.


Sean Murray said his studio had endured "years of secret stupid legal nonsense" after the broadcaster Sky said the game's title infringed its trademark. "We finally settled with Sky (they own the word sky). We can call our game No Man's Sky," he tweeted. The game was expected in June, but has been delayed until August. Hello Games has not revealed whether it paid Sky to settle the lawsuit. "I now know more about trademark law than any sane man would ever want to," tweeted Mr Murray in a follow-up post. The studio is not the first company to face a legal challenge from Sky, which provides satellite television and broadband services in Europe. In 2013, Microsoft had to change the name of its cloud storage service SkyDrive to OneDrive, following an infringement claim. A year earlier, US technology firm Livescribe pulled its Sky pen from UK stores after receiving a legal challenge from the satellite broadcaster. It renamed the product "Livescribe wifi smartpen" and recalled stock using the old name. Sky told the BBC it had no comment on the dispute.

Summary: The maker of the highly anticipated video game No Man's Sky has revealed a legal challenge that threatened the game's name.


The veteran striker drilled home from Jordan Marshall's corner and pounced on a rebound to make it 2-0 at the break. John Rankin added to the lead with a tap in before Chris O'Neil pulled one back in the 75th minute. Lyndon Dykes restored the hosts' three-goal cushion almost immediately, chipping goalkeeper Graeme Smith to put the game beyond doubt. Match ends, Queen of the South 4, Brechin City 1. Second Half ends, Queen of the South 4, Brechin City 1. Substitution, Queen of the South. Jesse Akubuine replaces Kyle Jacobs. Jack Leighfield (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Paul McLean (Brechin City). Foul by Shaun Rooney (Queen of the South). Kalvin Orsi (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Brechin City. Elliot Ford replaces Chris O'Neil. Goal! Queen of the South 4, Brechin City 1. Lyndon Dykes (Queen of the South) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left to the high centre of the goal. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Sean Crighton. Goal! Queen of the South 3, Brechin City 1. Chris O'Neil (Brechin City) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ally Love. Foul by Kyle Jacobs (Queen of the South). Finn Graham (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Andy Stirling (Queen of the South) wins a free kick on the right wing. John Rankin (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Kyle Jacobs (Queen of the South) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by Chris O'Neil (Brechin City). Foul by Finn Graham (Brechin City). Attempt missed. Shaun Rooney (Queen of the South) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Substitution, Brechin City. Jordan Sinclair replaces Gary Fusco. Substitution, Brechin City. Kalvin Orsi replaces Isaac Layne. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Willie Dyer. Attempt saved. Derek Lyle (Queen of the South) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Chris O'Neil (Brechin City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Andy Stirling (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Chris O'Neil (Brechin City). Attempt saved. John Rankin (Queen of the South) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by John Rankin (Queen of the South). Andrew Jackson (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Marshall (Queen of the South). Andrew Jackson (Brechin City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Queen of the South. Andy Stirling replaces Daniel Carmichael. Goal! Queen of the South 3, Brechin City 0. John Rankin (Queen of the South) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Willie Dyer (Brechin City) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Shaun

Summary: Derek Lyle scored twice as Queen of the South battered Championship new boys Brechin City.


The region is spending £60m more a year than it receives in funding and income. The figures are in a local NHS review which that found that services in the county were "struggling to deliver consistent, high quality care". Changes suggested in the report include centralising more services in specialist treatment centres. An example cited was the bringing together of cardiac services at the Lincolnshire Heart Centre, which opened at Lincoln County Hospital in 2013. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the unit, said that "survival rates for heart attacks are now among the best in the country". Other recommendations in the report include calls for more care to be provided outside hospitals and better communication and better sharing of medical records. The report also claimed that "more funding would not deal with the challenges in recruiting professionals into key health and care roles, including nurses, GPs, radiologists, paediatricians and other professionals". Dr Sunil Hindocha, chief clinical officer at Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: "What we know is if we carry on doing things in the manner we are, then Lincolnshire's healthcare system is simply not sustainable. "It is clear we are not getting the best for the population under the current configuration." The report will form the basis of a public consultation later in the year.

Summary: Lincolnshire's health and care system could see a £300m overspend by 2021, according to a new report.


The first attack targeted a police station in the eastern city of Van, killing one police officer and two civilians. Some 73 people were hurt. Hours later, a police station in Elazig was hit, killing at least three police officers and wounding 146 people. Turkish officials blamed the Kurdish militant group, the PKK. The PKK has carried a series of bombings targeting the police in the largely Kurdish south-east since a ceasefire with the government broke down last year. Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising above the destroyed police building in Elazig. The force of the blast blew out nearby cars, uprooted trees and left a large crater outside the building. At least eight people were killed in two attacks on police vehicles in nearby Diyarbakir and Kiziltepe last week. Since last month's failed coup in Turkey, there has been much talk of national unity. But this has not included the pro-Kurdish political party which the Turkish authorities say supports the PKK, reports the BBC's Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen. The pro-Kurdish HDP denies any link to the militants.

Summary: Two big car bombs have hit police stations in separate cities in Turkey, killing six people and wounding at least 219 others.


The 20-year-old has managed the injury for about 18 months, but has now been forced to arrange an operation. "I'm not looking forward to this, but it has to be done if I want to continue my career in the best possible way," Clayton told BBC Radio Jersey. "I probably missed five events with it, so it will help in the long run." Clayton - who, along with James Connelly, - first suffered the injury at the Under-18 British Championships in 2012, an event he went on to win. He had painkilling injections in his shoulder, but the problem flared up again during pre-season and after his first tournament of the year, he has decided to follow medical advice and have the operation. Media playback is not supported on this device "My specialist said the rehab programme was really good and I've been doing the right things. I built up the muscles well and it's down to that that I kept playing for so long. "But my serve was really affected by it in the tournament I just played and I was struggling to generate pace. The serve is one of, if not the, biggest part of the game so I really need to sort it out," he said. "I'm still young and I don't have points to defend until the end of the year really, so it's the best time to do it, even though there's never a good time to have it happen. "I'm in a better place than I was this time last year mentally, physically and in terms of my playing ability, so I'm going into it with the right frame of mind and I just need to get it sorted." ."

Summary: Jersey tennis player Scott Clayton faces up to six months out of the sport as he prepares to undergo surgery on a longstanding shoulder injury.


Officers were called to the house in Willowbrook Park, Celbridge, at about 20:50 local time on Tuesday. The man, who was in his 30s, was pronounced dead shortly before 22:30. A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and has been taken to Leixlip Garda (police) station for questioning. The body remains at the house, which has been cordoned off pending the arrival of the deputy state pathologist.

Summary: Police have made an arrest after the death of a man who was found with head injuries at a house in County Kildare.


