The deal will create the second largest cable broadband provider in the US. Charter had to agree to not stop its content providers from separately selling shows online, as part of the approval. The deal also still needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) before it can go ahead. But the head of the FCC Tom Wheeler said he was seeking approval for the deal, noting the merger conditions "will directly benefit consumers by bringing and protecting competition to the video marketplace and increasing broadband deployment." The DoJ said it would work with other regulators to ensure the merger did not "choke off" access to online videos. "The settlement forbids the merged company, referred to as "New Charter," from entering into or enforcing agreements that could make it more difficult for online video distributors (OVDs) to obtain video content from programmers," the DOJ added. US cable companies are facing stiff competition from online service providers such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, as customers increasingly choose to stream films and television shows over the internet often for a lower price. Charter will pay $78bn (Â£54bn) for Time Warner and $10.8bn for Bright House. The combined three firms will serve cable television and broadband to 23.9 million customers in 41 states. The deal was announced last year after Comcast abandoned its $45bn plan to buy Time Warner Cable fearing pressure from regulators.

Summary: The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has approved Charter Communications purchase of cable operators Time Warner Cable and Bright House networks.


BBC News takes a look at the men behind the audacious plot to steal precious metals, cash and jewels worth more than £14m. Date of Birth: 28.02.1939 Address: Dartford Road, Dartford, Kent Plea: Admitted conspiracy to burgle Reader, a career criminal known as "The Master" and "The Governor" by his fellow gang members, had stood trial in the 1980s accused of murdering a police officer. He was chosen to mastermind the Hatton Garden raid due to his involvement in the notorious Brinks Mat robbery of 1983. During that raid, gold bullion and diamonds worth £26m (about £78m in today's values) were taken from a warehouse near Heathrow Airport in what is still Britain's biggest gold robbery. Reader - and fellow criminal Kenneth Noye - were suspected of laundering the proceeds and placed under surveillance. When they found Det Con John Fordham spying on them in the grounds of Noye's home in Kent, Noye stabbed the detective 11 times in the back. Both men were placed on trial for murder but were acquitted after Noye claimed to have been acting in self defence. Police had found 11 gold bullion bars at Noye's home though and he and Reader were jailed for eight and 14 years respectively for conspiracy to handle stolen goods. Noye would later reach new levels of infamy for the road rage murder of Stephen Cameron and is currently serving a life sentence. Reader, who ran a used car dealership, pulled out of the Hatton Garden raid after the failed break-in attempt on the first night when the gang's drill broke. Call data records and police observation showed that he continued to meet up with the other ring leaders following the raid. The eldest of the group, he used somebody else's Freedom Pass to get a bus to Hatton Garden on the night of the raid. He was filmed on CCTV in the area wearing a distinctive red scarf later found at his Dartford home, where he was arrested on 19 May. When they searched his house detectives also found a book on the diamond underworld, a diamond tester, a diamond gauge and diamond magazines. D.O.B. 01.03.1955 Address: Park Avenue, Enfield, north London Plea: Admitted conspiracy to burgle An experienced criminal with convictions for burglary, attempted robbery and handling stolen goods dating back to 1975, Jones was convicted in 1982 of stealing items worth £92,000 from Ratner's jewellers. He was also described in court as "eccentric" and "mad". His friend Carl Wood told Woolwich Crown Court: "Danny is a very sensitive guy, a very funny man. Eccentric to extremes, everyone who knew Danny would say he was mad. He would go to bed in his mother's dressing gown with a fez on." The court heard Jones claimed to have fortune-telling powers, spoke to his dog Rocket as though it was human and was obsessed with the Army and keeping fit, often preferring a sleeping bag on the floor to a bed. One of the four ringleaders, he was arrested on 19 May along with two other conspirators after dropping off some

Summary: The Hatton Garden raiders were dubbed "Dad's Army" on account of their advanced age and many had extensive criminal records going back decades.


Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Addysg, Kirsty Williams wedi dweud mai cau ysgolion ddylai fod y cam olaf, ar ôl ystyried yr holl effeithiau ar y gymuned leol. Am y tro cyntaf, bydd ysgolion gwledig yng Nghymru yn cael eu diffinio'n benodol, gyda Llywodraeth Cymru yn ffurfio rhestr o 'ysgolion gwledig' er mwyn eu diogelu ymhellach. Bydd newid hefyd i'r Cod Trefniadaeth Ysgolion, sef y drefn sy'n rhoi arweiniad wrth wneud penderfyniadau am ysgolion. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr yn dweud nad ydy'r rheolau'n mynd i'r afael â diffyg buddsoddiad, tra bod Plaid Cymru'n dweud bod rhaid "cydnabod y gost ychwanegol i gynghorau". Dywedodd Mrs Williams bod ysgolion gwledig "yn galon i'w cymunedau" ac y dylen nhw gael "gwrandawiad teg". Yn y gorffennol, mae cynghorau sir wedi cau rhai o ysgolion gwledig sydd â nifer bach o ddisgyblion ar draws Cymru, gyda nifer o rieni'n brwydro yn erbyn y penderfyniadau. Mae Mrs Williams hefyd yn annog ffederaleiddio ysgolion ac y bydd rhaid i lywodraethau lleol egluro pam mai cau'r ysgol yw'r cam mwyaf priodol i'w gymryd. Bydd rhaid hefyd ystyried yr effaith ar addysg y plant a threfniadau teithio'r disgyblion. Er mwyn rhoi cyfle i gymunedau gymryd rhan yn y broses o benderfynu, bydd rhaid i unrhyw ymgynghoriad gael ei gyhoeddi ar ddiwrnod ysgol. Dywedodd Kirsty Williams: "Mae'r cynigion hyn yn cryfhau'r Cod Trefniadaeth Ysgolion er mwyn sicrhau bod cynghorau'n gwneud popeth yn eu gallu i gadw ysgol wledig ar agor cyn penderfynu ymgynghori ynghylch cynnig i gau'r ysgol. "Os cynhelir proses ymgynghori i gau ysgol, mae'n rhaid ystyried pob dewis ac awgrym sy'n deillio o hynny cyn gwneud penderfyniad. "Mae'n bosibl fod hynny'n cynnwys ffurfio ffederasiwn gydag ysgolion eraill neu gynyddu defnydd y gymuned o'r adeiladau er mwyn gwneud yr ysgol yn fwy hyfyw." Y llynedd, cyhoeddodd Kirsty Williams grant newydd gwerth £2.5m y flwyddyn ar gyfer ysgolion bach ac ysgolion gwledig. Dywedodd Llyr Gruffudd, llefarydd Plaid Cymru ar addysg, ei fod yn croesawu'r cyhoeddiad ond fod angen sicrhau fod digon o gyllid ar gael. "Os ydi'r llywodraeth am fynnu cadw ysgolion bach ar agor, rhaid hefyd cydnabod y gost ychwanegol i gynghorau mewn cyfnod o gynni a thoriadau", meddai. "Byddaf yn gofyn am sicrwydd na fydd y Cod newydd yma'n golygu arian yn cael ei golli i'n hysgolion mwy trefol. Mae £2.5m yn gyfystyr â £110,000 i bob sir yng Nghymru - eith hynny ddim yn bell iawn." Ond beirniadu'r rheolau newydd wnaeth llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Darren Millar. "Mae diffyg gweithredu ar ran Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru i atal cau ysgolion wedi achosi torcalon a thrafferthion i ddisgyblion, rhieni ac athrawon - heb sôn am niwed i'r economi wledig. "Fydd y mesurau yma'n gwneud dim i wneud yn iawn am y boen sydd wedi'i achosi'n barod, na mynd i'r afael â'r tanfuddsoddi parhaol, sef y rhwystr mwyaf i gadw ysgolion gwledig ar agor."

Summary: Mae rheolau newydd ynglŷn â chadw ysgolion gwledig ar agor wedi cael eu cyhoeddi gan Lywodraeth Cymru.


Top-flight clubs will share more than £5bn from 2016 to 2019, a 71% increase on the previous three-year deal. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Andre Ayew have been linked with moves away from the Liberty Stadium, but Taylor says the club will not need to sell their stars. "Teams don't have to sell like they used to," said Wales' Taylor. "I think what you're going to find is that with the money coming to the Premier League teams don't have to sell. That might mean a few more clubs hanging on to their best players." Swansea head coach Francesco Guidolin has said he expects interest in midfielder Sigurdsson this summer. The 26-year-old Iceland international won Swansea City's supporters' and players' player of the year awards after scoring 11 goals in the club's successful fight against relegation. He is under contract at Swansea until 2018, but has been linked with a number of big clubs, while Ayew has said his future depends on a summer discussion with chairman Huw Jenkins. "It's the same every year for our club, we have players that come through, they do well," said Taylor, who was visiting his old school Ysgol Brynhyfryd in Ruthin before joining up with the Wales squad for their training camp in Portugal. "Gylfi is someone that has come now in two spells and done well for us. We want to keep hold of them obviously, Andre has scored goals. "But just like when we lost Wilfried Bony and people down the years and we lost Sigurdsson the last time, we do lose important players because they get poached by bigger teams. "It's important that we try and keep them and add to that this season because we've realised how hard it is." Swansea have been linked with summer moves for two of their former players - Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony and Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen. Ivory Coast international Bony joined City from Swansea for £25m in 2015, while Allen left for Liverpool for £15m in 2012. Both have struggled to nail down starting places at the north-west clubs and Taylor admits he would be delighted to see them return to west Wales. "There is a lot more work to be done than just somebody to say that we want them back. You have to talk about money, you have to talk about whether the players want to come back here," Taylor said. "They are both at big football clubs that are fighting for trophies, like Liverpool in the Europa League. There's a lot more to happen before we bring those players in but people of that ilk are definitely people that we should be looking at."

