They include forcing transparency standards on UK overseas territories and a register of offshore trusts. The party has called for a public inquiry into alleged abuses uncovered in leaked documents from a Panama law firm - and vowed not to accept donations linked to tax avoidance. The government has set up a task force to look into the Panama Papers. And the prime minister has taken the unprecedented step of publishing details of his tax and income over the past six years following Labour claims he had misled the public over whether he had benefitted from an offshore fund. David Cameron will also host an international anti-corruption summit in London next month - and the government is to publish a register of beneficial ownership, revealing who ultimately gains from shadowy shell companies used to avoid tax. But Labour argue Mr Cameron should publish his full tax returns and say the government's £10m task force must be "fully independent and in public". Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "After a week of half-truths and spin from this government in the wake of the revelations in the Panama Papers leak, it's time to clean out the tax havens with real government action. "It should be a matter of shame to the British government that more than half the companies recently named in the Panama Papers were registered in UK-governed tax havens. "Not only has this government impeded international efforts to crack down on tax avoidance and to tackle tax havens but senior figures are personally implicated in these immoral schemes." Other measures in Labour's "tax transparency" plan include: Labour also questioned a letter Mr Cameron wrote to EU officials in 2013, which called for offshore trusts to be excluded from a crackdown on tax avoidance. The government said Mr Cameron had felt forcing trusts to reveal who gained financially from them would "distract" from action in more pressing areas. But Mr McDonnell said: "It is deeply concerning that our prime minister has still failed to clarify whether or not he or his family were benefiting directly or indirectly in 2013 when he was lobbying to prevent EU measures to better regulate trusts as a way to clamp down on tax avoidance." The shadow chancellor also promised that Labour would reject any donations linked to tax avoidance. Political donations made by individuals are not tax-deductible in the UK - but money left in wills to major parties is not subject to inheritance tax. Labour accepted a £1.65m donation in shares in 2013, from home shopping magnate John Mills, which he said at the time was a more "tax efficient" way of donating to the party than giving cash. Quizzed about the Mills donation on BBC Radio 5 live's Pienaar's Politics, Mr McDonnell said: "Every penny that comes in to us will open and transparent. "We will not be touching money that is used by any way in measures to avoid tax or evade tax, we will not allow that to happen and we're not allowing that to happen." Mr McDonnell and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have

Summary: Labour has set out a series of measures it claims will "stop the super-rich hiding their wealth" in tax havens.


The islands, located off the coast of Cornwall, began the scheme two years ago to protect eggs and baby birds from being eaten by brown rats. Numbers of manx shearwaters and storm petrels had declined by 25% on St Agnes and Gugh in 25 years. But colonies are recovering thanks to the rat eradication measures. Poison placed in an agricultural pipe was positioned in 1,000 locations on the islands in order to kill the vermin. According to international protocols, the islands could not be officially declared rat-free for two years after the last sign of rat was detected - making them officially free of the rodent on 13 February. Jaclyn Pearson, from the RSPB Isles of Scilly seabird recovery project, said the seabird population was already starting to recover. "Straight away we saw results," she said. "The baiting was done in winter 2013, and in September 2014 we had 10 Manx Shearwater chicks. That's the first time in living memory that chicks have survived and it's clearly because of the removal of the rats. "We didn't think we would have an uptake of storm petrels so quickly as they hadn't nested on the island for a long time, but we recorded five in 2015. "So already the results are clear and they're beginning to bounce back." A questionnaire among residents shows they're delighted with the results, the RSPB said. The project cost Â£700,000 and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Union. Wildlife Management International Limited (WMIL) from New Zealand was contracted to carry out the rat removal phase from November to March in "the most humane way".

Summary: Two of the Isles of Scilly have been declared "rat free" after a scheme to protect sea birds saw more than 3,000 rodents culled.


Dozens of British and Irish people have still not been traced following Saturday's devastating earthquake. The Red Cross had said 90 Britons were missing, but 30 have been located and the UK Foreign Office said it was not aware of any deaths or injuries. The UK's leading aid agencies have announced a joint appeal to raise money to help survivors. More than 4,300 people died and almost 8,000 were injured in the quake. Eighteen of the dead were killed in avalanches on Mount Everest. The RAF C-17 flight, commissioned by the Department for International Development, left RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, carrying more than 1,100 shelter kits. The plane also contains more than 1,700 solar lanterns to help families who have had to sleep outside because their homes have been demolished or through fear of further aftershocks. BBC correspondent Jon Kay said it took ground crew nearly six hours to load the 30 tonnes of emergency supplies. About 15 sombre-faced Gurkhas, who are synonymous with Nepal, were among the troops who had left on the flight, he added. An RAF Hercules aircraft is also expected to leave the UK on Tuesday carrying additional kit. The International Committee of the Red Cross had released a list of 90 missing British and Irish people, but the BBC understands more than 30 have since been accounted for. However, there could still be additional missing Britons not on the Red Cross list. Patchy mobile telephone and email communications have made it difficult to locate people. The Disasters Emergency Committee, comprising the UK's leading aid agencies, has also announced an appeal to raise money to help survivors. The appeal is to launch on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky on Tuesday. A donation line and website has already opened ahead of the broadcasts. The UK government has also promised to match the first £5m of public donations. The government has already given £5m to help people affected by the earthquake. It said it had released £3m to address immediate needs and £2m would be given to the Red Cross. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said "we would expect there to be several hundred British nationals in Nepal". "British embassy staff have helped over 200 British nationals who've presented at the embassy directly," he said. The Foreign Office said teams had also been scouring hospitals, hotels and areas popular with tourists looking for Britons that might need help. A spokesman said: "The situation on the ground is highly challenging. Basic telephone communication and infrastructure are severely disrupted." The UK Foreign Office has released an emergency number - +44 (0) 207 008 0000 - for people worried about loved ones who may have been in the area at the time. It advises against all but essential travel to Nepal. Britons in a safe place have been advised to remain there until it is safe to leave, but Britons able to leave Nepal safely have been encouraged to do so. The Department for International Development (DfID) has already deployed a team of more than 60 search and rescue responders

Summary: An RAF plane carrying UK aid supplies and British army troops, including Gurkha engineers, has left for Nepal.


People served by the Rosemarkie transmitter will lose Radio Scotland, Radio Nan Gaidheal, and BBC national radio services for short periods. DAB radio and TV services are unaffected. The disruption is expected over the course of the day. BBC Scotland said it apologised for the loss of service. Listeners in the Inverness and Inner Moray Firth area were expected to be the worst affected. The final phase of disruption is expected to last for about two hours from 12:45.

Summary: BBC radio listeners in the Highlands could find their service affected due to essential transmitter work taking place on Tuesday.


20 July 2016 Last updated at 19:08 BST The crash happened near Mila's Lake in Colin Glen Forest Park on Tuesday evening. Two youths, aged 15 and 17, have been arrested. Community safety worker Michael George said there had been a number of initiatives in west Belfast to tackle the issue of scrambler motorcycles.

Summary: A community worker has said scrambler motorcycles are a problem in west Belfast, as a woman remains in a critical condition after a collision.


At a ceremony held at Stirling Castle - where the museum is located, Prince William officially launched the Thin Red Line Appeal. The fund-raising campaign hopes to secure backing of £4m by 2019 to redevelop the museum. The Prince said that he was "honoured" to be the patron of the appeal. On arrival at the ceremony, the prince was met by the Earl of Mar and Kellie, hereditary keeper of Stirling Castle, who presented him with the key to the castle. William was then escorted around the current museum by Col AK Miller, viewing key exhibits including The Thin Red Line painting which depicts the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854. He spoke with pupils from the Queen Victoria School, whose parents serve in the Armed Forces - asking them about school life, their future ambitions - and also which football team they support. During the visit, William also met Lt Col Alexander Grant, 70, who is in a painting depicting fighting in Aden, now part of Yemen, in 1967. Mr Grant said: "He seemed to be an extremely interested individual and easy to talk to and quite pleasant to chat with." In a speech at the ceremony, Prince William said: "I am honoured to be patron of the Thin Red Line Appeal, to ensure that the history of one of Scotland's most iconic regiments can be preserved as part of the nation's story here in Stirling." Col Miller said: "We were very fortunate to get Prince William as patron for the Thin Red Line Appeal." He added that since the museum lost its Ministry of Defence funding in 2012, it has been entirely self-supporting. The museum recently received news that it is to be supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The prince said he is "confident" the £4m target is achievable.

Summary: Prince William has launched an appeal to secure the future of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum in Stirling.


Allan Richards, 53, from Thaxted Road, Birmingham, served with the force for 31 years and is charged with committing the crimes against boys aged 11-18 between 1983 and 2013. He also faces two counts of misconduct in public office. West Midlands Police said it had referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The former officer has been charged with a series of sexual assaults, indecent assaults and sexual touching. The force said the charges of misconduct in public office related to alleged misuse of police powers to sexually exploit boys while he was a serving police officer. Mr Richards was a police constable between 1980 and 2011. He is due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday.

Summary: A former West Midlands Police officer has been charged with more than 30 child sex offences.