Attorney General Jeremy Wright said it was a "proper and well established" principle that governments use the royal prerogative in such cases. But those bringing the case argue that it is vital MPs and peers get a say. Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the Brexit process, is to be triggered by the end of next March. Campaigners say the prime minister lacks the power to do this without the prior authorisation of Parliament. But, arguing the government's case, Mr Wright said Article 50 was available to "to give effect to the will of the people", as expressed in June's referendum, in which a majority of voters backed Brexit. The use of the royal prerogative - powers historically held by the Crown but these days passed on to ministers - was "wholly within the expectation of Parliament", he said. Parliament had also passed an act allowing the referendum to take place, he added. The attorney general said the "notification - once given - will not be withdrawn. It is our case that Parliament's consent is not required". James Eadie QC, also representing the government, said the case had "profound constitutional implications and profound political implications". He added: "It also raises a series of questions about how the British constitution should react in unique circumstances that concern the court and confront the country at this time." Mr Eadie said there was no written, constitutional formula and that the claimants in court wanted to use legal principles developed in different constitutional and legal circumstances to make them fit their argument - "precisely denying the constitutional flexibility that lies at the heart of our constitution". Mrs May announced at the Conservative Party conference that she intended giving an Article 50 notification by the end of March 2017 using the royal prerogative. Her opponents argue this would unlawfully remove statutory rights granted to UK citizens under the European Communities Act 1972, which made EU law part of UK law. Because of the urgency and constitutional importance of the case, any appeal is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, before the end of the year. One of the judges, Lord Thomas, has hit out at people who have threatened investment fund manager Gina Miller, one of the organisers of the challenge to the government, with abusive emails and "other communications". The three-day hearing ends on Tuesday.

Summary: Consent from Parliament is "not required" for Theresa May to go ahead with getting Brexit under way, the High Court has heard.


The effervescent flanker has shone in an Edinburgh side swamped by malaise. And Watson proved one of the stars of Scotland's best Six Nations since 2006. "If you're a score down in a Test with 15 minutes to go and need to inject something different, a player like him might work for you," Smith said. "Someone a bit more dynamic, with a huge work-rate, hugely athletic and fast, and could probably play in most positions in the backs and make a reasonable fist of it. "He doesn't fit the mould of a standard back-row. He's not physically massive, but he punches above his weight. "Every time he gets the ball, he does something interesting and he's very good over the ball. "It probably goes to your philosophy when you play New Zealand - how are you going to play? Are you going to play all-out attack or are you going to try and stop them from scoring tries? "Defence is obviously going to be important, but I think we're going to have focus on scoring tries, which I think would probably work in Hamish's favour." Former prop Smith, 45, toured with the storied Lions of 1997, starting all three Tests as the visitors overcame then world champions South Africa. He repeated that feat four years later, cementing his status as the first-choice loose-head when Graham Henry's Lions were beaten 2-1 by Australia. Not since Smith in 2001 has Scotland contributed a starting Test Lion and no more than three Scots have been selected for the initial touring party in two decades. Head coach Warren Gatland will name his squad on Wednesday. "If we got five, I'd be pretty happy," Smith told BBC Scotland. "I think Stuart Hogg's a certainty, he's pencilled in by a lot of people to start the Tests and I think, if he keeps playing the way he has been, there's a good chance that will happen. "I think Jonny Gray is the sort of player that will develop and really come on in a tour and environment like that. "Unfortunately, second-row is such a competitive area this year, but I'd certainly have my fingers crossed for him, brother Richie, or both. "Tommy Seymour's a really good player who week in, week out delivers high-quality performances. "Finn Russell, again, it's a really, really tough position, but you just hope he might squeeze on and be given the chance to show what he's got. "Our back-three is as good as any in the championship with Hogg, Seymour and Sean Maitland, who has worked with Gatland before - there's a mutual respect there and he's playing for one of the top sides in Europe, which I think will help him." Scotland earned home victories over Ireland, Wales and Italy in this year's Six Nations - the first time they have won three championship fixtures in 11 years. Although Vern Cotter's side were dealt a shellacking by England, Smith, who won 61 international caps, hopes their performances this season can swell the Scottish contingent in Gatland's squad. "Sometimes it doesn't add up,"

Summary: Tom Smith, the last Scot to start a British and Irish Lions Test, believes Hamish Watson could provide key and unique attributes on this year's tour of New Zealand.


Phillip Monk, 61, of Penycoedcae, Pontypridd, went on trial at Newport Crown Court accused of 23 counts of indecent assault of a person under the age of 14, relating to seven girls. He was found not guilty of assaulting pupils at Maesybryn Primary School, near Pontypridd, between 1984 and 1995. No evidence was offered on six similar charges relating to two girls. He was also cleared of these. Judge Daniel Williams formally found Mr Monk not guilty of these charges after at a hearing on Monday after being told no evidence would be offered by the prosecution.

Summary: A primary school teacher accused of indecently assaulting his pupils has been cleared of all charges.


Ex-Bayern Munich player Dante has helped Nice climb to the summit at the midway point of the season. They are two points clear of nearest rivals Monaco and five ahead of champions Paris St-Germain. "Anything can happen. We need to concentrate 100%. We have a chance," said Dante in an interview with BBC World Service's World Football. Lucien Favre's side have lost just one of their first 19 league games and entertain struggling Metz on Sunday. "When I wake up I only think to win every game because this season we can make some big dreams come true," added Dante, who joined Nice from Wolfsburg in August. Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has scored eight goals in nine league games for Nice since joining from Liverpool in August. Dante said: "Mario is world class. He is so important here and a very good guy. "Everybody says he is bad boy. Maybe in the last group he made some mistakes but I speak to him and he only wants to play football now." Listen to World Football's full interview with Dante.

Summary: Nice can "make dreams come true" by winning Ligue 1 for the first time since 1959, defender Dante says.


The system for handling patient calls has been beset with problems and last month it was temporarily withdrawn. But a 2013 internal review described it as a "particularly strong exemplar of good practice". The Scottish government said the review was held before a significant testing phase of the project had taken place. The project is more than two years behind schedule. It is also currently running 55% over budget with an estimated cost of £117.4m, £41.6m higher than planned. NHS 24 has already borrowed £20m from the Scottish government in order to cover the escalating costs. Since the August 2013 Programme and Project Management Centre of Expertise review it has emerged that nobody read through the contract before it was put out to tender. This meant that vital performance measures were left out. On 2 December, MSPs on the Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee gasped as they were told that "human error" was to blame for a poorly worded contract. Key parts were not copied over to the final version, which meant that contractors were not obliged to meet important performance measures. Committee members described the mistakes as "incredible". The following week the Scottish government's most senior policy advisor, Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, told the Public Audit Committee: "I would expect team in charge to be clear about what they were signing up to and that the document was fit for purpose." Committee convener Paul Martin MSP put it to Mrs Evans that he had signed loan agreements for much less than £75m and they always contained the phrase "please read carefully". Mrs Evans said: "Common sense, apart from anything else, would emphasise the importance of reading the document that one signs." It has now emerged that the project was recommended in an internal report as something which could be "transferable to other programmes". A Scottish government spokesman said: "This is a dated review, carried out at a specific point in the project on behalf of NHS 24. "It was held before a significant testing phase of the project had taken place. "Since that point, in February 2014, the Scottish government and NHS 24 jointly commissioned Ernst & Young to undertake a review and report of the situation with the Future Programme." In October, call-handlers had to resort to pen and paper when the new computer system, designed by BT and CapGemini, ran into "technical difficulties". NHS 24 is using its old system until the problems have been resolved. The new IT system is not expected to be ready for use until next summer. Every month the new system is not in place, NHS 24 incurs additional costs of £450,000. In a statement NHS 24 said: "This was a complex contract process, which took several years to develop and resulted in very substantial 600-page documents. "The board had a range of governance measures in place, but this was not sufficient and the risk to the organisation was underestimated at the time. "While the ultimate responsibility for spending public money lies with the accountable officer, the contractual flaws were part of a systemic

Summary: A computer project for the NHS 24 telephone helpline which is currently running £41m over budget was praised in a Scottish government report.


