A security source told the BBC that at least 35 soldiers and allied Sunni tribesmen were killed in a series of suicide car bomb attacks. A senior IS leader was also said to have been killed east of the city. Government forces have encircled Ramadi and are preparing for a final assault on the city, which IS overran in May. Last week, troops retook the key western district of Tamim, which is only separated from the city centre by a tributary of the Euphrates, and the headquarters of the Iraqi military's Anbar Operations Command. On Monday, a senior source in the Anbar Operations Command said IS militants launched a wave of attacks across Ramadi as they tried to regain areas recently recaptured by government forces. Five suicide bombers drove cars packed with explosives at government positions, including those in the northern district of Albu Farraj, killing more than 20 soldiers and tribesmen, the source added. At least 15 militants were subsequently killed in a gun battle, before Iraqi and US-led air strikes forced the rest of the attackers to retreat. A sixth suicide car bomb attack, in south-western Ramadi, killed another 15 soldiers and tribesmen, the source said. Iraqi media also reported that an IS leader in charge of setting up car bombs had been killed along with four of his aides in a military operation in the Jazirat al-Khalidiya area, 12 miles (20km) east of Ramadi. Security sources identified the militant as Ibrahim al-Halabi, a Syrian national. The US military believes there are between 600 and 1,000 IS militants in Ramadi. It says they have developed a strong defensive system in and around the city, including using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to create minefields.

Summary: Islamic State militants have reportedly launched several counter-attacks in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, which government forces are trying to recapture.


Its 4G Super Voice enables customers to make calls and send texts using a lower frequency spectrum. Other networks are looking into introducing the technology, known as Voice Over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE). It currently works on only the Samsung Galaxy S5, but recent iPhone handsets will be added in the coming months. It is being rolled out in: Three said up to 5.5 million customers would have access to the service by 2017. Chief technology officer Bryn Jones said: "By the end of the year, one million of our customers will have access to better indoor coverage and be able to use their phones in more places than ever before."

Summary: Mobile phone provider Three has launched a UK service it says will improve reception inside buildings and in rural black spots.


One Good Samaritan gifted £600 and another gave Sue Percival £180 following the burglary at her home at Tonypandy in Rhondda Cynon Taff. Her British Gas colleagues also raised £150 so she and her daughter were able to replace stolen goods like a laptop and three Android tablets. "Thanks to everyone. We have replaced everything " she said. "They have been so kind." The man who donated £600 wishes to remain anonymous and another set up a fundraising page after South Wales Police put out a plea for information following the burglary on Wednesday between 07:30 and 11:30 GMT. Ms Percival's grandchildren and daughter, Steph Summers, discovered the theft. Four-year-old Tristan, the first in the house, told her: "Mum, Santa's been. All the presents are open." Ms Percival said being a victim of burglary had been "devastating" as she felt it was an "invasion of privacy". She said she had not wanted to leave her home since the incident. She said neighbours had been supportive, giving her the confidence to go shopping to replace the stolen presents.

Summary: A grandmother has thanked well wishers who have saved her family's Christmas after a burglar stole £900 in presents.


The previously unknown case will place fresh pressure on the force, which last year was forced to apologise to seven women who had similar relationships. The woman in the latest case told BBC Newsnight she was a victim of "psychological torture". The Met would neither confirm nor deny the identity of the undercover officer. The woman, who is being referred to by the pseudonym Andrea to protect her identity, was friends with a group of left-wing political activists, mostly in the Socialist Party, who are thought to have been the target for long-term infiltration by the Met. The Socialist Party is a democratic political group to the left of the Labour Party that rejects violence. On Monday, she started legal action against the Metropolitan Police over the relationship, which lasted from 2002 to 2004. A joint investigation by BBC Newsnight and The Guardian has unmasked Andrea's former partner, who was pretending to be a left-wing political activist. He used the cover name Carlo Neri. The BBC knows his real name but is not publishing it to protect his family. Mr Neri proposed to Andrea in 2003 and she accepted. He was welcomed into her family and her parents, who lived in Scotland, viewed him as a future son-in-law. Andrea told Newsnight that the deception she suffered meant she was the victim of "psychological torture" authorised by the police. When he was living with Andrea undercover in central London, from November 2002 to May 2004, Mr Neri was married with a child. He had a double life and needed to invent reasons to be away from the flat he and his wife shared in Maida Vale. He showed Andrea photographs of a boy and said it was his son from a previous relationship. He said that his former partner had moved to Cornwall with the boy and he wanted to re-establish contact. Full story on Newsnight on Monday 18 January at 22:30 on BBC Two "He was probably away from home for four or five nights every fortnight and that would be due to work trips and every other weekend he would go to Cornwall to see his child," Andrea said. "As far as I was concerned, I was going to spend my life with this man and his life was my life. Having that strong relationship with a child is a really important thing." In fact there were no access trips to Cornwall. The photographs were of his real son who lived with his wife less than 10 miles away. It was just part of his cover story. When he was living with Andrea in Maida Vale, Mr Neri liked to make himself useful to her friends in the Socialist Party. He said he was a locksmith. "He quite often said people could improve their security of where they lived and again that seemed at the time to be hugely helpful. With hindsight there's a different perspective really because there's a huge amount of people's locks that someone had access to," Andrea said. Why the undercovering policing inquiry matters The key participants

Summary: An undercover Metropolitan Police officer proposed to an activist and lived with her for 18 months, the BBC has learned.


The White House says a US attack on al-Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan killed the 36-year-old, who frequently appeared in al-Qaeda videos. He was known to the US for some years. In 2006, Gadahn became the first US citizen to be charged with treason since World War II. The indictment said he had "knowingly adhered to an enemy of the United States... with intent to betray the United States". A $1m bounty was placed on his head. He was home schooled and raised as a Christian in California before converting to Islam at 17. Following his conversion, he moved in 1998 to Pakistan and married an Afghan refugee. Gadahn performed translations for al-Qaeda and become associated with al-Qaeda's captured field commander, Abu Zubaydah. He is also thought to have later trained at a militant camp in Afghanistan. In 2004, the US justice department named him as one of seven al-Qaeda operatives planning imminent attacks on the US. Shortly afterwards, he appeared in a video on behalf of al-Qaeda, identifying himself as "Azzam the American". In September 2006, he appeared in a video with Ayman al-Zawahiri and exhorted his fellow Americans to convert to Islam and support al-Qaeda. In 2011, he appeared in a video exulting in the new information revealed about US global interests through the Wikileaks publication of classified documents, according to prosecutors at the trial of Pte Bradley Manning. He has also appeared in multiple other videos urging Muslims in the West to carry out attacks. Analysts say Gadahn is not part of al-Qaeda's senior leadership, and does not hold any operational or ideological significance.

Summary: Before his apparent death at the hands of the US military in a probable drone strike, Adam Gadahn had risen to be one of the US government's most wanted men as he became a high profile al-Qaeda propagandist.


I have been told that this afternoon Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has been briefing Labour MPs alongside one of his top military aides, Lieutenant General Gordon Messenger, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) who commanded British forces in Helmand. Mr Fallon is also planning to brief Labour MPs collectively at an open meeting in a couple of weeks' time, followed by another briefing for Tory MPs. And while Downing Street is still insisting that there is no guarantee there will be any vote over military action, that the prime minister will act only if he is absolutely certain of winning that vote, ministers believe the momentum is moving their way. One Cabinet minister told me: "Yesterday was a game-changer. You could see the middle rank of Labour MPs, particularly the women, nodding along with the PM. Afterwards, he was bouncing. He really thinks the mood has changed." And, having spent the morning talking to MPs at Westminster, that minister may be right. So what has changed? As for the numbers, ministers reckon the 30 Conservative opponents of extending military action to Syria can be squeezed down to about 20. They are hopeful of similar numbers of Labour MPs backing them and even more abstaining. The key aim for the Conservative whips is to try get enough mainstream Labour MPs onside for the government's policy rather than relying on old Blairites to stick it to Mr Corbyn. Also crucial will be the role of the eight Democratic Unionist Party MPs. Back in September, the DUP leader at Westminster Nigel Dodds firmly opposed military action in Syria. But I note the way Mr Cameron praised Mr Dodds in the House of Commons yesterday and Tory ministers tell me they are hopeful of winning DUP support. One DUP source said: "We wait and see: if the PM makes a credible case for what the use of British military force can realistically achieve, we could of course support that." As one Cabinet minister told me: "There is now a confluence of events and stars in our favour. I think we can do this." Maybe. But only if Downing Street is absolutely sure they will win.

Summary: David Cameron has yet to publish his new plan for extending military action to Syria but his team are already making the case in the House of Commons.