Summary: Swansea City defender Neil Taylor says the club is under less pressure to sell players due to the money coming in from the new Premier League television deal.


Owen and Karl Oyston, owner and chairman of the club, were in dispute with businessman Valeri Belokon. The League Two club owners may have to pay out almost £3m ($3.75m) after a judge at Manchester Civil Justice Centre ruled in Mr Belokon's favour. He invested £4.75m in 2008 to develop the club's South Stand and the dispute was over his share of profits from it. A forensic accountant will work out the exact figure the Oystons have to pay at a later date, the hearing was told. The final figure is believed to be between £1m and £2m plus £900,000 costs. The Oystons and Mr Belokon disagreed over the income and profits generated following the development of the South Stand. The row also centred on the deduction of legitimate expenditure, including a loss-making Blackpool hotel, from what Mr Belokon believed he was owed under the commercial agreement. The three men involved were not present in court. Eric Shannon, representing the club, applied for leave to take the case to the Court of Appeal, but this was refused by Judge Jane Moulder. Thousands of fans have been boycotting their home games in protest at the ownership and running of the club by the Oyston family. In January, fans staged a joint protest with Blackburn Rovers at their FA Cup clash. The team has plunged down the Football League to the fourth tier just six years after being in the Premier League. Mr Belokon bought shares in the club in 2006 and was heavily involved in their rise through the ranks culminated in promotion to the Premier League in 2010. In a rare public appearance last July, Owen Oyston said the club was not for sale.

Summary: The owners of Blackpool FC have lost a multi-million pound court battle with a Latvian investor.


Steven Jackson was jailed for a minimum of 26 years for battering and stabbing Kimberley MacKenzie in Montrose before cutting up her body in a bathtub. The 40-year-old's legal team has now lodged a notice to appeal against the conviction and sentence. The appeal is expected to call before appeal judges in Edinburgh this year. During sentencing at the High Court in Livingston in January, judge Lady Rae said: "The killing appears to have been a wholly motiveless and brutal murder of a defenceless woman." A trial heard that Ms MacKenzie, 37, sustained at least 11 blows to the head and was stabbed more than 40 times during the attack in a flat in the Angus town in October 2015. Jackson disposed of Ms MacKenzie's body parts in bins around Montrose with Michelle Higgins, 29, who was jailed for eight years for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Summary: A man jailed for life for murdering and dismembering a mother-of-three has launched a bid to quash his conviction.


Media playback is not supported on this device Panthers, who also won the Challenge Cup this season, led at the end of the first period thanks to a fierce hit by Stephen Schultz from the blue line. Blaze goaltender Brian Stewart made numerous saves to keep his side in the match going into the closing stages. But Schultz teed up Kevin Quick to fire the second into the roof of the net. Panthers keeper Miika Wiikman was then able to see out a 30-save shut-out, most notable for fine saves from Ashley Tait and Mike Quesnele. However, Nottingham were good value for their victory and could easily have won by a greater margin had it not been for Stewart. The Canadian also saved short-handed breakaways from Brad Moran and Evan Mosey and made an incredible stop to thwart Juraj Kolnik. Earlier, Cardiff Devils thrashed Fife Flyers 6-0 in the third and fourth place play-off.

Summary: Nottingham Panthers secured their fifth play-off title of the Elite League era by beating Coventry Blaze in a nervy final at the National Ice Centre.


Lord Hall is reported to have received a threatening email after dropping presenter Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear because he had punched a producer. The Mail on Sunday also reported Lord Hall and his wife were under 24-hour protection from security guards at their Oxfordshire home. The Met said the email appeared to have been sent from outside the UK. "Police in Westminster are investigating an allegation of threats to kill," a Met spokesman said. "The allegation was reported to police on Wednesday, 25 March. The threat was made by email." He said inquiries were continuing to establish from where the email was sent. No arrests have been made. A BBC spokeswoman said: "We wouldn't comment on security matters." Lord Hall announced his decision not to renew Clarkson's contract on Wednesday - after an internal inquiry found the presenter had subjected producer Oisin Tymon to an "unprovoked physical and verbal attack" at a North Yorkshire hotel. Mr Tymon, who suffered a split lip, did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported himself to BBC bosses following the incident, and was suspended. The row - which took place on 4 March - was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day's filming. Lord Hall said he had not taken his decision lightly, but insisted "a line has been crossed". More than a million people signed an online petition to reinstate Clarkson. The Mail claimed the death threats were made to Lord Hall via email the same day as his announcement. It also published photographs of security guards outside his home. Mr Tymon, who previously described Clarkson as a "unique talent", has himself come under sustained abuse on social media for his involvement in the dispute. Speaking outside his home on Thursday, Clarkson asked fans to show restraint.

Summary: Alleged death threats made against BBC director general Tony Hall are being investigated by the Met Police.


The hosts resumed on 416-2 and despite losing seven wickets while adding 143, they still declared on a massive 559-9. David Warner edged to second slip after adding only nine to his overnight 244. New Zealand soon lost openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham but Kane Williamson (70 not out) and Ross Taylor helped them to 140-2 at the close. Taylor made an unbeaten 26 as the third-wicket pair shared an unbroken stand of 53, fending off the Australian attack with a stubborn rearguard action. That partnership is expected to be key if their side are to make significant inroads into a deficit which still stands at 419. New Zealand are already 1-0 down in the series, having lost the opening Test in Brisbane. The declaration came not long after off-spinner Mark Craig (3-123) picked up the wickets of Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson in the same over, all three falling with the score on 547. However, Starc then struck in the third over when he trapped Guptill lbw for one, while Latham (36) added 81 with Williamson before he was caught at slip. However, there was some concern for Australia with batsman Usman Khawaja now a doubt for the day-night Test in Adelaide later this month Khawaja, 28, scored 121 in Australia's first innings but re-injured his left hamstring while fielding on Saturday and will undergo a scan on Sunday. "My fingers are crossed that he can try and recover in the next 10 to 15 days," said Warner. "[Having scored] back-to-back hundreds, and running a lot out in the middle, and fielding at mid-off as well - having to chase a hell of a lot of balls to the boundary - is not ideal. "But that's part and parcel of this game. It can be quite challenging." Listen to ball-by-ball commentary of every day of the Test series on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra from 02:05 GMT.

Summary: Australia maintained their commanding position on day two of the second Test of their three-match series against New Zealand in Perth.


Andorra had stunned Chris Coleman's side by taking a sixth-minute lead through Ildefons Lima's penalty, Andorra's first competitive goal since 2010. Bale headed Wales level 16 minutes later, though that did not spare Coleman the jeers of the furious travelling Welsh fans as the score remained 1-1 at half-time. Wales searched desperately for a winner, and their reprieve eventually came after 81 minutes when Bale curled in a beautiful free-kick to deny Andorra a first competitive point for nine years. Although a victory of any sort was welcome, the Welsh performance was distinctly unconvincing as they aim to qualify for the finals stage of a major tournament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup. There had been optimism leading up to this campaign, with Euro 2016 expanded from 16 to 24 teams for the first time and Wales drawn alongside Bosnia, Belgium, Israel, Cyprus and Andorra in their qualifying group. Wales could hardly have asked for a kinder opening fixture - a trip to an Andorran side who are ranked 199th in the world, 158 places below them in the standings, and have lost their last 44 competitive games. But to Wales' horror, the prospect of a first competitive win for Andorra since 2004 seemed soberingly real as the hosts took an unexpected lead. With Wales unable to clear from a long Andorran throw, Neil Taylor was adjudged to have pulled the shirt of Ivan Lorenzo. Prompted by Mitja Zganec - the additional assistant referee behind the goal - Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic pointed to the spot and Andorra captain Lima calmly converted by sending Wayne Hennessey the wrong way. While Wales' travelling contingent of around 1,500 were momentarily silenced, the other half of the 3,300-capacity Estadio Nacional roared in disbelieving rapture. The lead lasted only 16 minutes, as Bale headed into the bottom corner from a tantalising cross from left-back Ben Davies. Bale had inevitably been the focus of pre-match attention, with the £85m Real Madrid winger expected to start as centre-forward. Coleman instead picked the world's most expensive footballer on his favoured right flank, but he showed the goalscoring instinct of a natural striker to nod Wales level. The visitors enjoyed near total domination of possession, albeit a little unsteadily at times as players familiarised themselves with the erratic bounce of Andorra's controversial 3G pitch. With the artificial surface's rubber pellets flying up every time the ball hit the ground, Wales made hard work of creating genuine scoring opportunities. Having been booed off the field at half time, Coleman sought to take the initiative by switching to a 3-5-2 formation at the beginning of the second half. There was more urgency to the Welsh performance after the restart, and Bale was the catalyst for the change in pace. He had a free-kick from distance saved by Ferran Pol and a long-range effort which fizzed just wide, while his cross was headed wide by Andy King. There were times when Wales' desperation to take the lead led to a loss of shape and rhythm, as players struggled to adapt

Summary: Gareth Bale's late free-kick saved Wales from embarrassment in Andorra as his two goals made it a winning start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.


Several of Cathro's recent signings are from various countries abroad, leading to some questioning their appreciation of the standards fans expect. "This is tens of thousands of people's Real Madrid," said Cathro. "Everybody understands clearly the size, the importance, how much love and passion there is for this club." Hearts remain in fourth place in the Premiership but have gone four games without a victory. Last week's Scottish Cup defeat by city rivals Hibernian, who are in the Championship, was followed by a top-flight defeat away to Partick Thistle. More to follow.

Summary: Hearts head coach Ian Cathro insists his players have a full understanding of the size and magnitude of the club they represent.