Mr Davies said it was time to change the name in recognition of the primary law making powers it was granted in a 2011 referendum. The Welsh word used for the assembly building is Senedd, which translates into English as "parliament". But the Wales Office indicated that the move was "not a priority". A spokesman for the Wales Office said any change in the name of the National Assembly would require changes to primary legislation. Mr Davies, leader of the Conservative group in the National Assembly, the second largest party to Labour, describes himself as a "proud unionist". He said his suggestion had nothing to do with any greater separation between Wales and the rest of the UK. He said the move, which he claims would require only a small amendment in existing legislation to be in place by 2016, would be "a statement about the institution which now legislates for our great nation". Mr Davies, the South Wales Central AM, said: "By voting for full law-making powers last year the people of Wales made their National Assembly a parliament in all but name. "It's now time to reward their faith in our institution and acknowledge that where laws are made - the title of a parliament should exist. This is a common-sense move. "It would provide far greater clarity over the distinction between the assembly - as it is currently named - and the Welsh government, and it would give our devolved institution its rightful place alongside other national legislatures. "As we drive forward it is crucially important that we embrace what we now have. Put simply - a parliament." ANALYSIS by Adrian Browne, BBC Wales political reporter Andrew RT Davies' suggestion that the National Assembly should be rebranded as the Welsh Parliament would appear to be aimed at attracting Plaid Cymru voters who might, he hopes, be uneasy about the leadership of Leanne Wood, who is up front about her socialist and republican beliefs. It could also be seen as an attempt to assert his authority within his party. There has been something of a whispering campaign about his leadership of the Tory group in Cardiff Bay for many months, and every leader needs to show who is in charge. Although he is sometimes described as the Welsh Conservative leader, he's not. David Cameron is the official leader of the party both in Wales and the UK. There are those who will see this as Mr Davies engaging in a turf war with the Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan, over who calls the shots. This theory is bolstered by the revelation that Mrs Gillan wasn't given advance warning about his call for a Welsh 'Parliament'. This week he also told the Face to Face programme on ITV Wales that he would not have cancelled the Welsh Conservative conference last February had it been up to him. Although he defended the decision in public, he said he fought the decision but was outvoted by the party's Welsh board. This particular space in Welsh politics will be worth watching closely over the next

Summary: A call for the National Assembly to be renamed the Welsh Parliament has been made by Conservative leader in the assembly Andrew RT Davies.


He was addressing thousands of people in the capital, Kigali, as Rwanda began a week of official mourning to mark the 20th anniversary of the genocide. Many people were overcome by emotion during the ceremony, with some suffering fits. At least 800,000 people - mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus - died at the hands of Hutu extremists. The killings ended ended in July 1994 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi-led rebel movement, marched into Kigali and seized control of the country. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Mr Ban lit a torch which will burn for 100 days - the length of time the genocide lasted. A diplomatic row has prompted Rwanda to bar France's ambassador, Michel Flesch, from attending the event, AFP news agency reports. By Charlotte AttwoodBBC Africa, Kigali It began with just one, and then scores of chilling screams echoed around the stadium. It may be 20 years down the line, but for many here, the wounds are still too fresh to bear. Paramedics went up and down the terraces, comforting and removing those who could not cope with the memories. I saw one man being carried out during the dramatisation of the recent history of Rwanda. The play itself was a very clear depiction of the government's interpretation of what caused the tragic episode in the country's history. Half-way through, a jeep drove in carrying the "colonialists" who marched onto the stage. They swapped their colonial straw hats for the blue helmets of the UN and then deserted the people, leaving a bloodbath in their wake. Soldiers - representing the governing RPF - troop in to rescue a devastated population. The week of mourning began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the national genocide memorial, followed by the lighting of a flame at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, where UN peacekeepers protected thousands of people during the genocide. The torch has been carried across the country for the past three months, visiting 30 districts and passing from village to village. Thousands of people packed the stadium, having queued for hours through the fog, reports the BBC's Charlotte Attwood from the scene. Many of them reacted with uncontrollable emotion to the stories, speeches and performances recalling the genocide, our correspondent says. Some of them had to be led out of the stadium while others had fits, she adds. Traditional mourning songs were broadcast over the sound systems. There was also a dramatisation of Rwanda's recent history, which our correspondent says was a clear depiction of the government's interpretation of events. In the play, a jeep carrying "colonialists" arrives, who swap their straw hats for UN blue helmets. They then desert the people, who are saved by the governing RPF. UN personnel in Rwanda during the genocide showed "remarkable bravery", Mr Ban told the crowd, according to AP. "But we could have done much more. We should have done much more," he said. "In Rwanda, troops were withdrawn when they were most needed," he added. "One year later in Srebrenica, areas proclaimed 'safe' by the United Nations were filled

Summary: The UN is still ashamed over its failure to prevent the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 23-year-old beat her Games record, clocking eight minutes 18.11 seconds. England's Sophie Taylor, 18, won gold in the 100m breaststroke final, with team-mate Ollie Hynd, 19, taking the Para-sport 200m individual medley SM8. Aimee Willmott, 21, and Adam Peaty, 19, added silvers for England in the 200m butterfly and 50m breaststroke. And England's Adam Barrett, 21, ended the session with bronze in the 100m butterfly. Welsh celebrations were perhaps more pronounced given Carlin, from Swansea, was the first woman from her nation to win a Games swimming title since Pat Bevan in the 200m breaststroke in Christchurch in 1974. It was Wales' fourth swimming medal of Glasgow 2014 and Carlin now has a complete set of Commonwealth Games medals, having won silver and bronze in Delhi in 2010. "I'm just so happy to come away with the gold," she said of a race in which Scotland's Hannah Miley, 24, and Camilla Hattersley, 19, were fifth and seventh respectively. New Zealand's Lauren Boyle, 26, took silver and Canada's Brittany MacLean, 20, bronze. Media playback is not supported on this device "I can't believe it, I really can't," added Carlin. "I put everything into my training this year. The support has been overwhelming and obviously I'm just so glad." Harrogate's Taylor, meanwhile, had trailed at the turn in the 100m breaststroke but roared back to beat Australia's Lorna Tonks, 25, and Alia Atkinson, 25, of Jamaica in a time of 1:06.35. Scotland's Katie Armitage, 18, was eighth. Uttoxeter's Peaty - who won the 100m breaststroke on Saturday, could not quite produce a similar comeback in the 50m breaststroke, finishing two hundredths of a second behind world-record holder Cameron van der Burgh. The 26-year-old South African's time of 26.76secs enhanced the Games record he set in the semi-finals. Scotland's Mark Tully, 22, was denied bronze by just one hundredth of a second, third place going to Cristian Sprenger, 28, of Australia. Tully's team-mates Ross Murdoch, 20, and Joe Welstead, 24, were sixth and seventh respectively. Middlesbrough's Willmott - who was runner-up in Thursday's 400m individual medley behind Miley - claimed her second silver in the 200m butterfly. Canadian Audrey Lacroix, 30, earned gold and Australia's Maddie Groves, 19, took bronze, with the Welsh duo of Alys Thomas, 23, and Jemma Lowe, 24, fourth and fifth respectively. Scotland's Miley finished sixth. England's fifth swimming medal of the night came with bronze from Barrett in the 100m butterfly. The Reading athlete qualified fastest for the final but could not thwart South Africa's Olympic champion Chad le Clos, 22. Clos added to his gold in the 200m, silvers in the 50m and 4x100m free and bronze in 4x200m free, in a Games-record time of 51.29secs. Joseph Schooling, 19, won bronze for Singapore and England's James Guy, 18, was sixth. In the other two events Australians filled the podium, with England's 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly champion Fran Halsall denied a third medal at Tollcross when she finished fourth in the 100m freestyle. Australia's Cate Campbell, 22, posted a Games

Summary: Jazz Carlin became the first Welsh woman to win Commonwealth Games gold in the pool in 40 years when she eased to victory in the 800m freestyle.


An estimated 1,000 properties are at risk in Kendal and about 600 in Egremont after river levels rose. Overnight rain was not as heavy as expected said the Environment Agency, but its 12 severe flood warnings for Cumbria and Lancashire remain in place on Sunday. People in parts of Kendal and Egremont have been advised to leave and stay with their family or friends. Police in Cumbria have warned drivers to avoid unnecessary journeys. BBC reporter Andy Gill, in Grasmere, said many roads in the area had minor flooding. A severe flood warning indicates a danger to life. Lower level flood warnings and alerts have been issued for large parts of northern England and Wales. Further heavy rain is expected across Cumbria, other parts of north-west England and south-west Scotland on Sunday. That rain will fall on already saturated ground, which increases the flood risk. Reception centres opened at Kendal Town Hall and West Lakes Academy in Egremont throughout Saturday night, but Dave Hughes, chairman of Kendal Mountain Rescue, said not everyone had been willing to leave their homes. "Some people decided to stay at home. You can understand that people may be reluctant to leave their beds," he said.

Summary: Hundreds of homes are under threat of flooding in two Cumbrian towns.


People holding candles and torches observed a minute's silence at the start of the main event in Copenhagen. Two people were killed and five police were injured in attacks on a free speech debate and a synagogue. The gunman was later shot dead by police. He did not appear to be part of a wider terror cell, Denmark's PM said. Earlier on Monday, two men were charged with providing and disposing of the weapon used in the attacks and helping the gunman to hide. The gunman was named by local media as Omar El-Hussein. The national flag flew at half-mast on official buildings across the capital on Monday. Floral tributes have been placed by mourners at the site of the two attacks. Some also put flowers at the place where police shot the suspect dead. One told Danish TV2: "I did it because I am Muslim and because I knew him." As dusk fell on Monday a vast crowd gathered for the Copenhagen event, held on a square near the cultural centre where one of the attacks took place. A police spokesman said the crowds numbered about 30,000. Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt told the audience that an attack on the Jews of Denmark "is an attack on Denmark, on all of us". She also again vowed that Denmark was determined to safeguard its values. The prime minister earlier told a news conference the attacker was a Danish-born man aged 22. "He was known by the police for several criminal acts, including severe violence, and he was also known to be linked to a criminal gang in Copenhagen. " "But I want to also make very clear that we have no indication at this stage that he was part of a cell." Omar El-Hussein: homegrown radical The two suspects being held by police appeared in a closed custody hearing on Monday. Michael Juul Eriksen, a defence lawyer for one of them, said they denied the charges. Omar El-Hussein was released from prison two weeks before the attacks after serving a sentence for grievous bodily harm. Danish intelligence chief Jens Madsen acknowledged that El-Hussein had been "on the radar" of his services. Mr Madsen said investigators were working on the theory that he could have been inspired by the shootings in Paris last month. The attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine, a kosher supermarket and a policewoman claimed 17 lives. In the first of the two shootings on Saturday, at a free-speech debate in the east of the city, film director Finn Norgaard, 55, was killed. In an audio recording of the shooting, the gunman can be heard interrupting the debate and firing dozens of shots. Hours later, Dan Uzan, a 37-year-old long-time member of the Copenhagen synagogue, was shot dead while on security duty outside the building. Eighty people were celebrating a girl's bat mitzvah, or coming of age, in a hall behind the synagogue at the time. The gunman fled by car but was traced by police to the city's Norrebro district. He opened fire when confronted and was fatally shot by

Summary: Tens of thousands of people have gathered in towns and cities across Denmark to commemorate the victims of weekend gun attacks in the capital.


