A study, published in the journal Nature, showed that mice spending pregnancy in complete darkness had babies with altered eye development. It indicated tiny quantities of light were needed to control blood vessel growth in the eye. The researchers hope the findings will aid understanding of eye disorders. If you could journey inside a mouse or a person, there would not be enough light to see. However, tiny quantities of light do pass through the body. This effect has already been used to film an infection spreading through the body. Now scientists - at the University of California, San Francisco, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center - believe that body-penetrating light can alter the development of the eye, at least in mice. Normally, a network of blood vessels known as the hyaloid vasculature is formed to help nourish the retina as it is constructed. However, the blood vessels would disrupt sight if they remained, so they are later removed - like scaffolding from a finished building. The researchers said this did not happen when the pregnancy was spent in total darkness. The critical period was around 16 days - which is very late in mouse gestation, but corresponds to the first trimester in people. "It's not something subtle here, it's a major effect on the way the retina develops that requires light going through the body," said Prof Richard Lang, from Cincinnati Children's Hospital. He said it was a "huge surprise" that this was happening. The researchers hope their findings may aid understanding of human diseases of the eye, as many are down to blood vessels. Some babies born prematurely develop "retinopathy of prematurity", when the blood vessels in the eye grow abnormally resulting in damage to the retina and a loss of vision. Prof Lang said: "In retinopathy of prematurity there is overgrowth of blood vessels and that's what you see in these mice." The researchers showed that light was activating in the mice a protein, melanopsin, which also has a role in regulating the body clock, and is present in people. However, whether the same processes take place in people or other animals is unknown. Prof Robin Ali, from University College London, said it was a "fascinating study". He said more research was still needed, but the findings may lead to considerations of light levels during pregnancy and efforts to grow retinas in the laboratory. He said: "It gives us a whole new aspect to consider in in the development of the retina. "It illustrates how much we've yet to understand about the eye."

Summary: Light passing through the body and into the womb has an important role in the developing eye, US researchers have discovered.


Baby Max Naman died at the scene of the crash in Finistere on 7 June. His father, Lawrence Naman, 37, of Mile End, died the next day in hospital. Opening inquests into the deaths coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said Mr Naman's wife remained in hospital. The hearing, in Chelmsford, was adjourned to a date to be confirmed. The court heard how Mr Naman had been driving the car with his wife - who was not named in the hearing - by his side and baby Max was in the back when their vehicle collided with a lorry. Mr Naman was taken to Brest Hospital where he later died. A post mortem examination found he died of skull trauma. Mrs Beasley-Murray said the deaths were a "tragic loss" and were currently subject to a criminal investigation in France. It is understood the inquest will resume once the police investigation has been completed.

Summary: A father and his nine-month-old son from east London died in a road crash during a family holiday in Brittany, France, an inquest has heard.


Aguero has until 18:00 BST on Thursday 1 September to respond to the charge. If found guilty, the Argentina international faces a three-match ban. He would miss Premier League games with Manchester United on 10 September and Bournemouth on 17 September. The 28-year-old would also miss the EFL Cup third-round game against Swansea. Referee Andre Marriner did not see the 76th-minute incident during City's 3-1 win on Sunday and the FA has decided to take retrospective action after reviewing television footage. Aguero is currently out of Argentina's two World Cup 2018 qualifiers next month with a calf injury.

Summary: Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been given an extra 24 hours to argue his case after being charged with violent conduct by the Football Association for elbowing West Ham's Winston Reid.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 25 May 2012 Last updated at 20:09 BST A team of 15 fundraisers is making the 150-mile journey to Tower Bridge to raise funds for the Bristol and Avon Multiple Sclerosis Centre at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital.

Summary: Three rickshaws have crossed Clifton Suspension Bridge at the start of a bridge-to-bridge charity ride from Bristol to London.


A high ladder, or "aerial", used to fight tower block fires was dispatched immediately to the site in North Kensington as recently as 2001. On 14 June, London Fire Brigade took 24 minutes to send a 30m (100ft) ladder. The brigade said its policy has changed since the Grenfell Tower blaze. The Grenfell Tower fire began on the fourth floor of the block and the first fire crews were dispatched at 00:55 BST. Within a few hours, nearly all of the 67m (220ft) high block was ablaze. It is thought 255 people survived the fire, and 80 people are currently missing or confirmed dead. A BBC Newsnight investigation revealed a 30m aerial, which could have enabled firefighters to reach the 10th floor of tower, was not dispatched until 01:19 BST, 24 minutes after the first crews were sent out. The aerial did not arrive until 01:32 BST, by which time the fire had raced up the building's cladding. London Fire Brigade's standard procedure at the time was to send four fire engines - and no aerial platforms - to tower block fires as part of their "pre-determined attendance" procedure. But the BBC understands previously it immediately sent an aerial to fires at Grenfell Tower as standard procedure. It is unclear when this policy changed. The London Fire Brigade's safety plan in 2004-5 reduced the number of aerial appliances from 16 to 11. An Audit Commission report in 2004 said the move was expected to save Â£1.75m. Paul Embery of the Fire Brigades Union said he believes the automatic deployment of the equipment could have made a difference in tackling the fire. "The presence of an aerial appliance very early on, being able to intervene and act as a water tower and direct large amounts of water on to the flames, could have potentially prevented the spread of that fire. "We don't know for sure but it's a question that needs to be asked as part of the inquiry. "The question needs to be asked in terms of the aerial appliances in London. Was it deemed they shouldn't be sent automatically as a way of saving money?" Last week London Fire Brigade announced that an aerial platform will automatically be sent to tower fires in the future. It said fires in high rise buildings did not routinely need an aerial appliance. "It is important to understand that fires in high rise buildings are nearly always dealt with internally, not usually needing an aerial appliance." "We do have aerial appliances on the attendance for specific locations and these exceptions exist if a building has been found to have particular features that mean an aerial appliance would help on-arrival firefighting tactics."

Summary: High ladders which could have potentially "prevented the spread" of the Grenfell Tower fire were previously sent to the building automatically, the BBC has learned.


The United Nations children's agency warns of the long-term cost of political violence, particularly in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In south Sudan, Unicef says almost three-quarters of primary-school-age children are missing out on education. Unicef's Josephine Bourne says this threatens the "stability of families, communities and economies". In conflict zones in 22 countries, about one in five school-age children is missing out on education, says Unicef. There have been warnings that without any chance of school, young people will be condemned to a cycle of poor employment, poverty and risk of exploitation and recruitment into violence. Among the worst-affected countries is Chad, where about half of children are unable to get to school, with girls particularly likely to miss out. Highlighting the global scale of the challenge, Unicef brought an education campaigner to Chad who was herself a refugee from the civil war in Syria. Muzoon Almellehan, 19, visited education projects in Chad trying to support families who had fled from violence by Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria. Among child refugees arriving in Chad from Nigeria, Unicef says 90% have never been in school. "Meeting children in Chad who had fled Boko Haram reminded me of my own experiences in Syria," said Ms Almellehan. "Education gave me the strength to carry on. "I wouldn't be here without it. "Conflict can take away your friends, your family, your livelihood, your home. "It can try to strip you of your dignity, identity, pride and hope. "But it can never take away your knowledge." In Chad, Ms Almellehan met a Nigerian girl who had been abducted by Boko Haram and then "drugged, exploited and abused" for three years before escaping. The Islamist militant group is still holding about 195 of the schoolgirls abducted three years ago from Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria. One of the schoolgirls who escaped, speaking last month, called on the international community not to forget those still in captivity. The Chibok student, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "These girls are human beings, not something that we can forget about." But Unicef has warned its work in supporting education is struggling with inadequate funding. The UN agency says in Chad it has only 40% of the budget needed for this year's education work. Conflict and violence have been significant barriers to the goal of providing a primary school place for all children. There have also warnings about inequality within developing countries - where wealthy families have access to education, but poor, rural families are excluded. The international community set targets for universal primary education by first 2000 and then 2015, which, despite some progress being made, were both missed. The current target, part of the sustainable development goals, aims for this to be fully achieved by 2030. Although Unesco, the UN agency that monitors global access to education, warned last autumn that, on current trends, the target was already unlikely to be achieved.

Summary: Warfare and conflict are preventing 25 million young people from getting any access to school, says Unicef.


South Africans are angry and embarrassed by accusations that the president's friends are effectively running the country from their posh suburban mansion by appointing ministers. The statement by deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas that he was offered a cabinet ministerial job by a member of the controversial Gupta family is more bad news for President Zuma. While he is known to be one of the greatest political survivors, from a distance it looks like this latest scandal could finally cost him the presidency. Mr Zuma denies that he has outsourced his constitutional duties of appointing cabinet ministers to his friends. He told a raucous parliament: "I am in charge of the government, I appoint in terms of the constitution." "There is no minister who is here who was ever appointed by the Guptas or by anybody else." The governing African National Congress (ANC), which until very recently vehemently defended its president, is beginning to change its tune. The party's Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said: "The threat of corporate capture is a real threat. When you corrupt individual politicians to actually act as your proxies in the ANC to become agents of business interests then that's corporate capture." He described the Gupta family's rebuttal, saying the issue is not their undue influence but internal party political factions jostling for positions, as arrogance gone too far. Speaking to local TV channel ENCA he said: "It's arrogance to the superlative degree." The Gupta family, who arrived from India in 1993, have responded to the latest allegations with a double-page advert entitled "Gupta Family, The Inconvenient Truth" in The New Age newspaper, which the family owns. The family, through their holding company Oakbay Investments said it was releasing details of a meeting it held with ANC officials last month. Several accusations were addressed line by line but the advert did not mention the reports of ministerial job offers, which the family has previously denied. "Like any other South African businesses, we interact with the government," the family said. "In fact, friendship with the previous president was as strong." Several ANC officials have joined in the attack on the Guptas. ANC MP Vytjie Mentor claimed on Facebook that she too was offered a cabinet job by the Gupta family, but she said she too refused. Soon after Mr Jonas spoke about the controversial meeting at the Gupta home called by Duduzane Zuma, the president's son, senior MPs took to social media to support him. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom stated on his Twitter account: "Mcebisi Jonas is a person of great integrity and there no reason to doubt his version of events." He was followed the former ANC's spokesman MP Jackson Mthembu who said: "I fully agree that comrade Jonas is a person of integrity whose commitment to our democracy is unquestionable." Who are the Guptas? The expression of disgust gained momentum when ANC heavyweight and former cabinet minister Barbara Hogan said that the party needed to clear the "rot." Ms Hogan, who was once the minister of public enterprise responsible for state companies such as South

Summary: South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is walking further into a long, dark tunnel as he clings to his presidency.