Taylor, 25, joined County in May from Macclesfield, but has yet to start in the league. The move has left Newport with only one goalkeeper in Joe Day, but manager John Sheridan is confident he will quickly fill the vacancy. "Rhys is too good a goalkeeper to be kept on the bench and not playing football," said Sheridan. "Financially it might enable me to bring someone else in, to try and fill in a different area." On Saturday Newport host fourth-placed Northampton Town hoping to win their third game in a row for the first time since last December, 2014. The Exiles are also seeking their first home win since March. Taylor's move means County are currently without a second goalkeeper. Sheridan added: "Rhys' move to Wrexham happened quickly... but we'll definitely have a keeper by the middle of next week. "It's only one game. I'm not really worried." Sheridan also confirmed that defender Janoi Donacien has extended his loan spell from Aston Villa until January. Donacien has featured in all four games since the Irishman replaced Terry Butcher as manager at the beginning of October. Meanwhile Newport have no injury concerns ahead of Saturday's game.

Summary: Newport County goalkeeper Rhys Taylor has joined Wrexham on loan until January.


It will prevent light aircraft flying over the area below 10,000 ft (3,048 m) between the 3-5 September. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) imposed the restriction following a request from police. The ban will not affect emergency services, or commercial flights travelling to and from Cardiff and Bristol airports. In an advisory sent out to pilots, the CAA said the restriction was part of the security operation being put in place to protect heads of state, including President Barack Obama, who are attending. Unauthorised aircraft will not be able to fly over the area from Newport, Cardiff and the Gwent valleys, to Ross-On-Wye, Bristol and Minehead. Flights which breach the ban will be intercepted by police air support.

Summary: A no-fly zone has been put in place for parts of south Wales and Bristol during the three-days of the Nato summit.


Hawkins held off the challenge of the defending champion, Moses Kipsiro of Uganda, clocking a time of of 60 minutes 22 seconds. Kenya's Joel Kimutai came home in third ahead of England's Chris Thompson. Another Kenyan, Betsy Saina, claimed victory in the women's race with a course record time of 67:20. Hawkins is the first Scot to win the great Scottish Run since 1983, and it rounds off a memorable year which saw him finish ninth in the marathon at the Rio Olympics in the summer. After setting the pace alongside Kipsiro and Kimutai in the early stages, Hawkins broke away on his own and always looked in control as he left the three-time Commonwealth champion Kipsiro trailing in his wake.

Summary: Scotland's Callum Hawkins claimed victory in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, setting a new Scottish half-marathon record in the process.


The Robins have won six of their 10 League One games since former Brighton Under-21 and reserves coach Williams took interim charge in December. The 35-year-old replaced Martin Ling at the County Ground, after Ling stepped down citing "health reasons." "He is a fantastic coach, the best I've come across in 25 years of football," chairman Lee Power said. "The reason Luke is 'head coach' and not 'manager' is because that is what he is: the head coach. "No players will come into the club that Luke is not happy with, but his main job is to coach the group and improve them." Williams is the fourth person to take charge of Swindon this season, following Mark Cooper, Ling, and chairman Power, who looked after the first team for a spell following Cooper's dismissal in October. The Robins are currently 13th in the League One table, seven points outside the play-off places.

Summary: Swindon Town have appointed caretaker boss Luke Williams as head coach on a five-year contract.


Keighley MP Kris Hopkins has written to police asking them to investigate. An audit by PKF Littlejohn LLP found the council had made decisions "without consideration of its legal powers" and may have taken "unlawful actions". The council's decision to develop a new civic centre came in for heavy criticism in the audit report. Auditors said the council may have broken the law by trading via the civic centre museum shop. The audit also picked up on "mathematical errors" in budget documents which "could potentially have influenced decisions made in respect of funding required for 2013-14". In response to Mr Hopkins' letter, West Yorkshire Police's temporary chief constable Dee Collins said investigators from the economic crime unit would be contacting the auditors. She said: "Once this review and assessment is completed, we will be in a stronger position to understand if any criminal offences have taken place within the town council." Mr Hopkins said: "I have been a long-standing critic of Keighley Town Council and, alongside a number of tireless and committed local residents, have raised countless concerns about its reckless and arrogant approach to spending public money. "This report confirms in graphic detail that our fears were well-founded." Keighley Town Council said it had received independent legal advice that found the council had not acted outside the law. Mayor Graham Mitchell added: "There is no evidence of criminality whatsoever in the report."

Summary: Keighley Town Council could be investigated by the police after an audit found "significant weaknesses" in local governance.


The 8-11 shot defeated 12-1 chance Algometer by one and a half lengths with the other four rivals well beaten. Midterm is a son of 2001 Derby winner Galileo and Group One victor Midday. After the Sandown win, Midterm's odds for the Derby at Epsom in June were cut by some bookmakers from 8-1 to 6-1 second favourite. The 4-1 market leader is US Army Ranger. In the 1980s, the trial was won by subsequent Derby winners Shergar and Shahrastani, although the last runner to triumph at Epsom was 1997 Sandown runner-up Benny The Dip. You can check out the latest racing results on the BBC Sport website.

Summary: Odds-on favourite Midterm, ridden by Ryan Moore for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, won the Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday afternoon.


But "glitch", when it involves payments to individuals and businesses likely to total many millions of pounds, does not do the issue justice. RBS needs another technical malfunction leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without a proper understanding of their bank balance like it needs another chief executive called Fred Goodwin. That is, not at all. RBS insists the problem, which involves RBS itself as well as NatWest, Ulster Bank and Coutts (banks RBS owns), will be resolved by Saturday. Which appears a relatively relaxed timetable, to put it mildly. Andrew Tyrie, the chairman of the Treasury select committee, described the four-day delay as "unacceptable". "Restoration of payments should be a top priority," he said. "It is crucial for those in the greatest financial need and also those who find it difficult to go to a branch. "These failures should concern both the conduct and prudential regulators." The regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), will certainly be taking a close interest. In November last year, RBS faced the biggest fine in retail banking history when the FCA and the PRA hit the bank with a £56m bill. It was punishment for a major computer meltdown two years earlier - again described as a "glitch" - which affected 6.5 million customers. Similar to today, in that case payments were not processed, meaning that wages were not paid and bills were left outstanding. Individuals and businesses were affected. At its most basic, customers did not know how much money they had and were locked out of their accounts. On top of the fine, RBS had to pay more than £70m in compensation. Admittedly, today's problem is not of the same magnitude, and the affected 600,000 payments should been seen in the context of the 20 million transactions a day processed by RBS. But after the major failure of 2012, which dragged on for weeks, again RBS has revealed that its technological processes lack essential robustness. It has long been a problem across banking - archaic computer systems bolted together through a series of mergers and acquisitions which are out-of-date and too complicated to run. A senior executive at RBS once described the bank's computer systems as resembling "15 different types of spaghetti". It has been an under-resourced area for far too long, out of the public glare and too easily dismissed as a problem to be fixed "tomorrow". Well, tomorrow came and went a long time ago, and RBS now insists that it is giving its technology the attention and the resources it deserves. But with the government looking to start selling its 80% stake in RBS, the bank will need to reassure investors that it can service the, frankly, pretty simple banking needs of its customers without a "glitch".

Summary: The word seems almost benign - a "glitch" affecting computer systems at the Royal Bank of Scotland.


Neil Brand's Sound of Song - exploring the secret behind popular songs - will launch the year-long season on Friday. In May, Strictly judge Darcey Bussell will lend her dance expertise to BBC Young Dancer 2015's Grand Final, broadcast live from Sadler's Wells. The former Royal Ballet principal said she was "delighted to be involved". Brand's Sound of Song, on BBC Four, will explore the elements that come together to create great songs, from Elvis Presley's 'slapback' echo in Memphis to the tape loops used by The Beatles at Abbey Road. Other highlights of the year include: "Over the next 12 months we'll be offering everyone extraordinary access to some of today's great artists and performers," said the BBC's director general Tony Hall. "When the BBC gets behind something, working closely with lots of others, we can offer opportunities like no one else."

Summary: The BBC has launched The Year of Song and Dance 2015, which will include new programmes and live performances on BBC Two, BBC Four and Radio 3.


A selection of photos from Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week:

Summary: Images courtesy of AFP, AP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters


The collision involving a black Peugeot 206 happened on the B9013 Sheriffston to Orton road, near Altonside, at 21:10 on Monday. Two men aged 30 and 19 were seriously injured and are being treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A 23-year-old woman suffered fractures and another 19-year-old man sustained minor injuries. The road is currently closed and police have appealed for witnesses.

Summary: Four people travelling in the same car have been injured in a serious crash in Moray.


The actor was killed by his own car at his home in Los Angeles in June. It struck him after rolling backwards down the steep drive, pinning him against a brick postbox pillar and a security fence. Court records show Victor and Irina Yelchin filed to become administrators of their son's estate on Friday. The filing states Yelchin left behind at least $641,000 (£486,000) in personal property and had $731,000 (£554,000) in equity in his home. Yelchin was best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the new Star Trek films. TMZ reports that Yelchin's parents plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, which made the Jeep that killed their son. They are expected to announce their intentions to file the suit at a press conference on Tuesday. In April, the company recalled 1.1m vehicles worldwide over the risk they could roll away after drivers exit. The vehicle that killed Yelchin, who was 27 years old, was one of those subject to a recall because the gear shifters confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly. Fiat Chrysler offered their sympathies to Yelchin's family in a statement, but said it could not comment on their plans for a lawsuit. The company added it was speeding up its recall of the vehicle. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Anton Yelchin did not write a will before he died and left behind a $1.4m (£1.06m) estate, according to court documents filed by his parents.


The 21-year-old, from St Austell, was arrested on suspicion of robbery on Thursday and remains in police custody. A string of robberies and attempted robberies took place at shops in Reawla, Cubert, Scorrier, Porthtowan and Lanner over the last three weeks. Police said isolated premises were targeted and a knife had been used to threaten staff.