Leeds, playing under head coach Thomas Christiansen for the first time, went ahead through Phillips' smart finish. Last season's top scorer Chris Wood then headed in for 2-0, only for Bolton forward Gary Madine to nod home. But Phillips' tap-in quickly restored Leeds' two-goal lead, and they held on despite Adam Le Fondre's penalty. The former Reading front man smashed his spot-kick down the middle, with Conor Shaughnessy having fouled Madine almost immediately after coming on. But the headlines belonged to 21-year-old Phillips, who doubled his career tally for Leeds during the first half to put the visitors in control. New Zealand forward Wood, who scored 30 goals last season as Leeds narrowly missed out on the play-offs, also opened his account with a clinical header in off the underside of the bar. But there will be some concern over the fitness of defenders Gaetano Berardi and Matthew Pennington, who were both forced off injured prior to half-time. Bolton, promoted from League One in May, were direct throughout but struggled to create anything clear-cut from open play - and also lost midfielder Josh Vela through injury at the end of the game.

Summary: Kalvin Phillips scored twice as Leeds United opened their 2017-18 Championship campaign with victory at Bolton Wanderers.


The 22-year-old, who had a loan spell at Rotherham earlier this season, has agreed a deal with the Addicks until the summer of 2019. Forster-Caskey scored nine goals in 82 appearances for the Seagulls after making his debut aged 16 in 2010. "Jake is a real talent who has shown his quality in the Championship," boss Karl Robinson told the club website. Former England Under-21 international Forster-Caskey worked under 36-year-old Robinson last season during two loan stints at former club MK Dons. He is Charlton's second signing of the January transfer window, and his arrival at The Valley came after winger Ademola Lookman left the Addicks to join Premier League side Everton in an £11m deal. Meanwhile, Brighton under-23 midfielder Jack Harper has moved to Spanish side Malaga for an undisclosed fee. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: League One side Charlton Athletic have signed midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey from Brighton for an undisclosed fee.


The appeal comes on what would have been Beyake Keita Ann's 22nd birthday. He died in hospital three weeks after the assault by a gang of men in Attock Park on 23 August. Police said 15 men had been questioned by detectives as part of the investigation. More on this and other Bradford stories Officers will be staging a reconstruction of the incident. Det Ch Insp Ian Scott said he wanted anyone who was in the park that night to come forward. He said: "Beyake was a young man who today should have been celebrating his 22nd birthday with family and friends. "Instead of celebrating it with him, they will be remembering his life at what is and continues to be a very sad time for them.ã€€ "We are committed to getting justice for Beyake and his family and finding out who it was that inflicted his fatal injuries."ã€€

Summary: Police are asking for new information about the murder of a man who was "brutally attacked" following a row during a football match in a Bradford park.


Michael Reddington, who was 24 when the accident happened in March 2012, has had to learn to walk again and still experiences pain from his injuries. His foot became trapped because part of the escalator in Nottingham's West End Arcade was missing. Managing agents Hodgson Elkington LLP must pay £125,000 including costs. The missing part had been absent for at least a day before the accident, creating a gap. Mr Reddington did not notice the hazard due to poor lighting, and his foot was then crushed between a step and the escalator platform. Updates on this story and more from Nottinghamshire Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting, said there was "real potential for a much more serious, if not fatal, injury". "The public were at risk," he said. "It was a matter of pure chance whose foot or leg went into that gap." Nottingham Crown Court heard there had been no inspection of the escalator between October 2010 and the accident in March 2012. The prosecution said the escalator was past its useful life in 2010. Mr Thorogood said it was not regularly inspected, adding there was a "lack of effective management leading to a range of risks". Mr Reddington, now 27, said: "It's hard to explain the pain to people because it's such an unusual thing to happen. "Everyone knows the pain of stubbing their toe but not everyone knows the pain of having their toe ripped off by an escalator. "It was trapped in this piece of machinery that was going for a few minutes." In addition to one of his big toes being completely ripped off, the two toes next to it were permanently damaged and the flesh on his foot was torn away. He was initially in hospital for two weeks and had five operations under general anaesthetic, he was then required to return to hospital twice a week for three months. The accident also left mental scars as he still experiences flashbacks. "That day will stay with me forever," he said. Hodgson Elkington LLP admitted failing to maintain the machine properly and failing to ensure it was in a safe condition. They also admitted that systems to monitor safety on a daily basis were ineffective. Defence lawyer Tom Gent said the incident was a matter of "significant embarrassment" to the company. "They are truly sorry for the dreadful injuries that were caused to Michael Reddington and are extremely apologetic that this was allowed to happen," said Mr Gent. Judge Andrew Hamilton said: "The escalator was known to the defendants to be beyond its sell-by date and they did nothing. "The defendant clearly forgot their duty in relation to the escalator." The Health and Safety Executive does not keep data on accidents involving escalators, but a search through news reports suggests incidents like this are rare in the UK. However, there appears to have been a recent spate of people being crushed in escalators in China.

Summary: Shopping centre managers have been fined £75,000 for health and safety breaches after a man had his big toe ripped off by an escalator.


The Glasgow Warriors wing was initially left out of the squad for the two-Test trip, but injury to Tim Visser resulted in a call-up for the 35-year-old. Lamont made his Scotland debut in 2004 and turned out for the 104th time during this year's Six Nations. "When I was left out I was absolutely gutted. To get the phone call again was very nice," he told BBC Scotland. "I love playing for Scotland it's a massive part of what I've grown up doing for 12 years now. "It's been a big part of my life and I sure as damn don't want it to go away." Lamont may be close to Paterson's record but realises that with every passing Test the competition for places in Vern Cotter's line-up is greater, with younger players breaking through. "Eventually it will have to finish but it's been a fairly emotional roller coaster," he explained. "The disappointment of not getting the call-up and then getting the call, so it's nice to still be on that list. "If someone's ahead of me I like pushing myself to get ahead of them, that's the way it should be. "But in the cold light of day it's down to the coaches to make the choice. "I know where I am in my career, I'm all for pushing the next generation through - it's good for Scottish rugby, it's something we need, so the more competition it's good for the player and the country." The Scots are unbeaten in five meetings with Japan, with the last encounter a 45-10 victory at the World Cup in 2015. Japan are 10th in the world rankings, one place below Scotland, and Lamont expects two strongly contested encounters in Toyota City and Tokyo. "They're going to be two tough Tests, no shadow of doubt," he said. "They'll be geed up because of the run they had at the World Cup, they'll be looking to claim a scalp and boost the profile of Japanese rugby. "Things like home advantage and weather, I think it'll be hot and humid over there, and above all they're a good team so we've got be very wary. "They pushed us in the World Cup for a good 60 minutes, but towards the end we ran away with it, but it was by no means easy, there were some real sticky moments." BBC Scotland will provide live television, online and radio coverage of the Tests on 18 and 25 June.

Summary: Sean Lamont aims to take a step closer to Chris Paterson's Scotland cap record of 109 on the summer tour of Japan.


For just a few weeks of the year, Scotland is peppered with stunning pockets of pink as cherry tree blossom comes into full bloom. BBC Scotland news readers have been sending us their photographs of the beautiful blossom in their neighbourhoods. To celebrate this all-too-brief season, we have compiled a selection of some of the best. If you would like to share your photos of Scotland's blossoming trees, send them to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk or our Instagram at #bbcscotlandpics

Summary: All pictures are copyrighted.


The letters are going to addresses whose waste is sent to Associated Waste Management in Shipley where the baby girl's body was found on 19 May. The site received 97 loads of waste the day before, 51 from Bradford and the rest from elsewhere in the county. Police hope an appeal by letter may jog the memory of a potential witness. The deliveries will be made to addresses in more than 2,000 post code areas, while a second letter will be sent to businesses to appeal to staff for information about the case. Inquiries have so far revealed the baby was a newly-born white girl who died two or three days before her body was discovered by staff at the Valley Road site. A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "It is also believed the baby did not have a hospital birth and locating the mother to make sure she is safe and well remains a priority for officers." A team of detectives continues to work on the investigation and police have also been carrying out forensic work to examine other possible ways to identify the baby girl. Det Supt Sukhbir Singh, who is leading the investigation, said: "The answer to finding the mother of this child continues to lie within the communities of West Yorkshire and we are carrying out this new information seek to see if we can uncover new information to help us find her. "Any case which involves the death of a baby is harrowing and we are determined to explore all avenues to both identify this baby girl and locate her family."

Summary: Police are sending letters to 37,000 homes in West Yorkshire from this week in a bid to find the mother of a baby who was found dead at a waste site.