But Sigmar Gabriel also emphasised his wish to return to "friendly relations". President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Germany of "Nazi practices" because of the cancellation of rallies involving Turkish ministers. He is seeking new constitutional powers in a 16 April referendum. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu repeated the Nazi comparison on a visit to Hamburg aimed at drumming up support among some of the 1.4m Turkish voters who live in Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the Nazi jibe as "unacceptable" and Mr Gabriel echoed her sentiment after a breakfast meeting in Berlin with Mr Cavusoglu. "The Turkish side said it wanted to be treated equally with respect but I believe both sides have a responsibility and there are lines that must not be crossed and any comparison with Nazi Germany is one of them," Mr Gabriel said. But Mr Gabriel was also keen to stress the "success" of the two nations' ties, and stressed his intention to avoid lasting damage to them. Turkey is targeting millions of its expatriate voters eligible to cast a ballot in the referendum - including 1.4m in Germany. However, German officials have withdrawn permission for rallies in Gaggenau, Cologne and Frechen. In his remarks, Mr Erdogan suggested such a move was anti-democratic, and made his Nazi comparison on those grounds. In response, Germany has insisted such moves are made by city councils, and were largely based on security concerns. Then on Tuesday evening, Mr Cavusoglu accused German authorities of "systematic pressure" on German-based Turks, saying Berlin was intervening in favour of a "no" vote in the referendum. He said Germany should not give Turkey "democracy and human rights lessons". He was speaking from the balcony of Turkey's consular residence in Hamburg after the building originally scheduled for the rally was closed by authorities. Relations have deteriorated since last July's attempted coup in Turkey. Germany has been critical of the mass arrests and purges that followed - with nearly 100,000 civil servants removed from their posts and academics among the latest. Meanwhile, Turkey has bridled at its perceived lack of support - accusing Germany of foot-dragging in its request for the extradition of people it suspects of being linked to the coup bid. Another contentious subject raised at Wednesday morning's meeting, according to Mr Gabriel, was the fate of Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist working for Die Welt who has been detained in Turkey for alleged terrorism propaganda. Mr Cavusoglu agreed to give Germany consular access to the reporter, Mr Gabriel said. German-Turkish reporter arrested in Turkey for 'terrorist propaganda' There are irritants that go further back, with Turkey, for instance, accusing Germany of giving a safe haven to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, which it deems to be terrorists. Such tensions matter because Germany and Turkey are inextricably linked. Some 3m people of Turkish descent live in Germany - many as a result of Germany's "guest worker" (Gastarbeiter) programme in the 1960s and 1970s. Also rocky, in many cases. The Dutch and Austrian governments have also criticised the Turkish government's drive to take its referendum

Summary: Comparisons with Nazi Germany are "lines that should not be crossed", the German foreign minister has warned his Turkish counterpart as they met to try to defuse a bitter row.


Children aged 14 to 17 were sold vaping devices by 246 of the 634 retailers visited between January and March 2016. The operation's report said compliance with rules prohibiting sales to under-18s was "disappointingly low". The British Retail Consortium said major retailers had "rigorous policies and training" to ensure compliance. E-cigarettes deliver a hit of addictive nicotine and emit water vapour to mimic the feeling and look of smoking. The vapour is considered potentially less harmful than cigarette smoke and is free of some damaging substances such as tar. In October 2015, it became illegal for retailers to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s. The operation, which was funded by the Department of Health, highlighted the wide variety of businesses supplying nicotine e-cigarettes and vaping liquids. Most of the illegal sales (68%) were made at markets and car boot sales. High levels of sales were also found at "other" premises, which included independent pharmacies, specialist e-cigarette shops and discount stores. Fewest sales were made by national newsagents, petrol station kiosks and convenience stores, which are generally experienced in the sale of age restricted products and "specifically in the principle of challenging a young person about their age and asking for proof", the review said. The operation found most of the vaping liquids were flavoured but some could be considered to be particularly "child appealing" - notably bubble gum, cherry cola and chocolate. Trading Standards said the figures should be seen against the results from a 2014 drug survey, which showed that while one fifth of 11-15 year-old respondents had used electronic cigarettes, only 1% were regular users of the products. Leon Livermore, chief executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said that while the results were disappointing it was important to consider them in context. "More than 2.5 million adults use electronic cigarettes and evidence suggests the products are now the most popular quitting aid for smokers in England," he said. "And these products are being sold in a wide variety of retailers and many of them will have little or no experience of challenging age restricted sales." He said that where an illegal sale was made, further advice and guidance were given to help the business achieve compliance, but that penalties for the offence can be a fine of up to Â£2,500. Nicola Blackwood, the public health minister, said there was strong support for restrictions from businesses when they were consulted, and added: "As the school holidays are upon us, this is a timely reminder of their obligations under these regulations not to sell nicotine products to under 18 year olds." Commenting on the results of the operation, the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association said it welcomed the introduction of legislation to prohibit sales to under-18s and it was "disappointing" that compliance was "so low". Chief Scientific Officer Tom Pruen said: "While e-cigs offer the potential to save many lives by reducing the harm caused by smoking, it is important that they do not form a gateway into nicotine addiction for people, especially teenagers, who do not already use nicotine. "Fortunately, while teenagers

Summary: Almost 40% of sellers targeted in an operation by Trading Standards in England were caught illegally allowing under-18s to buy e-cigarette products.


25 June 2017 Last updated at 09:35 BST Anne was a Jewish victim of the Holocaust. Her diary, which she nicknamed 'Kitty' is a very famous record of her experiences during World War II. Anne wrote about how she and her family lived in a secret hidden attic in the Netherlands to help them hide from the Nazis. We spoke to a group of girls who have read Anne's diary, and they said that Anne's optimism and positivity was very relatable and inspiring. Take a look to find out more...

Summary: It's 70 years since Anne Frank's diary was published.


The 65-year-old was detained 10 years ago on suspicion of the rape and murder of Stuart Lubbock in Essex. Mr Barrymore, who was not present for the High Court decision, values his claim at more than Â£2.4m. Essex Police said there were still "unanswered" questions over Mr Lubbock's death. Michael Barrymore: How the British TV king lost his crown A figure for the damages to be paid to Mr Barrymore - whose real name is Michael Parker - is yet to be set. Mr Barrymore was arrested in 2007 in connection with the 31-year-old's death. Mr Justice Stuart-Smith, sitting in London on Friday, ruled against the force, which had argued Mr Barrymore should only receive a nominal payout. The judge did not decide on the sum to be awarded, as his ruling dealt only with the preliminary issue of the level of damages to be awarded to Mr Barrymore. The case centred on whether Essex Police had reasonable grounds to lawfully arrest Mr Barrymore. While Mr Justice Stuart-Smith found there was "information available to the police that could have provided an arresting officer with reasonable grounds for a lawful arrest" the one officer with sufficient information to carry it out was not there at the time the entertainer was arrested. That officer was stuck in traffic at the time, Essex Police said. As a result, said Mr Justice Stuart-Smith, the arrest was unlawful and Mr Barrymore was therefore "entitled to recover more than nominal damages". During a previous hearing, a lawyer for Mr Barrymore told how the arrest had affected his client. Hugh Tomlinson QC said Mr Barrymore, the former host of My Kind Of People and Strike it Lucky, was never charged with any offence and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) later made it "crystal clear" there was no basis for any charges. He said Mr Barrymore remained convinced that Mr Lubbock's injuries were not caused at his home but he did not know what happened. He added: "This arrest was made without any proper evidential foundation. "However, the fact that it had happened, and the worldwide publicity it received, destroyed the claimant's career." In a statement issued after the High Court hearing, Essex Police said: "Today's judgement must not overshadow the questions which are still unanswered for Mr Lubbock's family and friends. "Sixteen years on they still need to know what happened to Stuart on that night, how he was injured, and who is responsible for his death. "A small number of people know the answers to those questions and over the years loyalties change and somebody may want to help us at this time."

Summary: The entertainer Michael Barrymore is to get "more than nominal damages" after claiming his wrongful arrest by police destroyed his career.


Staff at Plantasia found the fish in their heated waters in the glass-domed hothouse. Swansea council said it had worked "closely with our vet and a vet from the government body Defra" in an unsuccessful bid to save the carp. Tests are being carried out before replenishing the stock, to determine how the fish died. A spokesman said: "All animals, fish and plants at Plantasia are looked after with great care."

Summary: More than 20 koi carp have died at a Swansea indoor rainforest attraction.