Summary: A man is being questioned by police over a series of armed robberies which took place across Cornwall.


Media playback is not supported on this device Kvitova, who was playing only her third tournament of 2017 after being stabbed by an intruder at her home in December, lost 6-1 1-6 6-2 on court two. The American had never won a singles game at Wimbledon before this year and is ranked 95th in the world. In the deciding set, Kvitova struggled physically and needed medical help, but managed to complete the match. "I'm glad it is over," said the 27-year-old Czech player afterwards. "It was really tough and I feel really empty. My body is not great but mentally I'm glad it is over. "I just need to look to the future and focus and prepare for the next tournament." Media playback is not supported on this device Elsewhere, Venus Williams lost the first set before beating world number 55 Wang Qiang 4-6 6-4 6-1 to move into the last 32. Media playback is not supported on this device Five-time Wimbledon champion Williams, 37, was 4-2 ahead in the opening set, but lost four consecutive games to lose the first set, but recovered to move into the third round. She broke Wang's serve late in the second set and twice more in the deciding set for the victory. Williams, who last won the Wimbledon title nine years ago, will play unseeded Japanese player Naomi Osaka in the last 32 after she defeated 22nd seed Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 1-6 6-0 6-4. Media playback is not supported on this device Former world number one Victoria Azarenka reached the third round with a 6-3 6-3 win over 15th seed Elena Vesnina. Azarenka, 27, is playing only her second tournament of 2017 after giving birth to her son Leo in December. The Belarusian, ranked 683rd, broke the Russian's serve in the sixth game on her way to taking the opening set. Azarenka broke Vesnina's serve twice more in the second set to secure a match with Britain's Heather Watson. Vesnina, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2016, needed medical attention in the second set as she was struggling with a hip injury, but was able to complete the match. World number 86 Camila Giorgi of Italy secured a big upset as she knocked out American 17th seed Madison Keys 6-4 6-7 (10-12) 6-1. Giorgi served for the match in the second set but was broken and then wasted four match points, including one on her own serve, in an epic tie-break. Ultimately, it did not matter as Giorgi stormed through the deciding set to move into the third round of Wimbledon for the fourth time in her career. Women's second seed Simona Halep is safely into the last 32 after a straight-set win over 21-year-old Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Halep won it 7-5 6-3 to set up a third-round tie with China's Shuai Peng, a 6-2 6-2 winner over Spanish 25th seed Carla Suarez Navarro. Eighth seed Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, who reached the last eight last year, also moved into the third

Summary: Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was beaten in the second round by American Madison Brengle.


The RMT revealed it had received a legal challenge just hours before the start of a three-day walkout. Southern said in a statement it was "considering all possible options to stop the strike and that includes a legal challenge". Talks aimed at averting the strikes over changes to the role of conductors ended without agreement last week. The RMT said it intended to continue with the planned action but was examining the paperwork. In a message to union members, RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The dispute is not over and the strike action... is definitely on. "Organise the picket lines and protests and continue to show your determination and solidarity in your fight for justice." The strike is due to begin from one minute past midnight on Tuesday, causing fresh travel misery for passengers. In talks last week, the RMT said the train operator had rejected a fresh set of proposals that could have resolved the dispute. But Govia Thameslink CEO Charles Horton said the RMT counter-proposal "didn't come anywhere near our goals of modernising our train service for the benefit of passengers". RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT can confirm the receipt of a formal legal challenge from Southern Rail in the guards safety dispute. "It is appalling that rather than sitting down with us at Acas today to seek a resolution the company has chosen to run to the courts under the cloak of the anti-union laws." On Sunday, it emerged rail staff had been advised by union bosses to accept the new contracts. The RMT said there was "no climb down" but it was their duty to protect staff against mass sackings. A Southern spokesman said: "On Friday they told their conductor members to accept a deal and then tomorrow they plan to strike against it. "It is a situation which will leave our passengers baffled and in that context we are presently considering all possible options to stop the strike. "We have written to the RMT about the validity of the dispute in light of recent developments. "We await their response and will consider all possible options to stop the strike and that includes a legal challenge."

Summary: Southern is taking legal action to try to stop a series of strikes from Tuesday, the RMT transport union said.


Barrister Mona Bayoumi's comments come as a Welsh Assembly committee holds an inquiry into human rights in Wales. The committee said its inquiry is instrumental in ensuring the assembly is prepared for future changes. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the UK government was "committed" to reforming domestic human rights. Speaking to Sunday Politics Wales, Ms Bayoumi said: "Just to put it in to some context, there was obviously existing UK legislation going back to the 70s that protected, for example, employee rights in respect of discrimination, so it's important to remember that. "But yes absolutely, I do think that there will be a slow erosion of the existing rights and protections, that really is in line with the debate that we've heard." The UK government has proposed replacing the Human Rights Act 1998, which could curtail the role of the European Court of Human Rights. The assembly's Equality Committee is looking at how this could affect Wales. All Welsh Assembly laws must comply with human rights legislation, and with Theresa May repeatedly saying Britain would be better served by leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, the terms of the legislation could change. Newport East AM and committee chairman John Griffiths admitted there was "a lot of worry that some of the inclusive practises that we've built in Wales are under threat at the moment". Wales has to "guard against that", he said. Mr Griffiths acknowledged there was an issue with how the public view human rights laws, following recent debates about votes for prisoners and human rights regulations blocking criminals from being deported. "There can be a problem with public perception but it can mainly come, I think, from media sensationalism around fairly atypical cases," he said. "I think if we look at the general experience and well beyond Wales, their everyday lives are improved, their rights are safeguarded and protected by that human rights approach and the international standards that apply." Stonewall's Mabli Jones raised concerns that possible changes to legislature could undo the progress of LGBT rights. "Since the introduction of the Human Rights Act there have been several rulings in UK and EU courts which have advanced legal protections for LGBT people," she said. "Our concern is that without those protections we could see progress go back decades." A MoJ spokesman said the UK government would consider the Bill of Rights further "once we know the arrangements for our EU exit" and would "consult fully on our proposals in the full knowledge of the new constitutional landscape that will create".

Summary: Current political attitudes are likely to lead to a "slow erosion" of existing human rights and protections, according to an expert.


The 57-year-old, from Montrose, was killed north of Dunkeld, near Jubilee Bridge, in Perthshire. Several other stretches of the A9 have been the scene of fatal and serious accidents this year. November was marked by the death of a couple in a two-car crash near Dalwhinnie. Care assistant Dennish Michael and nurse Manju Dennish, both 32 and from Inverness, were originally from India. Earlier in the month, the parents of a five-year-old boy and three-year-old girl were taken to hospital after a crash near Calvine, in Perthshire. In October, three people were killed in a collision near Pitlochry involving four cars. Firefighters described the accident as a "scene of carnage". Denny couple James Forbes, 73, and his 66-year-old wife wife Anne died when their car was involved in a crash with another car. The driver of the other car - John Potter, 63, from Scarborough - also died at the scene. In a separate accident, Roy Greene, 41, a joiner from Kilsyth, died in a collision between a van and tipper truck near Auchterarder. August saw the deaths of motorcyclist Peter Corris, 54, and wife Jacqueline Corris, 53, from Leyland, Lancashire. The crash which also involved a car happened three miles south of Dalwhinnie. Another motorcyclist, Fergus Cooney, 41, from Helmsdale, died in hospital after coming off his bike at Daviot. Mother-of-two Sharon Topping, 38, from Moodiesburn in Glasgow, was killed after her motorbike hit the central reservation on the A9 near Pitlochry. The accident happened just hours after buying her first motorcycle. Her 40-year-old husband Stephen, who was travelling behind her on his own motorbike, collided with her bike and was injured. In May, two men were injured after a coach with 37 people on board crashed north of the Berriedale Braes. And in April, 13 elderly holidaymakers were hurt when their coach collided with a lorry near Dalwhinnie. The same month also saw one of Scotland's most promising chefs was killed in a motorbike crash just hours before he was awarded a top accolade at the Scottish Hotel Awards. Ryan Young, 38, who was nominated in three categories at the prestigious awards, died after his bike collided with a 4X4 vehicle. A 44-year-old pedestrian also died after being struck by a lorry a mile north of Dunkeld. Wintry weather affected travelling conditions earlier this year. In February, lorry driver Andrew Raeside, of Kirkintilloch, died after his cab plunged 40ft (12m) from a bridge into a loch. He was driving south on the A9 when his fuel lorry jack-knifed as he was crossing Coronation Bridge at Faskally. Eight people were hurt in January in two multi-vehicle accidents. Five cars were involved in a collision during blizzard conditions three miles south of Dalwhinnie, while the other earlier accident happened at the Cromarty Bridge.

Summary: The death of lorry driver Gordon Cooper in a crash involving three articulated lorries on Thursday was the latest in a series on the A9 this year.


Archaeologists used a range of techniques to determine the age, diet and health of livestock raised at two sites in Orkney. One of the sites, Earl's Bu, appears to have been organised and managed as a large estate farm. It may have been run this way from an earlier time than previously thought. The study, which involved excavated animal remains and the examination of other historical evidence, could give fresh insights into ancient farming elsewhere. The University of the Highlands and Islands, which did the research, said these other places could include other Scottish islands and Scandinavia. The archaeologists said the good condition of the livestock at Earl's Bu gave an "overall impression" of an organised system of pastoral farming on the land. Herds of sheep and cattle were pastured and fattened up in established fields or upland areas, they said. This suggests that an elite group of people controlled the land in the form of manorial estates from the Viking period onwards. The archaeologists said that this challenged the view of agriculture in the 9th to 11th Century being "dominated by free peasant farmers with varying degrees of obligation to chieftains and larger farmers".

Summary: Studies of teeth from sheep and cattle have provided new insights into farming practices in the Iron Age through to the Late Norse periods in Scotland.