Bono, who worked with the MP on the Make Poverty History campaign, dedicated Ultraviolet (Light My Way) to her memory. "She lived her life championing the lives of others," he told the audience at London's Twickenham Stadium. Mrs Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed in June last year during the EU referendum campaign. The tribute was one of several moments when U2 paused to acknowledge global events, including the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London. For their encore, the band asked Noel Gallagher on stage to sing Don't Look Back In Anger, which became an unofficial anthem of resilience in Manchester after a suicide bomber killed 22 fans outside an Ariana Grande concert in May. Gallagher also dedicated the song to the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster. A day earlier, U2 had invited 50 of the firefighters who tackled the blaze to watch their rehearsals and soundcheck. And Bono echoed Jo Cox's maiden speech to Parliament - "we have more in common than that which divides us" - as he made a plea for tolerance towards immigrants. "Us Irish are immigrant people," he said, "and of course we came here into this great, Great Britain and we thank you for giving us safety and sanctuary for all these years. "We hope it won't stop." It was a testament to U2's experience and sincerity that these moments did not overshadow or unbalance the evening; which was, at heart, a celebration of their career-defining album The Joshua Tree. Written against the backdrop of the Cold War, The Joshua Tree reflected the two sides of the American dream, with the Irish band seduced by its glamour but repelled by what bassist Adam Clayton called "the bleakness and greed" of the Reagan era. Thirty years later, it remains an eerily relevant ode to a divided America. "It seems like we have come full circle from when The Joshua Tree songs were originally written, with global upheaval, extreme right wing politics and some fundamental human rights at risk," said guitarist The Edge earlier this year. So while most bands revisit classic albums as an exercise in nostalgia (or luring back lost fans), U2 seemed energised, even hungry on this anniversary jaunt. The tour itself boasts technology that would have been unthinkable in 1987 - from the sampled instruments that bolstered their sound; to the 200-foot, 8K LED video wall that formed a backdrop to the set. At the start of the show, however, U2 spurned both those luxuries. The video screens were set to standby as Larry Mullen, Jr strode onto a small, tree-shaped satellite stage and launched into Sunday Bloody Sunday's instantly-recognisable drum riff. He was soon joined by his bandmates, who played a four song pre-history of The Joshua Tree, facing each other in a circle, like the Dubliners who put on their first London shows 38 years ago, using Â£3,000 they'd borrowed from their families. Performing without spotlights or video screens in the broad daylight was a brave move in front of 80,000 fans - but it brought the best out of

Summary: Rock band U2 paid an emotional tribute to murdered MP Jo Cox as they brought their Joshua Tree tour to the UK.


Sophie Burgess, who was 11 months old, had a seizure on 16 June last year. She was taken to St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, and died after an overdose of the anti-seizure drug phenytoin. Surrey Police asked the Woking coroner to halt the inquest to allow officers to re-examine the case after fresh expert evidence emerged at the hearing. During the last two months of her life, Sophie suffered a series of seizures triggered by a reaction to infections. The inquest heard this week that Dr Lojein Hatahet and paediatric consultant Dr Fiona MacCarthy had attempted to administer the anti-seizure drug using an automated syringe-driver. It failed to work and it was decided Dr Hatahet would administer the drug from a handheld syringe, despite the protests of nurse Polly Leavold, who said the drug was not needed and that giving it by hand was against the hospital's protocol. A Surrey Police spokesman said the investigation into the circumstances of the baby's death would be re-examined "in light of new expert testimony presented at the coroner's court". "We are keeping an open mind, and it would be inappropriate to comment further."

Summary: An inquest has been suspended to allow police to reinvestigate the death of a baby girl who died after being given a fatal drug overdose in hospital.


The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is one of the first councils in England to launch a PledgeBank. The pledges, from cleaning graffiti to organising a street party, can only be undertaken if other residents commit to the idea. The Conservative council said the scheme helps it save money but also "results in a better social outcome". Once a pledge is made, the council will check it fits the set criteria and then publish it online. It comes after a failed Big Society scheme to get residents to donate savings in their council tax, which the council has cut for the past four years. George Bathurst, cabinet member for policy and performance, said other schemes such as Green Redeem recycling rewards were a success. He said: "No one wants to just hand over a cheque but everybody would like to do something for their community." Mr Bathurst will make the first pledge to donate five Christmas food items to FoodBank if 10 other local people will do the same by 18 December. Fiona Dent, Windsor's Labour candidate, said: "Volunteering creates strong bonds between people, reinforces their ideals and can provide the help people need in difficult times. "However, we are living through difficult times now. Most people in the middle and lower incomes are a lot worse off than they were five years ago and they may well have more than one job to help pay the bills, leaving less time for volunteer activities."

Summary: People in part of Berkshire are being encouraged to make pledges to help their community.


The 24-year-old is alleged to have sung an offensive song while in a pub in Roseburn Terrace ahead of the Hearts - Hibs derby on 30 March last year. The player is charged under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act. He made his plea to Edinburgh Sheriff Court by letter. The case was continued until September, with Griffiths due to stand trial in October. It is alleged the former Hibs player, who is also a supporter of the club, sang a song with offensive lyrics which was likely to incite public disorder.

Summary: Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has pleaded not guilty to accusations he took part in offensive chanting at a pub in Edinburgh last year.


The post on his Twitter account on Sunday night provoked an angry reaction on social media and was later deleted. Mr Adams has said his use of the word was ironic and not intended to offend but admitted it was "inappropriate". He added that attempts to suggest that he is racist are "without credibility". The Sinn Féin leader's initial tweet appeared to compare the experience of a character in the film Django Unchained to the treatment of nationalists in Ballymurphy in west Belfast. Speaking at a press conference at Connolly House in Belfast, he said: "I have acknowledged that the use of the N-word was inappropriate. That is why I deleted the tweet. "I apologise for any offence caused." Ten people were killed in Ballymurphy during a series of shootings by paratroopers in 1971. Django Unchained is set before the American Civil War and focuses on racism, slavery, violence and murder. Mr Adams said he is opposed to racism. "I stand over the context and main point of my tweet, which were the parallels between people in struggle," he said. "Like African Americans, Irish nationalists were denied basic rights. "If anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word, they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used. "For this reason I deleted the tweets. "I have long been inspired by Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, who stood up for themselves and for justice." Belfast man and former republican prisoner Tim Brannigan, who is of mixed race and who knows Mr Adams, said he was "shocked" that he had used the term. "Gerry and Sinn Féin won't need me to tell them just how toxic it is and the sort of reactions it gets," he said. "I don't think that you can equate what was happening in Belfast in 1965 with slavery. "I posted about [US President Barack] Obama's speech to the White House correspondents' dinner, and his opening line was: 'There are some jokes white people can't make.' "I think Gerry has been caught out by that." Politicians from several rival parties have criticised Mr Adams' remarks on Twitter. The DUP's Nelson McCausland said that having "compared himself to Rosa Parks only a few weeks ago Gerry Adams has now moved from the bizarre to the indefensible". "That he would delete the tweet, then claim that his use of it was "ironic" before being forced to say it was "inappropriate" demonstrates very clearly the mess the Sinn Féin president put himself in," he added. Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Mike Nesbitt said: "I find it extraordinary that the leader of a political party can even think to utter the words that he did." He added: "To try to liken the fight against slavery to what was happening in Northern Ireland in the 1960s is contemptible." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the tweet demonstrated "a staggering deficiency in judgment". "Using the language of slave owners is never appropriate," he said. "If a similar remark had been made by any other political leader

Summary: Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has apologised for using the 'N-word' in a tweet comparing the plight of slaves in the United States to the treatment of Irish nationalists.


Most of the teenagers caught drunk and disorderly said they were sent to Cornwall with alcohol, rather than attempting to buy it in local shops. Supt Julie Whitmarsh from Devon and Cornwall Police described the statistics as "scary". The force has called for a "national debate" about parental responsibility. It said although some parents were shocked about their children's behaviour, others verbally abused officers who confiscated the alcohol. Many of the 15 and 16-year-olds stopped had been allowed to travel to Cornwall alone with friends to celebrate the end of exams. More than 4,000 under-18s visited Newquay over the summer, according to figures from a Newquay Safe Partnership campaign to prevent underage drinking. During Operation Brunel, officers confiscated 1,044 unopened bottles and cans of alcoholic drink and poured away more than 5,000 that were open. The force said it was talking to the Home Office about ways of prosecuting parents who stock their children up with drink before they leave home. Supt Whitmarsh said drinking on holiday with peers, without parental control, was a "different situation" than having alcohol at home. "At what point is it a good idea to leave children with alcohol," she said. In the most serious cases, parents were telephoned and told to collect their children while a further 71 families were sent warning letters. Supt Whitmarsh said one officer was verbally abused by a parent who accused him of stopping her son "having fun". The teenager was one of four 16-year-olds caught with 64 cans of Special Brew. Another mother dismissed an officer's concerns, claiming her child was "not the usual riff-raff". Police said these were examples of parents not taking their role seriously. Newquay Safe Partnership was formed in 2009 after the deaths of two teenagers. Andrew Curwell, 18, from Saddleworth in Greater Manchester, was found at the foot of cliffs at Great Western Beach on 28 June and the following week, 16-year-old Paddy Higgins, from Wokingham in Berkshire, died after falling from cliffs above Tolcarne Beach.

Summary: Seven out of 10 under-age drinkers caught in the Cornish holiday resort of Newquay were given alcohol by their parents, according to police.