The leaders of mass demonstrations have welcomed proposed talks, but still insist that Mr Leung should step down. The protesters are angry at China's plan to vet candidates for elections in 2017, and say they want full democracy. They have surrounded two Hong Kong government buildings, but have been warned not to try and occupy them. At a news conference shortly before the protesters' midnight deadline for his resignation, the chief executive said attempting to occupy building would lead to "serious consequences". He said the territory's top civil servant, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, would open a dialogue with student leaders as soon as possible. "Tonight, the Hong Kong Federation of Students issued an open letter asking for a meeting with the chief secretary, representing the Hong Kong government, to discuss one item - and this is the constitutional development of Hong Kong," Mr Leung told reporters. "We have studied the letter in detail, and I'm now appointing the chief secretary to represent the Hong Kong government to meet with the representatives of the Hong Kong Federation of Students to discuss constitutional development matters." He added: "I will not resign because I have to continue with the work for elections." Student protest leaders responded by saying that they planned to join the talks with the government but insisted that Mr Leung should step down, saying he had "lost his integrity". A wider pro-democracy group that has joined the demonstrations, Occupy Central, issued a statement saying it "hopes the talks can provide a turning point in the current political stalemate". It added: "However, we reiterate our view that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is the one responsible for the stalemate, and that he must step down." At the scene: Ali Moore, BBC News, Hong Kong The late-night press conference came in the final hours of the student-imposed deadline for the resignation of CY Leung. And while he made it clear he wasn't going anywhere, the agreement to talk has defused the immediate tensions. Protesters remain on the streets but the air of expectation in the lead-up to the deadline has gone, and the focus now is on what the government may offer when they finally sit down at the table. The students want the talks held in public, which is an interesting challenge for the Hong Kong authorities. And while there's no indication they'll get what they want - in fact the opposite - they're sticking to their demands. But the meeting is a chance for both sides of this political stand off to take a step back. Whether it's enough to get the protestors to go home is another question. Police had earlier warned protesters massed outside the Office of the Chief Executive and the Central Government Complex not to try to breach the cordon protecting the buildings. Lord Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong before it was handed over to China in 1997, told the BBC: "For the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators and the majority of people in Hong Kong, the big issue is whether or not they can secure

Summary: Hong Kong's Chief Executive CY Leung says he will not resign, but has offered talks between his government and pro-democracy protesters.


The pop star owns Shafin Developments Limited with his brother Finbarr. It was involved in developments in Counties Leitrim and Sligo. KPMG has been appointed as the receiver behalf of the Ulster Bank. Westlife is one of the most successful boy bands of the last decade, selling more than 44m records. In 2010, Westlife made the Irish Sunday Times musicians' rich list for the first time, with an estimated combined fortune of Â£31m. The band, which also includes Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne, shared fifth place with singer Chris de Burgh. The fifth member of the orginal line-up, Bryan McFadden, left Westlife in 2004 to embark on a solo career. Last October, the band announced they would split up in 2012. A final, farewell tour is due to start in Wales on 10 May. On Thursday, KPMG confirmed that Patrick Horkan has been appointed as the receiver and manager to Mr Filan's company. KPMG said Shafin Developments Limited's assets include four residential properties and a part developed site at the Hillcrest Development in Dromahair, Co Leitrim. It added the firm also has "an interest in a site at Carraroe, County Sligo". A spokeswoman said the move did not apply to Mr Filan's personal assets. Shafin Developments Limited was established in 2004 and is registered in Mr Filan's home county of Sligo.

Summary: A property development company belonging to the Westlife singer Shane Filan has been placed in receivership in the Republic of Ireland.


The 33-year-old Briton had a five-hour reconstruction operation on his right shoulder in Germany on Thursday. "The boxing gods keep hinting that maybe enough is enough," said Haye, who has cancelled his 8 February bout with Tyson Fury. "It is very rare for a British fighter to win a world title away from home but Haye did it twice. "He was top class in the cruiserweight division. At heavyweight he faltered at the very highest level. But he got closer on points than any of Wladimir Klitschko's other challengers. "He brought great excitement with his attitude and punching power and can be proud of the mark he has made on British boxing." "It's a crushing blow for me. This wasn't how I wanted to end 2013. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be." Haye announced his retirement in October 2011, three months after losing his WBA belt to Ukrainian Wladimir Klitscho in Germany, but he returned to the ring the following year. "The surgery and subsequent results are a bitter pill to swallow because I truly felt I had a lot more to offer," Haye said. "But I've been boxing for 23 years now, amateur and pro, and this has clearly taken its toll on my body. "I genuinely believed the shoulder injury wasn't that bad. But the doctor sent me for a detailed MRI scan and within 24 hours I was told the full extent of the damage. Twenty-four hours after that I was in the operating theatre. "I had big plans for next year and the ultimate goal was to win back the world heavyweight title. "What I didn't anticipate was that this year would be the unluckiest of my career and that a number of injuries would disrupt my plans so much." Earlier in his career, Haye became European cruiserweight champion and went on to win the WBC, WBO and WBA world titles before stepping up to heavyweight. He beat WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev in Germany in November 2009 to become the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis. Haye's most recent fight was a knockout win over Dereck Chisora at Upton Park in London in July 2012, one of only two fights he has had since 2010. His scheduled June fight with German Manuel Charr was cancelled when Haye sustained a hand injury. He was originally due to fight Fury in Manchester in September but the bout was rearranged for February after Haye suffered a cut above his left eye in training. Fury's uncle and trainer, Peter Fury, said he was not surprised by the news that February's fight had been cancelled. "From the moment Haye postponed in September, it was obvious this fight wasn't going to happen," he told BBC Sport. "The public have been duped. Tyson will fight someone else in February. We'll get the show back on the road and we're glad we don't have to do business with these people ever again." Haye added: "If I'm now destined to have won the European Championship, the unified world cruiserweight championship

Summary: Former world heavyweight champion David Haye has been advised to retire after major shoulder surgery.


But the World Health Organization says all the cases can be traced to the south-east of Guinea, where the outbreak began, and it should not be considered an epidemic. BBC correspondents in the region explain the effects of the outbreak of the virus, which kills between 25% and 90% of its victims. The traditional handshake is no longer a part of salutations in Guinea as people are now really terrified of being infected with Ebola. An infected person, who may not show symptoms for up to 21 days, can pass on the disease through direct contact. "I no longer go out of the house just so that I do not have cause to shake people's hands," Mohamed Barry, a 65-year-old retired civil servant, said. The outbreak originated in the southern Forest Region where Geuckedou is thought to be the hardest hit town with more than half of the cases of infection and deaths. Bats, a local delicacy in the south, are thought be carriers of the virus. Their sale and consumption has been banned by the health ministry along with other bushmeat. Many health workers - including at least three doctors - were amongst the first victims. "Most doctors at first treated the infected patients for malaria - hence medical staff treating these patients also got infected," Dr Sakoba Keita, from the health ministry, said. The capital, Conakry, is the latest place to be hit, with one reported death - but it is here that the situation is most worrying as two million people live in in the city. The disease has no known cure and no vaccine, so the main advice to people from health officials is to keep one's environment clean and wash hands regularly. All homes now have bowls or buckets filled with disinfectant at their entrance for both inhabitants and visitors to wash their hands. The outbreak is also affecting business. Senegal, for example, has closed its land borders with Guinea until further notice, and hundreds of people and their merchandise are stranded in vehicles on the Guinean side. "Our goods are about to perish," one businessman told a local radio station on Tuesday. The border is one of Guinea's busiest when it comes to cross-border trade - it shares borders with six countries in total. Some flights have been affected as well: Air Mauritania has refused to fly Guinean passengers in transit in Dakar to Conakry on the grounds of the Ebola outbreak. The large number of international medical experts from across the world who are now on the ground are giving people some assurance that the disease will be contained. But funeral corteges are also getting smaller and smaller as a result of a fear of infection by someone who has had contact with a corpse. "I don't go to any funeral now whether it is an Ebola-related death or not or whether it is my relation that has died or not," says schoolteacher Mariam Mansare. When fears about Ebola first started last week, people dismissed it as a way for health officials to solicit funds

Summary: An Ebola outbreak which is so far suspected of killing at least 83 people in Guinea has spread to Liberia, sparking concerns it could spread further afield in West Africa.


Launched in February, the Hitomi X-ray satellite began tumbling out of control in March when contact was finally lost. Just before its demise, scientists managed to extract data measuring X-ray activity in the Perseus galaxy cluster. Published in Nature, data revealed the movement of gas between galaxy clusters was not as turbulent as expected. Hitomi, which translates as the pupil of the eye in Japanese, was meant to spend years studying the formation of galaxy clusters and the warping of space and time around black holes. It cost more than a quarter of a billion dollars - the research was an international collaboration involving the American space agency Nasa, and teams in Japan and many other countries, including one at Cambridge University in the UK. Scientists studying the data found that the hot gases between galaxies within the Perseus cluster was travelling at a slower speed - at 540,000 km/h (340,000 mph) - and in a less turbulent way than many expected. Measuring the turbulence and movement of such gas is important because the size of galaxy clusters is a useful tool for measuring "the parameters of cosmology and the growth of structure in the universe", researchers say. The gases in galaxy clusters are thought to be particularly hot and dense with a lot of dark matter and a supermassive black hole at the centre of it all. The interaction between all the various gases was thought to be very chaotic so Hitomi's observations appear to have defied predictions. "The gas is relatively stable and isn't getting pushed around as much as we thought," said Brian McNamara, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, who was part of the research team. "Hitomi's Perseus observation tells us that we can probably weigh distant galaxy clusters to greater accuracy than we can weigh our own Milky Way galaxy." Hitomi was lost thanks to a sensor incorrectly detecting a roll in the spacecraft. In trying to correct it, on-board systems sent the craft into a spin until finally the solar panels that powered it are thought to have broken off. The next time a similar satellite will be launched is in 2028 by the European Space Agency.