Under the Wales Act, passed last year, ministers can borrow up to £500m. But the Lib Dems said this should be doubled to bring Wales and Scotland into line. The plans will form part of the Lib Dems' general election manifesto, due out later this month. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "This increase in power would mean Wales would be able to invest in projects that could help build a fairer society, such as building schools and hospitals. "Our record in government shows that we are the party that will deliver further powers and fairer funding to create a stronger Wales." Roger Williams, the deputy leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, added: "By doubling the amount of money Wales can invest on infrastructure projects, the Welsh Liberal Democrats would be delivering a significant step in securing a stronger Welsh economy. "Increased borrowing powers means that Wales would have greater scope to stimulate the economy with investment in significant capital expenditure projects. This is an announcement that would benefit all of Wales. "This will allow Wales to catch up with the rest of the UK in terms of infrastructure and ensure that our nation is competitive in attracting jobs and investment." The Welsh government is planning to use its existing borrowing powers to fund a new motorway to the south of Newport.

Summary: The Welsh government should be able to borrow up to £1bn to fund major new projects such as motorways or hospital buildings, the Liberal Democrats have said.


The race was expected to be full of high drama, with drivers squeezing cars through narrow sections and an error or two never far away. What happened? An unexpectedly dull inaugural race. With only a 12-point gap between Vettel and Hamilton at the top of the drivers' championship, can Azerbaijan provide an exhilarating show this time around? Choose your top-10 race result below... Who will finish in the top 10 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Summary: Baku was the new kid on the Formula 1 block in 2016, presenting fans with the fastest street circuit on the calendar.


Mr Trump called Mika Brzezinski "low IQ crazy Mika", in response to disparaging remarks about him on an MSNBC show. He also referred to her "bleeding badly from a facelift" and assailed her co-presenter Joe Scarborough. Senator Lindsey Graham said Mr Trump's remarks were "beneath the office" of president. He said the tweet "represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America". "Please just stop. This isn't normal," tweeted fellow Republican Senator Ben Sasse. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan also joined the criticism, saying: "I don't see that as an appropriate comment. What we're trying to do around here is improve the tone, the civility of the debate. This obviously doesn't help." MSNBC said it was "a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job". But the White House sprang to Mr Trump's defence. "I don't think that the president has ever been someone that gets attacked and doesn't push back," spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Fox News. "People on that [MSNBC] show have personally attacked him many times. This is a president who fights fire with fire and certainly will not be allowed to be bullied by liberal media and the liberal elites within the media, or Hollywood or anywhere else." Brzezinski and Scarborough co-present the MSNBC breakfast show, Morning Joe, which has increasingly derided President Trump since he took office. In recent weeks, Scarborough has called him a "bumbling dope", resembling "a kid who pooped in his pants", while Brzezinski has mocked members of the administration as "lobotomised". "I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore)," Mr Trump tweeted on Thursday morning. He accused "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" and "Psycho Joe" of "insisting on joining me" at his Mar-a-Lago Florida golf resort over three days at New Year's Eve. "She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!" he added. The senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, called Mr Trump's tweets "sexist, an assault on the freedom of the press & an insult to all women". Brzezinski is the daughter of the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was an aide to presidents Carter and Johnson, while Scarborough is a former Republican congressman. The couple are engaged to each other.

Summary: Senior US Republicans have joined condemnation of President Donald Trump over an attack he made on Twitter against a prominent female journalist.


The Trust is bidding to take over the League Two club from owner Les Scadding. And it now has £236,000 following a fund-raising campaign that included a share issue to fans. A supporters group statement read: "What an achievement and one the Trust Board are truly humbled by." The trust took interim control of the Rodney Parade-based club in August. Their millionaire backer Scadding backed the move in which the club's board stood down. Newport had already announced major shareholder Scadding was gifting his holding to the Trust. Interim chairman Tony Pring told BBC Radio Wales: "People seem to think that Les sort of gets a chunk of that money and basically that money now goes into the club and becomes a working capital. "Les, with several other people, have loans on the club that must be paid - they're club loans [and] they will be budgeted for… with monthly repayments. "But the £236,000 actually basically goes into the club's bank account for working capital for running the club this season." The prospective new owners say they will strive to ensure The Exiles live within their means to support manager Terry Butcher. "This is possible. We need to be prudent in our spending, driving down our cost base and increasing our revenue through a number of channels," added the statement. The Football League must approve the takeover, but Trust members expect that to be a formality. "Now the hard work really starts," added the statement. "No one should underestimate the challenge ahead. "The club has been in a difficult place and it is going to take some time before it gets to where we would like it to be. "That said, we are confident we can achieve this with the plans we have." Newport are bottom of the table after one league win this season and face Exeter at Rodney Parade on Saturday.

Summary: Newport County football club is set to become fan-owned after its Supporters Trust comfortably passed a £195,000 fund-raising target.


The RAF aerobatic team were one of the star attractions at the airshow, which took place at the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune. Other attractions included the Swiss Air Force PC-7 team and the Norwegian Air Force's Historical Squadron. They were joined by a 1930s Bucker Jungmann, which was used by the German Luftwaffe and the Japanese air force. Pilot Gavin Hunter and a a friend rebuilt the biplane after buying it six years ago in Stuttgart, Germany, where it had spent nearly half a century being stored in pieces in a garage. More than 10,000 visitors were expected to attend the annual event, which will also featured displays from Battle of Britain aircraft, the Black Cats helicopter display team, a Catalina flying boat and three bi-planes - a Fairey Swordfish, a Stolp Starduster and Mr Hunter's Bucker Jungmann. The Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron features 1950s fighter jets including a Mig-15 and two de Havilland Vampires.

Summary: The Red Arrows have headlined Scotland's National Airshow in East Lothian.


Media playback is not supported on this device Seventeen-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer did not face a single break point as he beat Frenchman Gasquet 6-3 6-3 6-1 in just 87 minutes. Wawrinka made almost as short work of Andy Murray's conqueror Kevin Anderson, beating the South African 6-4 6-4 6-0. Top seed Novak Djokovic will face holder Marin Cilic in the other semi. Federer has won 16 of his 19 meetings with compatriot Wawrinka, but lost the most recent in this year's French Open quarter-finals and found his wife's courtside conduct called into question after a bad-tempered encounter at last year's World Tour Finals in London. However, he said he was relishing the chance to meet his friend and Davis Cup team-mate in the last four. "Stan played a wonderful match against me in Paris," he said. "He can consistently bring the power on forehand, backhand, and serve out almost anybody when he gets hot. "It is cool for us to have two Swiss in the semi-finals." Anderson's win over Murray in the previous round was built on relentless aggression off the ground as well as his powerful serve, but he could not replicate those tactics against Wawrinka. Anderson hit less than half the number of aces and less than a third of the number of winners that he managed against Murray. By contrast, Wawrinka put together his most impressive performance of the tournament after making relatively heavy weather of beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Hyeon Chung in the opening rounds. "Stan didn't make it easy," Anderson said. "He was taking time away from me. He was swinging out and I was just a step slow." While Wawrinka said his relationship with Federer off the court was still good, he added his countryman's demeanour on court had been changed by their increasingly competitive meetings. "Before it was only me," Wawrinka said. "I was nervous because I knew I wasn't at his level, for sure. "Now I think we can see that he was also nervous every time we play each other the past few years. That's a big difference, because that shows how much he knows that I can play at his level." "Seeing all those big serves coming down meant I felt I had more time. " Roger Federer says everything seems easier on return when compared to playing John Isner in the last round. "I needed a shirt change after the fifth game the other night. Don't think Roger changed his shirt all match." John Isner returns the compliment on Twitter. "Hopefully nine to 10 hours." As well as clocking up time on the practice court, Federer advocates getting some serious sleeping done to reach the top.

Summary: Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka will meet in an all-Swiss semi-final at the US Open after impressive wins over Richard Gasquet and Kevin Anderson.


Welsh politicians have given their reaction to Mr Trump's shock victory over Hillary Clinton. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said the result was a "bloody nose for the political establishment". Plaid and Labour AMs and MPs expressed concern, but UKIP AM Neil Hamilton said it was "an uprising" like Brexit. Mr Trump, the Republican candidate, will become the 45th US president after Democrat nominee Mrs Clinton conceded defeat in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The real estate tycoon, former reality TV star and political newcomer had been universally ridiculed when he declared his bid for the White House in June last year. He defied pre-election polling to claim swing states, winning the key battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Mr Trump, saying she looked forward to working with him. However, Mr Jones did not offer congratulations in his reaction to the news. "Following the most brutal and bruising election campaign in modern American history, Donald Trump will have much work to do to repair a divided nation," he said in a statement. "The language of fear must now give way to conciliation. "The United States is one of Wales' most important trading partners and by far our largest market for inward investment. We will maintain a strong presence in America, including opening our latest office in Atlanta," the first minister added. The UK government's Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the relationship between the UK and the US "goes much deeper than any one individual, be it a leader in this country or a leader in the United States". He said: "It's about the people, it's about our cultures. We are so closely aligned and of course we will do everything to make the Trump presidency a success." Andrew RT Davies tweeted the result was "yet another punch for political polling - seems another remarkable failure on that front". He said it was: "Another bloody nose for the political establishment." Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood called for "calm heads" and the need for "winding down the rhetoric". "If Trump wants to do business with the rest of the world, he must row back on the appalling comments we saw throughout the campaign," she said. Neil Hamilton, UKIP's leader in the assembly, said: "It's an uprising of people against the Washington establishment in the same way as Brexit was an uprising against the European establishment." He said he was surprised Mr Trump won, but believed it was "good news for Britain". "Far from [outgoing president] Barack Obama saying we'll be at the back of the queue in a trade deal, Donald Trump has made it perfectly clear he's very pro-Britain which is good news," Mr Hamilton said. Flintshire-based David Soutter, a former head of candidates for UKIP who worked on the UK Trump campaign, said the Republican candidate's victory was "very easy to predict". "For 25 years the political establishment has grown apart from those whom it is supposed to represent," he said. "It is clear in Europe and the UK, and it was very clear in

Summary: Donald Trump will have much work to do to repair a divided nation after his election as US president, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said.