It failed to pass on the last day of the previous assembly after opposition from Plaid Cymru. Carwyn Jones told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement the bill would be tabled again without the e-cigs ban. He said Labour's minority government would also have to rethink its council shake-up plans to win wider support. "There is no point trying to bang our heads against a brick wall when it comes to e-cigs," he said. "The public health bill will be brought back to the assembly but, clearly, there is no point including the provisions on e-cigs when we know they are not going to get through." His comments come at the start of a new assembly term with the minority government requiring support from other parties to pass through plans. Tobacco control action group ASH Wales has welcomed the minister's decision. Chief executive Suzanne Cass said: "The evidence shows that e-cigs are being used as a cessation tool by a significant number of ex-smokers." The Public Health (Wales) Bill failed to pass at the last assembly after the presiding officer was required, because of a tie, to also vote, bringing the vote to 27 AMs against and 26 for. As well as the e-cigarette measure, it aimed to create a compulsory licensing system for tattooists, prohibit intimate piercing of children under 16 and require councils to produce a local toilets strategy. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said he was "delighted that Labour has been forced to admit that they won't be pursuing this misguided policy". The failed vote came despite AMs previously backing revised e-cigarette plans. On local government reorganisation plans, the first minister admitted he would now need to find "common ground" with the other political parties in the Senedd. Labour has long hoped to cut the number of authorities from 22 to single figures which has been opposed by the Conservatives among others. He said: "Clearly, the map we published before the election, that is not going to gain support across the assembly, that's obvious. "But we do need to find a way forward." Meanwhile, he was adamant that a preferred option for a new M4 relief road south of Newport, known as the black route, was the only way forward. However, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has previously ruled out any kind of deal with Labour if it pushed the proposals forward. Speaking on BBC Wales' Sunday Politics, Ms Wood said: "Danger faces the government if it continues to be intransigent". She said it will need the backing of another party to get policies passed, adding that Plaid Cymru's 12 AMs would "consider very carefully what we do with our votes". Carwyn Jones said he was just reflecting the arithmetic of the assembly in accepting that there wouldn't be enough support to push ahead with a ban on e-cigs in Wales and cutting the number of councils. Having Kirsty Williams in the cabinet helps him with the numbers but the first minister has to choose his battles because he needs support from the opposition in order to get his

Summary: Plans to ban e-cigarettes in some public places will be dropped from Wales' public health bill, the first minister has said.


Along with technology investor Silver Lake, and with financial backing from Microsoft, he will offer to buy the firm for $24.4bn (£15.5bn). The move will take Dell off the Nasdaq stock exchange after 25 years. Mr Dell hopes to turn the tide for a firm that has struggled to compete with cheap Asian rivals and the boom in smartphones and tablet computers. Dell's success over the last 29 years has made its founder one of the richest men in America. The chief executive and chairman already owns about 14% of the firm. He and fellow senior executives will retain their existing stakes. The buy-out of the remaining shares will be carried out by a consortium made up of Mr Dell himself, his own investment fund, and Silver Lake. It will be financed by loans from four banks, and by a $2bn loan from Microsoft. Analysts said the move would give Mr Dell greater flexibility in turning the company around, by dispensing with the need to deliver strong results every quarter to shareholders on the stock market. The entrepreneur said that the firm's long-term strategy would "still take more time, investment and patience, and I believe our efforts will be better supported by partnering with Silver Lake in our shared vision". By Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent For consumers looking for a decent PC at a keen price, Dell was for many years the obvious choice. Design was never the company's strong suit - even when the firm moved on from beige boxes - but for many years it vied with HP for the number one spot in the PC market. Now though, according to one view, we are moving into the post-PC era, and that has left Dell struggling to look relevant as smartphones and tablets grab all the consumer attention. The most recent figures from Gartner showed a 5% year-on-year fall in global PC shipments in the last quarter of 2012 - but Dell's shipments fell by 21%. So far, Dell's attempts to move into the tablet world have flopped, and the stock market has been impatient for results. Michael Dell will hope that, away from the relentless spotlight of quarterly reporting, he can get on with the long-term task of transforming his business. But, given the seismic changes taking place in the way we use computers, he may still have to move fast to make Dell matter to tomorrow's consumers. "One of the key questions is going to be how much influence Microsoft is going to have over Dell's strategy," said Cindy Shaw, analyst at Discern Group. Microsoft provides the Windows operating systems for Dell's computers, as well as for rival PC makers such as Hewlett Packard. Michael Dell founded the company - originally named "PCs Limited" - in 1984 at the age of 19, operating out of his dorm room at the University of Texas. He later dropped out of university in order to develop his PCs, including innovative laptops, and to expand his business overseas. But over the last decade, Dell has faced increasingly steep competition, from cheaper Asian PC

Summary: Michael Dell has said he will buy back the world's number three PC-maker that he founded and that carries his name.


During July - the first full month after the Brexit vote - 60,912 new mortgages were approved. That was down from 64,152 approvals in June, and was the lowest total since January 2015. The total amount lent out for house purchases was £10.4bn, down from £11.1bn in June. The figures also show a 12.4% drop in the number of mortgage approvals on the same month a year ago. The number of approvals has been falling steadily since March, when there was a rush to buy ahead of tax changes. "Mortgage approvals for house purchases have progressively slowed after being buoyed in the first quarter by buy-to-let and second home sectors rushing to beat April's Stamp Duty increase for these sectors," said Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight. "It is also highly possible that mortgage activity was hit in July by heightened uncertainty following June's vote for Brexit." The Bank of England figures also show that growth in the amount being borrowed by consumers on credit cards and other loans eased off in July. UK residents borrowed an extra £1.2bn during the month - down from £1.9bn in June, and 17% less than in July 2015. This is the first time that growth in unsecured consumer credit has slowed since December 2014. However, credit card lending by itself rose by £0.5bn in July to a record of £65.5bn. "We remain concerned that while most households will be able to handle this extra borrowing, a minority of households could find themselves exposed to financial difficulty," said Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust. Where can I afford to live?

Summary: The number of mortgages being approved by banks and building societies is at its lowest for a year and a half, according to Bank of England figures.


If Scots were to be seven dwarves, that's what they might be called. (Until the nation's cynics get to work, of course.) Instead, they are the attributes with which Scotland's tourism agency is seeking to engage Scots and their spirit in making the country more attractive to visitors. There's a lot to do if VisitScotland and the industry are to hit an ambitious target. And it's one of the sectors that needs to succeed if Scotland is to turn around a formidable rise in its trade imbalance. The trade imbalance may not matter much, so long as Scotland is tied into the pound and part of the UK. But it is a useful indicator of economic health, and rather important to those who want to see another independence referendum. The Scottish government's figures for the whole Scottish economy have just been published, to cover the third quarter of last year, up to September. They show that, between July and September, Scots sold £6.1bn of goods and services overseas. They imported £5.1bn. That's a trade surplus, while the UK as a whole is running some very large external trade deficits. So that can't be bad for Scotland. But what about trade within the UK? Scots sold goods and services worth £10.4bn in the third quarter to the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The flow coming the other way was rather larger: £15.2bn. The trade deficit with the rest of the UK rose to £14bn in 2014, from an economy with total output of nearly £140bn. John McLaren, a keen observer of these numbers, who used to work for Public Finance Scotland, observes that the first nine months of last year saw that deteriorate sharply. Roughly £750m less was being sold to the rest of the UK, and £750m more was being bought from it. The fall in sales success to this dominant market, McLaren points out, has real implications for prosperity and jobs. Exports and imports, overseas and to the rUK, combined to reach a deficit in the third quarter of £4.25bn, the highest quarter on record. When the fourth quarter figures are published, the annual total is probably going to be above £15bn. The previous record was as recession struck in 2008, at just under £12bn. And it would mean that the imbalance has ballooned by £6bn since 2013. McLaren has been looking at another angle on this, illustrated by these most recent statistics - the relative position of Scotland and the rUK in total output, or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The third quarter saw that rise by 0.6%, after falling in the first half of the year. What, then, if Scotland were to have a geographical share of offshore oil and gas? Surely that would help? Well, no, it would show GDP falling by 0.8%, due to the falling prices of barrels and therms. GDP per head, with oil, was 1% lower than the rest of the UK. Two years ago, it was 6% higher. A more positive take on the figures is that GDP per head in the

Summary: Warm, humorous, gutsy, sparky, soulful, determined and fun.


Cooper, 30, from Stroud, will compete in the Supersport and Supertwins classes over the 2.1-mile Orritor circuit, as well as the feature event. The ex-British 125cc champion will be joined at the meeting by Guy Martin and 2016 double Superbike winner Derek Sheils on a Cookstown BE Racing Suzuki. All classes for the races on 28 and 29 April boast full grids. Cooper qualified on pole positions for the two Supertwins outings at the North West 200 last May but crashed out in Thursday night's race after being unable to avoid fellow faller Ryan Farquhar as the pair diced for the lead at Dhu Varren. He will ride a 600cc Honda and an ER6 Kawasaki at the second Irish national road race of the season. Martin will be on board the new Honda Fireblade SP2 Superstock machine in the Open and feature races at Cookstown, while there remains a possibility that Michael Dunlop will make his roads bow on the Bennetts Suzuki. Other notable entries for the race include Mullingar's Derek McGee, McAdoo Racing recruit James Cowton, Michael Sweeney, Paul Jordan, Adam McLean and newcomer Alistair Kirk. Roads close for practice on Friday 28 April from 12:00 BST and from 10:00 BST on Saturday for racing. A week earlier, Honda Racing pilot Martin will also be part of the line-up at the Tandragee 100 on 21-22 April. Also on the grid for the local road racing season curtain-raiser will be William Dunlop on his Supersport Yamaha, Sheils, McGee, Sweeney, Alan Bonner, Seamus Elliott, Shaun Anderson, Gary Dunlop, Davy Morgan, Jordan and McLean. Meanwhile, 23-times Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness is recovering after suffering a dislocated thumb in a testing crash at Castle Combe.

Summary: Dan Cooper, a Supertwins winner at last year's Ulster Grand Prix, will make his debut at the Cookstown 100 this month.