Four earlier severe flood warnings for England have been lifted but a storm surge is expected on the Forth later. Commons environment committee chairwoman Anne McIntosh described the flooding as a "major event". Meanwhile a search is continuing for Harry Martin, 18, last seen approaching a Devon coast path on Thursday. It is believed he had been going to take weather-related photos near his home in Membland, Newton Ferrers. The Isle of Portland, once home to the Royal Navy and Olympic sailing events, knows its coastline only too well and the damage the sea can do. Sirens are in place which raise the alarm when flooding starts. So far the only sound has been the crashing of the waves. Rest centres were opened and manned last night, amid fears staff would not be able to reach the island and the causeway would be inundated. The road was closed for a time, cutting Portland off, but in the early hours the most serious state of alert was lifted. With rain following the winds battering the coast the biggest concern is now inland. About 120 local people have joined professional search and rescue teams to look for the teenager. Ms McIntosh said her committee had looked at a recommendation to move electricity substations to higher ground, and added that "a couple" had been caught in the current flooding. She also said that more frequent rehearsals were needed between flood events, and urged people to heed government warnings to stay away from sea fronts and rivers. On Friday, hundreds of homes were flooded, and residents were evacuated in Dorset and Aberystwyth. Earlier, the Environment Agency had issued a severe flood warning - meaning "danger to life" - for Westbury, Broadoak and Newnham on the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire. Severe flood warnings had also been in place on the tidal Severn from Elmore to Rodley due to strong winds which could cause defences to be overtopped, and at Minsterworth and Quedgeley. In Dorset, a severe flood warning had been issued for Iford Bridge Home Park in Bournemouth In Scotland, where a number of flood alerts and warnings are in place, local authorities and the environment agency Sepa have warned of a possible large storm surge on the Forth on Saturday afternoon. The greatest danger will be at about 16:00 GMT with low-lying areas affected around the Firth of Forth, and inland at the River Esk in Musselburgh. In other developments: The Environment Agency's John Curtin urged people to check the flood risk in their area via its website and Twitter. "We would again remind people to avoid coastal paths and promenades which could be dangerous," he said. On Friday, a tidal surge caused flooding in western and southern Scotland. Residents in Chiswell and Portland in Dorset were evacuated ahead of high tide on Friday night. In mid-Wales, about 100 people took shelter for high tide at a school in Aberystwyth and a community centre eight miles (13km) away in Borth, where waves peaked at up to 6ft (1.8m). Rebecca Davies, pro vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University, said

Summary: Further stormy weather is expected across many parts of the UK as coastal communities already hit by flooding begin to assess the damage.


Forty-two refugees, belonging to five families, were greeted on arrival by the Uruguayan President, Jose Mujica. They will spend two months in accommodation near the capital Montevideo where they will learn Spanish and attend classes on local customs. Other Latin American countries have taken Syrians in but Uruguay is the first to assume all resettlement costs. Officials say the two-year resettlement programme will cost Uruguay around $3m (Â£1.9m). They say the adults have already been guaranteed jobs and the children have places in local school. A second group is due to arrive next year.

Summary: A small number of Syrian refugees have arrived in Uruguay from Lebanon.


Taylor, who re-signed on Friday after previously leaving Vale at the end of a short-term deal earlier this term, set up Sam Foley and scored one himself to earn Vale's second straight home win. Louis Dodds netted a consolation for the visitors but there was no way back. Vale remain in the drop zone but are now just two points below Shrewsbury. The hosts, who still have two games in hand on their relegation rivals, scored twice in the space of three minutes as Foley headed in Taylor's corner before the former Newcastle man turned in Kiko's square ball. Former Vale player Dodds' long-range strike was not enough to prevent the visitors losing for a third time in four away games. Match ends, Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1. Second Half ends, Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1. Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Mat Sadler. Nathan Smith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town). JJ Hooper (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town). Attempt missed. A-Jay Leitch-Smith (Shrewsbury Town) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt missed. Dan Turner (Port Vale) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. A-Jay Leitch-Smith replaces Joe Riley. Ryan Taylor (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale). Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Sam Kelly (Port Vale). Gary Deegan (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Sam Kelly (Port Vale). Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Sam Kelly (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town). Substitution, Port Vale. Sam Kelly replaces Chris Eagles. Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale). Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Nathan Smith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town). Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Remie Streete. Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Remie Streete. Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Goal! Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1. Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Stephen Humphrys. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by William

Summary: Port Vale boosted their League One survival hopes as a goal and an assist from returning defender Ryan Taylor saw off fellow strugglers Shrewsbury Town.


A government order means poultry must be kept indoors until the end of February or kept away from wild birds. The H5N8 bird flu strain has been found in poultry in Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Carmarthenshire and North Yorkshire. Under current EU rules, products from poultry housed for less than 12 weeks can be still marketed as free-range. This 12-week allowance for birds housed owing to avian flu will come to an end on 28 February. The rules also affects products which contain free-range egg, such as mayonnaise. Daniel Winter runs Trinity Farm in Nottinghamshire, where he keeps a small flock of about 100 free-range hens. He needed to build a new covered enclosure for them, costing Â£1,000. "If it should continue for months, then we'll end up losing the free-range label," he said. His business is trying to avoid putting up the price of their eggs. "We've been swallowing the cost, hoping it would end, but at some point, we are going to have to start looking at passing the cost on," he said. Ruth Mason, chief food chain adviser at the NFU, said: "Plans need to be put in place in terms of how eggs can be marketed and how they should be positioned. "It is very logistically difficult for the industry to move overnight from calling one product free-range to calling it 'barn' or whatever that might be. "We may well get to a place where we have a free-range packaging that has a sticker over it that explains the birds have been housed, so it may say 'free-range, however, birds are currently housed due to avian influenza'." Barn eggs are traditionally cheaper in the shops than free-range eggs. A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "We have taken swift action to limit the spread of the disease, with restrictions around affected premises and wider measures in place across the country, including a legal requirement for all poultry keepers to keep their birds housed or otherwise separate from wild birds. This must be coupled with good bio-security. "All measures will be kept under review based on the best available evidence, and we are working closely with the industry on next steps." Similar restrictions have been introduced in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. You can hear more on this story on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours

Summary: The National Farmers' Union is calling for clarity on what will happen to free-range labelling if restrictions owing to avian flu continue.


Behind glass screens high in the cavernous stands some will sip champagne as a galaxy of expensive stars including Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Marcos Rojo are introduced to the home support for the first time. Millions will watch around the globe. Around the pitch advertisement boards will promote multi-national companies, many of whom will have paid handsomely for the privilege. Fifteen miles to the east, another team called United and representing Manchester will be kicking off the second half of their first match on the long road to Wembley. Like those at Old Trafford, they will wear red shirts, white shorts and black socks. However, in the slightly more compact surroundings of Stalybridge Celtic's Bower Fold ground (capacity 6,500) there will be no millionaire superstars and no private boxes, although sponsors can watch with everyone else from the comfort of the clubhouse. Merseyside outfit Prescot Cables, named so because of a nearby cable company, will provide the opposition in front of a crowd of around 1,400 in a match held on Sunday not because of TV demands but because the landlords are at home on Saturday. Those in action will be on an average of £150-a-week and have jobs of their own. Fans will be able to stand on a terrace and mix with the players in the bar after the final whistle. The atmosphere is incredible. I could take my grandmother - it's what football should be like. Welcome to the world of FC United of Manchester. The rebel club, set up in protest at the Glazer family's debt-burdening ownership of United, will be 10 years old next year. In November, they will end almost a decade on the road by coming home to a new 5,000 capacity stadium in Moston, a working class urban suburb in north east Manchester. These are exciting times and yet, according to general manager Andy Walsh, it could have been different had a 2005 phone call to Sir Alex Ferguson shortly before the American family's controversial takeover prompted a different response. Walsh said: "We had it on good authority from our friends in the city that the banks who were lending the Glazers the money to buy the club would have pulled out had they not had the continuity of Sir Alex and (chief executive) David Gill in control of the club. "I was a member of the independent supporters' association at the time and would speak to Sir Alex from time to time. If players do not fit the attitude of this club they do not cross the line. "It was decided that I should call him and ask him to resign. It wasn't an easy conversation and ultimate respect to him for speaking to me. He listened to what I had to say but said that he did not want to jeopardise the livelihoods of all the staff he had brought to Old Trafford. "It was a high-risk strategy and, although it seems ridiculous now, we were close to getting a deal on the table that would have given supporters ownership

Summary: In front of 75,000 paying customers at a packed Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, Manchester United will parade up to £149m worth of new talent as they take on QPR in the biggest league in the world.