The Sahara chief was arrested on Friday after he failed to appear before the judges in connection with a fraud case. Two Sahara firms were ordered to repay 240bn rupees ($3.9bn; Â£2.3bn) to investors that market regulators said they had raised illegally. On Tuesday, a protester threw ink on Mr Roy's face as he arrived at the court. "Subrata Roy is a thief. He has cheated and robbed us," his attacker shouted. The man, identified as a lawyer by Indian television channels, was taken away by the police. Profile: Subrata Roy It was not immediately clear whether the businessman would now be sent to jail. Since his arrest, he has been lodged in government guest houses. The Supreme Court set the next hearing for 11 March. On Tuesday, Mr Roy apologised to the court saying his reasons for not appearing before the judges last Wednesday "were genuine". He said Sahara would sell its assets and pay back the investors and asked the judges to give him more time. But the court rejected his proposal saying "we are not interested in selling the properties, you have been telling us for the last two years, it is your headache, you should have done it". The judges also ordered police to take two other Sahara directors into custody and hold them until the next hearing. The case against Mr Roy stretches back to August 2012, when the court ordered the two Sahara firms implicated to refund money to 22 million small investors within 90 days and with 15% interest. In December 2012, the court gave the firms more time to repay. In February last year, market regulators froze the firms' bank accounts saying they had failed to refund the money. But Sahara disputes the amount it should pay back, saying its liability should be no more than the 51.2bn rupees it has already paid back. Mr Roy is a household name in India. His group, worth $11bn, has businesses ranging from finance, housing and manufacturing to aviation and the media. It also has interests overseas - it owns New York's landmark Plaza Hotel and London's iconic Grosvenor House. Sahara also sponsors the Indian hockey team and owns a stake in Formula One racing team, Force India. With more than 1.1 million workers, the group is India's biggest private sector employer.

Summary: India's Supreme Court has ordered the continuing detention of businessman Subrata Roy and asked his firm to come up with a plan to repay its investors.


Kuba Oles was travelling at a minimum of 80mph (129km/h) when he hit Georgie Ann Evans' car in Dudley on 27 October. Oles, 25, who had sped down Priory Road, only suffered minor leg injuries, West Midlands Police said. Oles, from Beaconview Road, West Bromwich, admitted causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court. He was also disqualified from driving for 14 years. Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country PC Alan Wood, who headed the police investigation, said: "His driving on this day was extraordinarily dangerous and inevitably put other road users in peril. "During police interviews he attempted to blame Georgie for being an [inexperienced] driver and pulling out too slowly. "That was proved in court to be completely false and Oles was described as a dangerous person who posed a significant risk of causing the public harm." Oles was also sentenced to nine months in prison, to run concurrently, for another dangerous driving offence which he also admitted. Ms Evans's family said in a statement: "We give our thanks to the justice system for handing down the sentence they were able to. "Unfortunately we are paying the ultimate sentence - the loss of our daughter."

Summary: A man who killed an 18-year-old motorist in a crash that split her car in two has been jailed for six years.


The move comes after an independent review concluded the magazine failed to follow basic journalistic safeguards before publishing. The November article described a gang rape at a University of Virginia (UVA) fraternity house in 2012. A four-month police investigation found no evidence that the incident occurred. However, police chief Timothy Longo has said that did not mean "something terrible didn't happen" to the student known as Jackie. In a statement, UVA's chapter of Phi Kappa Psi said they would "pursue all available legal action against the magazine". The chapter said its members were ostracised and the fraternity house was vandalised as a result of the article, which was read by millions. The Columbia School of Journalism report, commissioned by Rolling Stone, described the article as "a story of journalistic failure". Written by journalist Sabrina Erdely, the 9,000-word article A Rape on Campus relied on Jackie as the sole source to tell the story of an alleged rape at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house. Subsequent investigations by other reporters and Ms Erdely herself identified errors in the reporting of the piece. Rolling Stone has apologised and officially retracted "A Rape on Campus" after the review. Managing Editor Will Dana apologised to readers and "all of those who were damaged by our story and the ensuing fallout". The Columbia School of Journalism report said the magazine failed to use "basic, even routine journalistic practice" to verify the details after Ms Erdely failed to contact the alleged attackers. "The failure encompassed reporting, editing, editorial supervision and fact-checking", and there were "systematic failures" at the magazine, the report said. The report went on to suggest that the article had undermined work to stop sexual violence as it "spread the idea that many women invent rape allegations". During a press conference on Monday, Steven Coll, one of the authors of the report, said Rolling Stone had hid behind sensitivity to Jackie to explain their lapses in reporting. "We do disagree with any suggestion that this is Jackie's fault," Mr Coll added. Mr Dana described the report as "painful reading", and said the magazine was committing itself to a series of recommendations in the report, but said no-one would be fired for their involvement in the story. He apologised to all those affected by the story, "including members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and UVA administrators and students". Columbia said that Jackie had declined to answer questions for the report and that her lawyer said it "is in her best interest to remain silent at this time".

Summary: The fraternity at the centre of a discredited Rolling Stone article about a campus rape has threatened to sue the magazine for its "reckless" reporting.


Last year, Swansea University's Specific innovation centre unveiled the UK's first energy-positive classroom. Now plans have been approved which will see the same approach adopted in 16 new homes to be built by social housing group Pobl, in Neath Port Talbot. The report was carried out by an independent energy consultant. The concept uses a combination of solar cells, battery storage and a revolutionary steel frame which draws solar-heated air through tiny perforations for heating and warm water. Andris Bankovskis, a member of government body, the Panel of Technical Experts on Electricity Market Reform, based his report on the Neath plans. But he scaled them up to reflect the potential savings if the technology and approach was applied to a million homes. He concluded the average saving on energy bills could be at least £600 per household, not including any additional benefits from solar feed-in tariffs. In addition to consumer benefits, Mr Bankovskis suggested a host of environmental benefits. These include a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 80 million tonnes over 40 years and a reduction of 3,000 Megawatts in peak generating capacity - equivalent to the output of a very large power station. He said: "The combination of photovoltaic cells and battery storage means that the homes could harvest energy from sunlight, and hold it until it is needed at times of peak demand. "It also means that provided we can make smart networks a reality, we can better control our energy and share it more easily around a locality, reducing stress on the grid. "The potential savings amount to over £11bn over 40 years, and that's before you factor in the opportunities for investment and job creation." Set for completion in 2019, the Neath homes - being built on behalf of Neath Port Talbot council - will be fitted with a steel roof, on to which the photovoltaic cells are integrated, allowing them to operate in areas with lower levels of sunlight. Electricity will be stored in batteries until needed, and shared within the community. There will also be the opportunity to charge electric vehicles using the excess energy. Water heating will come from a solar heat collector on south facing walls, as the homes will use no gas. In time, it is hoped this system could operate over an entire year; allowing heat to be captured in summer and stored for use during the winter. Kevin Bygate, chief executive at Specific, said: "Individually, all these technologies exist commercially, what's new is the way we've been able to bring them together in a form which is easy and cost-effective, through integration, allowing roll-out on a large scale. "We're focusing on new-builds at the moment, where there is significant opportunity to help those in fuel poverty, but there's no reason why they couldn't be retro-fitted to existing homes." He added: "Buildings count for around half of all energy usage, so adopting this system can have a massive effect on consumption for a comparatively low cost." If the Neath project is successful, there is the opportunity to roll out the

Summary: A design concept which turns homes into power stations has the potential to cut household fuel bills by more than 60%, according to a report.


Scientists found that the long dry spell that year - the UK's most intense drought between 1914 and 2006 - killed off many drought-sensitive beech trees. Growth of the trees is still restricted more than 30 years later, a study in the journal Functional Ecology said. The more drought-tolerant Sessile Oak survived better and is now dominating the beech. The scientific work was carried out at Lady Wood Park in the Wye Valley. This 45 hectare (111 acre) site is a national nature reserve and is attractive to researchers because it has been deliberately unmanaged since 1945. Detailed forest surveys have been carried out in the park over the past 70 years and the ecologists were able to use these along with tree ring data to discover how the different tree species fared over the period. Before 1976, beech was the dominant species in this area. But that summer's drought has permanently changed the makeup of the forest. That dry spell was the most exceptional drought in the years between 1914 and 2006 - it was 30% more intense than the next driest year, 1921. The researchers found that in the period immediately after 1976, there was a significant growth in beech mortality. Between 1977 and 1992, 17% of these trees died, while there were no deaths among the oaks. "The beech growth dropped very suddenly," said Prof Alistair Jump from the University of Stirling who carried out the work along with researchers from Joint Nature Conservation Committee. "The Sessile Oak which is slightly less competitive but is more drought tolerant took advantage and grew much better - and beech has never fully recovered in the system." The researchers say the oaks increased their growth rate by approximately 20% in the years immediately after 1976. The beech trees eventually stabilised their growth rate but only at around 75% of pre-drought levels. The scientists say that beech trees can appear to tolerate drought without a long term impact until a threshold is reached. "I think tipping point is a key idea, and that's something that we see very clearly in the work," said Prof Jump. "They are resistant up to a point and then we hit a tipping point and the system shows very severe impacts. The problem is we don't know where these tipping points are for other species." The researchers say they expect the changes that they recorded at Lady Park Wood to have been replicated across the UK. This perspective is echoed by Ray Townsend, arboretum manager at the Royal Botanic Gardens, at Kew. He lived through the drought of 1976 and owns a home in the New Forest and he has been spending a good deal of time among the beech trees there in recent months. "Quite clearly you can see that the beech aren't happy," he told BBC News. "You can see evidence of the restriction of growth - I've seen that, the beech don't look as they should look - The oaks seem to be growing well, I'd never really thought about the reasons, but reading the

Summary: The sizzling summer of 1976 caused permanent changes to British forests, new research suggests.