The ancient creature has been preserved in exquisite detail, providing the oldest-known record of hedgehog-like spines and mammalian internal organs. The discovery is published in the journal Nature. The creature, called Spinolestes xenarthrosus, was unearthed in Las Hoyas Quarry in central Spain. Study co-author Dr Zhe-Xi Luo, from the University of Chicago, US, said: "Spinolestes is a spectacular find. "It is stunning to see almost perfectly preserved skin and hair structures fossilized in microscopic detail in such an old fossil. "This Cretaceous furball displays the entire structural diversity of modern mammalian skin and hairs." The specimen's liver, lung and diaphragm tissues were found intact, as well as fur, spines and scales. "Normally you find bones and you find skeletons - and there are many, many fossil mammal skeletons found, but never these soft parts in such great detail," explained Prof Thomas Martin, from the University of Bonn, Germany. The creature was small, somewhere between the size of a mouse and a rat, weighing about 50-70g. It had big ears and a pointy face, with a short mane and a soft fuzzy belly. It was most likely ground dwelling and ate insects. "It is cute, very cute," said Prof Martin. "It looked like a modern spiny mouse, which is also quite cute." But in addition to its adorable attributes, Spinolestes also had a defensive side. It had small spiky spines on its lower back, as well as scales similar to an armadillo's, helping it to fend of predators. "If a predator comes and bites it on the back, then the spines are easily shed and the predator is left behind with a mouth full of spines, so it can escape" said Prof Martin. Potential predators probably included small dinosaurs, which have also been unearthed from the same site in Spain. Crocodiles, salamanders, frogs, birds and insects have also been found there. And while central Spain is hot and dry today, 125 million years ago it would have been a lush tropical wetland. "These animals lived in a swampy environment comparable to the modern Everglade system," added Prof Martin. The creature was discovered by a team led by Angela Buscalioni from the Autonomous University of Madrid, in Spain. Follow Rebecca on Twitter

Summary: A 125 million-year-old fossil - described by scientists as an exceptionally cute furball - has been unearthed, scientists report.


The soap star earlier tweeted that the medication she was taking had stopped being manufactured. A show source then confirmed that she would be "taking time off" from her role as Liz McDonald in the long-running ITV drama. An ITV spokesperson said Ms Callard was set to return to work in May. The actress confirmed to a fan on Twitter the latest update in her health battle. She said that her medication had been pulled from production as it yielded "no profit", and added: "Saw a new Doctor today. Got hope! X". Callard, 59, also told her followers: "Had a good day today, things are on the up! Thank you for being there!!!!! X" She had tweeted earlier that she had "been battling the demons of depression" and thanked fans and fellow stars for their support. The actress has been open about her struggles with mental health and in an interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan in 2014, said she had tried to take her life "maybe half a dozen times". She said: "It wasn't a cry for help at all. I'd known for quite a while that I wasn't myself, but I didn't really know what to do about it." Source: Mind

Summary: Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard is set to return to the ITV soap next month after revealing she had "hope" in her battle with depression.


Eggborough Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire, will provide extra capacity to the grid next winter. A spokeswoman for the firm said the deal would safeguard the jobs of 85% of the workforce for a year. The 53-year-old coal-fired plant was due to stop generating in March. Power will be supplied as part of the National Grid's Supplemental Balancing Reserve scheme, which is designed to provide extra electricity in the event that there is insufficient capacity in the market to meet demand.

Summary: A Yorkshire power station that was due to close with the loss of up to 262 jobs has signed a new 12-month contract to supply electricity to the National Grid.


Cyril Banks, 91, had £9,000 stolen from him by fraudsters who pretended to be from the Met Police, officers said. The Herts and Essex Observer set up a fundraising page after Mr Banks, from Bishop's Stortford, was interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio. Mr Banks said he had been "overwhelmed" by the generosity. "It's unbelievable. I didn't realise people would offer so much," he said. Read more on this story and other Hertfordshire news So far, £12,034 has been raised by 455 people since the page was created on Thursday afternoon. Hertfordshire Police said an investigation into Mr Banks' case was ongoing. Mr Banks' friend Annie Riley said she had been "appalled" by the people who had persuaded him to withdraw £9,000 from his bank account. "I don't know how they sleep at night," she said. "Cyril's such an amazing and giving man, he's always collecting for charity. "At least by talking about what happened to him, we might have stopped someone else from falling victim to the scammers." Paul Winspear, editor of the Herts and Essex Observer, said the response to the fundraising page had been "amazing". He said: "We had a lot of comments on our Facebook page about what happened to Cyril and people were asking how they could help him, so we set a page up. "We hit the £9,000 target within about six hours." Mr Banks said he had even been offered £40 by a young man who overheard him telling a friend what had happened. "It's wonderful to see such kindness and generosity," he said. Mr Banks said he would give any money over the £9,000 he had lost to charities he supported. "If I can help other people out of this and give back what they've given to me, I would feel I am repaying their generosity".

Summary: An online fundraising campaign to help a World War Two veteran, who was defrauded out of his life savings, has raised £12,000 in less than 24 hours.


There was also a record number of EU citizens coming to live in Britain with the figure standing at 284,000. Net migration - immigration minus emigration - was the second-highest number on record. Immigration minister Robert Goodwill said the government was "committed to getting net migration down". Most of the period covered by the figures was before the EU referendum, but they also include one week after the poll. The ONS says the net migration figure is similar to the previous year, although it was up slightly on the 12 months ending in March, when it stood at 326,000. Immigration to the UK has also risen to a record level with 650,000 migrants in the year to June. Net migration from the EU was the highest figure on record with the number standing at 189,000. Mr Goodwill said the British people had sent out a "clear message" they want more control on immigration and the government was committed to getting numbers down to "the tens of thousands". He added: "That is why reducing the number of migrants coming to the UK will be a key priority of our negotiations to leave the EU." Figures show 311,000 people came to live in the UK for work-related reasons. But the ONS said there was a "statistically significant" rise in the number of people who were "looking for work", 130,000, compared to 107,000 last year, as opposed to those who had a definite job to go to. By Danny Shaw, BBC Home Affairs correspondent The latest ONS figures have brought the government no Christmas cheer. Immigration remains at historically high levels - and its target to get net migration to less than 100,000 remains a long way off. Ministers hope the numbers will come down once they're able to exert more control over EU migration, currently at a record 284,000, when the UK leaves the Union. However, that all depends on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations: will there be new restrictions on the ability of EU citizens to move freely from state to state? One approach that might be considered is to limit travel to those who've got a firm offer of employment. It won't have escaped the Home Office's notice that 82,000 EU migrants hadn't secured a job when they came to Britain - they arrived in order to look for work. The ONS says that's a statistically significant increase of 21,000 on a year ago - and a record high. Labour MP and chair of the home affairs select committee Yvette Cooper said the number of low-skilled workers coming to the UK was "too high" and her party "should be talking about immigration" as it was a concern for people right across the country. She said the figures show the government's approach to immigration was not working and it also needed to look at different types of immigration. For the first time, Romania tops the list for the country with the most number of migrants to the UK in 2015 - with 54,000 people coming to live in Britain. China was in

Summary: Net migration has stayed near record levels, standing at 335,000 in the year to June, the Office for National Statistics has said.


Researcher Chris Vickery claimed he found millions of text messages and images plus 1,700 "detailed child profiles" belonging to uKnowKids customers on search engine Shodan. But when he alerted the firm it replied that his access was "unauthorised". Mr Vickery says no password protection was in place. The BBC has been in contact with both Chris Vickery and uKnowKids chief executive Steve Woda. "It could have easily have been avoided - the fact they left it open is incredible. I don't know why you would leave all that data open to the entire world," Mr Vickery told the BBC. "They put up a database with no password required to access it." The company said its private database had been breached and added that it had patched the "vulnerability" within 90 minutes of Mr Vickery's notification. It added that while his actions were "helpful", it had yet to "fully identify" his credentials as a "white hat" - researchers who identify vulnerabilities and report them rather than use them to hack. "Twelve minutes after the final breach... and after taking screenshots of our intellectual property, business data, and customer data, Mr Vickery notified uKnow of his breach of our private systems," Steve Woda wrote in a blog post. "What we do know right now is that the alleged data breach affected about 0.5% of the kids that uKnowKids has helped parents protect online and on the mobile phone." Screenshots of the data seen by the BBC included a family picture of a woman in a car with three small children, lists of usernames and email addresses and folders with names like "childicloudimages" and "childfacebookaccounts". "The database also included uKnow's proprietary natural language processing engine technology and data including our proprietary algorithms that power uKnow's technology," Mr Woda added. "With respect to customer data, no financial information or unencrypted password credentials were vulnerable." The company also said it had asked Mr Vickery to delete all of the data he downloaded including the screenshots, and has now hired two security firms to help it secure its service. According to a blog post by Chris Vickery, Steve Woda expressed concerns via email that his actions could put the firm out of business. The services offered by uKnow include tracking children's social media accounts and text message activity and sending alerts to parents. Its prices range from $10 (Â£7) per month to $100 per year or $180 for a lifetime subscription. Mr Vickery said he has found "dozens" of similar security weaknesses belonging to other companies and the firm's response in this case was unusual. "When I found one of the databases of [software firm] MacKeeper, they turned around and said, 'OK, we want to hire you to give us tips about data breaches,'" he said. "That was an awesome response." Chris Vickery's blog post appeared on the MacKeeper website. Mr Woda said: "uKnowKids was originally created after one of our family children was victimised by an online predator, and so protecting kids is very, very personal to us. "You have my personal commitment that our uKnow team

Summary: Child tracker firm uKnowKids has accused a security researcher of hacking its database after he told them it was publicly accessible online.