Children's services in the city have consistently been rated "inadequate" by Ofsted. Lord Warner was appointed as an independent commissioner last year to oversee attempted improvements. On Monday the council's cabinet approved plans that will see an extra Â£94m spent over three years. It includes Â£27.5m already announced for the 2015-16 financial year. New IT and upgrades to existing systems are also to be introduced, including mobile devices for all social workers. Under the plans, the number of front-line social worker posts will increase from 511 to almost 600 by March 2017. The authority has struggled to recruit enough social workers over recent years, particularly those with substantial experience. Councillor Brigid Jones, in charge of children's services, said the authority had previously relied on "emergency measures" to tackle staff shortages and the latest plan allowed it to approach the matter more "more strategically". "The biggest thing we need to get right is the recruitment. It's about getting the right staff here and keeping them," she said. Lord Warner is expected to publish his own report into the state of children's services in Birmingham next month.

Summary: Extra social workers and new IT systems are to be introduced in a bid to improve children's social care in Birmingham.


Before his latest trial, in Germany, he was famously deported from the US to Israel in 1986 to face allegations that he had served as a camp guard nicknamed Ivan the Terrible at Treblinka. He was convicted and sentenced to death. But he was reprieved a few years later after new evidence appeared. But back in America, decades later, an immigration judge ruled there was enough evidence to prove he had been a guard at other Nazi camps, and he was sent abroad for trial again in 2009. The Munich case, in which he was given a five-year jail sentence, is expected to be Germany's last big war crimes trial. Born Ivan Demjanjuk on 3 April 1920 in the Ukrainian village of Dubovi Makharintsi, he was raised under Soviet rule. A burly man, he worked as a tractor and lorry driver on a Ukrainian collective farm. Little can be said with certainty about Mr Demjanjuk's activities during World War II. He joined the Red Army like millions of others, and was serving in eastern Crimea in 1942 when he was captured by the Germans. At least three million Soviet soldiers are believed by historians to have died in German prison camps, many of them left to starve. "I would have given my soul for a loaf of bread," Mr Demjanjuk said later in court. At his trial in Israel, he testified that he had been held at a camp in Chelmno, Poland, until 1944 before being moved to another camp in Austria where he joined a Nazi-backed unit of Russian soldiers fighting communist rule. But according to German prosecutors, between March and September 1943, he was in fact involved in the murders of tens of thousands of Jews at the Nazis' Sobibor death camp in Poland. They said they had obtained hundreds of documents and a number of prosecution witnesses. "For the first time we have even found lists of names of the people who Demjanjuk personally led into the gas chambers," said Kurt Schrimm, head of the special office investigating Nazi crimes. After the war, Demjanjuk lived in southern Germany, working as a driver for various international refugee organisations, according to Germany's Spiegel magazine. In 1952, he emigrated to the US with his wife and child, eventually settling in Cleveland, where he worked as an engine mechanic at a car plant. He was naturalised as a US citizen but his citizenship was temporarily removed after a US judge ruled in 1981 that he had lied in his citizenship application about his wartime activities. Israeli prosecutors requested his extradition in 1983. They believed Mr Demjanjuk was Ivan the Terrible - one of the most infamous guards at Treblinka. Ivan had helped operate the gas chambers and personally murdered hundreds of prisoners, hacking many of his naked victims to death with a sword, according to witnesses. A US court rejected his appeal against deportation in 1985. The court dismissed doubts cast over the authenticity of an ID card, which the defence said was a forgery. The card showed that Mr Demjanjuk belonged to

Summary: John Demjanjuk, an elderly former Ohio car worker who was born in Ukraine, was finally convicted of Nazi war crimes after decades of fighting attempts to bring him to justice.


But the critics have had a chance to see Channel 4's eagerly anticipated cake-over and have already given their verdicts. We thought of serving up their reviews in full but decided instead to give you a slice of each - just to give you a taste. We'll let them make the puns from now on, so knead on at your own whisk (sorry). According to The Guardian's Mark Lawson, both Channel 4 and programme maker Love Productions are "having their cake and eating it". "The eighth series of the extreme patisserie challenge manages to seem exactly the same but also just different enough," he writes. Mel and Sue's replacements, comedian Noel Fielding and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, "set their own distinctive flavour in the kitchen," Lawson goes on. "To me the first episode for Channel 4 is as strong - in terms of both bakers and the cakes they attempt - as any previously made." Writing in the Daily Mail, reviewer Sarah Rainey says that the show "hasn't changed a bit" in its move from the BBC to Channel 4. "Sure, the people - with the exception of steely-eyed Paul Hollywood - are different," she writes. "But if you squint a little, they could be the same old familiar faces, making the same innuendo-laden jokes." While expressing admiration for Fielding's "ridiculous bird-print shirt", though, Rainey suggests his "dippy comedy act" may "quickly start to grate". According to The Telegraph's Michael Hogan, the first instalment of the Channel 4 series gives viewers "the same flavoursome confection" - with "extra spice". "There was tension, there were tears and one nervous hopeful forgot to turn her oven on," he goes on. "Mary, Mel and Sue might be gone, but the show's recipe remains as winning as ever." "The moment that Mary, Mel and Sue requested their P45s, we knew that Bake Off would never be what it was," writes Frances Taylor of the Radio Times. According to her online review, however, Channel 4 "have done the best they can with the ingredients they were given". "We'll always mourn the BBC era of the baking behemoth, but this is what we've got now," Taylor concludes. "It's a bit rough around the edges, a little burnt on the outside. But it's still our Bake Off." The Great British Bake Off begins on Channel 4 at 20:00 BST on 29 August. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Viewers still have a week to wait before The Great British Bake Off returns to our screens, on a different channel with a 75% new line-up of judges and presenters.


The 113, including children and pregnant women, landed in Nuevo Laredo on Tuesday. They were among thousands stranded in Costa Rica after neighbouring Nicaragua denied them passage north. Cubans are allowed automatic residence when they set foot in the US. But after the two counties normalised ties following years of animosity, the number of Cubans trying to reach the US surged amid fears the policy would be dropped. Central American nations reached a deal last month allowing migrants stranded in Costa Rica to continue on to the US. The first flight carrying about 180 flew from Costa Rica to El Salvador in January.

Summary: A group of vulnerable Cuban migrants have been flown by the Costa Rican authorities to a Mexican border town, from where they are expected to enter the US.


The officer, 52, was seriously injured when a booby-trap device exploded under his van on Friday, 4 March. A dissident republican group known as the New IRA said it carried out the attack. The 45-year-old man has also been charged with possession of explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. He is due to appear in court in Belfast on Saturday. A 39-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the attack has been released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. Another man, a 34-year-old, who was being questioned about the bombing has been released unconditionally.