Last November Whirlpool - the owner of the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands - said the dryers could be dangerous as they allow lint to build up against the heating element. The company has contacted more than three million customers offering repairs or money off a replacement. But some owners face an 11-month wait. Leon Livermore, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, told 5 Live Breakfast: "The fact that Trading Standards sit within local government means they're often stretched for resources. "Central government itself does have back up powers to force people into recalls and to take action. So we would call on the government, in particular the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to take action before someone dies." He added: "I think it's indicative of how the UK views consumer issues. Trading standards services have seen cuts of over 50% over the last few years and actually there hasn't been an outcry from the public because a lot of this stuff goes on in the background." A spokesman for the Department for Business said: "People rightly deserve the assurance that if they buy a product that turns out to be unsafe, this can quickly be rectified. The government places a very high value on consumer safety, but industry also has a crucial role to play in protecting consumers. "Ministers are keen that businesses work together to provide the solutions and improve the systems so we can reduce the number of incidents and keep people safe." Whirlpool said it was trying to deal with the issue as quickly as possible and has hired an extra 300 engineers, an increase of 30%. In a statement the company said: "The scale of this modification programme is considerable and we know our customers are experiencing longer wait times than we would like. "We apologise for this inconvenience and are working hard to improve our response times." Customers will wait about 10 weeks to be scheduled for a modification date, which currently could be as far away as January 2017, Whirlpool said. "However, we are confident that this timeline will be reduced as we continue to recruit more engineers and increase the resourcing of our call centre," it added. Trading Standards officers were involved in the decision to conduct a repair programme rather than a full recall. In a recent statement to a committee of MPs, Trading Standards said: "The company continues to remain in regular dialogue with the authority, during which progress is monitored and reviewed. "Part of this agreement was to organise an outreaching repair campaign to modify the affected products, rather than a product recall."

Summary: More action is needed to recall Whirlpool's fire-risk tumble dryers before someone dies, according to a leading Trading Standards officer.


The horses got stuck in mud as they were being ridden on a beach by the slipway near Quail Holme Road, Knott End at about 10:30 BST on Sunday. The Fleetwood-Knott End ferry and two kayakers helped with the rescue operation along with RNLI, coastguards and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. HM Coastguard Fleetwood said the horses were rescued "in the nick of time". Read more on Pinterest about animals having lucky escapes The coastguard said on its Facebook page the ferry to transport the rescue team over the river "saving a good 30 minute dash". It added: "After a huge effort both horses were saved from drowning. "Excellent multi agency teamwork, 2 relieved riders and 2 very excited horses when they were reunited." One of the coastguards said: "I will be shouting the horses name in my sleep tonight. It was unbelievable the sound both horses made when they met afterwards they were very pleased to see each other to say the least." Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service warned of the dangers of the riding by the edge of the water. It said: "We don't want anyone going riding out there because it's extremely soft sand." Sue Carr who said her daughter owns one of the horses thanked emergency services involved in the rescue on Facebook. She said: "Can't thank you enough. We were so terrified. That horse is my daughter's baby. Endlessly in your debt." For more stories about animal rescues follow BBC England's Pinterest board

Summary: Two horses have been saved from drowning in rising tides near Fleetwood, Lancashire.


Jonny May's first-minute try gave Gloucester the ideal start and Matt Kvesic added another for the home side. But Christian Wade, Tom Varndell and Nathan Hughes all crossed to earn Wasps a 24-14 half-time lead. Greig Laidlaw gave Gloucester hope with three second-half penalties, but Andy Goode kicked 12 points to secure Wasps' first away league win of the season. A week on from breaking the Premiership's all-time individual points-scoring record against London Irish in Wasps' home Premiership debut at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry-born Goode converted all three Wasps tries. He also added a penalty in either half, while centre Elliot Daly kicked a late three-pointer to stretch his side's winning margin, earn them their first Premiership victory on the road this campaign and lift them up a place to sixth in the table. Laidlaw's 13 points with the boot, having also converted both his side's first-half tries, earned the Cherry and Whites a losing bonus point. From the first line-out 45 metres out from the visitors' line, Gloucester moved the ball swiftly through the hands to allow May to force his way over, Laidlaw converting expertly. But, eight minutes later, Wasps were level with an excellent try of their own. Skipper James Haskell made a strong burst before the ball was moved wide to winger Varndell, who proved too strong in a one-on-one with Steve McColl before feeding Wade to score. Media playback is not supported on this device Goode converted then added a penalty to put Wasps 10-7 in front and their lead was extended when the former England number 10's speculative kick bounced kindly for Varndell to score, the visitors' fly-half again converting. Flanker Kvesic crashed over for Gloucester's second try, which Laidlaw again converted, but the last of the game's five touchdowns went to Wasps three minutes from half-time when Hughes finished off a line-out drive, Goode converting for a 24-14 interval lead. After replacing McColl at half-time with Billy Burns, Gloucester had the better of the second half, reducing the deficit to just a point with three Laidlaw penalties. But Wasps brought on Jake Cooper-Woolley and Bradley Davies to shore up their pack, immediately exerting pressure to gain another penalty, which the reliable Goode kicked. With five minutes remaining, Daly's long-range penalty completed the scoring to confirm a second successive home defeat for Gloucester following last week's heavy loss to Bath. Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys: Media playback is not supported on this device "We wanted to make Kingsholm a difficult place to play but it's not happening. We were flat and lacked edge in the first half but we had strong words at half-time and were much better afterwards. "Kingsholm is a great place to play - with our second sell-out crowd - but we are not where we want to be. We know we have to get better and another home defeat will be a worry but if we show the energy that we did in the second half we will win matches." "This was an important group of four matches. We are two

Summary: Wasps scored three first-half tries at Kingsholm to set up their second successive win over the festive period.


Members of the University and College Union are staging a one-day strike with a further walk-out planned at the Oxford regional centre on 2 December. The university council met on Tuesday to agree the restructuring plans. The centres set to shut are in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Gateshead, Leeds, London and Oxford. Staff in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Manchester and Nottingham are also joining the strike. The union said the student support centre closures would put 502 jobs at risk. The OU wants to centralise its support centres in three locations: Manchester, Nottingham and Milton Keynes. Union branch president for the university, Pauline Collins, said: "Nobody wants to take strike action, but we have now been left with no alternative. The university needs to listen to our concerns and abandon these damaging proposals." Peter Horrocks, vice-chancellor of The Open University, said the decision meant "much-needed improvements" could be made to student support services, which had not been possible across smaller, dispersed offices. "Our priority now is to maintain and improve services for our hard-working students while supporting our staff as we start to implement these changes," he said.

Summary: Open University (OU) staff have gone on strike after the institution said it would press ahead with plans to close seven regional centres.


The Met Office, which monitors the weather for the UK, has warned that this Christmas's bad weather isn't over, with a second storm is on its way. Storm Conor is expected to hit northern areas of Scotland on Boxing Day, with winds of up to 90 miles per hour. On Friday, gusts of wind from Storm Barbara reaching almost 120 miles per hour were recorded on the summit of Cairn Gorm in Scotland - one of the highest points in the UK. Elsewhere, high winds created disruptions and cancelations to trains and ferries, and a lightning strike caused power cuts for thousands of homes in Scotland. More snow and ice are expected, and the Met Office has issued weather warnings telling people to be careful, and stay safe.

Summary: Schools were closed and thousands of homes suffered power cuts as Storm Barbara battered northern areas of the UK yesterday.


Sales volumes were 1.3% higher in the month compared with March. They were also 4.3% higher than a year earlier, the Office For National Statistics (ONS) said. The ONS revised March's retail sales figures, showing retail sales fell by just 0.5% rather than 1.3%, as first estimated. "Clothing stores remain the main drag on growth in the retail sector, with sales hampered by unseasonal weather. However... sales increased in April compared with March as lower prices boosted sales," said ONS statistician Melanie Richard. Colder than usual weather had also dented spending in March, hurting demand for spring and summer clothes, according to the ONS and surveys from the British Retail Consortium and the CBI. The latest ONS figures showed total average store prices in April were 2.8% lower than a year earlier, dragged down by a 7.3% drop in fuel prices. Food store prices fell 2.3% amid the continuing supermarket price war. However, the total amount spent in April increased by 2.1% to Â£28.1bn compared with the year before. Keith Richardson, of Lloyds Bank commercial banking, said a rush to complete property deals before a stamp duty rise came into effect in April had helped to boost demand for household goods and furniture. Vicky Redwood, chief economist at Capital Economics, said that consumer confidence did not seem to have been adversely affected by the UK's upcoming referendum on EU membership. "Indeed, consumer spending should prevent the economy from slowing too much this quarter, even if referendum uncertainty has a bigger impact on business confidence and investment," she said. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the rise in April's retail sales was welcome, but highlighted imbalances in the UK economy. "After the disappointing decline in March, the strong retail sales recovery in April supports our view that in spite of major headwinds the UK economy continues to grow, albeit at a slowing pace," said David Kern, BCC chief economist. "However, the contrast between buoyant retail sales and the problems facing other sectors such as manufacturing highlights the unbalanced nature of Britain's recovery." The BCC called for "a more balanced economic structure with a stronger focus on exports, investment and manufacturing". The stronger-than-expected retail sales figures pushed up the value of the pound. Sterling rose against the euro by 0.3% to â‚¬1.3053, and climbed 0.2% against the dollar to $1.4625.