He was just 0.033 seconds quicker than Rosberg as the dust settles on the controversy following their collision at Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. Mercedes say the drivers are on their "last warning" and risk "financial and sporting penalties" if they crash together again. Hamilton is 11 points behind Rosberg in the championship going into the race. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg was third fastest, 0.8secs behind the Mercedes and just 0.009secs ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Even at this early stage, the margin between Mercedes and the rest suggests they will be in a world of their own this weekend, a continuation of the recent trend that has seen any sense of a threat from Ferrari evaporate. And Vettel - who tested the new 'halo' cockpit safety system during the session - coasted into the pits at the end with what appeared to be a gearbox problem. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fifth fastest, despite a wobble through Vale corner at the end of his lap, and ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who it was announced before practice will stay with the Italian team for another season in 2017. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was seventh, ahead of the second Force India of Sergio Perez, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz and the McLaren of Fernando Alonso, whose team-mate Jenson Button was 12th, behind the other Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat. Alonso said before the weekend that McLaren were hoping for a step forward at Silverstone thanks to the circuit suiting their car better than recent races and a step forward in engine performance thanks to an intake/induction upgrade from Honda. Englishman Jolyon Palmer was 17th fastest at his first British Grand Prix, 0.8secs ahead of reserve driver Esteban Ocon, who was driving Kevin Magnussen's car in the first session. British Grand Prix first final practice results British Grand Prix coverage details

Summary: Lewis Hamilton beat team-mate Nico Rosberg to the fastest time as Mercedes dominated British GP first practice.


The 33-year-old Chile international arrived with a reputation for fancy footwork but is now, to some, thought of as being a shot-stopper who does not stop shots - something Everton took full advantage of when they scored with every effort they had on target in Sunday's 4-0 win. City's defence admittedly did not do much to help him at Goodison Park, but Bravo has now conceded a total of 23 goals from the 57 shots on target he has faced in the Premier League this season. "It looks like people are playing City and thinking if they hit the target, they will score," MOTD2 pundit Phil Neville said in his analysis after watching Bravo's latest less than convincing performance. "It is not even as if they are all going into the corners of the net - he is being beaten in the central areas of his goal too." Media playback is not supported on this device Do the stats back up that belief Bravo should have done better? According to Tom Worville, a data scientist at football analysts Opta, the answer is a resounding yes. Using an historical database built using information such as the build-up, distance, angle and placement of more than 250,000 shots, Opta can evaluate 'Expected Goals' - the quality of any chance a player has, and how likely it is to be saved. Or, in Bravo's case, whether it should have been... Based on the historic quality of those 57 shots on target against City, only 16 should have beaten Bravo, not 23. The £15.4m summer signing from Barcelona has conceded 6.7 goals more than he should have done, putting him in the bottom five of the 23 Premier League keepers to have faced more than 100 shots in 2016-17. It gets worse for Bravo when Opta focus on his current eight-game run that has seen him concede 14 goals from 22 shots on target. "Of those 22 shots, we get an 'Expected Goals' figure of 7.33 - so he has conceded nearly double than expected in that time," added Worville. "It's a huge deficit, and the figures are pretty damning. "I'm hesitant to jump to the conclusion that Bravo is a poor goalkeeper - we know that he isn't - but he's having a terrible time at the moment." Most keepers are having a better time right now, including all of Bravo's counterparts at other top-six clubs. It is a 12-goal swing from Bravo's figures to those of Burnley's Tom Heaton, the Premier League's top performer by Opta's calculations. Heaton has saved almost five 'expected' goals this season - enough to give him the edge over the likes of Tottenham's Hugo Lloris and Arsenal's Petr Cech, who average around three apiece. David de Gea has 'saved' one goal for Manchester United while Liverpool's Simon Mignolet has conceded one more than expected. All of them are doing much better than Bravo, though. Few City fans thought that allowing Joe Hart to leave for a season in Serie A was a good idea back in August. It is possible

Summary: For many, Claudio Bravo's first five months in English football were neatly summed up by the caller to the BBC's 606 phone-in last weekend who dubbed the Manchester City goalkeeper a 'false no. 1'.


TPG Capital and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan want to buy parts of Fairfax Media including its newspapers and property advertising arm, Domain. A deal could be worth as much as A$2.5bn (Â£1.4bn). However, loss-making Fairfax said the offer "may not optimise shareholder value". It also said the proposal may not get off the ground "given the complexity involved in splitting the businesses". A deal would also need approval from the federal government's Foreign Investment Review Board. Fairfax, which also publishes The Age and the Australian Financial Review, posted a loss of A$893m last year as it struggled with plunging print advertising revenue and newspaper sales. Last week journalists at the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in Melbourne went on strike for a week in protest after management announced more job cuts. However, the Domain division, which accounts for half of Fairfax's profits, is growing strongly and the company wants to spin it off and retain a majority stake. Domain is Australia's second-biggest real estate website after one owned by Rupert Murdoch and is valued by analysts at about A$2bn. According to Fairfax, the consortium has offered 95 cents a share for Domain, along with the metropolitan newspapers, an events business, and a start-up investing arm. That would leave existing Fairfax shareholders with assets including newspapers in regional Australia and New Zealand, as well as stakes in the Macquarie Radio Network and Stan, a video-streaming service. Shareholders would also be left with existing debt. Lee Mickelburough, of Henderson Global Investors, which owns about 5% of Fairfax shares, said: "It's a troublesome structure to say that we get 95 cents for the good business and you get to keep the debt for the transition businesses. It's cheeky, the way they've structured it." Shares in Fairfax gained 2.4% in Sydney on Monday following news of the bid, valuing the company at about A$2.5bn.

Summary: The owner of Australian newspapers including the Sydney Morning Herald is in takeover talks with a North American private equity consortium.


Little and Broad Haven RNLI lifeboat crew and a coastguard rescue team were called after the owner reported him going over a cliff in the Goultrop area. The spaniel, called George, was found stuck on a ledge about 40ft (12m) up from the beach on Sunday. He was lowered down to the lifeboat before being reunited with his owner.

Summary: A dog was rescued by lifeboat volunteers after becoming stuck on a cliff in Pembrokeshire.


The match had been set for 24 January at Seaview but now a new venue and date will be arranged by organisers. Linfield lodged an appeal against the County Antrim FA's decision to play the final at Crusaders' Shore Road venue. The match gives David Healy the chance of a first trophy since taking over as Linfield manager in October 2015. Under Northern Ireland's record goalscorer, the Blues have lost in Irish Cup and Shield finals and also finished runners-up in the Irish Premiership last season. The most likely date for this season's Shield decider is Tuesday, 7 February and the choice of venue appears to be between the Oval in Belfast or the Showgrounds at Ballymena. Meanwhile, Glenavon have confirmed that they have signed defender/midfielder Aaron Canning from Championship club Loughgall until the end of the season.

Summary: The County Antrim Shield final is to be held at a neutral venue after Linfield challenged a decision to stage it at the ground of opponents Crusaders.


Japan called for an end to the raid, summoning the Algerian ambassador to express concern for the lives of the captives and to plead for up-to-date information. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "disappointed" not to have been told about the raid in advance. But while many details of how events at the In Amenas plant have unfolded remain unclear, Algeria's decision to deal with the kidnappers forcefully and unilaterally fits with a deeply-entrenched and uncompromising approach to counter-terrorism. "I'd be surprised if they'd reacted any other way," said Jon Marks, an Algeria analyst and head of the Cross-border Information consultancy. "From the Algerian point of view the attackâ€¦ was an affront to the prestige of the Algerian military which is a very central part of the Algerian value system." The military is still seen as the ultimate arbiter of power in Algeria, and has never been placed fully under civilian control. The army, and the governments it supports, derive much of their legitimacy from largely winning the military battle against Islamist insurgents in the 1990s, during a vicious conflict that left as many as 150,000 people dead. Algerian authorities have expressed some bitterness that they were left to fight this conflict on their own, before most of the rest of the world was confronted with the threat from Islamist militancy. But they also take pride in their counter-terrorism experience, their military suppression of armed groups and their publicly-stated reluctance to negotiate or pay ransoms. "We say that confronted with terrorism, yesterday as today and tomorrow, there will be no negotiation, no blackmail, no let-up in the fight against terrorism," said Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Said Belaid. "Those who think we will negotiate with terrorists are delusional." The conflict in the 1990s was fought in the north of Algeria. Armed groups have only become more active in Algeria's vast southern desert and neighbouring Sahel states in recent years. They have carried out kidnappings, mainly outside Algeria, and have never launched a major attack on the oil and gas industry that has long been the backbone of Algeria's economy. However, both the alleged organiser of Wednesday's attack, Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, and the prospect of a drawn-out kidnapping saga, are darkly familiar to the Algerian authorities. "They know Mokhtar Belmokhtar and his gang very well and they know very well that these are people who are extremely adept at operating in the Sahara regions," said Jon Marks, referring to reports that the Algerians intervened when some of the kidnappers and hostages tried to leave the plant. The risk, he said, was that they would take the hostages to a remote part of the desert and then negotiate for ransoms or prisoner exchanges, "and they used the bluntest of instruments, which was air power, to stop those cars". "With the western governments you've got the view which is predominant that they've got a duty of care towards the hostages," he added. "Whereas in the perception of those people running the operation, it was very much, 'you must deal with the terrorists and

Summary: Algeria's military intervention against kidnappers at a Saharan gas plant apparently came as a surprise to those foreign governments whose citizens were being held hostage.