Summary: A doomed Japanese satellite managed to capture a view of a galaxy cluster 250 million light years away just before it died, scientists have revealed.


A classified advert in the free newspaper, the UK China Times, available throughout the UK, was used to recruit the women. It is followed by a UK mobile number that leads to a brothel in Belfast. The brothel manager, known as Lisa, who keeps half the earnings, said she was "trying to help" the women. Advert BBC News NI enlisted the help of a Chinese journalist based in London. Posing as a potential recruit, she called the number in the advert and spoke in Mandarin to Lisa. After asking her age, and if she was fat, Lisa agreed to employ the journalist for sex work. She told her to fly to Belfast, bringing high heels, school girl and nurses outfits, and warned against packing too many condoms in her bag to avoid suspicion from the authorities. Lisa told the journalist that she had run two brothels but now only had one. When they met, Lisa discussed a range of sexual activities and said: "When you make money, I make money, too. It's £70 per half hour, £100 per 45 minutes. £130 for an hour. Understand? We go fifty-fifty." She said: "If you can make £1,700 to £1,800 a week, I'll be laughing." When first confronted with allegations of her criminality, Lisa refused to answer the BBC's questions. A white man, in his mid 40s, who had driven Lisa to the encounter, drove off when he saw BBC journalists. Later, Lisa wiped away tears and said in faltering English: "My husband here doesn't know. I have family here." Speaking about sex work she said: "I was just trying to help [this girl]. This time is very difficult, December, January, February, No money, no customers. I'm not working, just sometimes. I didn't put that advert in the paper [since] a long time. I'm a very nice woman." When asked about the two brothels she had run, she said: "I'm not [running] two or three. How can I do this? I'm not a big woman." She responded to the claims she made on the phone saying "it's a wrong number", and "I think your hearing is wrong". The full story can be heard in a BBC Radio Ulster documentary - Vice Girl or Victim - on Sunday at 12:30 GMT and on the iPlayer.

Summary: BBC News NI has uncovered a brothel luring undocumented Asian women to Belfast with the promise of work to pay off people smugglers.


Up to 1,000 people dressed in Harris Tweed jackets set off from Clerkenwell to take part in the annual London Tweed Run. The event, which took in the major landmarks, is described as a "bicycle ride with a bit of style". Cyclists stopped for tea in Tavistock Square and lunch in Kensington Gardens. Crowds took photos as the well-dressed riders, some on vintage bikes including penny-farthings, toured the capital's streets at a fairly leisurely pace. The riders, who also finished in Clerkenwell, were warned that "proper attire" was expected but bowler hats were a "spot more aerodynamic than top hats". "We take to the streets in our well-pressed best, and cycle through the city's iconic landmarks," a spokeswoman said. "Along the way, we stop for a tea break and a picnic stop, and we usually end with a bit of a jolly knees-up."

Summary: Hundreds of cyclists swapped lycra for flat caps, trilbies, berets and their sartorial best during a 12-mile ride.


On Sunday I hope to fly the flag for my country, in my adopted home city of Leeds, in the latest World Triathlon Series event. But first, it will be time to watch the football and rugby. I love my rugby, so hopefully I can definitely get up and watch a bit of that. Obviously it is fantastic to have a Welsh team at the Euros this summer, I would love to see Wales do well and I am really looking forward to them playing England. There will be plenty of chat with the English guys I train with when it comes down to that game, we are doing a Euro 2016 sweepstake and ahead of the game, there will be so much excitement. Let's hope Wales can finally undo England, otherwise, I might never hear the end of it. Even my flatmate Vicky Holland is English. There are lots of Welsh girls already qualified for Rio, Welsh sport at the moment is really strong and Welsh women are at the forefront of that. There are loads of names in the last few years that have come to the public's attention and it is nice to be involved in it all. I draw inspiration from those girls, absolutely, it is hard to describe, but Welsh people will understand, I love looking out for my compatriots and seeing them doing well. For example, I love my cycling and get excited every time I see Geraint Thomas doing so well, because he's Welsh. He's come through the same system as us and it inspires you. And seeing Jade Jones win gold at the Olympics four years ago left a huge impression with me. How could you not be inspired by what she was doing? It is pretty exciting to have a World Series race practically in my back garden. The race goes nearly past my house, it is ten minutes from it at the most and it will literally be a case of running in front of a hometown crowd as well. It will be fantastic, all the athletes from around the world have started descending on Leeds and it is great to be able to showcase the city to them and showcase why we love Leeds so much. It has been so good to perform in London in the past and when Yorkshire had the Tour De France last year, they support the people showed for it was phenomenal. So hopefully they will show similar enthusiasm for this event and it will give us a real boost. Find out how to get into triathlon in our special guide. My fitness is where I would I want it to be, touch wood the last few months have gone as they should and we are on track at the minute for peaking in Rio. I have had some really good sessions in the past couple of weeks and I am feeling good about it, but everything at this point is a stepping stone towards the games. In terms of my result in Leeds, I would

Summary: It is a crazy weekend for Welsh sport, in the best way, with both the national football and rugby teams facing huge games and it is amazing to be able to play a small part in proceedings.


Annie Besala Ekofo, 53, and Bervil Kalikaka-Ekofo, 21, were found dead in East Finchley on Thursday. The Met Police said a 24-year-old man was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of murder and is in custody at a north London police station. A 20-year-old man held on Saturday has been released on bail until October. Scotland Yard also revealed Mr Kalikaka-Ekofo had died from a gunshot wound to the head. A post-mortem examination for the University of West London psychology student took place at Northwick Park Hospital mortuary on Saturday, it said. A post-mortem examination on Ms Besala is yet to take place. Detectives earlier launched a fresh appeal for witnesses. They said there was no evidence to suggest the pair were the intended victims but would be exploring whether anyone else linked to their address could have been a potential target. Police were called to Elmshurst Crescent by the London Ambulance Service at about 06:25 BST and found the pair in their flat. Four other people, including a child, were also at the property at the time of the incident but were not harmed.

Summary: Police probing the fatal shooting of a mother-of-nine and her nephew at their north London flat have arrested two men.


The Common dolphin was discovered on the high water line at Gyllingvase near Falmouth early on Wednesday. Members of British Divers Marine Life Rescue covered the animal with wet towels and seaweed to keep it comfortable. A vet who was called to the scene assessed that it was too sick to be returned to the sea. There have been 41 strandings of Common dolphins in Cornwall in the past year according to figures from the Marine Strandings Network. Almost 3,500 whales, dolphins and porpoises have been stranded on UK coastlines over the six years up to December 2011, according to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Overall it recorded a fall in the number of strandings but said that some still were not being reported. The Society has launched a campaign to encourage the public to tell them when they find beached mammals.

Summary: A dolphin found stranded on a Cornish beach has been put down, say marine rescuers.


Multiple attacks in the French capital on Friday killed 129 people. The 2024 Olympic hosts will be named in 2017 and Bach said: "IOC members know terrorism is not a French or a Parisian problem, it is a global challenge." On Sunday, Euro 2016 organiser Jacques Lambert said next year's tournament in France should not be cancelled. Rome, Hamburg, Budapest and Los Angeles are also bidding for the 2024 Games. Asked whether Friday's attacks could influence the vote, Bach told French sports daily L'Equipe: "No, the IOC members have a lot of experience. "We are talking about the Olympic Games that will be held in nine years and terrorism is global, it is not just about a country or a city. "It does not only concern sports but all the big events and the whole society." He added: "You cannot concede victory to the terrorists. "We must be united and firm, especially with the Olympic Games."

Summary: Last week's attacks on Paris will not influence the city's chances of hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, IOC president Thomas Bach has said.


The 23-year-old from Holywood would be eligible for selection by either Great Britain or Ireland at the 2016 Games in Rio. However, in a BBC documentary, he said he may opt out of the Games because he does not want to offend anyone. He said he was considering the options of playing for Britain or Ireland or not playing at all. "I just think being from where we're from, we're placed in a very difficult position," he said. "I feel Northern Irish and obviously being from Northern Ireland you have a connection to Ireland and a connection to the UK. "If I could and there was a Northern Irish team I'd play for Northern Ireland. "Play for one side or the other - or not play at all because I may upset too many peopleâ€¦ Those are my three options I'm considering very carefully." At the moment he has not made a definite decision but has admitted he regrets the Olympic furore of last year when a newspaper claimed he would prefer to play for Team GB in Brazil. "It was a moment, I don't want to say of weakness, but a moment of, I guess, frustration with it all," the County Down man said. "People tune in to watch me play on TV and feel like they are connected to me in some way. "I don't want to do repay them for their support with something they don't want me to do." In the documentary, McIlroy's tennis star girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, also gives a unique insight into the couple's relationship. "It's good that we both have our own separate careers," she said. "We know how the other is feeling and the drive to always want to improve at sport, but at the same time one of us isn't sitting at home waiting for the other. "People watch him play and win all these tournaments, but he hasn't changed a bit." The programme, which includes contributions from Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, charts a remarkable 2012 for McIlroy during which he became world number one, claimed a second Major Championship - the US PGA - and went on to top the money list on both sides of the Atlantic. McIlroy also explains the Ryder Cup drama when he almost missed his tee time for the match with America's Keegan Bradley. "I have never been as worried, as nervous or as panicked going to the golf course," he said. Rory: Being Number One will be screened on BBC1 on Thursday at 22:35 GMT.