Summary: UK retail sales volumes rose strongly in April despite lower spring clothing sales due to the cold weather, official figures show.


But the committee said imposing financial financial penalties on those who did not meet targets would be counter productive. Scotland is committed to reducing emissions by at least 80% by 2050. But a recent report confirmed the country again missed its target for emissions in 2012. It was the third time an annual target had not been met. The Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee voiced its support for mandatory reporting as a government consultation on climate change closes at the end of this month. The committee heard evidence from public bodies and found that "everyone stressed how seriously they take their responsibilities both to reduce their carbon footprint, and to report on their climate change obligations". It said there were different methods of reporting between local councils, voluntary organisations, police and other emergency services. And it said clarification was needed before mandatory reporting was introduced. Committee convener Rob Gibson, an SNP MSP, said: "The legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament commits Scotland to reducing emissions by at least 80% by 2050 and is world-leading in terms of ambition. "However that ambition has to be translated into action. It is now time to activate real change in approach and behaviour across all underperforming sectors of society, and this includes the public sector. "The committee is encouraged to hear many examples of the positive impact voluntary reporting has had on actually reducing emissions, and by the unanimous support for mandatory climate reporting by the public sector bodies who gave evidence. "We must support those who are not delivering as much as they can to make Scotland a world leader, and encourage them to engage and improve." Net emissions in 2012 were 55.67 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), compared to the target of 53.226. Welcoming the committee's recommendation, WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: "If Scotland is to get itself back on track to meeting its climate change objectives then its important everyone plays their part, and that includes Scotland's public sector bodies. "With better coordination and support from central government, public sector bodies could be slashing their climate pollution while also saving money through initiatives to improve energy efficiency or by generating their own renewable energy."

Summary: Public sector bodies in Scotland should be compelled to report climate emissions targets and progress, a Holyrood committee has recommended.


Some patients have been sent hundreds of miles for treatment because no beds are available locally, the data shows. The online journal Community Care sent Freedom of Information requests to all 56 English mental health trusts. NHS England said it was determined to improve mental health services. The Royal College of Psychiatrists said delayed discharge and poor social care were exacerbating the problem. Data from 37 trusts that responded showed there were 4,447 patients sent out of their area for treatment in 2014-15 - up 23.1% from 2013-14, when 3,611 patients were sent out of their area. There was also an increase in the cost of caring for these patients - from Â£51.4m in 2013-14 to Â£65.1m in 2014-15, figures from 29 trusts showed. According to the data, the longest journeys carried out by patients were trips from Bristol to Livingston (370 miles), Cumbria to London (270 miles), and Southampton to Harrogate (260 miles). Daniel Gillan, 40, from Margate, Kent, has suffered from mental health problems since he was 18. In the middle of a crisis in late 2013, he was sent to a hospital in Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset - 226 miles away. When he had to be admitted last month, there were no local beds available again. This time, he spent most of June in Manchester - 281 miles away. "The problem is my admissions have got further and further away from Margate as time goes by," said Daniel. "If the beds are full here, the next closest bed that becomes available is the bed you're going to get. The closest bed in my case was Manchester." The distance meant that neither family nor friends were able to visit him. "I didn't know where I was, I didn't have a clue. I knew I was a long, long way from home as it had taken so long to get there but I didn't know where in the country I was." While some mental health trusts, such as Oxleas and South London & Maudsley, have managed to reduce their use of out-of-area beds, most have increasingly had to transport patients to other parts of the country. The trusts with the biggest increases in patients treated out of area from 2013-14 to 2014-15 were: Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said the figures showed a "very clear message" that mental health services were struggling to deliver care. He said: "It is unacceptable that so many people are being driven hundreds of miles away from their loved ones in search of a hospital bed, at a time when they are often scared, vulnerable and most in need of the support of family and friends and familiar surroundings." Previous research by BBC News and Community Care found that more than 2,100 psychiatric beds have been closed in England since 2011. The problems have led to the Royal College of Psychiatry launching an inquiry into acute care. Its interim report, published on Wednesday, does not blame the bed closures for the difficulties patients are experiencing. Instead, it says delayed discharges and poor community services are causing

Summary: The number of mental health patients in England who had to travel away from their local area to get care has risen by almost a quarter over the past year, figures seen by the BBC suggest.


Alan Blacker, known as Lord Harley in a trial last year, is said to have used titles which were "inaccurate". He also appeared with St John Ambulance medals and ribbons on his chest, despite not being a St John member. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is investigating. Mr Blacker was defending minibus driver Andrzej Wojcicki, jailed for five years after being found guilty of causing the death of a cyclist by dangerous driving in Caerphilly county, when he was scolded by Judge David Wynn Morgan for his appearance. He told him: "If you want to look like something out of Harry Potter you can forget coming to this court ever again." Mr Blacker complained to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office about the comments, saying he was upset his "qualifications, status and offices were brought into disrepute". St John in Wales later said Mr Blacker was not a member of the Order of St John and it had contacted the police over the issue. Now, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is looking into seven allegations, including that Mr Blacker: The allegations are subject to a hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and are as yet unproven.

Summary: A lawyer criticised by a judge for dressing "like something out of Harry Potter" is being investigated for allegedly misleading Cardiff Crown Court.


The Court of Cassation rejected Mr Sarkozy's challenge to the seizure. The diaries were initially confiscated as part of an inquiry into alleged illegal funding during his successful 2007 presidential campaign. That case has since been dropped, but the diaries may be used in other investigations targeting Mr Sarkozy. The former president, who lost his re-election bid in 2012, is planning a political comeback and correspondents say the drip of allegations has harmed him. The diaries were seized after claims surfaced in 2010 that Mr Sarkozy had taken advantage of 90-year-old L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt when he was standing for president. It was alleged that Mrs Bettencourt had given large sums of cash to Mr Sarkozy's aides. Both Mr Sarkozy and Mrs Bettencourt denied this. Last October, Mr Sarkozy was removed from the list of defendants. Lawyers for Mr Sarkozy argued that confiscating the diaries had been illegal. But in Tuesday's ruling, the Court of Cassation - France's top court - decided there was no need to rule on the issue as Mr Sarkozy was no longer a suspect in the case. The ruling comes days after Le Monde newspaper reported that Mr Sarkozy had recently had his phone tapped on orders from judges investigating alleged campaign donations from late Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The papers said the phone taps had revealed evidence of tampering with the justice system. Mr Sarkozy denies the claims. French media say the diaries could be used in this case, and also in an investigation into allegations that French tycoon Bernard Tapie received a huge payout in 2007 to settle a long-running legal battle with the French state. In a separate development regarded as embarrassing for the former president, transcripts of recorded conservations taped by a former aide of Mr Sarkozy were leaked last week. Mr Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni say they were recorded without their consent.

Summary: A French court has ruled investigators can retain the seized diaries of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is battling corruption allegations.


Christopher Colegate, 69, was found in the road at the junction of Heath Avenue and Darby's Lane in Poole, at about 19:30 GMT on Friday 13 December. He suffered significant injuries and later died at Poole Hospital. Despite numerous appeals and rewards of £11,000 being offered, the driver of the car has never been found. Dorset Police have renewed their appeal for witnesses. Officers believe a light-coloured VW Golf Mark 4, made between 1998 and 2005, was involved in the collision. Mr Colegate, from Poole, walked with a "distinctive stoop" and used two walking sticks. Inspector Matt Butler, of the Dorset Police traffic unit, said: "We still do not know exactly what happened to Mr Colegate. "We know that a number of cars were in the area at the time of the collision. "Some we have traced but we have not been able to identify a Golf driver that travelled along Heath Avenue toward Wimborne Road at around the time of the incident." Dorset Police and Crimestoppers are still offering a £10,000 reward, while Oakdale Conservative Club, which Mr Colegate regularly attended, has offered an extra £1,000.

Summary: A hit-and-run driver who fled a collision in which a man was killed in Dorset is still being hunted a year on.


The Irishman, who turns 21 on Saturday, will remain at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2018. Kavanagh, who can also play at left-back, has made a total of 11 appearances since his debut for the west London club last August. He scored his first goal for the Whites in the 1-0 win at home to Norwich City in October.

Summary: Fulham midfielder Sean Kavanagh has signed a new contract with the Championship club.