Mills, 28, and Clark, 36, hold a 20-point lead going into the finale, after finishing second and third in Tuesday's races. The duo missed out on gold at London 2012, taking silver as New Zealand edged them out in the medal race. "It feel like we've been sailing forever to get this gold," said Clark. Find out about how to get into sailing with our special guide. "It's completely surreal. We've sailed out of our skin in a marathon event." The pair have dominated throughout the event, winning three races and finishing in the top eight in all 10. However, a medal is now out of reach for male 470 pair Luke Patience and Chris Grube, who are sixth going in to the medal race. Alain Sign and Dylan Fletcher stand a chance of claiming a medal in Thursday's 49er medal race, sitting fourth, but Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth are seventh. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Great Britain's Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark will win Olympic gold in the women's 470 sailing if they finish Wednesday's medal race.


A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge at about 22:00 BST on Saturday before three men got out and stabbed people in nearby Borough Market. Seven people died and 48 were injured. The suspects were shot dead by police. Gareth - who did not want to give his surname - told BBC Wales: "We were fearful for our lives." He said: "We were at dinner in Borough Market last night and we were just about to leave the restaurant and all of a sudden we heard a bang and people were running down the street and then starting to lock themselves in the restaurant across the street. Gareth described "a lot of chaos, people scared, not knowing what was going on, glasses dropping, screams" and realised "something bad was about to happen". With his fiancee, heavily pregnant friend and her partner, he took a lift upstairs and hid in a toilet cubicle, keeping his foot pressed against the door. "I looked downstairs and a guy had come in with a big knife that looked like a machete," he added. "We were locked in the bathroom for about an hour. There was screaming outside and smashing glasses. "We were fearful for our lives. It was a horrendous experience." While in the toilet, he called his sister Llinos in Cardiff, who described being "absolutely terrified, sick, shaking" and thinking at first it was a joke. But she called South Wales Police and praised their efforts to keep her calm and giving her advice to pass on to her brother until London officers arrived at the scene. Political leaders in Wales have expressed shock and concern at the attack. First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "This was an appalling, cowardly attack on innocent people simply enjoying a summer evening. "Our thoughts are with the victims and families and I would like to thank the emergency services for their swift and brave response. I am being kept fully informed and I ask all of us to remain vigilant. "Wales stands with London again and we will not be cowed, we will not change our way of life, or give into fear and let division win." It is the third terror attack in the UK in three months, following the car and knife attack in Westminster in March, which left five people dead, and the Manchester bombing on 22 May, in which 22 people were killed. Most parties have suspended national general election campaigning and the prime minister has chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies tweeted: "Reports from London are truly horrifying. Speechless at this brutality on our streets." Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said it was a "another devastating attack", adding that the party "extends its condolences to the people affected and the emergency services that work so hard in these difficult circumstance. "People deserve to live their lives without fear, and we must come together to reject hate. Mark Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, tweeted: "My thoughts & prayers are with London this morning.

Summary: A Welsh man caught up in the London terror attack has described how he and his friends had to hide from an attacker in a restaurant toilet.


Millions of people have "signed" online petitions calling on Parliament to do everything from bring in rules for a second EU referendum to introducing a Meningitis B vaccine for all children. Sorry, your browser cannot display this content. Enter your postcode or parliamentary constituency: BBC England's data unit found there were 17 parts of the UK where the number of people taking part was consistently higher than elsewhere. Eight of the 17 were London constituencies. All but two have Labour MPs. The constituencies, and the party of their MP, were: Some critics of petitions suggest they are in danger of becoming symbols of protest rather than effective instruments of change. Stephen Coleman, professor of political communication at the University of Leeds, said: "We should be very concerned about how representative these petitions are. "If they are only empowering the usual people who vote and participate in other ways, they will exacerbate the gap between the political efficacy of the already active and the limited influence of the least confident." But Darren Hughes, deputy chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said petitions were an effective way of engaging with people who would not normally be interested in politics. "The more ways to engage the better, and while there always going to be places that sign petitions more than others, that's normal, and millions of people are using this tool right across the county," he said. "What would be a positive change would be for these petitions to encourage some further engagement - if the site asked them to register to vote, get more involved in politics, and follow more closely the work of Parliament." We focussed on the top ten most popular petitions. The same 17 constituencies were in the top 10% of signatures in six of the most popular petitions since Parliament launched a website in July 2015. Where they were not in the top 10, it was mainly because the other petitions were calling for the opposite of the other petitions they had signed. For the most popular Parliament petition of all time, calling for a second referendum on leaving the European Union, 17 of the 65 constituencies that signed it the most were also in the top 10% for: We excluded an earlier petition demanding Donald Trump be banned from visiting the UK altogether and another petition about Jeremy Hunt as the issues were too similar to others. 100,000 signatures for MPs to consider a debate in Parliament 10,000 signatures for the government to formally respond 11 MPs on the Petitions Committee 6 months is how long petitions stay open for signatures Only British citizens or UK residents are allowed to sign However, they were not in the top 10% for petitions calling for: Taking the most popular petitions, Brighton Pavilion, represented by Green MP Caroline Lucas, has the highest median rate of signatures as a % of its population. BBC News found no correlation between the proportion of people signing petitions and turnout in the 2015 General Election. Northern Ireland constituencies made up the majority of the 10

Summary: MPs will later debate two petitions about the state visit of US President Donald Trump, but what do online polls and their signatories say about the UK?


The MP for Horsham in West Sussex said it was "time to make way for a younger candidate". Mr Maude held ministerial positions in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major as well as David Cameron. He won his seat in the 2010 general election, defeating the Liberal Democrats, with a majority of 11,460. In a letter to the Horsham Conservative Association, he said: "I was first elected to the House of Commons in 1983 just before I was 30, and will be nearly 67 by the time of the election in 2020. "However, 27 years is a long time to serve as a member of parliament, and I believe now is the right time to make way for a younger candidate to carry the Conservative flag in Horsham." Mr Maude was elected to the House of Commons in 1983 as MP for North Warwickshire, where he served until 1992. After five years out of office he returned as MP for Horsham in 1997, which he has represented since.

Summary: Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has announced he is to stand down at the next election, 32 years after entering parliament.


The subway stops near Wall Street are still crammed in the mornings yet financial firms in New York - once the centre of the money universe - aren't expanding the way they used to. Companies in far-flung states such as Arizona and Texas are seeing the rise in financial jobs instead. The shift in part reflects population trends in the US, where states in the south and west - often dubbed Sun Belt states - are growing faster than their counterparts in the north. It's also driven by growth in insurance, investment advice and consumer lending jobs, over the trading and securities roles historically based in New York. Just as important, companies say, is that new technology and the rise of online banking means they can look more broadly when making location decisions. "You don't need to go into a bank anymore. You don't need a brick-and-mortar building. You can do it from anywhere," says Gay Meyer, assistant vice president for regional human resources at the banking and insurance company USAA. "That allows us as a company to think outside of, 'We have to be in New York or have to be in Chicago'." As the economic recovery takes hold and low interest rates persist, demand for home loans, credit cards and other products has picked up. That's translated into jobs. The number of finance and insurance jobs in the US expanded by 1.8% over the 12 months that ended in March, finally rebounding to pre-financial crisis levels. New York remains home to about 8% of those positions. But at the end of 2014, Texas overtook it as the state with the highest number of jobs in the sector. Meyer is based in Arizona, a desert state on the border with Mexico that is better known for the Grand Canyon than banking. But over the 12 months to March, hiring for finance and insurance jobs grew faster than any other state in the country. Its rise as a regional financial hub is fuelled by expansions from companies such as USAA, State Farm and Charles Schwab, which have been drawn to the area by affordability, booming population and a large pool of university graduates and potential recruits. USAA, an insurance and banking firm that serves military and veteran families all over the world, hired nearly 600 people in Arizona last year, as demand for credit cards and mortgages boomed, Meyer said. Forty minutes south, insurance giant State Farm hired about 2,000 people in 2016 and expects to bring on a similar number this year, in roles such as customer service, sales and IT, said Naomi Johnson, a State Farm public affairs specialist. She transferred to the Phoenix-area campus last June after working for the company for 16 years in her home state of New York. Johnson, 39, said she's seen the way the job growth is boosting the local economy, spurring new food and shopping spots to open. She regularly gets calls from builders, checking on hiring - the campus now holds about 6,600 and the firm is aiming for 10,000 - as

Summary: Financial jobs in the US have finally rebounded but they're not growing where you might think.


The ivory, with a black market value of $30m (Â£19.4m), is the largest consignment to be destroyed in Kenya. "Many of these tusks belonged to elephants which were wantonly slaughtered by criminals," he said at the ceremony in Nairobi National Park. Elephant ivory is often smuggled to Asia for use in ornaments. Rhinos are also poached for their horns for use in traditional medicine. Conservationists have warned that elephants could be wiped out in some parts of Africa in the next few years. "Twenty-five years after the historic banning of the ivory trade, demand from the emerging markets once again threatens Africa's elephants and rhinos," President Kenyatta said. The burning of the ivory was to show that wildlife trophies must be put "beyond economic use", he said. "We want future generations of Kenyans, Africans and indeed the entire world to experience the majesty and beauty of these magnificent animals. "Poachers and their enablers will not have the last word in Kenya." Mr Kenyatta promised that his government would destroy the country's entire stockpile of ivory - thought to be another 115 tonnes - by the end of the year. "We are committed to combating the menace robustly and persistently until we dismantle the entire vile economy," the president said, adding that Interpol's new regional office on environmental crime in Kenya was a significant boost in the battle. Last month, China imposed a one-year ban on the import of ivory, amid criticism that demand from its consumers was fuelling poaching in Africa.

Summary: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has set fire to 15 tonnes of elephant ivory as part of the East African nation's efforts to curb poaching.


Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, the new UN envoy for the Sahel, said Nigeria, Libya and Mali were worst affected. But overall "terrorist acts" in the Sahel and the Maghreb had increased by 60% in 2013, she said. Her report said extreme poverty and unemployment were part of the problem. Last year there were 230 terror incidents in the Sahel and Maghreb, Ms Sellassie, who was appointed as the UN Sahel envoy in May, said in his report which he presented to the UN Security Council on Thursday. This was an "alarming increase" of 60% compared with 2012 - the highest annual total in the region for the past 12 years, she said. The deterioration of the political and security situation in Libya; the political impasse and security challenges in Mali, where French and African troops ousted Islamist militants from northern towns last year; and increasing attacks and kidnappings by Nigeria's Boko Haram militants continued affect civilians and local economies, the report says. For most people, the extremism highlighted in this report is hidden until something spectacular happens. Reporters like myself take some responsibility for this. I only went to Mali, for example, when the French army dramatically expelled violent Islamists from the northern towns in early 2013; when I visit Nigeria, it is invariably for a Boko Haram crisis. But the slow-burning background factors that can feed extremism are there all the time. Chronic unemployment makes young men particularly vulnerable to radicalisation, the UN report says. It is estimated that across west and north Africa, only about 30% of people have access to modern courtrooms - and so the possibility of justice if they are wronged. The report also says, extraordinarily, that only a little over a half of all children in the region are officially registered as having been born - surely the most basic prerequisite to becoming a participating citizen. The increase in violence has coincided with a UN plan to tackle insecurity and underdevelopment in the region - called the Integrated UN Strategy for the Sahel - that began two years ago. Unemployed young men were particularly vulnerable to religious radicalisation, Ms Sellassie said. "Organised criminal groups take advantage of the vast and porous borders of the countries of the region, making effective patrolling extremely difficult," the report said.

Summary: The growth of Islamist violence in the Sahel is threatening the stability of the entire region that runs south of Africa's Sahara Desert, a UN envoy has told the Security Council.


The incident happened at the junction with the B937, near Collessie, at about 21:05 on Saturday. Police have appealed for witnesses to the accident which involved a silver Volkswagen Beetle. Sgt James Henry, of Police Scotland, said: "Anyone who may have seen a man walking in the area of the A91 around that time on Saturday, or who witnessed the incident, please get in touch."

Summary: A man has died after being hit by a car on the A91 in Fife.


Ferres took over from Richard Wright in July and has cited an inability to push through initiatives as the reason for his departure. "As chief executive I believe I have a moral obligation to everyone associated to the Tigers," he said. "Since the board is not in a position to support the multitude of changes I believe must take place, I feel I have no option but to offer my resignation." We look to the future and a real opportunity now exists for somebody new to come into the chief executive's role and drive the club forward He added: "I would like to thank the fans for their fantastic support and indeed the staff for their hard work in implementing the new membership scheme. "The club requires significant investment in order to continue and I truly hope the board can secure the necessary financial support in the coming months." Castleford chairman Jack Fulton said in a statement: "I would like to thank Steve for his efforts during his time at the club and wish him well for the future. "For over 20 years I have supported this club financially to a substantial amount with the aim of keeping it going as a Super League club ready for the day when it can support itself. "While disappointed by Steve's resignation, this position remains unchanged. We look to the future and a real opportunity now exists for somebody new to come into the chief executive's role and drive the club forward." The Tigers have started the new Super League season with one win and two defeats from their opening three matches.

Summary: Castleford chief executive Steve Ferres has resigned with immediate effect.


The students at the prestigious Istanbul High School had accused their principal of being too obedient to Turkish officials and not speaking up for their rights. As more and more students joined the protest, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkey did not need a repeat of the Gezi protests that shook the country in 2013. "We see that some forces who have not learnt from the past are trying to provoke the universities, the high schools," he said. The students' demands were similar, as were their complaints. "They are restricting our activities," complained one graduate of Istanbul High School. "They say that the country is going through troubling times so we cannot hold concerts at school. But then the government ran a festival on the anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul. So why restrict our activities? Is there a double standard?" More than 370 Turkish schools have since signed an overtly political declaration by the Turkey High School Students Union TLB, refusing to allow what they see as the spread of fundamentalism in high schools. "They do not allow girls' volleyball teams at the schools because girls are supposed to wear shorts," read the statement. TLB leader Bora Celik complained that there was a movement against secular and mixed education. "They do not permit literature or poetry societies. There are prayer rooms in schools where there are no laboratories. These protests are the result of such oppression," he said. The leader of the main opposition party has backed the students and there are fears that education has become a political football in Turkey's increasingly polarised society. "I would hate to see the tension rise," says Batuhan Aydagul, director of the Education Reform Initiative, an independent think tank. And the school protests do not stop there. In an upper middle-class district in Istanbul, parents of students studying in the Ismail Tarman Secondary School have been staging demonstrations for more than a fortnight. They object to plans to convert their school into an "Imam-Hatip" - a religious school where girls and boys are segregated and taught Sunni Islamic religion and religious practices outside the national curriculum. "I came running to the school as soon as I heard of these plans," says Bengu Bozkurt. "If I wanted my son to have a religious education, then I would have sent him to an Imam-Hatip school already. But I believe in secular education." The Imam-Hatip row has engulfed other schools too since 2012, when the government introduced a contentious 12-year compulsory education system, known in Turkey as 4+4+4. With four-year phases each for primary, secondary and high school levels, this new system had paved the way for religious schools. They virtually severed our carotid artery. Can a person live when his artery is cut? No he cannot" After Turkey's so-called post-modern coup in 1997, such religious schools were largely closed down. At the opening of an Imam-Hatip school in September last year, President Erdogan compared the closures to the severing of an artery. But, he emphasised, "we were patient". A graduate of an Imam-Hatip school himself,

Summary: When a group of high school students in Istanbul turned their backs on their head teacher as he addressed their graduation ceremony, it was the start of a wave of protests that has spread to hundreds of schools across Turkey.


Victor Mlotshwa, 27, told the court how he was forced into a coffin, allegedly by farmers Theo Martins Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen. The pair deny several charges including kidnapping, attempted murder and possession of an illegal firearm. The case has caused outrage in South Africa and highlighted racial tensions in the town's farming communities. A video of the incident was shown in court, in which Mr Mlotshwa was heard crying and pleading. He told the Middleburg High Court that his mother had sent him to Middleburg, a small farming town, to buy stock for her shop, when he came across one of the suspects while using a foot path as a short-cut through the farm. Mr Mlotshwa only reported the matter after footage of the alleged assault in August 2016 emerged on YouTube months later. "I thought these men were going to kill me. They were kicking me with their boots and pressing me down," he told a packed courtroom. Local papers report that gasps could be heard in the courtroom when a two-minute video of the assault was played, while some people walked out. Mr Mlotshwa was heard pleading for his life, explaining that he had not stolen and copper cables as they accused him of doing. He gave a detailed account of how the men bound him with cable ties, beat him and threatened to shoot him if he did not get into the wooden coffin as he was told. In a court affidavit, the pair, who are out on bail, said they didn't mean to harm him but merely wanted to "teach him a lesson". The trial continues on Friday.

Summary: The victim in South Africa's coffin assault case has broken down during the trial of his alleged attackers.


Footage from the area shows a huge column of lava and ash being sent several kilometres into the air. The authorities have declared a red alert and evacuated more than 4,000 people within a 20km (12 mile) radius. The Calbuco volcano is one of the most active in Chile, but its eruption took officials in the area by surprise. Alejandro Verges, an emergency director for the region, said Calbuco had not been under any special form of observation. Calbuco eruption: your pictures The inhabitants of the nearby town of Ensenada - along with residents from two other smaller communities - have been ordered to evacuate their homes. Schools in the area have been shut and some flights cancelled. The nearby city of Puerto Montt - a gateway to the popular Patagonia region - has already been blanketed in a cloud of ash. TV footage showed traffic jams in the city and long queues at petrol stations. The nearby town of Puerto Varas was also under a state of alert. Mayor Gervoy Paredes said residents were "very, very frightened". "I had never seen this before. It scares you in the beginning. You start to wonder what is going to happen to you," said one unnamed woman. "Everyone starts to think about gathering water and I don't know what. We got together with the neighbours to see what we would do and wait for news over the radio because we knew that they were evacuating Ensenada and other places near the volcano." Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo called on people affected to "remain calm and stay informed". Neighbouring Argentina has also put emergency measures in place for the city of Bariloche - about 100km from Calbuco - where ash clouds are expected. Residents there have been warned to stay indoors. Chile has the second largest chain of volcanoes in the world after Indonesia, with about 500 that are potentially active. It is southern Chile's second volcanic eruption in as many months. In March, the Villarrica volcano erupted in the early hours of the morning, spewing ash and lava. The authorities say this latest eruption is more serious.

Summary: The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile has erupted twice in the space of a few hours - having lain dormant for decades.


The singer hasn't given a reason for his decision yet, but his team have said that it was because of "unforeseen circumstances". Bieber has already performed in more than 150 shows since starting his tour in March 2016, with an average of 40,000 tickets sold for each date. A statement on his website said: "Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them. "He is grateful and honoured to have shared that experience with his cast and crew for over 150 successful shows across six continents during this run. "However, after careful consideration he has decided he will not be performing any further dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase."

Summary: Justin Bieber has cancelled 14 concerts that he was due to perform in Asia and North America as part of his Purpose World Tour.


Manning, 39, has described the allegations, made by broadcaster Al Jazeera, as "complete garbage". Its source - Texas-based pharmacist Charlie Sly - has since recanted. The allegations surfaced in an Al Jazeera report that said Manning's wife received deliveries of HGH, which is banned by the NFL, at their home. At the time, Manning was recovering from neck surgery suffered during his spell with the Indianapolis Colts. The NFL does not expect to reach a verdict before Manning's Denver side play the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl on 7 February. Manning holds the records for most passing yards and touchdown passes and has been voted the NFL's most valuable player on a record five occasions. The 39-year-old been plagued by injury and there is speculation that the Super Bowl - his fourth appearance in American football's showpiece event - could be the final game in his illustrious career.