Summary: World number one golfer Rory McIlroy has revealed that he may not play in the next Olympics.


Soldiers from the island, as well as Kingussie and Beauly in the Highlands, lost their lives at Festubert in France in 1915. Portree on Skye lost 10 men in a single night. In total, more than 20,000 men died over 10 days of fighting. Three days of events will start on Friday and will include talks by historians and poetry readings. Festubert's impact on the Highlands and Islands was recalled in BBC Two Scotland documentary, The Machine Gun and Skye's Band of Brothers, last year. This week's commemorations will be held in Portree. Many of the men from Skye, Kingussie and Beauly who died at Festubert had played shinty, a fact that will be recalled in some of the events. A set of bagpipes recovered from the battlefield's trenches will be used to play the tune The Beauly Shinty Club. The music was composed by one of two brothers who died in the conflict. Shinty commentator and historian Hugh Dan MacLennan will be among those taking part in the commemorations. He said: "Festubert is our focus because it was one of the first great killing battles, which saw death on an industrial scale. "Not only that, but its impact on Highland communities is beyond belief."

Summary: One of the bloodiest battles of World War One will be commemorated in events to be held on Skye later this week.


Steven MacLean's second half finish deservedly earned three points and means the visitors leapfrog Motherwell, who lost to Aberdeen. "It's a 38 game league," Wright told BBC Scotland. "We try and prepare them for the whole season and the last few seasons we've tended to finish strong." Saints have won both matches since the Premiership split in half for the final run in and visit Motherwell next weekend. "Last season after the spilt we were unbeaten and that's difficult to do as you're playing against the sides that have been at the right end of the table all season," added Wright. Media playback is not supported on this device "We have a tough game coming up against Motherwell but we're in a nice position at the minute with three games to go. "We knew it would take a good performance coming up here, particularly with the result Ross County got last week at Celtic "Throughout the 90 minutes we controlled quite a huge chunk of that and never looked in any real danger. "We passed the ball well, defended well, got the goal at the right time and had not too many problems to deal with so I'm a happy manager." The only disappointment for Wright was another injury to Chris Millar who had to be replaced before half-time after suffering a calf injury. "Chris has a problem," explained Wright. "It's not the problem that's hampered him this season, it's a calf problem as well. "It doesn't look too serious so hopefully he'll get back for a couple of the games we've got left." Ross County manager Jim McIntyre saw his hopes of finishing fourth severely dented and was in no mood to gloss over an abject performance from his side. "We were really poor," he said. "I would put that up there as the poorest performance this season. "It looked as if we had nothing to play for. St Johnstone looked as thought they wanted it more. "It was a scrappy goal to lose the match but the best team won. "For the first time this season we didn't have a period in the game where you thought 'we're going to get a goal here'. "We just had most of the players off the pace of the game, it's as simple as that. We didn't start well and we didn't recover from that. "We've got professional pride and placing money to play for and that's still achievable but it's going to take a hell of a lot better performance than what we saw today."

Summary: Manager Tommy Wright is sure St Johnstone can hang on to fourth place in the Premiership after picking up a 1-0 win at Ross County.


The Supreme Court challenge centred on the case of a Northern Ireland woman who became pregnant when she was 15. She went to England with her mother for an abortion in a private clinic in 2012, at a cost of about Â£900. Northern Ireland's abortion law is much stricter than the rest of the UK. Terminations are only permitted if a woman's life is at risk, or there is a permanent or serious risk to her mental or physical health. Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities are not circumstances in which abortions can be performed legally in Northern Ireland. The mother and daughter took the case against UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who conceded that he had the power to make provisions for Northern Ireland residents to access free NHS abortions in England. They claimed that it was "unlawful" that he had not done so. However, Supreme Court judges dismissed the mother and daughter's appeal by a narrow majority of three to two. Delivering the ruling, Lord Wilson said it was not for the court to "address the ethical considerations which underlie the difference" in the law regarding abortion in Northern Ireland and England. However, he said the five judges had been "sharply divided" on the case. He expressed sympathy for women facing unwanted pregnancies in Northern Ireland and said the law put many of them in a "deeply unenviable position". He said they faced "embarrassment, difficulty, and uncertainty" in their "urgent need to raise the necessary funds" to travel to Great Britain for private abortions. Lord Wilson conceded that the financial burden had added to their "emotional strain". But he did not rule in favour of the women's case, and dismissed their appeal, a decision with which his fellow judges Lord Reed and Lord Hughes agreed. Their judgement acknowledged that under devolution, separate authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for providing free health services to those usually resident there. It stated that the health secretary was entitled to restrict access to NHS abortions "in line with this scheme for local decision-making". The judgement added that Mr Hunt was "entitled to afford respect to the democratic decision of the people of Northern Ireland not to fund abortion services". Lord Wilson added that Lady Hale and Lord Kerr gave dissenting judgments and would have allowed the appeal. The mother and daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said they will now take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. In a joint statement, they said they were "really encouraged that two of the judges found in our favour" and that all of the judges had been "sympathetic" to their situation. "We have come this far and fought hard because the issues are so important for women in Northern Ireland. For this reason, we will do all that we can to take the fight further. "We have instructed our legal team to file an application with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, to protect the human rights of the many other women who make the

Summary: The UK's highest court has rejected an appeal by a mother and daughter in their legal battle for women from Northern Ireland to receive free abortions on the NHS in England.


Emergency services were called to New Road, Woodmancote, at 17:45 BST following reports of the accident A police spokesman said an off-duty nurse and paramedics tried to save the woman, who was the driver of the car, but she was declared dead at the scene. The van driver, a 53-year-old man from Cheltenham, was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Police are appealing for witnesses.

Summary: A woman died in a collision between a car and a van in Gloucestershire.


Fewer than half of the country's population has internet access and those who do can often experience slow connections. The country's premier also urged telecoms companies to cut fees, including data roaming charges. It was not revealed how much money would be invested. Besides the government investment, Premier Li Keqiang also urged telecoms companies to cut their prices and up their speeds, according to China's cabinet the State Council. He also said they should cut data roaming charges for Chinese tourists, although he acknowledged that it was ultimately for the market to decide. He did, however, announce a round of investment infrastructure improvements to the same end. "China has more cell-phone users than any other country, but its internet service speed ranks below 80th in the world due to underdeveloped information infrastructure," the premier said, according to a release from the State Council. He added that "speeding up the construction of information infrastructure will boost investment and support" in China, as well as helping "mass innovation". Telecoms firms should make rapid moves to cut prices and increase urban broadband speeds by around 40%, according to Mr Li. China's investment in broadband could benefit global network equipment makers such as Ericsson and Nokia Oyj's Alcatel-Lucent, as well as home-grown players like Huawei Technologies and ZTE. Mr Li did not say how much investment would be needed, but officials have previously earmarked around 2tn yuan ($322bn, Â£204bn) to improve China's broadband infrastructure by 2020. China's internet penetration rate was only 47.9% last year, with connectivity especially low in smaller cities and rural areas. This compares with about 75% of people in the United States. In the UK, 73% of households have broadband access, Ofcom said in December 2014. The Chinese cabinet's statement added that the nation would look to open up the telecoms market and encourage increased competition, including through expanding a pilot scheme for broadband services this year. "There is still not enough competition, which has led to telecoms fees being relatively high while there is still a lot of room to improve the quality of service," the statement said, citing an official at China's official State Information Centre.

Summary: China is to accelerate the development of its high-speed broadband network to raise speeds but cut prices, its State Council has said.


The Rift headset will be released early next year. Until now, only a "developer" version had been sold. The deal with Microsoft, the tech giant that makes the Xbox, means Oculus owners will be able to stream Xbox One games to the headset and see them as if they are being viewed on a huge "home cinema" screen. The new headset will compete with rivals such as Sony's Morpheus and HTC's Vive.

Summary: Oculus Virtual Reality (VR) has revealed its new headset for customers, and revealed it will come with an Xbox One controller.


The artwork at Clavell Tower, Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, was hit by a boulder and cut off at the ankles in stormy weather. The life-size figure was created to mark 50 years of UK building conservation charity Landmark Trust. The charity said it was likely to be the "end of the road" for the work. A spokeswoman said: "On Christmas Eve the Gormley sculpture at Kimmeridge Bay again succumbed to persistent heavy seas, this time presumably hit by a boulder hurled off the beach by the force of the storm. "We are taking steps to recover the work imminently. "It was always intended to have a relationship with the landscape and nature. "Its position on this exposed stretch of Kimmeridge Bay has certainly brought that dynamic to the fore." The trust said it did not yet know where the installation would be moved to, but that the "most important thing is removing it safely, given the weather, location, tide times, and holiday season". John Bickerton, owner of Lulworth House B&B, found the statue during a walk with his family on Saturday. He said: "We were sprinkling my mother's ashes on the far side of the bay before going round to take a family picture with the sculpture. "We quickly realised it wasn't standing and when we got there could see it had sheared off at its thinnest point - the ankles. This time it looks like it might be fatal." Sir Antony said he was "thrilled" when the sculpture toppled into the sea in September, calling it proof of its "dynamic relationship" with nature.