Topal, a 29-year-old Turkey midfielder with Fenerbahce, was driving home with a team-mate after training when the car was attacked. The club condemned the incident as an "armed terrorist act". The reason for the attack is unclear, but Fenerbahce's team bus was shot at earlier this year and the driver was wounded in the city of Trabzon. The bus had been driving over a viaduct and a club official was forced to intervene to bring the vehicle to a halt. The club said at the time that the attack represented the "peak point of hostility" towards it. Turkey's top-flight Super League was suspended for a week and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seen as a Fenerbahce supporter, called a meeting of the league's 18 club captains. No motive has been established for Tuesday's attack. BBC Turkish reporter Emre Bal said that although there was an intense rivalry between fans of Fenerbahce and another Istanbul club, Galatasaray, Mehmet Topal was a popular player. Former Fenerbahce footballer Kennet Andersson told the BBC that opposing fans regularly threw objects including fireworks at team buses, but the latest violence was different. "It sounds much worse now and it shouldn't be like that," he said. Immediately after the shooting, Topal pulled his car off the road in Istanbul's eastern Sancaktepe district and called for police help. Topal's team-mate Uygar Mert Zeybek was also unhurt. Pictures released by the club showed bullet damage on the passenger side of the widescreen, although the bullet did not appear to have pierced the glass. The club had earlier published pictures on its website of recent signing Robin Van Persie taking part in training. Fenerbahce were knocked out of the qualifying rounds of the Uefa Champions League by Shakhtar Donetsk last week.

Summary: Turkish footballer Mehmet Topal has escaped unharmed after gunmen fired on his bulletproof car in Istanbul.


Two people were pulled from the wreckage alive but one of them later died, leaving a young boy as the only survivor, the Red Cross said. The Antonov An-12 plane was heading to Paloch, Upper Nile State, and crashed 800m (half a mile) from the runway. In a statement, Ukraine-based Antonov said the plane had not been airworthy. It said the plane, which was built in 1971, "was is no state to fly because it failed to undergo timely technical servicing... that should have included work on extending its resources and exploitation timeframe", AFP news agency reported. South Sudan authorities warned that the death toll could rise as the debris was cleared. The plane crashed into a farming community on an island on the White Nile River but so far all the victims recovered were from the aircraft, the Red Cross said. Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said all of the plane's passengers were from South Sudan. He said five of the six crew members were Armenian, while the sixth member was Russian. Armenia's foreign ministry has confirmed that five of its nationals were killed. The head of the Civil Aviation at Juba airport said emergency officials had secured the site of the crash and were "in the stage of recovering bodies and black box [flight recorder]". While the cause of the crash is still unclear, the presidential spokesman told a news conference that it might have been down to engine failure. Witnesses said bodies, debris and cargo were strewn over a wide area along the river bank. A man who saw the plane come down said he thought it might crash into a market area, but the pilot seemed to divert at the last minute. A local farmer described the moment the plane started to go down, telling AFP: "The sound was so loud... the plane started descending and landed near my door. "One of the tyres broke off and ran into the house - but thank God it did not injure anyone." Cargo planes flying to remote parts of South Sudan often carry passengers too. The plane's first flight was in 1971, the Aviation Safety Network reported. It was being operated by Allied Services Limited, a logistics company based in South Sudan, at the time of the crash. However, the plane belonged to the Tajik company Asia Airways, Tajikistan's Transport Ministry told the Ozodagon news agency.

Summary: A cargo plane has crashed on take-off near the international airport in South Sudan's capital Juba, killing at least 36 people.


Media playback is not supported on this device Smith maintains there was "no reason" for Rangers to have to re-enter the league in the lowest tier. "It'll be a massive motivation for Rangers. It would certainly be a motivation for me," said Smith. He also believes the Ibrox board "have to find a way" to back manager Mark Warburton to compete in the top flight. With the club mired in debt, Rangers entered administration and then liquidation in 2012 and had to re-enter the Scottish football pyramid in the fourth tier. Smith feels Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic will not be an accurate gauge of how Rangers will fare next season and accepts Celtic are "the favoured team". However, the former Rangers boss believes Warburton's men go into the tie in a "far more optimistic frame of mind than last season" when Celtic were comfortable winners in the League Cup semi-final. "Four years ago, the club was at its lowest level ever," said Smith. "We were nearly starting a season, or were five days away from starting a season with only five players, no Rangers manager has ever been in that circumstance before. "And no Rangers manager has ever been in the circumstance that he [Smith's successor Ally McCoist] was in for the next three years. "I think it [ill feeling towards Rangers] will always be there. "There was no necessity for Rangers to be put down into the Third Division and I think that's the thing that will always stay in Scottish football. "I think there'll be a bitterness in the Rangers ranks that that's happened. "There's no doubt it was the wrong move in my eyes. Scottish football has been worse off and a lot of the teams who were happy to see Rangers go down have suffered and found themselves relegated or in the process of being relegated. "So, there will be that bitterness. How can they forget what happened to them there? You can't forget that." On the prospect of providing a title challenge in the top flight, Smith said: "Celtic look as though they're going to get five in a row; it's a big thing. "That's them closer to getting to the nine or 10 in a row. So, Rangers will have to show a reaction."

Summary: Former Rangers manager Walter Smith believes a sense of bitterness about the way the club was treated remains as they gear up for Premiership football.


The 32-year-old damaged knee ligaments in the at the end of December. "We're hoping I can feature in the pre-season block of games if all goes well," Sturgess said. I don't like sitting on the bench behind anybody so I definitely want to be fighting for the position "I'm 16 weeks post-op and I'm running and doing really good leg weights again and progressing next week to off-line running and upping the load a bit." Sturgess has had a difficult couple of seasons with injury, having missed a large chunk of the 2012-13 campaign Next season will be his eighth at Sandy Park after joining Exeter from Connacht in 2007. "One of the disappointing things about the injury is that I wasn't able to get the starting jersey back. "You're not guaranteed your place, but after previous seasons you may feel you're going into the next season holding the jersey," he said. "This season I definitely know I'm going in as second choice and will need a good pre-season and perform in the pre-season games to try to get my place back. "I don't like sitting on the bench behind anybody so I definitely want to be fighting for the position."

Summary: Exeter prop Brett Sturgess hopes to return to action in time for pre-season as he recovers from knee surgery.


The first minister outlinedt details of new funding for those hit by recent severe weather during a visit to Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. She said more than £12m would be made available to help areas struck by storms and flooding. Businesses whose trade was affected can also apply for an extra £3,000. Hundreds of people were evacuated in Aberdeenshire after the Rivers Dee, Don and Ythan burst their banks in the early hours of Friday. It followed Storm Frank at the end of last month which saw flooding hit Tayside and the Borders. The first minister said the new funding was in addition to £4m announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney in December. Ms Sturgeon said: "In the face of devastation Scotland's communities have rallied together and shown real strength. I have met with some local business owners who have made a real difference by offering vital support and once again I am amazed by the determination and dedication of all of our emergency services who are working around the clock to save homes and livelihoods. "We do not yet have confirmation of consequentials coming from UK Government flood funds - however, now that the picture of those who need support is clearer, the Scottish government is acting now to make sure that the people who need help get it." This money is in addition to almost £4m (announced in November) shared between these councils, plus Stirling and South Lanarkshire Have you been affected by the recent floods? You can share your comments by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us via WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971; send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk; Upload your pictures / video here or tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay Scottish Labour welcomed the funding announcement but repeated its call for an urgent review of the country's flood prevention infrastructure. The party's environment spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said: "It is vital that those affected receive this money as soon as possible. Families and local businesses can't wait for months for this support to actually arrive. "Questions also need to be asked about how local authorities are expected to shoulder the burden for flood defences when the SNP plan to slash council budgets across the whole of Scotland." The Scottish Conservatives welcomed the new funding. A spokesman added: "The UK government has made around £9m available through the Barnett Formula, and that alongside today's announcement will be of great assistance." NFU Scotland said funding to help the farming community was "much appreciated" but that discussions should also now take place on protection for homes and businesses in the future. President Allan Bowie said: "The damage seen on Scottish farms up and down the country has been extensive and the job of restoring flood banks and clearing up the debris will be costly and time consuming. "The full picture will not be known until the waters recede but it goes without saying that, for a good number of farmers, the effects will be felt for much longer." Water levels on the

Summary: Every household, business or charity in Scotland directly affected by flood water will get a grant of £1,500, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.


Media playback is not supported on this device The four-time Olympic champion returned to the velodrome last year in a bid to qualify for his fifth Olympics. "It's an evidence-based selection he's involved in," Sutton told BBC Sport. "Brad has to go out and produce in London which will determine whether he makes the road to Rio or not." Wiggins, 35, is set to team up with Mark Cavendish in the non-Olympic madison at the Worlds, which run from 2-6 March and will be broadcast live on the BBC. Wiggins, who has won seven Olympic medals on the track and road, will also race in the four-man team pursuit, which is his target for Rio. As for Cavendish, who partnered Wiggins to win the madison at the 2008 World Championships, the 30-year-old aims to represent Britain in the six-event omnium at this summer's Olympics. "As things stand right now, he'll be on the start line in London," Sutton said of Wiggins. "There are six guys in the mix at this moment in time. Brad's one of the strong guys in that group." Sutton believes that the 2012 Tour de France winner can rise to the occasion in front of a home crowd. "Like everybody else, Brad is definitely under pressure, but Brad's the ultimate professional," he said. "Brad would de-select himself if he didn't think he could do the job, but I'm quite sure he can." Sutton added that selection for Rio was far from settled. "There's a foot in the door for anybody who goes to London," he said.

Summary: Sir Bradley Wiggins "must produce" at March's World Championships in London if he is to make the track team for the Rio Olympics, says British Cycling's technical director Shane Sutton.