The five were jailed in September for raping a Finnish woman during a World League tournament in Tampere. The appeals court in the south-western city of Turku reduced the five-year sentences handed down to four of them. The longest of the revised prison terms is that of Osmany Uriarte Mestre - four years. Luis Sosa Sierra was acquitted. Ricardo Calvo Manzano will now serve three-and-a-half years, team captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu two-and-a-half years and Alfonso Gavilan one year and three months. They were detained in the southern Finnish city on 2 July after a woman said she had been raped at a hotel. The men denied the accusation. The team had been taking part in a tournament ahead of the Rio Olympics when the rape took place at their hotel. Eight men were originally held. Two were released soon afterwards. In September the Tampere court heard that two of the players had met the woman in a nightclub in the hotel basement. She later went to the room of Uriarte Mestre and consented to sex. However, Uriarte Mestre was then said to have texted the other men without the woman's knowledge. They entered the room and subjected her to a lengthy ordeal and held her by the hair to prevent her leaving. When she was eventually allowed to leave, she complained to the hotel receptionist who called police. The Cuban players were found guilty of aggravated rape and ordered to pay â‚¬24,000 (Â£21,076; $27,383) in compensation to the victim. As the allegations emerged, two of the team coaches were sacked. Despite its depleted squad, Cuba fielded a team in Rio and lost all five of its matches.

Summary: A Finnish court has cut the jail terms of four members of Cuba's national volleyball team found guilty of rape, and released a fifth.


He will take over from Sir Iain Lobban when he steps down this autumn after six years as director, Foreign Secretary William Hague announced. Mr Hannigan, 49, has been director general of defence and intelligence at the Foreign Office since 2010. Cheltenham-based GCHQ came under scrutiny after disclosures from ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. Mr Hague said: "As well as his impressive personal qualities, Robert brings to the job a wealth of relevant experience in the fields of national security, counter-terrorism and international relations. "I'd also like to thank Sir Iain Lobban for his consistently strong and professional leadership as director of GCHQ since 2008." Mr Hannigan's appointment has been agreed with Prime Minister David Cameron in consultation with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Gloucestershire-born Mr Hannigan, a married father of two, has advised the prime minister on counter-terrorism, intelligence and security policy for a number of years. He said of his appointment: "It is a privilege to be asked to lead GCHQ, an organisation which is so central to keeping the people of this country safe. "I have great respect for the integrity and professionalism of the staff of GCHQ and for what they have achieved under the outstanding leadership of Iain Lobban. "I am excited about meeting the challenges of the coming years with them." Mr Hannigan previously worked as principal adviser to then prime minister Tony Blair on the Northern Ireland peace process. He was also responsible for the UK's first cyber security strategy and oversaw the first national security strategy, and has chaired Cobra emergency committee meetings on terrorist incidents. National Security Adviser Sir Kim Darroch, who led the recruitment process, said: "I am delighted Robert Hannigan has been appointed director, GCHQ. "He will bring energy, flair, deep knowledge and extensive experience to the role, and I look forward to working closely with him." Sir Kim thanked Sir Iain for doing "an absolutely outstanding job at an exceptionally testing time for the organisation". Sir Iain joined GCHQ in 1983, becoming director in June 2008. Last November, he became the first head of the agency to give evidence in public when he appeared before MPs on the Intelligence and Security Committee, alongside the heads of MI5 and MI6. They came under pressure to be more open after leaks by Mr Snowden revealed widespread spying by GCHQ and the US National Security Agency. Sir Iain told the committee Mr Snowden's disclosures had done immense damage to Britain's counter-terrorism efforts.

Summary: Robert Hannigan has been named as the new head of the UK's electronic surveillance agency GCHQ.


The rapper's announced a 17-date tour starting in Sweden in March and ending in Glasgow a month later. She said: "It's been way too long since I've seen my European Barbz! We have more than a few surprises in store." The 32-year-old will perform nine dates in the UK in cities including London and Birmingham, with special guest, Grammy-nominated R&B star, Trey Songz. He said he's thrilled to be heading to Europe, adding: "The love I feel overseas is overwhelming and I can't wait to get the tour started to bring fans the best TRIGGA show possible." Last month, Minaj apologised after the lyric video for the track Only was accused of containing Nazi imagery. The European leg of The Pinkprint Tour is announced days after Nicki Minaj found out she was nominated for two 2015 Grammy awards - best rap song for Anaconda and best pop duo/group performance for Bang Bang with Ariana Grande and Jessie J. Her album - also called The Pinkprint - is released next Monday. Tickets for the UK shows go on sale at 9am on Friday 12 December. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Nicki Minaj is promising fans the "biggest and best tour yet" when she heads to Europe next year.


The pupil was on a bus carrying 21 students from Barton-under-Needwood in Staffordshire when it crashed in Birmingham. She was confirmed dead at the scene in the Castle Vale area of the city. The teenager was a pupil at John Taylor High School. Tributes have been paid to Holly, with one person writing on social media: "Absolutely heartbroken for Holly Brown. "To her family and friends, know that pupils from John Taylor, past and present are devastated RIP." A second teenage girl was taken to hospital with minor injuries and others were treated at the roadside. John Taylor High School has tweeted its thanks for support during the "desperately sad time". End of Twitter post by @johntaylorhigh West Midlands Police said the minibus was also carrying four adults - the driver and three teachers. No arrests have been made. Police said that both drivers were assisting with the "detailed and thorough" investigation. Police are investigating whether or not all those on board were wearing seat belts. Birmingham City Council confirmed one of its bin lorries was involved in the crash and they "will be fully co-operating with all investigations". In a statement, it said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of a teenage girl... on Kingsbury Road and our thoughts are with her family, friends and all those affected." In a letter home to parents, the school's headteacher explained there had been a fatal accident involving one of its Year 9 pupils and said it would offer any students struggling with the news support and comfort. Principal Mike Donoghue said: "Our thoughts, at this very tragic and sad time, are with the family, their friends and the pupils and staff involved. "I am sure that you will join everyone at John Taylor High School in supporting our community in every way you can."

Summary: A 14-year-old girl who died after a minibus carrying school pupils on a field trip collided with a bin lorry has been named in reports as Holly Brown.


Chester Nez, 93, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, had told US media he was "very proud" of his part developing the cipher the Japanese never broke. It was credited with saving the lives of thousands of US troops in the Pacific. Nez, who was also a painter, died of kidney failure on Wednesday. "It saddens me to hear the last of the original code talkers has died," Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly told Reuters, adding he was ordering flags to be flown at half-mast in Nez's honour. "We are proud of these young men in defending the country they loved using their Navajo language." Nez was chosen from among 250 Navajos who arrived at the Army base in Arizona for the project. He was in high school at the time of his enlistment and lied about his age. The code took words from the Navajo language, which was spoken by less than 30 non-Navajos at the time, and matched them to military terms. The Navajo word for turtle became "tank", chicken hawk became "dive bomber" and "our mother" meant America. About 400 code talkers used the cipher to relay messages sent from field telephones and radios throughout the Pacific. Messages read aloud by the code talkers were immediately destroyed. "It's one of the greatest parts of history that we used our own native language during World War II," Nez said in 2010. "The Japanese did everything in their power to break the code but they never did." The Code Talker mission was only declassified in 1968. But the original group received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001, and the programme was dramatised in the 2002 movie Windtalkers. After World War 2, Nez volunteered in the Korean War, and retired in 1974 after a 25-year career as a painter at the Veterans Administration hospital in Albuquerque. Despite difficulties travelling since both of his legs were partially amputated, he loved to tell his story, said Judy Avila, who worked with Nez on his memoir. "He always wanted to go, he loved meeting people," she said. "And with something like kidney failure, it comes really gradually. At the end, he was really tired."

Summary: The last of the 29 Navajo Americans who developed a code with their native language to encrypt military messages in World War 2 has died.


Figures show about 57% of closures since September 2006 were in the nine more rural council areas. Conservative education spokesman Darren Millar said Labour was "letting down" rural communities with a "grim record". Ministers said they were developing plans to ensure rural schools were not "adversely affected by an over emphasis on surplus places". Earlier in July, Education Secretary Kirsty Williams told BBC Wales a new law to support rural education could be introduced. An agreement between the Liberal Democrat AM and the Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones included a pledge to look at the impact of current policy on rural schools. According to figures obtained by Mr Millar, using a written question to Ms Williams, 89 out of 157 school closures between the academic years 2006-07 and 2015-16 were in the nine predominantly-rural council areas. Ceredigion shut 20 schools over the period, Powys 18 and Carmarthenshire 17. Mr Millar said: "It is a scandal that your school is more likely to close if you live in a rural community than if you live in an urban one. "It's vital that rural Wales gets a better deal from the Welsh Labour-led government in the future and that alternatives to closure, such as schools working together to share staff and resources, are given the chance to work before closure is considered." Ms Williams, AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, secured a place in Mr Jones's Labour cabinet based on an agreement which included a promise to review current policy on surplus school places "with emphasis on rural schools". Responding to Mr Millar's comments she said ministers were "committed to reviewing the current policy on surplus school places, with an emphasis on rural schools". "This is an opportunity for us to look at the impact of the policy and what that means on the ground in rural areas about the future of education provision. "We are developing proposals on how we can ensure that schools in rural Wales are not adversely affected by an over emphasis on surplus places." There is no single definition of rural Wales, but statisticians have previously defined the nine more rural of the 22 local authorities as Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire. STATE SCHOOL CLOSURES 2006-07 TO 2015-16 *Isle of Anglesey: 5 *Gwynedd: 8 *Conwy: 6 *Denbighshire: 2 Flintshire: 6 Wrexham: 1 *Powys: 18 *Ceredigion: 20 *Pembrokeshire: 7 *Carmarthenshire: 17 Swansea: 6 Neath Port Talbot: 8 Bridgend: 5 Vale of Glamorgan: 0 Rhondda Cynon Taff: 15 Merthyr Tydfil: 5 Caerphilly: 2 Blaenau Gwent: 5 Torfaen: 6 *Monmouthshire: 6 Newport: 4 Cardiff: 5 TOTAL: 157 (*defined as rural)

Summary: A "disproportionate" number of Wales' rural schools have closed in the past decade, the Conservatives have claimed.