Summary: A conservation charity has said a cast iron sculpture by Sir Antony Gormley felled for the second time in just over two months will not be reinstated.


Djokovic beat Japan's Kei Nishikori in his quarter-final match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. He admitted after the match that he hadn't practiced before his match because he'd played five sets against Gilles Simon. "I was determined, focused. In important points and moments I managed to stay composed and make him play an extra shot," he said.

Summary: World number one Novak Djokovic will play Roger Federer in the men's semi-final at the Australian Open.


The fire service said it had been called to more than 25 incidents following the flooding caused by heavy rain. One woman, who lives on Carrow Road, said the water was about an inch away from her front door. "My house is OK," she said. "I've got the towels down in preparation, but sadly the council weren't able to supply us with any sandbags." Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service advised people not to wade into flood water, owing to the risk posed by hidden objects. Flood water in sewers raised a drain cover near St Stephen's roundabout on the inner ring road and a car wheel jammed in the cavity. Traffic was brought to a standstill for nearly an hour as firefighters tried to free the vehicle. Outside the city centre, flood water made driving difficult in Sprowston and Rackheath. People living on Hawthorne Avenue in Hellesdon grew frustrated that their road is flooded again. One resident, Stacey Connerty, said: "Yet again it is left to local people to risk their safety to save their property and vehicles from flooding. "This problem arises every time there is heavy rain. "Despite repeated requests to highways and council to remedy this situation, to date nothing has been done." There were also reports of flooding on the B1145, between Cawston and Aylsham, in Norwich Road, near to the junction with Allison Street in Marsham, at Crossdale Street in Cromer and on the A1062 at Hoveton. Ch Insp Chris Spinks said: "Motorists should drive to the conditions and allow extra time for their journeys home. "Standing water and heavy rainfall makes driving conditions hazardous and I would urge motorists to reduce speed, use headlights and increase the distance between you and the car in front."

Summary: Buildings and roads have been hit by flooding in Norwich.


The parties are now in opposition together at Stormont. Since going into opposition after the assembly election in May, the effectiveness of the arrangement between the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP has been constantly questioned. The decision to invite Colum Eatwood to address the UUP conference can be seen as the response to that criticism. Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said there was a lot of joined up work going on between the parties but he and Mr Eastwood were conscious people want to see tangible signs of co-operation. Rather than dwell on what divides them, he said, they were focused on common ground, importantly the fact both want Northern Ireland to work. Mr Eastwood said it was a demonstration of what genuine co-operation looks like - two leaders of parties with different views coming together in the interests of people who deserved better from the current Executive. "It's the principle of partnership, ingrained in our institutions by the SDLP and UUP and degraded by the current government, that brings us together on issues of common cause where we can make a positive difference to the lives of the people we represent," he said. Mr Nesbitt said that while there was a lot of co-operation between the UUP and SDLP behind the scenes, he was conscious that people wanted to see tangible signs of it. "We will not agree on everything, but rather than dwell on what divides us, I am focused on the common ground, and importantly, the fact that Colum and I both want Northern Ireland to work, which opens huge possibilities for cooperating on the bread and butter issues of the economy, education, housing and the health of all our people," he said.

Summary: An SDLP leader will speak at the Ulster Unionist conference for the first time on Saturday.


The assailants, riding in two vehicles, opened fire on a security convoy on the main ring road in the Nasr City area. No group has yet said it was behind the attack, which occurred on Monday night. However, jihadist militants have killed hundreds of police and soldiers since the military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Last month, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi declared a state of emergency after at least 45 people were killed in suicide bomb attacks on two Coptic Christian churches in Tanta and Alexandria. So-called Islamic State said a local affiliate had carried out the bombings. Hours before Monday's attack, the UN high commissioner for human rights questioned the measures being taken by Egypt's government to combat jihadism. Zeid Raad Al Hussein condemned April's church bombings, but told a news conference in Geneva that the "state of emergency, the massive number of detentions, reports of torture and continued arbitrary arrests - all of this we believe facilitates radicalisation in prisons", according to Reuters news agency. "And abetted by the crackdown on civil society through travel bans, freezing orders, anti-protest laws, this is in our opinion is not the way to fight terror," he added. "National security yes, must be a priority for every country, but again not at the expense of human rights." Human rights activists say more than 1,000 people, most of them Morsi supporters, have been killed and tens of thousands arrested in the crackdown.

Summary: Suspected militants have killed three police officers and wounded five others in an attack in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, the interior ministry says.


They are accused of conspiring together, and with others, to sell goods in 2012 that contained wholly, or in part, a mix of beef and horsemeat. Ulrik Nielsen, Alex Ostler-Beech and Andronicos Sideras will appear at City of London Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 27 September. The charges follow an investigation led by the City of London police.

Summary: Three men have been charged with fraud for allegedly conspiring to sell horsemeat as beef.


Speaking at the G7 summit in Japan, the prime minister, a leading figure in the Remain campaign, denied reports that his "instinct" was to vote Leave. "I am not a closet anything. I have pretty much had the same view about Europe ever since I got involved in active politics," the PM said. Boris Johnson told him it was "not too late" to join the Leave campaign. With four weeks to go before the UK votes on 23 June about whether to leave the European Union, there have been reports that Conservative PM Mr Cameron, at heart, backs "Brexit," as a British exit from the EU is known. Steve Hilton, who was one of Mr Cameron's closest aides before leaving Downing Street in 2012 and who worked alongside him when they were both Tory researchers, told the Times on Thursday: "If he was a member of the public, or a backbench MP or a junior minister or even a cabinet minister, I'm certain that he would be for Leave. "That's his whole instinct. That's who he is. As prime minister he sees it from a different perspective and that's perfectly reasonable ... but I think that if he didn't have that perspective, he would be for Leave." But Mr Cameron, who has described himself as a Eurosceptic, said at the close of the G7 summit: "I am not a closet anything. I have pretty much had the same view about Europe ever since I got involved in active politics. "I have always taken the same view, which is that we are better off in this organisation but we should be aiming to reform this organisation, we should be looking to enhance the special status that Britain. "I have never been a closet Brexiteer. I am absolutely passionate about getting the right result, getting this reform in Europe and remaining part of it. It's in Britain's national interest." He pointed to a joint declaration by the leaders of the G7 countries - the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada - at the end of the two-day Ise-Shima summit, which stated: "UK exit from the EU would reverse the trend toward greater global trade, investment and the jobs they create and is a further serious risk to growth". "When you are faced with a difficult decision, it is often a good thing to listen to what your friends think," the prime minister said. In an interview with BBC South political editor Peter Henley, one of the most senior Conservatives in the Vote Leave campaign, Boris Johnson noted Mr Hilton's comments and said it was "not too late". Asked if he was suggesting Mr Cameron should join him in campaigning for the UK to leave the EU, the former London mayor added: "Yes. There is more joy in Heaven over one that repenteth. Now is the time. There's a month to go." He added: "He has been a believer in democracy and over 20 years or so he has been a strong Eurosceptic." Mr Cameron, in turn, told LBC radio last week that

Summary: David Cameron has rejected claims he is a "closet Brexiteer," insisting he is "passionate" about staying in the EU.


Oscar Munoz said he felt "shame and embarrassment" and vowed it would never happen again to a seated passenger on one of United's aircraft. The embattled aviation boss said the passenger in question, David Dao, deserved "certainly an apology". Mr Munoz initially described Mr Dao as "disruptive and belligerent". United Airline's public relations disaster Why do airlines overbook? "That shame and embarrassment was pretty palpable for me and for a lot of our family," the contrite chief executive told ABC's Good Morning America programme. An online petition calling for Mr Munoz to resign had gained more than 60,000 signatures by Wednesday afternoon. But when asked if he would stand down, he said: "No. I was hired to make United better and we've been doing that and that's what I'll continue to do." Mr Dao was pulled off Sunday evening's flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky, because the flight was fully booked, and the airline wanted to get four passengers to leave to make room for four staff members. Mr Dao was left bloodied after law enforcement officials dragged him off the plane as he refused to leave. The footage provoked international outrage and the Dao family issued a statement on Tuesday evening expressing gratitude for the "outpouring of support". "This can never, will never happen again on a United Airlines flight," said Mr Munoz in Wednesday morning's television interview. He was asked what the company would do in future if a seated passenger refused voluntarily to leave an overbooked plane based on the airline's compensation offer. "We're not going to put a law enforcement official to take them off," he said. "To remove a booked, paid seated passenger, we can't do that." Mr Munoz was asked if Mr Dao, who has been undergoing treatment at a Chicago hospital, was at fault. The chief executive paused. He said: "No. He can't be. He was a paying passenger sitting on our seat in our aircraft and no one should be treated that way. Period." But on Monday Mr Munoz said Mr Dao's conduct meant employees were "left with no choice but to call Chicago Aviation Security Officers to assist in removing the customer from the flight". Global outrage spread to Vietnam on Wednesday after it emerged that Mr Dao was born there, contradicting earlier reports that he was from China. Vietnamese social media users have called for a boycott, despite there being no direct United flights to the Southeast Asian country. "Watching this makes my blood boil, I'll never fly United Airlines," said one Facebook user, Anh Trang Khuya. A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said the government had "noticed the unfortunate incident in the United States". Spokesperson Lu Kang added: "We sincerely hope that this incident will be properly settled." On Wednesday, two of the aviation aviation security officers involved in removing Mr Dao from the plane were "placed on leave", the Chicago Department of Aviation said, adding to one other that was suspended on Monday. The agency added that their actions are "obviously not condoned by the department". The US Department

Summary: United Airlines' chief executive has said he will not quit amid an explosive backlash to video of a screaming man being dragged off a plane.