Like-for-like cycle sales fell 4% in the three months to 1 July, which chief executive Jill McDonald blamed on poor weather and the timing of Easter. Halfords hopes that new bike ranges designed with Sir Bradley Wiggins and Laura Trott, who are both competing in the Rio Olympics, will boost demand. In the year to March, bike sales at Halfords had fallen by 0.9%. Halfords said that sales of premium bikes, which are priced between Â£500 and Â£5,000 and include the Pinarello model ridden by Team Sky, performed well over the first quarter. However, wet weather and the timing of Easter affected sales of mainstream models and accessories. Overall, Halford's like-for-like sales fell 0.6%. Its retail division gained from strong demand in car maintenance and for child safety seats, but declining sales of sat navs dragged revenues at its car enhancement sector down 4.2%. Halfords said in June that it expected the weak pound to knock Â£3m off its profits. Following the steep fall in sterling against the dollar since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the company said it may have further small impact in the financial year. Commenting on Brexit, Ms McDonald said: "While the recent decision to leave the EU does create uncertainty, we are well-positioned as a business and focused on delivering sustainable long-term growth."

Summary: Halfords is hoping for an Olympics bounce to stem a slide in bike sales, which have continued to fall.


The women's game attracted crowds of more than 50,000 before the FA move in 1921. To celebrate International Women's Day, the 37-year-old took part in a Q&A session in her role as BBC Sport's guest editor. She discussed topics such as Manchester United's lack of a senior women's team and England's hopes for Euro 2017, along with the CBeebies show Footy Pups, which Yankey hosts in a bid to help encourage a new generation of sports stars. BBC presenters Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Jess Creighton were among those to fire questions at the former winger. What would women's football look like now if the FA had not banned it and what improvements would she like to see? (Clare Balding) Wow, what a fantastic question! It's a tricky one to answer. No one really knows but I'd like to think the attendances and participation levels would be on a par with the men's game. And to the follow up question, I would love to see the standard of play improve to make the game more attractive as a spectator sport. And of course the amount of coverage within the media could always be better. Can England women win the 2019 World Cup? (Gabby Logan) The Euros this year will be a massive challenge for the team but with two more years of experience, who knows what can happen. Hopefully with talent like [forward] Georgia Stanway from Manchester City coming through, the team will have a bright future! What can England take away from their 1-0 defeat by Germany in the SheBelieves Cup? (Jess Creighton) I don't think it's a bad result at all. I think if you take a look at where England are in preparation, obviously our league hasn't started yet. The French and German teams are in season so our players are naturally not as match fit as everyone else. Losing 1-0 to Germany… in years gone by I've been on the side losing by many more goals than one. The real test now is in the Euros. It's a chance for [manager] Mark Sampson and the squad to gel as a team and for him to look at his players and make a difficult selection for the Euros. The difficult thing now is the expectation and the players have to take that on their shoulders. That's the hard thing to handle and it's more than just going out on the field and playing. Why not dream big? We saw that with [Premier League champions] Leicester. What do you think about a club like Manchester United which does not have a senior women's team? (Martinez Anibiko Koosa) I imagine as a football club run as a business that somebody didn't see having a women's team as a financial business idea. Hopefully things will change because Manchester United are a huge club in world football. If they were to get on board and have a women's first team that would really show a massive turnaround because they had one many years ago. The fact they have a pretty good youth department

Summary: Former Arsenal and England winger Rachel Yankey believes that women's football attendances and participation would be on par with the men's game if it had not effectively been banned by the Football Association for 50 years.


Reece Charles Wynne, 18, of Mold, threatened the man with a broken beer bottle, tried to strangle him and demanded money. The victim, 58, thought he was going to die, Mold Crown Court heard. Wynne was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in youth custody after admitting robbery. After agreeing to meet his victim via the app, the pair spent time drinking together at his house before Wynne attacked him as he was being dropped home, the court heard. The driver felt a sharp pain to the back of his neck before the men started to fight as the victim defended himself. Wynne demanded money and pushed the victim against the car window where he tried to strangle him. "He was terrified. He thought he was going to die," Kim Halsall, prosecuting, said. The man accidently locked the car during the struggle and Wynne smashed a passenger window and climbed out, stealing some keys. The victim suffered cuts and bruises and told police the attack was "the most frightening experience in his life". Michael Davies, defending, said Wynne had a difficult upbringing and had mental health problems.

Summary: A teenager, who had a sudden desire to rob someone, arranged to meet a man via a mobile phone app and attacked him in his car.


Luke Davenport, 24, from Cambridge, was left in an induced coma after the collision in June. He is now home and undergoing rehabilitation to recover from multiple broken bones. Mr Davenport will be on the sidelines at the British Touring Car Championships in Norfolk on Sunday. He said the crash had not thwarted his dream of participating in the Le Mans 24-hour race one day. The incident on 10 June, at the Croft Circuit, in North Yorkshire, happened when Mr Davenport aquaplaned off the track. He was unable to restart the car and other drivers ended up colliding with Mr Davenport's driver's side door. Mr Davenport, who lives in Madingley, broke his left tibia, fibula and ankle, damaged ligaments in his right leg and broke his pelvis. He also broke four ribs, punctured both lungs and broke his collarbone. Mr Davenport, who dreamt of becoming a racing car driver from the age of seven, started physiotherapy this week. He said: "We are so fortunate that I'm going to make a full recovery. "There are a lot of stories of some big names in the sport who have come back from serious crashes to fuel the fire." Mr Davenport, who started karting before stepping up to touring cars in 2012, said being at Snetterton on Sunday will be "emotional". "It's Snetterton where I got my first drive, it's my local track and my friends and family were going to be there to watch. "Just when the car's got race-winning potential, I'm not going to be racing," said the Shredded Wheat Racing driver.

Summary: A touring car driver who was seriously injured in an 11-car pile-up is prepared for an "emotional" return to the racing scene.


We are not talking about some Hollywood A-lister or pop-chart diva going on holiday. We are not even referring to Team GB's track and field stars. Britain's equine athletes helped win five medals at London 2012 but a 5,700-mile journey to Rio makes beating that tally a little trickier. Does a horse get jet lag? Travel sickness? Plans for this trip began as early as 2013, with everything from in-flight bacteria to leg room considered. In all, there will be more than 300 horses competing in Rio, with some 200 of them travelling from hubs in Stansted, Liege and Miami. So how hard is it to get a horse to Rio? Imagine walking up to check-in and dropping six tonnes of food on the conveyer belt. The excess fee alone would be big enough to count as carry-on luggage. But these superstar horses do not travel light. Each horse has an individual limit for the flight which includes its own weight plus items such as water buckets, tack bags and rugs. As well as all that food, there's nearly 10 tonnes of equipment and several tonnes of haylage (normal hay with a higher moisture content) for the flight. There will be 34 horses on board when the first flight leaves Stansted on 30 July, with a combined weight of more than 17 tonnes and a combined value running into millions of pounds. An animal weighing 515kg (81st) probably did not get its photos done in a booth at the post office, but at that sort of value, you can rest assured they each have a passport detailing health history and every mark on their body. Passport stamped? Time to board. If you get fed up waiting in line to board, spare a thought for these horses, for whom the process can take between two and four hours. Why so long? Because this is the crucial part. A "nervy" time, according to Yogi Breisner, eventing performance manager for Team GB. Horses are loaded into stalls on the ground and then levered up into the plane. It's not uncommon for them to get spooked and any bumps or scrapes are most likely to happen now. After four years of work, much is on the line. Each stall is designed to accommodate three horses but it's important these Olympians travel in the equine equivalent of business class so Team GB horses fly two to a stall. Some travellers might prefer the space entirely to themselves but the horses are generally happier in pairs, according to British Eventing team vet Liz Brown. "You get some that are very anxious travellers while some really attach to the horse they are with," she said. "We wouldn't put two anxious horses next to one another." And according to the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, the seating (or standing) plan will also ensure stallions are at the front of the plane away from the mares. The horses will stand for the duration of the 12-hour flight. But it may be more restful than the average ride in a horsebox over

Summary: They need a lot of luggage, plenty of in-flight attention and like many long-haul travellers, a good companion by their side.


Chris Murphy was granted leave to pursue a judicial review of the A6 upgrade. It is the first stage in a bid to halt the Â£160m dual carriageway because of concerns over the impact on wildlife in and around Lough Neagh and Lough Beg. A judge has ruled the challenge should proceed to a full hearing in 2017. The A6 is the main Belfast to Londonderry road and is heavily used. Mr Murphy, an ornithologist, was granted leave in the High Court to seek a judicial review over an alleged breach of a directive on a specially protected area close to a section of the Toome to Castledawson stretch of the upgrade. The A6 upgrade would also run through a landscape made famous by Heaney including an area near Mossbawn, County Londonderry, the former Nobel laureate's childhood home. Mr Murphy said Heaney's work was fundamental to the area's landscape. "The wild and the wet inspired him and he immortalised it in his work," he said. "You have got dozens of places in his poetry that will be destroyed by the impact of the noise of a motorway so close to Mossbawn". The environmentalist issued proceedings after the upgrade was given the go ahead by Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard. At Thursday's hearing, a judge said there was still uncertainty surrounding checks to determine the disturbance to wildlife in and around Lough Neagh and Lough Beg. The judge held that an arguable case has been established on an alleged breach of the habitats directive that gives protected status to both Loughs. He noted that further assessments have been carried out since the department first made checks on the presence of nesting birds, badgers and bats, and to ensure minimisation of disturbance to whooper swans. But the judge said he was unclear whether these actions were part of a fulfilment of the habitats directive obligations. "The court is left wondering about the impact or otherwise of the checks being carried out," he said. The judge said that any concerns may be eased once further information is supplied. However, he ruled that the challenge should proceed to a full hearing early next year. "There's substantial public interest involved in a case like this," he said. "Stopping a major road project is a matter of considerable importance." The disputed route for the dual carriageway was identified following a public inquiry nearly a decade ago.

Summary: An environmental campaigner has got permission to challenge a proposed new road through landscape made famous by poet Seamus Heaney.