Summary: A man has been charged with the attempted murder of a prison officer in a bomb attack in Belfast last week.


During the Troubles, the army base was situated right beside the GAA ground. The meeting was revealed during the filming of the True North documentary, 'Crossmaglen Field of Dreams'. During the Troubles, a group of local children, brought together by Crossmaglen Rangers, formed what was to become one of the greatest Gaelic football teams in the country. Two of those boys, Oisín McConville and John McEntee, who graduated through the underage ranks went on to help 'Cross' win its first All-Ireland club championship in 1996. The 1970s saw an increased Army presence in Northern Ireland, and the building of a base in the largely Catholic town was a cause of contention for many residents. The club chose to ignore the Troubles as best it could and became determined to be known for sporting greatness. Oisín and John recall how they were too busy playing football to get involved in politics. Oisín said: "Despite what was going on, we were still determined to be successful on the field." "We were far too busy playing football and getting on with life," John said. During filming, Oisín reveals how he was contacted by a former soldier, who was once stationed at Crossmaglen. The former soldier, who is now involved in reconciliation work, meets Oisín on the club pitch and they discuss what that time was like for the team and for soldiers. In 2014, Oisín and John became managers of Cross and began their pursuit of the 2016 All-Ireland Club Championship. The film follows them as they guide the next generation of players to hoped-for victory at Dublin's Croke Park. Since 1996, the team has won 19 county championships, 11 Ulster club trophies and five more all-Ireland finals. The programme focuses on the daily lives of the players and managers, including the squad's oldest member, Paul Hearty. Married with four children, Paul works as a milkman six days a week before football training in the evenings. We also meet Jamie Clarke, a rising star in Gaelic football, who wants to see if there is more to life for him than GAA. He causes shockwaves by leaving the club mid-season to go to New York. Producer Natalie Maynes said: "For years, Crossmaglen has lived with the reputation of being at the heart of 'bandit country'. "But with unique access to the town's senior Gaelic football team over a two-year-period, we were able to gain an insight into the untold story of life beyond the label, and to discover how this remarkable frontier community has turned what could have been a siege mentality, into a formula for victory." Assistant producer Thomas Niblock said: "From a sporting point of view, the reward for gaining two years of unrestricted access was a front row seat to the real Crossmaglen Rangers. "No buff, no polish - instead we witnessed Cross during their most intimate and sacred moments. We were also able to document the humanity and exacting toll on a club in pursuit of sporting excellence." True North: Crossmaglen Field of Dreams is on BBC One Northern Ireland at 21:00

Summary: A former soldier who was stationed in Crossmaglen during the Troubles has met one of the players involved in a GAA team in the south Armagh town.


Luck was shining on Public Service Broadcasting when they came to writing the follow up to their 2013 debut album Inform-Educate-Entertain. The band had previously worked with the British Film Institute in sourcing archive recordings to sample, and they turned to BFI again in their hunt for material from the Cold War space race. "At the time I called them up to ask them if they had any space footage they'd only just inherited it from another collection," said J Willgoose. "One of my biggest concerns about writing this album was about finding the material for the Soviet missions. "It was an incredible stroke of luck that the BFI happened to come across these films just as I started asking after them." A fan of space exploration, Willgoose was familiar with the battles between the USA and USSR to beat one another to historic firsts. The Soviets got the first satellite into space in the 1950s and the first man in the 1960s, while the Nasa's Apollo missions put the first men on the Moon. But Willgoose was still surprised by what was in the BFI's newly-acquired collection. He said: "Most of the Soviet stuff was new to me - even now it's hard to find a great deal of good quality literature or footage of their missions because their space programme was shrouded in such secrecy. "A good deal of the material from the Apollo missions I hadn't heard before - I really went very deep into the mission logs and dug out stuff that I hadn't heard of before. "The public relations feed for the Apollo 8 lunar orbit was one of my favourite pieces of audio for the whole album." One of the tracks on the new album - The Race for Space - is dedicated to cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. However, in a strange twist the music ended up evoking an American theme. Willgoose said: "I'd had this guitar riff lying around for a couple of years as I'd tried to use it on another song and it hadn't worked, and it was always at the back of my mind because I really liked it. "Then when it came to matching up musical ideas that I'd had with likely topics for the album, and having watched the footage of Gagarin's reception on returning to Earth, it seemed to make sense to me in quite an attractively odd and incongruous way. "It seemed like a strange song to write about him, and a very non-literal one, which appealed to me. "We treat the source material in different ways on different songs across the album but I loved the idea of making him a pseudo-70s cop show soundtrack and trying to capture some of the exuberance and euphoria I saw on film. "The original riff ended up being almost totally re-written in the process, and then the brass came on board, so it moved on quite a lot from the original germ of an idea." PSB first worked with BFI on 2012's five-track EP The War

Summary: The new album from Public Service Broadcasting recalls the triumphs and tragedies of early space exploration through samples from films and recordings of Nasa and USSR rocket launches, many previously unavailable to the public.


The United Airlines pilots, aged 35 and 45, were held in the cockpit by police ahead of the 09:00 flight on Saturday. Their jet, which was headed for Newark Airport, had started boarding its 141 passengers. It eventually took off at 19:15 with a new flight crew on board. The men are expected to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday. Police Scotland said the pilots were arrested in connection with alleged offences under the Railways and Transport/Safety Act 2003 (Section 93). This covers "carrying out pilot function or activity while exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol". United Airlines said the pilots, both believed to be US citizens, had been removed from service and their flying duties pending an investigation. A spokesman said the safety of customers and crew "is their highest priority". Two Canadian pilots appeared in court earlier in July after being arrested at Glasgow Airport on suspicion of being impaired through alcohol. Captain Jean-Francois Perreault, aged 39, and Imran Zafar Syed, who is 37, were due to fly an Air Transat plane with 345 passengers and nine crew on board. They were released on bail and are due to return to court at a later date.

Summary: Two airline pilots were arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol as they prepared to fly from Glasgow Airport to New York.


The Britain's Got Talent judge has signed a deal with Scholastic to write two books about Aurora Beam, a young girl who happens to be a superhero. The ex-Strictly champ said she wanted to "create a strong female character who young girls and boys can hopefully be inspired by and look up to". The singer and presenter confirmed the news on Instagram. Dixon said she was "delighted to be working" with Scholastic on the books, the first of which will be out next spring. The deal sees the former Mis-teeq member join a growing number of celebs who have written books for kids, including: Nine stars who became unlikely children's authors Earlier this month politician George Galloway revealed he had signed a deal to write a series of children's books about an "ethical pirate" called Red Molucca. DJ Greg James, meanwhile, has teamed up with Radio 1 colleague Chris Smith to write a series of books about an ordinary boy - "Kid Normal" - who attends a school for children with super powers. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Alesha Dixon is to become the latest celebrity to try her hand at writing books for children.


Rachel Booth, from New Milton, Hampshire, lost the rings in the water at Avon Beach, Christchurch, on Sunday. Following a failed search using a snorkel, mask and rakes, she enlisted the help of two metal detectorists. The rings were eventually discovered two days later at low tide. They were buried under four inches (10cm) of sand. Mrs Booth, who will have been married to Stephen Booth for three years in September, said she felt "extremely lucky". "I couldn't believe it - I was very emotional just to have them back," she said. Gary Smith, who helped find the rings with Shaun Trotman, said the search had been made easier because Mrs Booth had used the location of nearby beach huts and bollards as markers for where she had lost them.