About 100 people were involved in the incident towards the end of Didcot Town's Southern Football League game against Hereford FC. Didcot said it was "very disappointed", while Hereford - leading 2-1 at the time of the abandonment - said it was "deeply concerned". BBC commentator Bill Rennells said "fists were flying everywhere". A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "A 19-year-old man from Hereford was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, and a 19-year-old man from Hereford was arrested on suspicion of common assault." Both men have been bailed until April. About 800 people attended Saturday's match, with the majority supporting the visiting Hereford team. Didcot manager Andy Ballard called it a "very bizarre day". He added: "I do have to commend the referee, he made a fantastic decision to call the game off. "He couldn't guarantee the safety of the players, the supporters and everybody in the ground, so he made a very tough call, but I think it's the right one." Hereford FC were formed in 2015 after former Football League club Hereford United were wound up in London's Royal Court of Justice the previous year. They are the best supported team in the Southern League, with an average home attendance this season in excess of 2,700. In a statement, the club said: "It goes without saying that Hereford FC does not condone unlawful behaviour of any sort and club officials will be working very closely with the local police, Didcot Town, the stewards who were in attendance, the FA and the Southern League to establish the relevant facts, secure all available evidence and conduct a thorough investigation." Mr Rennells, a journalist since the age of 14, said: "It's something I've never ever seen before in my 71-year career. There were people being held back, and some people trying to stop it."

Summary: Two men were arrested after a violent pitch invasion caused a football match to be abandoned.


In 2014/15 just over 48% of babies were being breastfed at the time of the first child health review visit at about 10 days old. The figures have been published by ISD Scotland. They showed a rise in the number of babies fed a mix of both breast and formula milk since 2005/06. Earlier this year the Scottish government hosted a summit aimed at encouraging more mothers to breastfeed their babies. The report from ISD Scotland, which compiles health statistics for the government, looked at rates for babies born in the last financial year. It said there is good evidence that breastfeeding in infancy has a protective effect against many childhood illnesses. It said breastfed infants were also likely to have a reduced risk of infection while other probable benefits included improved cognitive and psychological development, and a reduced risk of childhood obesity. Reporting its key findings, the publication concluded: "Across Scotland, the overall breastfeeding rate has remained at a broadly similar level over the last decade." In 2014/15, 48.3% of babies were breastfed at the first visit review. This rate included 35.2% of babies who were exclusively breastfed and 13.1% who were fed both breast and formula milk. This compares with the figures for a decade ago when 38.3% were exclusively breastfed and 6.4% were mixed fed. The statistics for last year also showed that by the time of the six to eight week health review the breasting rate had fallen to 38%. The World Health Organization recommends all children are exclusively breastfed up to six months, and breastfeeding alongside other appropriate foods continues up to and beyond two years. In other findings, the report highlighted a "clear association" between low levels of breastfeeding and deprivation. Mothers in the least deprived areas were nearly three times as likely to breastfeed exclusively at six to eight weeks compared with mothers in the most deprived areas. But there has been an increase over the last decade in overall breastfeeding rates in the most deprived areas at the first visit from 26% to nearly 33%, the statistics showed. Researchers also found that mothers who did not smoke were about three times more likely to breastfeed than smokers. Breastfeeding rates were also found to vary by geographical area in 2014/15. Exclusive breastfeeding rates ranged from 24.3% in NHS Lanarkshire to 59.4% in NHS Shetland, for example.

Summary: The overall breastfeeding rate in Scotland has stayed relatively static over the last 10 years, despite efforts to highlight the benefits.


DJ Derek, whose real name is Derek Morris, also appeared at the Big Chill and numerous gigs across the UK. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed Mr Morris was reported missing on Thursday and a search for him is under way. Mr Morris's niece, Jennifer Amy, said his disappearance is "completely out of character". She said: "I've left numerous messages for him and he hasn't got back - if he goes away he always lets me know. "His friends have been in touch to say he hasn't been in contact. "We're all extremely worried." And Bristol's elected mayor, George Ferguson, said on Twitter: "DJ Derek is a legend - I'll do all I can to spread word across #Bristol." Geoff Barrow, from the band Portishead, has also tweeted his support while Bestival founder and DJ Rob da Bank hoped one of his "favourite ever" DJs would be found. DJ Derek's disappearance is trending on the social networking site. Mr Morris launched his DJ Derek career in his mid-30s after working in the accounts department of confectionery firm Cadbury's. In 2006, he told the BBC's Inside Out that he left the firm after years of "domestic hell" before starting work as a DJ in a Bristol pub. Over more than 40 years he established himself as a fixture on the city's clubbing scene. As well as playing at Glastonbury, he has also released his own compilation album and appeared in a Dizzee Rascal video. In 2012 he won the Lord Mayor's medal for his "outstanding" contribution to the music scene in the city. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 after he was given the award, he said he finished most sets with the Bob Marley classic One Love. He said: "It's a perfect signing-off record for a reggae set - let's get together and feel all right. So next time, people, let's get together and feel all right." He played his final set before retiring at a London show in 2013.

Summary: A 73-year-old DJ who played sets at Glastonbury has gone missing, his family has said.


Hollywood star Jackie Chan's son Jaycee and Taiwanese actor Kai Ko were detained on Thursday for suspected drug use. This comes after Gao Hu, a 40-year old mainland actor, became the ninth Chinese celebrity to be arrested for drug-related offences this year. Amid the crackdown, some netizens have suggested the use of marijuana should be legalised because "it is not the most dangerous substance". China has kept a tight control on drugs with President Xi Jinping calling for "forceful measures" to tackle illegal drug use in June. Dismissing netizens' suggestions, state-run People's Daily gathers experts' opinion and concludes that it will be "disastrous" if the substance is legalised. "In a big country like China, if we legalise marijuana, it will be disastrous for the whole society," says a drug rehabilitation worker. Li Wenjun, a drug expert at the People's Public Security University of China, adds that marijuana causes addiction even though it is known as a "soft drug". "Do not simply believe the lie that one will not get addicted by just a simple smoke. Banning drugs is the responsibility of the society and everyone has to fight the war on drugs," he tells the paper. A commentary on the daily's website says those who are calling for legalising marijuana are "ignorant". "It is not an issue of freedom of speech or rights. It is about whether society allows anyone to get confused between truth and falsehoods. We should never be reduced to the Sick Man of East Asia again," says the commentator, referring to a humiliating description of the Chinese society in the late 19th century following the Opium Wars. Some media outlets note that a few countries have made the use of marijuana legal, but warn against taking similar steps in China. "Some countries have legalised marijuana, but this should not be the reason for us to blindly follow what they have done," says an article in the Beijing Times. Elsewhere, media defend the passengers who abandoned a Shanghai Metro train coach when a Caucasian-looking man passed out. According to the footage from the surveillance camera, panicky passengers rushed to the exit within seconds after the man fainted. The incident happened on 9 August but the video started circulating on social websites in the last two days. Some Chinese papers have noted a Wall Street Journal blog post that says one cannot "expect to get any help from good Samaritans" when travelling in China's subway. Defending the passengers, several papers, including the state-run People's Daily, have "given the other side of the story". "It is not true that nobody offered help to the man. According to the Shanghai Metro, some of these passengers reported the incident to the staff immediately," the report says, noting that a few helpful passengers offered sweets and even sent the man back to his hotel. Urging the Shanghai Metro to release the full footage, an article in the Beijing News says that it will help "dispel the misunderstanding" that "nobody offered assistance" to the man. The Global Times' Chinese edition also disagrees that the incident

Summary: Media and experts dismiss calls to legalise marijuana in China in the wake of the arrest of several celebrities on drugs-related charges.