Summary: The NFL has opened an investigation into allegations that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had human growth hormone sent to his house.


Trains to London Victoria, Charing Cross and Cannon Street are affected. Passengers were urged to check the Southeastern trains website before they travel, with more than 50 services currently delayed or cancelled. Southeastern apologised, saying it had been caused by "a complete loss of signalling". The signal is now working again, but delays are expected to continue. Train passengers are being advised they can use their tickets on London Underground, Docklands Light Railway and London Overground, and on London Buses between Lewisham and central London. Commuters delayed by more than half an hour can claim compensation. The general secretary of the RMT union blamed the problem on a "toxic mix of massive overcrowding and infrastructure failures". A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We apologise for the delays passengers experienced this morning on the line through London Bridge to Charing Cross and Cannon Street. "The signalling problems have been fixed but there are delays as the service recovers. We would advise passengers to check the latest travel information on National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator."

Summary: A major signal failure at London Bridge has caused severe disruption for commuters trying to reach central London from Kent and the South East.


Instead of giving consent to cookies on every website they visit, users would be able to set general preferences. The European Commission said the plans, which would also remove banners for non-intrusive cookies, would help to tackle an "overload" of such requests. But experts warned the plans could harm advert-funded media, as well as platforms such as Facebook and Google. Cookies are small files that download on to a user's device and enable tracking, sometimes to power advertising. Since 2012, EU rules have required websites to tell users what cookies are being placed on their machine. Typically, this meant a pop-up window seeking consent. European Commission vice-president, Andrus Ansip, said it was now proposing simpler rules, "so that internet users do not have to click on a banner every time they visit a website". "This way, people will be more in control of their settings," he said. Under the plans, websites could read the cookie preferences set in users' browsers. Also, banners would be scrapped for cookies that do not invade users' privacy, such as those remembering shopping cart history or counting website hits. Last year, many internet companies called for the EU to scrap the so-called "cookie law", introduced in 2012. However, the latest proposals could end up damaging online services and frustrate web users, according to a senior executive at a trade body that represents many of the world's biggest internet firms. "The banners are certainly annoying. The question is whether they come up with something that's better or worse," said James Waterworth, vice-president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association. He warned the proposals could harm a range of companies, from Facebook through to newspapers, if many users opted against allowing all but the least intrusive cookies. "If this is done wrong and it's much harder to obtain permission, then it could have a serious impact on ad-funded services," he told the BBC. Under the proposals, users could set a preference in their browser for the level of cookies to which they consent. But they might also need to do this in every app and on every device they log in to, advertising companies have warned. "People who thought cookie banners were annoying, will be disappointed to hear that things won't get better," said Townsend Feehan, chief executive of Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe. The commission's proposals on privacy rules for electronic communications cover a range of areas, including: The European Commission hopes to introduce the changes by May 2018, although experts warned that would be a tight timeline. It comes less than a year after the EU introduced the Privacy Shield, which also set rules for tech companies on data protection and privacy.

Summary: Plans to cut down on the "annoying" cookie banners that web users face have been released by the European Union.


Mr Rouhani ordered a review of all 3,000 jobs on offer, and a rethink if they were found to be biased to men. Some departments, such as the Judiciary Organisation of Military Forces, which is controlled by hardliners, are open almost exclusively to men. Mr Rouhani has a track record of speaking out on women's rights. He has appointed a number of women to prominent posts - including Masoumeh Ebtekar as vice-president and head of the Environmental Protection Organisation, and Marzieh Afkham, who was foreign ministry spokesperson, before being appointed ambassador to Malaysia last year. Ms Afkham was the first woman to be made a foreign envoy. After Iran's parliamentary elections in May, Mr Rouhani hailed the record number of women who won seats. But civil society groups say he could have done much more to tackle the overall problem of female unemployment. Iranian women have made big progress in education in the decades since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and now make up 60% of all university graduates. However, they are still significantly under-represented in the workplace. The most recent figures from the Iranian National Statistics Organisation in 2013 revealed that just 12.4% cent of Iranian women were in active employment. Young Iranian women are five times more likely to be unemployed than young men, and twice as many women than men have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn caused by international sanctions. Women face the double challenge of deeply entrenched conservative values plus discrimination enshrined in a legal system, which disadvantages them in many areas including marriage, maternity provisions, custody rights, and even the right to travel. In the past 12 months a number of high-profile scandals have highlighted the very real problems many women face in their everyday working lives. In September 2015 the captain of the Iranian women's football team, Niloufar Ardalan, was reportedly unable to take part in a key international match because her husband had refused to give her permission to leave the country. And in February secret recordings of a senior manager at the state broadcaster making suggestive phone calls to a junior, female employee put the spotlight on sexual harassment in the workplace. President Rouhani's championing of women's rights has sometimes put him at odds with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and the conservative establishment, which favours a more traditional and restricted role for women, with the emphasis on motherhood and home. The government has invested in job creation schemes in recent years, but critics say much of the money has been channelled into male-dominated sectors of the workforce, resulting in even greater shortages of jobs for women.

Summary: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has postponed the annual civil service entry exam because of concerns it discriminates against women.


Henson, 35, will play for a Welsh team for the first time since he was sacked by Cardiff Blues in 2012. "He talks to you and says: 'I played against Jamie Roberts for 20 minutes and I had the upper hand then and I just got injured'," said Jones. "And it just shows that he still has his edge." Dragons' future may be in doubt amid proposals that would see the Welsh Rugby Union take them over in the summer. The Newport-based team began their search for new investment in April 2016. But Jones says the player "didn't mention" uncertainty over Dragons' future during talks that ended with him signing for the club. Former Wales flanker and captain Jones says Henson would love to play in their Judgement Day game against Welsh rivals Scarlets at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, 15 April. He added: "If he could come and play for us, I'm sure he'd walk from Bristol to get a game and that's what he is - a big game player. "My challenge will be getting him over in Zebre, I expect, and those games, but we've got to manage him as well. "He's a consummate professional and it's invaluable to have him around to pass on his experience to those young players. "Henson will play fly-half and centre for Dragons while Jones remains keen on bringing in another fly-half ahead of next season." Jones is also still looking for another "experienced fly-half who can make us better". "We've got a little bit of money left in the budget, I'm looking for a fly-half," said Jones. "I've made no secret about that. I've got Gavin. I wouldn't mind one other with the right experience and there's two players I'm talking to. "One of them is close to signing for us and that's my shopping done, really." Jones says playing and coaching staff are working on the basis Dragons will be in existence next season, no matter what the outcome of a shareholders' vote, expected in May, that will determine the team's future. "You can read what you want about voting and different things," said Jones. "As far as we are concerned in the rugby department, we'll still be playing rugby as the Dragons next season and they'll want to play well."

Summary: Gavin Henson "still has an edge" that can boost Newport Gwent Dragons when he joins them for 2017-18 from Bristol, says head coach Kingsley Jones.


This is an account of the critical days leading up to the killings. 6 - 8 July 1995: Bosnian Serb forces had laid siege to the Srebrenica enclave, where tens of thousands of civilians had taken refuge from earlier Serb offensives in north-eastern Bosnia. They were under the protection of about 600 lightly armed Dutch infantry forces. Fuel was running out and no fresh food had been brought into the enclave since May. Serb forces began shelling Srebrenica. Bosnian Muslim fighters in the town asked for the return of weapons they had surrendered to the peacekeepers but their request was refused. The Dutch commander called UN Headquarters in Sarajevo asking for "close air support" after shells and rockets landed close to refugee centres and observation posts manned by peacekeepers. 9 July 1995: The Bosnian Serbs stepped up their shelling and thousands of refugees fled to the town from southern camps ahead of advancing Serbs, who attacked Dutch observation posts, taking about 30 soldiers hostage. One peacekeeper was fatally wounded when Bosnian Muslims fired on retreating Dutch troops. 10 July 1995: Dutch Commander Col Karremans filed a request for UN air support after the Bosnian Serbs shelled Dutch positions. UN Commander Gen Janvier initially refused, but agreed after another request from the colonel. Serb attacks stopped before the planes arrived and strikes were postponed. Some 4,000 refugees were in the town by the evening and there was panic on the streets. Large crowds were gathered around the Dutch positions. The Dutch commander told town leaders that Nato planes would launch massive air attacks against the Serbs if they had not withdrawn from the safe area by 06:00 the following morning. 11 July 1995: The Serb forces did not withdraw, but at 09:00 Col Karremans received word from Sarajevo that his request for close air support had been submitted on the wrong form. At 10:30, the resubmitted request reached Gen Janvier, but Nato planes had to return to base in Italy to refuel after being airborne since 06:00. By midday, more than 20,000 refugees - mostly women, children and the infirm - fled to the main Dutch base at Potocari. At 14:30, two Dutch F-16 fighters dropped two bombs on Serb positions surrounding Srebrenica. The Serbs responded with a threat to kill their Dutch hostages and shell refugees, causing the suspension of further strikes. The Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic entered Srebrenica two hours later, accompanied by Serb camera crews. In the evening, Gen Mladic summoned Col Karremans to a meeting at which he delivered an ultimatum that the Muslims must hand over their weapons to guarantee their lives. 12 July 1995: Buses arrived to take women and children to Muslim territory, while the Serbs begin separating out all males from age 12 to 77 for "interrogation for suspected war crimes". It is estimated that 23,000 women and children were deported in the next 30 hours. Hundreds of men were held in trucks and warehouses. About 15,000 Bosnian Muslim fighters had attempted to escape from Srebrenica overnight and were shelled as they fled through

Summary: In the summer of 1995, two years after being designated a United Nations Safe Area, the Bosnian town of Srebrenica became the scene of the worst massacre in the Bosnian war.