Summary: A woman has been reunited with her wedding and engagement rings after losing them on a beach in Dorset.


The world champion headed Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 0.377 seconds, with Williams' Valtteri Bottas third, 0.661secs off the pace. But Hamilton also brushed the wall twice at Turn Three on the slippery street track. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was the first driver to crash, hitting the barrier at the difficult Turn 15. Ricciardo lost control on the exit of the left-hander, one of the corners highlighted by leading drivers as a safety concern in the build-up to the race. Rosberg and McLaren's Jenson Button said they were concerned about the lack of run-off at Turns Three, Seven and 15 - and Ricciardo hit the impact-absorbing barrier that protects the wall at a corner where the exit drops off downhill at a slight negative camber. The incident, which tore off his right rear wheel and suspension, brought out the red flag with 22 minutes of the session remaining. It capped a difficult day for Red Bull, after Ricciardo's team-mate Max Verstappen managed only seven laps before being stopped by an oil leak caused by a clutch problem, according to team boss Christian Horner. The session restarted for 13 minutes and Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz immediately had a much smaller-scale accident at the same place - the Spaniard locked up on the way in, was heading for the escape road, decided to have a go at making the corner and then caught his front wing on the barriers, breaking its mountings. Hamilton almost suffered the same fate as Ricciardo, after hitting the wall side-on, on two consecutive flying laps. Both times, Hamilton got away with it, although the second incident led to him locking his brakes and damaging his set of tyres, bringing his session to an end. Earlier, the world champion, who is nine points behind Rosberg in the championship after winning the past two races, put on an impressive performance over the first half-hour of the session. As is often the case, he went much faster much earlier than Rosberg in unfamiliar conditions - his first flying lap was 1.4secs quicker than the German's, despite Hamilton not even having walked around the track beforehand, and done only six laps on the simulator. After four flying laps, Hamilton was 0.926secs quicker than Rosberg, and then lowered his time again by nearly another second, after which his team-mate finally got to within 0.3secs of him. When both drivers swapped the soft tyre for the faster super-soft, Hamilton was again faster on both his flying laps, before the incidents with the wall. Bottas was the fastest driver to use soft tyres to set his best time, while McLaren's Fernando Alonso, an official ambassador for the race, was an unexpected fourth, also on the soft tyre. The Spaniard was a second faster than team-mate Button in seventh, although some of that margin may have been down to the Spaniard getting a slipstream down the straight from Esteban Gutierrez's Haas. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Force India's Sergio Perez split the McLarens, with Williams' Felipe Massa eighth from Sainz and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg. European Grand Prix

Summary: Lewis Hamilton set the pace in first practice at the inaugural European Grand Prix at Baku in Azerbaijan.


Mladen Grujicic, who acknowledges the killings took place, won 54.4% of the vote, triggering alarm and calls for a recount among the Muslim population. Srebrenica was a Muslim-majority town before the war, but is now 55% Serb and 45% Bosniak (Muslim). The July 1995 slaughter has been deemed genocide by two international courts. Speaking to AFP before the vote, Mr Grujicic said "the crime against the Muslims took place" but like most Serbs refused to recognise it as genocide, saying: "I leave (it to) competent institutions to qualify it." Outgoing Muslim mayor Camil Durakovic refused to concede defeat, crying foul and pledging to lodge a complaint. But Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said their candidate won, adding that chemistry teacher Mr Grujicic would lead a politics of "reality in Srebrenica" and would respect everyone, Beta news agency reported. Hatidza Mehmedovic, who lost her husband and two sons and heads a survivors' organisation, said Mr Grujicic "could not run" the town "because his idols are war criminals such as Radovan Karadzic", the Serbs' political leader during Bosnia's brutal 1992-1995 civil war who is serving a 40-year jail term. "I do not fear for myself. They killed me a long time ago with my sons," she added. "But I do fear for the young ones who have children and who are trying to rebuild something in Srebrenica, first of all trust."

Summary: A man accused of not recognising the murders of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica as genocide has been elected the town's first Serb mayor since 1999.


A selection of baseball-related tweets were featured in the ad, which was shown during the live coverage of baseball's season-ending World Series. However, text appeared so quickly in the lively sequence that some took to the web to express bewilderment. The ad was made to promote "Moments", which highlights trending stories on the social media platform. One Twitter user tweeted, "That Twitter commercial was *really bad*. Can't imagine anyone feeling invited to use the service or see the value after seeing the spot." And blogger John Gruber described it as "incomprehensible", going so far as to say: "Someone should be fired." Some were positive about the broadcast, though. "That Twitter commercial is pretty cool," tweeted one viewer. Twitter has recently been struggling to continue to attract large numbers of new users to its network - a problem which some say is because of the slightly esoteric nature of the platform. "I'm a baseball fan [â€¦] I've been on Twitter since 2007 and to be honest I had trouble making sense of it," said digital entrepreneur George Nimeh, at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. "I can't imagine what it would be like for someone who is unfamiliar with what Twitter really is. It was really fast, it was kind of a mish-mash of different stuff." Mr Nimeh added that while Twitter's user figures showed strong year-on-year growth a few years ago, that growth had slumped to less than 20% early in 2015. "I think Twitter's fundamental problem is they've never been able to very simply and succinctly explain to people who are not familiar with Twitter what it is - and this particular ad this commercial does nothing to help," he told the BBC.

Summary: The first television advertisement campaign by Twitter has left some American viewers confused.


Digitonomy Ltd sent over five million unsolicited messages encouraging people to apply for cash loans via affiliates. Investigating 1,464 complaints about the texts made between April 2015 and February 2016, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found the company could not prove it had consent. A company spokesman apologised to those people who found the texts "unwelcome". The ICO's investigation revealed the company had used affiliates to send the messages and claimed they had proof of consent. The ICO's head of enforcement Steve Eckersley said the wording of the consent examples were not sufficient and businesses that rely on direct marketing "must be able to confirm that people have given their permission to receive text messages". "Depending on the word of another company is simply not acceptable and is not an excuse," he said. A spokesman for Digitonomy said the company was "sorry that a reported 0.03% of recipients found the marketing messages from our appointed affiliate management company last year unwelcome". He added that the company remained "determined to operate at all times within both the spirit and the letter of the law and best practice".

Summary: A Chester credit broker has been fined £120,000 for sending millions of text messages without permission.


Despite a rip-roaring 2015, something peculiar happened this month: Apple's stock value dropped to below $100 for the first time since October 2014. That was down from a high of just over $132 last May. As I write this, it's rallying on account of some decent rumours - but it's on Tuesday we'll truly know if 2016 is going to be a tough one for the tech giant. On the one hand, we're expecting an amazing Christmas with record-breaking revenues, yet again. But it's Apple's guidance for what to expect in the months to come that investors will be eagerly awaiting. It's here where the company outlines its worries, the issues that keeps it awake at night (or at least, stressed out in the boardroom). Troubled investors are expecting Apple to say this: For the first time, sales of the iPhone are in decline. Decline! The iPhone! That's a big deal. According to the latest figures Apple has shared - from October - sales of the smartphone make up 63% of the company's entire revenue. That's before you factor in all the people who then go on to buy apps, subscribe to Apple Music, and do any number of other things with their phone from which Apple takes a cut. Its other major products don't even come close. The Mac range has bucked a huge industry-wide decline but still only accounts for 13%. The iPad, meanwhile, represents 8% - though this may get a boost thanks to the recently launched iPad Pro, the bigger version that comes with a keyboard and little stylus. Apple's major new product of recent times has been the Apple Watch. Yet we're still none-the-wiser about how successful that has been, as its performance is lumped into the "other" category, which includes sales of the iPod, Beats headphones and various other things. Collectively, the "other" products were worth 6% in total. The watch will have likely been a good performer at Christmas, so Apple may begin to shed some light on how well it is doing. But we'll have to wait and see. The reliance on the iPhone is what worries investors most. Apple has plenty of repeat business - once hooked in, data shows people are far more likely to stick with Apple than change to another brand like Samsung - but it's now seeing a plateau when it comes to bringing in new customers. Which is why China is so important. Apple now makes more money in China than it does in the whole of Europe, and it's well on course to overtake the US. "If China falls so does Apple," says Apple investor Daniel Ives, from FBR Capital Markets. "They've really bet the house on the China growth opportunity." Almost all of Apple's gains last year were thanks to Chinese expansion - new stores, and new customers who, until fairly recently, had to make do with awful knock-off imitations of the real deal. But instability in the Chinese economy has rocked global markets. If China continues underperforming, it may be hard for Apple to continue

Summary: Apple's investors are spooked.