Media playback is not supported on this device Former captain Aaron Hughes won his 100th cap as a 30th-minute substitute for defender Craig Cathcart who hobbled off injured after being fouled. Cathcart was one of several players on the receiving end of tough tackles. Visiting keeper Michael McGovern made some fine saves while Kyle Lafferty had a penalty claim turned down. Lafferty felt his shot had been blocked by Peter Pekarik's arm, but referee Marian Radu Petrescu did not see it as a spot-kick. Robert Mak came the closest to scoring for the hosts only to be denied by Hamilton stopper McGovern who was quickly off his line, while Martin Skrtel almost scored a late own goal following a Paddy McNair cross. The Liverpool defender diverted McNair's driven cross towards his own goal, and keeper Matus Kozacik was forced into a save. Northern Ireland open their Euro campaign on 12 June against Poland in Nice, the day after Slovakia meet Wales in Bordeaux. One of Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill's chief concerns was to see his players come through unscathed with the opening Euro 2016 game against Poland just eight days away. Worryingly for him, several key men were on the receiving end of some hefty challenges. Media playback is not supported on this device Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans picked up minor knocks before the other man in the back three, Watford defender Cathcart, had to limp off after being fouled. That led to 36-year-old Hughes coming on to win his 100th cap as a 30th-minute substitute. It had been expected the former Newcastle and Aston Villa man would come one at some point for his landmark appearance, but O'Neill was forced to make the change earlier than planned. As well as Cathcart, O'Neill will await a fitness update on striker Lafferty who came off in the second half with a leg injury. Manager O'Neill deployed his favoured 3-5-2 formation, setting the team up in the way he will want them to play against Poland. Paddy McNair caught the eye again in a wide role on the right while Millwall's Shane Ferguson came into the team to stake his claim for a starting role in Nice. They appear to be competing with Conor McLaughlin and the absent Stuart Dallas for selection. Any lingering doubts on who will be NI's first-choice keeper will have been ended by another solid display by McGovern. The Northern Ireland squad head to their Lyon base on Sunday in good heart and with that record unbeaten sequence. It was another outstanding defensive performance against a Slovakian side which had had defeated world champions Germany on 29 May. Match ends, Slovakia 0, Northern Ireland 0. Second Half ends, Slovakia 0, Northern Ireland 0. Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Martin Skrtel. Offside, Slovakia. Patrik Hrosovsky tries a through ball, but Vladimir Weiss is caught offside. Substitution, Northern Ireland. Conor McLaughlin replaces Patrick McNair. Corner, Slovakia. Conceded by Gareth McAuley. Attempt saved. Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Substitution,

Summary: Northern Ireland will go into Euro 2016 on the back of a record 12-match unbeaten run after drawing away to fellow finalists Slovakia in Trnava.


Zoo staff cared for the injured bird and it is being returned to its owner in south Wales. 'The Pit Man' had failed to return from a race in the south of France five weeks ago. Owner Craig Dewar, from Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, said he was "thrilled" his bird had been found. Zoo worker Justin Aird said: "I was just giving a public talk about how the meerkats stand sentry duty to look out for birds of prey when suddenly there was a commotion overhead. Moments later, the pigeon dropped out of the sky and landed nearby." Staff found the bird's identity tag and contacted Mr Dewar. Zoo curator Colin Northcott said: "Obviously the bird was very shaken and had sustained some minor injuries but he was very lucky to have fallen where he did. "If it had been anywhere else, even in a more remote part of the zoo, the buzzard would surely have finished him off." The bird got its name as it always flies home over the site of the former Six Bells Colliery in Abertillery. Mr Dewar said: "I was thrilled to hear that he'd been recovered. I just can't believe that he will be back with us soon." The Pit Man will be able to give his wings a rest on the journey home as he will be couriered back by a specialist.

Summary: A racing pigeon feared lost has turned up after plummeting out of the sky into Dartmoor Zoo in Devon following an attack by a bird of prey.


Zookeepers say it is very unusual to see a koala with fur this light and with eyes and skin remaining the usual brown black. But said the koala's white coat is not caused by a condition called albinism, which is when a human or animal doesn't have the chemical in its hair, skin and eyes that creates colour. Australia Zoo have now asked the public to help name the rare koala. Suggestions so far include Snowflake, Diamond, Pearl and Djendaladi, meaning "white-haired" in the Noongar language.

Summary: A rare white koala joey has been born at a zoo in Queensland, Australia.


The shooting of Philando Castile last year made international headlines after his girlfriend broadcast the aftermath live on Facebook. A civil lawsuit for wrongful death has concluded with the news that Valerie Castile, his mother, will receive the money from the city of St Anthony. The Hispanic police officer who shot him was acquitted of manslaughter. Mr Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was stopped by police last July and the encounter began cordially. Police officer Jeronimo Yanez informed him his brake light was out and asked for his insurance and licence. But when Mr Castile politely told the officer about the gun he was legally carrying, things became tense and seconds later the officer opened fire, after shouting "Don't reach for it!" Last week, the family of a black man shot in Ferguson, Missouri, reached a $1.5m settlement over his death, which sparked riots and a national debate about police use of lethal force against African Americans.

Summary: The family of a black driver killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota will receive $3m (Â£2.4m).


Its design is centred around patients and their families and it has taken ideas from Norway. Experts say the design of a building can have a very real impact on patient care. "The environment can actually improve a patient's symptoms because if you have an anxiety quite often that can heighten a patient's physical pain," says Rhona Baillie, chief executive officer of the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice. She has had more than 20 years experience as a palliative care nurse. "If we can help to control that anxiety and make that patient feel more relaxed in an environment that they're very comfortable in, that can help their overall physical state." At the moment the site for the new hospice building in Bellahouston Park is full of scrubby grasses and drying out mud, but building work is scheduled to start soon. The idea is to create a homely atmosphere for patients and their families who have often been on a very hard clinical journey. They found a model for this in Scandinavia, with beds clustered around a courtyard. In the middle of that there is space for tables and chairs, where families can eat together, just like at home with soft furnishing and beautiful lighting. The clinical equipment will be there, but very much in the background. "It's got a domestic-sized front door," explains Ms Baillie. "As soon as you walk in there will be no barriers of having a desk you have to walk up to and the first thing you'll see is a fireplace, so all of that signifies home." The hospice has been housed in its present building on the banks of the Clyde for more than 30 years. The architects spent time understanding how it worked before they started on the new building. "This project has influenced me hugely," says Alastair Forbes, architectural director with Ryder Architecture. Part of what he was trying to do was use the layout of the building to limit the time staff would spend away from patients and to break down the scale of the place. It is designed to look like four interlinked houses. It also meant a first for him in his career as an architect as he spent time examining how a room looks when you are lying in bed. It is something which he says has become a "touchstone" for him in the project. "What a patient sees, how much they see the ceiling, how much they don't actually see out the window," he explains. "It's a very clinical environment, it's the smells, it's the noises, the proximity to staff, to other patients, personalisation you can see there is quite difficult." "Everything's about people." The design of the new hospice building also considers its parkland setting with rooms which allow patients to see the sky and the gardens from their bed, as well as giving them and their families the opportunity to eat together. "Coming from a Pakistani background, you cook for your family and friends all the time," says Saf Akram. His sister spent time at the

Summary: Work is beginning shortly on a new hospice building in Glasgow.


The government wants to appeal to expat Turks because they can vote in a key upcoming poll. The referendum is on transferring sweeping powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr Erdogan accused the Netherlands and Germany of "Nazism" in a furious outburst - and the Turkish press has echoed his anger. But elsewhere in Europe, the focus is on how the tension will impact on Turkey's fraught relationship with Europe. The pro-government newspapers Star, Yeni Safak and Aksam, the centre-right Haber Turk, and the centrist publication Milliyet all quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning that the Netherlands "will pay the price" for banning the rallies. The papers particularly lashed out at the Dutch authorities for using police to block Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya's access to the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam, and then using force against Turkish protesters. Star carried a picture of a Dutch police dog attacking a protester under the headline "Wilders' dogs" - referring to Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders. Yeni Safak published the same picture with the headline "Racist dogs", while Aksam carried "Nazi dogs". Centre-right Hurriyet published the headline "Brutality". The opposition tabloid Sozcu also criticised the Dutch, publishing a huge picture of the dog attack and the question "What kind of barbarism is that?" Pro-government Sabah blasted the Netherlands, saying the country had "suspended freedoms" and "attacked with dogs". Pro-government Karar's biggest headline noted that "Holland has united Turkey", adding that the government and the opposition have become "one voice" against Holland's "scandalous conduct" and "police vandalism". Dutch reports suggest the Netherlands has also been united by the controversy. Algemeen Dagblad's report says Prime Minister Mark Rutte had refused for years to be provoked by the government in Ankara. But as the election approached, it was the final straw. And his stance has united Dutch politics: "Such a degree of unity we have not seen during this election campaign," it says. The Telegraaf features a picture of a Dutch policeman with a dog tackling a demonstrator under the headline "We're in charge here!" NRC has an interview with the prime minister, who complains the crisis has affected his ability to campaign in Wednesday's elections. The paper calls it the biggest diplomatic row of his premiership. Asked if he will apologise to Turkey, he says it was President Erdogan who likened the Netherlands to Nazi Germany, and so "he should apologise to us." German broadsheet Die Welt ran with the headline: "Erdogan has misunderstood something in international law". "Erdogan's government believes that it can apply its own authoritarian rules in foreign relations. But are consulates really the territory of a foreign state? The rules of diplomatic relations are clear," it states. Tagesspiegel, a popular broadsheet daily, wrote of "a deep crack through the Netherlands". "The relationship between the EU and Turkey is plunging into its deepest crisis," it wrote. "It seems that over the weekend new Turkish heroes were born, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters can push forward." Austrian broadsheet Wiener Zeitung ran the line that the Dutch prime minister "will not apologise to Erdogan" and "considers

Summary: Turkish newspapers are fuming at a diplomatic snub after the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria blocked the Turkish government's attempts to hold rallies in those countries.