The 1954 Hague Convention was set up after World War Two but has never been adopted into law by the government. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale says destruction and looting in Syria and Iraq by Islamic State militants shows it is now essential. The UK is the only major nation not to have endorsed the convention. More than 115 countries are party to the agreement, including all United Nations Security Council members, except for the UK. The Hague Convention was meant to ensure nations and armies would not target cultural treasures. The UK was one of the original signatories to the convention but it was never ratified. The 1990s conflict in the Balkans saw the agreement revised and in 2004 the UK said it would ratify when time allowed. Mr Whittingdale says the convention will now become law in the UK "at the first opportunity". He said: 'While the UK's priority will continue to be the human cost of these conflicts, I am in no doubt we must also do what we can to prevent any further cultural destruction. "The loss of a country's heritage threatens its very identity." A fund to support future intervention by archaeologists to recover at-risk monuments in Iraq, Syria and Libya is also reportedly to be set up by the government at a summit in September. Professor Peter Stone, a leading campaigner for the convention's adoption, says it was "fantastic news... as long as there are no further delays". Shadow culture secretary, Chris Bryant, who says Labour is committed to prompt ratification, said earlier this month that he was "at a loss to understand" why the government had not yet acted. The director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, is also among those to have called on the UK to ratify the convention. IS militants have been accused selling Syria's cultural heritage to raise funds, leading to a UN ban in the trade of artefacts from the country. There are fears the militants may destroy the 2,000-year-old Roman-era ruins in Palmyra in Syria, while in Iraq the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud is among the sites they have targeted.

Summary: A major international agreement designed to protect cultural property during military conflict is to be finally ratified by the UK.


"New signing Andrew Robertson will wear the number 26 next season," it read. But the very fact those words have been typed by that club underlines the jump the 19-year-old full-back has made. This time last year Robertson should have been unassumingly preparing for a second year as part of Third Division side Queen's Park's under-19 team. However, a slightly higher calling with the first-team was on the cards. The former pupil of East Renfrewshire's St Ninian's High School was one of a clutch of youngsters called to do pre-season with the Spiders' first-team and he went on to make an impressive debut in an August League Cup victory over Airdrie. "From then Andy remained virtually an ever-present in the team," explained Queen's Park manager Gardner Speirs. "Throughout the season there was continual improvement with him. He was always decent on the ball, always looking to go forward and take part in the attacks. But his defending improved considerably towards the end of the season. "For him to come in, while still able to play at under 19, and to play a whole season in the first team was excellent." And Robertson wasn't the only one catching the eye. "I wouldn't say they were similar, no. I would say they're equally intelligent about the game. They have a good understanding of the game, which will allow them to play at a higher level. Aidan tended to be the type that would dip his shoulder and get himself a yard and either play an incisive pass or have a shot or put a cross in. Whereas Lawrence, he was a wee bit more physically better built and could ride tackles better. He could also hold off defenders and create openings. So, similar in effectiveness I would say but not particularly similar in style." Gardner Speirs Queen's Park manager His three-tier leap up from Third Division to Scottish Premier League was matched by two other even younger Queen's Park comrades. Forward Aidan Connolly, son of former Dundee Utd player Paddy Connolly, will also do his thing at Tannadice in the 2013-14 campaign, while 14-goal striker Lawrence Shankland has gone further up the A90 to Aberdeen. Those two will still be 17 years-old when the new league season begins on 3 August. "Lawrence came on in that game against Airdrie and scored a cracking equaliser," recalled Speirs. "Then against Partick Thistle at Hampden he scored another cracker. He scored a number of goals for us, particularly early on in the season. "He finished top goalscorer which was excellent for a lad we'd taken straight from the under-17s - he hadn't gone to the under 19s - we took him straight into the senior squad. "He's got great ability, good confidence and temperament. "Aidan came in slightly later and initially made an impact coming on from the bench until eventually he earned starting places. "Again, to begin with [he] was magnificent, scored a number of goals - one or two important goals for us. "All three of them are going into something completely new in terms

Summary: There will be more exciting Dundee United tweets than the one they unleashed on 1 July.


The body of Christopher Butler, 27, from Southsea, was discovered at a flat in Waverley Road in the early hours of Friday. A 23-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, both from Portsmouth, are being held, Hampshire Constabulary said. A post-mortem examination on Friday was inconclusive.

Summary: Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Portsmouth on New Year's Day.


It's in a church hall and you can put 50p in a Tupperware box for a cup of tea and a biscuit, then sit on the sort of chairs they always have in church halls and judge how the candidates behind the trestle tables measure up. The town, the oldest recorded in Britain, is a dot of Lib Dem yellow in a sea of Conservative blue. The Lib Dems had a majority of just over 6,000 in 2010. The well-liked Lib Dem MP, Sir Bob Russell, has been here since 1997, and was a councillor for 20 years before that - a local fixture. Before that it was always Conservative, and it is the sort of seat the Conservatives have to win to have a chance of forming a majority government. In the hall, the very traditional format allows voters to ask a very contemporary question, central to this election and to the Lib Dem fortunes: can voters accept their makeover in the last five years, from party of protest to party of power? One man in the front row, with a long white beard, asks how any politicians can be trusted - it is not just tuition fees he says, there is also the bedroom tax. He tells me he voted Lib Dem last time because they weren't Labour or Conservative, but now they have blown it and he is very disillusioned. Another lady who tells me she is gravely disappointed, later turns out to be a leading light in the local Green party. She always voted for them in local elections, but for Lib Dems in General Elections - a tactical vote aimed at keeping the Tories out. But after the coalition deal she decided there was no point in doing that again, and so has joined the party of her real choice. Now, random interviews with the public are not scientific. Sir Bob is clearly very popular and there are lots of people who will vote for him on his local record. There are people who will vote for him to keep the other lot out. And there are people who think that going into coalition was the right thing to do, and it has been a success. But let's face it: for years the Lib Dems were a leftish opposition party - picking up votes from people fed up with the Iraq War and Tony Blair and then Gordon Brown. So for Nick Clegg, power has been a bargain with loss. Just as Prince Hal assuming the throne decisively disowned the irresponsible companions of youthful indiscretion - Falstaff and the rest - so Nick Clegg had to make sacrifices. Unfortunately for him, his choices meant abandoning not a fat old man - but many voters who didn't feel in sympathy with the new nostrums of a party of government. It is hard to win back their sympathies. But losing votes is not the same as losing power. Although there is rightly a lot of focus on the SNP it is still more likely that the Lib Dems would

Summary: The hustings in Colchester has a comfortably old fashioned feel to it.


Yields on 10-year government bonds sank below 1% for the first time as investors bet on an interest rate cut. Shares in airlines, housebuilders and banks were worst hit, with sharp falls causing a momentary halt in trading. The falls came after Chancellor George Osborne tried to calm the markets. In a statement before the financial markets opened, his first since the referendum result, the chancellor said the UK was ready to face the future "from a position of strength". He also indicated there would be no immediate emergency Budget. But the upheaval on the financial markets continued. The pound fell 3.2% to $1.32260, having earlier hit a fresh 31-year low of $1.3151, sinking below the level it had fallen to on Friday when it recorded its biggest one-day fall ever against the dollar. Against the euro, it was down 2.6% at €1.19990. On the stock markets, the benchmark FTSE 100 index closed down 2.6% at 5982.2. On Friday the blue-chip index had plunged more than 8% at one point before recovering some ground to close 3.2% lower. The FTSE 250 index, which mostly contains companies that are more UK-focused, closed down 6.96% on Monday after sliding 7% on Friday. The falls represent the biggest daily percentage falls since 1987. Stocks on Wall Street also fell. By midday the Dow Jones was down 1.5%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.7% and the Nasdaq lost 2.2%. Shares in financial firms were the most affected, with Barclays closing down 17.4% and Royal Bank of Scotland plummeting 15.1%. The dramatic volatility caused trading in both firms to be briefly suspended in early trade. Property shares were also badly hit, prompting a trading halt, on worries that the decision to leave the EU would hit the housing market. Easyjet's shares fell more than 22% after the airline said Brexit would contribute to a fall in revenues. Taylor Wimpey fell 14.9% and Barratt Developments fell over 19%. Markets in Europe also tumbled, with France's Cac-40 and Germany's Dax both closing down around 3%. The return on UK government bonds - known as the gilt yield - fell to its lowest level ever on Monday. Investors are buying more UK government debt in search of safer investments. The yield from a 10-year gilt dropped below 1% for the first time - hitting 0.993% in morning trading. The price of gold rose on Monday, up 0.8% to $1,324.60 an ounce, although it was below the two-year peak of $1,358.20 reached on Friday. The gold price often rises in times of uncertainty as it is viewed as a safe haven asset. In his statement before the markets opened, Chancellor George Osborne said there would still need to be an "adjustment" in the UK economy, but added it was "perfectly sensible to wait for a new prime minister" before taking any such action. Mr Osborne's also spoke about the process of the UK's departure from the EU, saying only the UK can trigger Article 50. "In my judgement, we should only do that when there is a clear view about what new

Summary: UK financial markets remain volatile in the wake of the Brexit vote, with sterling plunging to a 31-year low against the dollar, and some share trading temporarily halted.


Allan Fleming, 48, from the Faifley area of Clydebank, was struck by an Asda articulated lorry on the A82 at Duntocher at about 11.00 on Sunday. The incident happened on the westbound carriageway between the Kilbowie roundabout and the Erskine Bridge. Mr Fleming was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash.

Summary: Police have released the name of a cyclist who died after being hit by a lorry in West Dunbartonshire.