There are currently 18 teams in the top two tiers of the WSL, which is being increased to 20 clubs by the year 2017. "Where we really want to get to is 24 fully-professional women's teams playing in the league," Brazier told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra. "But we need to do that slowly, so the clubs can become sustainable." Sheffield became the first team to be promoted to WSL Two when they beat Portsmouth in the Premier League play-off final, having also met the WSL's licensing requirements. In addition to being able to prove their financial solvency, clubs applying for entry to the Super League must show they will attract an average of 350 spectators in 2016, increasing to at least 400 in 2017. "We have a licence system within the WSL and the reason for that is to try and influence and shape the way that money is invested into the game and do it slowly, in a measured way," Brazier added. "By having a salary cap in place, it means that we can also ensure that money is invested off the pitch, as well as on the pitch, in salaries. "Building things slowly is really important, because we want it to be sustainable."

Summary: The Women's Super League could be expanded to 24 teams in the future, according to the FA's head of women's competitions, Katie Brazier.


Council leader Jim Logue said he ordered the move after receiving an anonymous letter relating to the council's procurement processes. He said police had been informed and the council's audit team would now carry out a detailed investigation. The council said that if anything was found which substantiated the claims, it would be handed over to police. Mr Logue said: "These allegations, which are detailed, concern some of the council's procurement processes. If true, they are extremely serious. "I immediately instructed Paul Jukes, the chief executive, to launch an investigation. "That investigation, led by the council's internal audit team, is already under way." The council leader said that the internal audit team would be able to access all files held by any part of the council and all IT systems. He added: "It is essential that the people of North Lanarkshire are able to have full confidence in the way the council conducts its business and I am determined that we are transparent at all times. "Although these are currently unsubstantiated, anonymous allegations I believe that it is right to carry out a full investigation and share any evidence which comes to light with the police. "As that investigation is now under way, it would be inappropriate for the council to comment further."

Summary: North Lanarkshire Council has launched an investigation "into serious allegations of corruption".


Media playback is not supported on this device The competition is set to start in 2020 and will involve eight new city-based teams playing 36 games in 38 days. "Cricket needs that moment in this country that changes the way we talk and think about it," said Vaughan. He also said that he believes the ECB's aim for "significant" free-to-air coverage is key to the proposal. ECB chief executive Tom Harrison called free-to-air ambitions an "aspiration which reaches at the heart of our proposition going forward". He hopes the new competition will rival the Indian Premier League and Big Bash in Australia as the leading T20 tournaments in the world. The Big Bash draws average crowds of more than 28,000 whereas Vaughan labelled the attendance of the current T20 Blast competition in the English county game as "nothing better than division three football". "Everyone can see every ball of the Big Bash," said Vaughan, who was speaking on his BBC Radio 5 live show with ex-England spinner Phil Tufnell. "Cricket is there for everyone to see. I love the thought and talk of terrestrial partners and the game seen. "But I don't think that is the be-all and end-all. I think it is important, but I think cricket has to do so much more. "The only thing in terms of a county perspective is this new tournament will be a massive juggernaut, get loads of marketing and the county game may say: 'Why didn't we get that support?' "Would the Blast have had more success if there was a terrestrial partner in play or had that kind of support? I guess the answer is yes." He added: "I think the white ball game, in particular, and T20 is exactly the brand of cricket required to expand the game." Current England captain Joe Root believes the plans for the new competition are a "good idea" and that "it is very important the public are given an opportunity to see cricket at a national level, on free-to-air TV". Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, the Yorkshireman added: "It will be interesting to see how things pan out and what decisions are made." Squads of the eight T20 teams will be made up of 15 players and include three overseas players. That will leave 96 players being selected from the 18 counties, which averages out at just over five apiece. "If you picked 96 players out of county cricket now, the standard is remarkable," said Vaughan. "Pick five-and-a-half players from each county and you add in the world-class overseas stars and you are going to get some terrific teams." Vaughan played down concerns over fans not wanting to support certain city-based teams because of their county allegiance. "Supporters will say I won't support Leeds or Manchester but I don't think they're going to be called the towns," said Vaughan who also addressed worries about the weather and the tournament being played when families travel abroad during the lengthy school summer holidays. "The weather is nonsense because we might as well say 'we're not going to

Summary: A new Twenty20 tournament planned by the England and Wales Cricket Board "will be a roaring success", says former England captain Michael Vaughan.


The £25m Rhyl High School, which opened on Wednesday, includes facilities for vocational courses such as a hair and beauty salon and a construction room. It will also provide a base for 45 pupils from the nearby community special school, Ysgol Tir Morfa. Work started on the new complex more than two years ago, built near the old school which will be demolished. It has been funded by Denbighshire council and the Welsh Government. The old school was described as dilapidated by the modernising education team in the council. Head teacher Claire Armitstead said: "It is amazing. We have worked really hard for the last two years, even longer, probably five years, to try and make it happen. And it felt like it was always just a bit out of our reach. "But today we've got children sitting in the building that we helped to create. "I feel like we have done something right for the children of Rhyl and I think our children deserve this. "We now have a building that is watertight, bright, light and I don't think you realise how important those things are to you until you haven't got it."

Summary: A new secondary school in Denbighshire has officially welcomed the first of its 1,200 pupils.


Seven protesters were arrested overnight outside the immigration office where she was being held. Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, 36, a mother of two US-born children, crossed the southern border from Nogales, Arizona at 10:00 local time. Protesters had tried to block vehicles transporting her, but were unable. On Wednesday night, protesters, who feared her deportation under President Donald Trump's clampdown on immigration, blocked a van believed to be carrying Ms de Rayos. It was one of several vehicles stopped from leaving the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre on Wednesday evening. "Seeing my mom in that van... it was unexplainable. It was really heart-dropping," her daughter Jaqueline said during a press conference after the deportation was announced. "No one should ever go through the pain of having their mom taken away from them, or the pain of packing her suitcase," the 14-year-old said through tears. According to US media Ms de Rayos was arrested in 2008 during a raid on her workplace and was convicted of identity theft for possessing false papers. But she was allowed to continue living in Arizona as long as she checked in with her local ICE office in Phoenix every six months, the report adds. Read more on President Trump's immigration order: Banned: An Iraqi family's immigration story Is US heading for constitutional crisis? Is Trump's immigration order legal? It was during this check in on Wednesday that she was taken into custody, just days after Donald Trump signed an executive order broadening the regulations under which some people will be deported. It stipulates that any undocumented immigrants convicted of a criminal offense get priority for deportation. "We're living in a new era now, an era of war on immigrants," Ms de Rayos's lawyer, Ray A Ybarra Maldonado told the New York Times. "Ms. Garcia, who has a prior felony conviction in Arizona for criminal impersonation, was the subject of a court-issued removal order that became final in July 2013," a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the BBC. Despite appeals, judges "held she did not have a legal basis to remain in the US", Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe said. "ICE will continue to focus on identifying and removing individuals with felony convictions who have final orders of removal issued by the nation's immigration courts," she added in a written statement. Dozens of activists gathered outside the centre in a bid to block vehicles from leaving, many of them chanting "justice". Police said seven people had been arrested "without force" but that most of the protesters were "peaceful and exercising their rights properly". Mr Trump's far-reaching executive orders have also suspended refugee resettlement and blocked individuals from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the US. The move sparked numerous protests in the US and across the world, as well as several legal challenges, although the American public appears to be evenly split on the issue. The travel ban was eventually halted last week and a US court of appeals is due to issue its ruling on whether the executive order was justified or not in the coming

Summary: A Mexican woman who had been living in the US since the age of 14 has been deported to Mexico, immigration officials have told the BBC.


While the City of London tends to grab more headlines, Edinburgh is the UK's second largest financial centre, employing thousands of people in financial services. Where will banks, investors, brokers, lawyers and accountants choose to ply their trade if the UK were split? "If in doubt, people may say they don't want to take the risk - they gravitate to London, where more deals can be done," says Prof Ranald Michie of the University of Durham, a financial historian who has studied the City of London for 35 years. Financial firms have fewer physical constraints to consider compared to a shipyard or a distillery. And they're likely to move to where they can find other companies to provide the advice and services they need, and where they can recruit skilled staff in the greatest abundance, says Prof Michie. Scottish lender Royal Bank of Scotland has said it will move its legal centre to London in the event of a Yes vote, but has no plans to move jobs. Banks like RBS already have large offices in London they can simply nominate as their new head office, says Peter Hahn, a former Citigroup banker who is now a senior lecturer at Cass Business School. "Many of these companies are really run from London anyway." But for Scotland independence could also create opportunities. "What has grown up in Edinburgh is fund management and insurance," says Prof Michie. "For them, the gravitational pull of London is much, much less - Scotland has cheaper rents, cheaper labour. But they have done well tapping business in the UK, so they would need to try to keep that." Edinburgh could create a business environment to suit its strengths and attract more insurers and asset managers, he says. "But it will be difficult to stop other cities and financial centres doing the same." But the City of London stands to gain too in the event of independence, according to Sir Martin Jacomb, former chairman of insurer Prudential and of BZW, Barclays' first foray into investment banking. "London will become somewhat busier than it was before," he says. "Some Scottish businesses and also Scottish people will move." Writer Nicholas Shaxson also thinks the City of London could benefit from an independent Scotland, although by less high-minded means. He is author of Treasure Islands, a book about tax havens. One of the City's big businesses is helping companies and the wealthy pay less tax, he says. "Scottish people have always been vibrant contributors to British democracy, and history has shown that one thing the City doesn't like very much is democratic demands from a big and bolshy populace. "A reduction in the UK population would lessen democratic pressures, somewhat, and make the UK look still more like a tax haven than it already is." An independent government in Edinburgh might decide to keep taxes on the financial sector low as the two cities compete with each other to attract businesses, says Mr Shaxson. The winners either way would be lawyers, accountants and advisers, says Cass Business School lecturer Dr Hahn. This

Summary: As Scotland decides whether to become an independent nation, some financiers are asking themselves what this could mean for two of the oldest money centres in the world: London and Edinburgh.


Esteban Bullrich, in charge of schools in Buenos Aires, inherited a system plagued by teaching union walk-outs. Coming into office as the third education minister in 12 days, he published his personal mobile number as a way of opening a direct dialogue. The number of strikes fell from 14 a year to none in the past four years. Mr Bullrich, the minister for education in Argentina's capital, said he decided to hand out his number as a way of breaking the culture of distrust and confrontation between politicians and teachers' representatives. Strikes had become a chronic problem, ministers only lasted a short time in office and he had to negotiate deals with 17 separate teachers' unions in Buenos Aires. So in an attempt to break through this logjam he gave staff in 1,200 schools his personal mobile phone number, inviting them to call him directly if they had concerns. "If you have any questions, comments or complaints, call me," he told teachers. Speaking earlier this week at the Global Education and Skills Forum, Mr Bullrich said there had been an initial deluge of calls - about issues such as pay, problems with school buildings and disagreements about allowances. But he said teachers were surprised and then much less angry when they found the education minister either took the call personally or called them back. One teacher who called at 2am was startled to get a call back from the minister at 2.15am, to talk over his problem about a delay in his pay. "People didn't really know if it was true that I would answer. This guy rang at 2am and really blasted me on the phone - 'You owe me money'. So I called him back at 2.15am and said 'Hello this is the minister of education.' First there was silence on the line and then we got the information and we solved the problem." Mr Bullrich belongs to a centre-right party and there was initial suspicion from teachers' unions. "The relationship massively improved when people realised someone was listening," he said. "People think it's crazy, but the benefits are huge. Teachers are a close-knit community, communication flies around very quickly. Now if they have questions, people call me." The calls have been an effective way of "taking the temperature" and identifying grievances, he said, allowing his education department to intervene before disputes arose. From an average of more than one strike a month, the capital's education system has not had a strike for almost four years. This has helped his plans to modernise and raise standards in state schools. The number of calls has now been reduced to about 80 to 100 phone calls per day, he said, even though he has also published his number for parents to ring. Mr Bullrich said that the quality of education is affected by low morale among teachers, who he says need to be "motivated motivators". "Teachers in Argentina can feel frustrated. They think politicians have abandoned education, that they don't really care what's happening in schools." The annual season of teachers' union

Summary: An education minister in Argentina has stopped waves of teachers' strikes by giving every teacher his mobile phone number and inviting them to call him.


Mkhitaryan, 27, signed for £26m from Borussia Dortmund but was left out of the side repeatedly until recently. But in his third successive start, he struck his first United goal in their Europa League win over Zorya Luhansk. "He worked really hard physically, tactically and we know the talent is there," said Mourinho, 53. Mkhitaryan was a substitute in United's opening-day win at Bournemouth but was hauled off at half-time in his first league start at Manchester City in September and did not feature again in the Premier League until late November. During the Armenian's absence, Mourinho said the midfielder needed time to adapt to the English game and called on the 2015-16 Bundesliga players' player of the year to "do more". "He has a strong mentality," Mourinho added. "He was very determined to fight against his difficult adaptation, and he's doing that in the best way. "He fought to improve tactically, he fought to improve physically, and now he is playing good in the Premier League, good in the Europa League and the EFL Cup, and now evolving a bit more happiness for him, so I'm very pleased." Mkhitaryan's excellent run and finish put United ahead in Ukraine and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's late strike sent them into Monday's last-32 draw as Group A runners-up behind Fenerbahce. Mourinho rested several players including goalkeeper David De Gea and his stand-in Sergio Romero was visibly surprised when a firecracker landed in his six-yard box during the first half. "Maybe Uefa is not happy and maybe Uefa now takes some money from Zorya, which I think Zorya doesn't deserve," added Mourinho.

Summary: Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has praised Henrikh Mkhitaryan's fighting qualities in adapting to his summer move to Old Trafford.