The Labour leader said it would lead to "failed segregation for the few and second class schooling for the many" in which children "could only lose out". He suggested ex-PM David Cameron was among the many critics of the plans. But Mrs May said she backed "levelling up, not down" in education and accused Labour of denying opportunities to others which they enjoyed themselves. During exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May defended plans for more grammar schools and to allow existing state-funded schools to select pupils on the basis of academic ability. She said 1.25 million pupils were currently in schools which were "failing, inadequate or in need of improvement" and the plans - allied to the expansion of faith schools and more obligations on private schools - would give every child the high-quality education they deserved to enable them to go as far as their talents allowed. Noting that, like her, Mr Corbyn had himself gone to a grammar school, she accused Labour politicians of "stifling ambition and opportunity" and "taking the advantage of a good education for themselves and pulling up the ladder behind them". "He went to a grammar school, I went to a grammar school. It is what got us to where we are today. My side may be slightly happier than his." Mr Corbyn said it was not a question of pulling up the ladder, but ensuring all children, not just a few, were given a ladder up. The Labour leader said the 11-plus test used to admit children to grammar schools was a "life-changing division" and cited statistics suggested children from low-income households performed more poorly in grammar school areas. Claiming the plans had united the entire education profession in opposition, Mr Corbyn pressed the PM to confirm how existing grammar schools in Kent and Buckinghamshire would be required to widen their admissions criteria. "Why does the prime minister want to expand a system that can only let children down? "Every child should have the best possible education they can have. We don't need and never should divide children at the age of 11, where the majority end up losing out. "Isn't this a case of a government heading backwards to a failed segregation for the few and second class schooling for the many. Can't we do better than this?" Speculating that it may be Mr Corbyn's last PMQs as Labour leader - this was the last session before the outcome of the current leadership contest is announced - Mrs May said that whoever won the contest "the country would lose out". BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it had been Mr Corbyn's most effective PMQs performance "for ages". She said grammar schools were a risky and complex policy for the government, adding that Mrs May's "big problem" in getting it through the Commons was that Labour was "united" on the policy and the Tories were split. During PMQs, Mrs May also paid tribute to her predecessor David Cameron following his decision to step down as an MP, praising his "tremendous" record of public service.

Summary: Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May have clashed in the Commons over government plans to expand grammar schools.


Media playback is not supported on this device Muguruza beat American five-time champion Venus Williams 7-5 6-0 in Saturday's final and is expected to rise to number five in the new world rankings on Monday. The 23-year-old is now a double Grand Slam champion, having won the French Open last year. Martinez told Sportsweek: "She has the potential and she can win more." Spaniard Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, added: "She is very happy with her game. She beat the world number one, Kerber, and she can go all the way." Muguruza was ranked 15th in the world before Wimbledon but both she and Britain's Johanna Konta, who lost to Venus Williams in the semi-final, are expected to rise above former world number one Serena Williams, who is pregnant with her first child. Muguruza beat German world number one Angelique Kerber in the last 16 and seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals on the way to the title. She was beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, and was determined to avoid a repeat against her sister Venus. "I didn't want to lose this time because I know the difference. I'm so happy," she said. "I'm happy that once again I see myself winning a Grand Slam, something that is so hard to do."

Summary: New Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza can be the best player in the world, says her coach Conchita Martinez.


Bath led 38-10 at the interval, with Tom Dunn, Tom Homer, Robbie Fruean, Kahn Fotuali'i and Ford all going over. Samoan Fotuali'i crossed for his second try, as Rokoduguni and Chris Cook also scored at Ashton Gate for the visitors. Tom Varndell, Rhodri Williams and Jack Tovey went over for Bristol, but they remain third in the pool. Fly-half Ford, who has been strongly linked with a move to Premiership rivals Sale at the end of the season, contributed 20 points as Bath did the damage in the first half. Fotuali'i's double on return from an eye injury was another plus, with Todd Blackadder's team five points clear at the top of their European Challenge Cup group ahead of Cardiff Blues' trip to French Top 14 side Pau on Saturday. Bristol: Arscott; Wallace, Palamo, Pisi, Varndell; Searle, Williams; Traynor, Crumpton, Ford-Robinson, Phillips, Glynn, Lam, Robinson (capt), Eadie. Replacements: Jones, Bevington, Cortes, Nemsadze, Joyce, Cliff, Jarvis, Tovey. Bath: Homer; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Fruean, Watson; Ford (co-capt), Fotuali'i; Catt, Dunn, Lahiff, Ewels, Stooke, Mercer, Louw (co-capt), Grant. Replacements: Walker, Obano, Palma-Newport, Douglas, Mercer, Cook, Priestland, Tapuai. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.

Summary: England internationals George Ford and Semesa Rokoduguni were among the try-scorers as Bath thrashed local rivals Bristol to close in on qualification.


Representatives from Highland Council along with Scottish economy secretary Keith Brown and UK minister Andrew Dunlop attended the event. Announced in March last year, the deal involves direct funding and greater borrowing powers. There has been criticism that the funding package will not benefit the wider Highland area. The signing ceremony in Invergordon included an agreement to release £12.25m of funding on three projects. These are the Science Skills Academy STEMD, which is a a network of "science rooms" to promote learning in science and engineering, and the University of the Highlands and Islands' School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences. Also, a land remediation project which aims to make vacant land at Inverness' Longman available to businesses. Other spending planned at a later date includes about £15m to turn Inverness Castle from a criminal and civil courts building into a tourist attraction.

Summary: The £315m Inverness City Region Deal has been formally signed off in a ceremony in Invergordon.


Southampton's second 13-mile event was held on Sunday and attracted more than 6,000 runners. Race director Chris Rees said there was "definitely a demand" for a 26.2-mile (42km) run at next year's event and one could be formally announced by the autumn. More than 500 people responded to the suggestion on social media, he added. Southampton City Council has said it cannot "offer any comment at this early stage", but added it was "delighted" by the recent successes of the half marathon. The inaugural Southampton half-marathon was held last April, along a route that passes many of the city's landmarks, including the Bargate, St Mary's Stadium and Itchen Bridge. Organisers said most people who had responded to the suggestion of a full marathon favoured a separate 26-mile route, rather than the idea of running the 13-mile route twice. Mr Rees said: "This weekend showed how much the city embraces and enjoys running so it would be great to have a marathon in the city - it just has to be done right. "We've got a couple of ideas and proposals and we want to work with the council, runners and community groups and residents to make sure they are all backing the event."

Summary: Organisers of the Southampton half marathon have said they would like to introduce a full marathon to the city.


Swindon-based Gaming International Ltd, who run greyhound racing tracks in England and Japan and the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, are currently in the process of buying the club. The Gulls were taken over last summer by a group of supporters after millionaire owner Thea Bristow left. "We're getting very close to the takeover now," Phillips said. "They want to get a football club on board," Phillips told BBC South West. "I've met them and they're very, very good people. I think we need the investment, we've never hidden that - we've never had enough money to really push forward." The club were forced to drastically cut the playing budget, got rid of former manager Chris Hargreaves,closed the youth academy and had to leave their training ground. On the field, the team were 12 points adrift from safety at the bottom of the National League in February, but a run of nine wins in their last 15 league games saw them secure survival on Saturday. "I was one of the fans that saved the club back in June, but now we need to go forward and we need to get back into the Football League," added Phillips. "If we get back into the Football League it'd make a big difference to our club." Phillips is unsure whether he or his fellow directors will remain at the club should the takeover be completed. "We're not sure how the structure will be, but its conceivable that we'll still be here," he said. "I don't know that for certain yet, but that's a possibility."

Summary: A takeover of National League club Torquay United is close to completion, according to chairman David Phillips.


Fees in England are rising again, and it is the first fall in UK applications since fees were last increased in 2012. The Royal College of Nursing blamed the 23% drop in nursing applications on the removal of bursaries. Universities Minister Jo Johnson said that despite the overall drop, more 18-year-olds were applying to university. These Ucas admissions figures, up to the January deadline for courses starting in the autumn, show a 5% drop in UK students and 7% drop in students from the European Union - with a total of about 564,000. Universities have been warning about the impact of Brexit on their finances if European applications fall and these figures show a significant decline in candidates from the EU. There has also been a decline in UK students applying - and like the two previous occasions when applications have fallen - this has been when fees are being increased. The fall in applications in England of 6% has been three times greater than in Scotland at 2%, which remains without tuition fees. Applications from Wales fell most, by 7%, and Northern Ireland by 5%. Nursing had the biggest fall of any individual subject, and Janet Davies, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, blamed this on the switch from grants to fees and loans. "We warned the government the removal of student funding would see a sharp drop in nursing applications. These figures confirm our worst fears," said Ms Davies. She said the "nursing workforce is in crisis". But there were drops across other subjects - particularly among older students not applying directly from school. Among 19-year-olds, numbers were down 9%. And among 25-year-olds, applications were down 23%. But among 18-year-olds, such as sixth-formers applying from school, numbers have continued to rise to record levels, up to 37% of the age group. And there could be an upside for those who are seeking places - with universities likely to be competing to attract students. Ucas chief Mary Curnock Cook said this "tough recruitment environment for universities" would mean "unprecedented choice and opportunity for applicants". Sorana Vieru, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said the fall in applicants was "disappointing, but not a surprise". "Uncertainty around increases in tuition fees, loss of maintenance grants and the rising costs of living and studying at university are too much of a risk to some potential students," she said. Labour's shadow universities minister, Gordon Marsden, said: "We warned the government at Christmas their sneaked-out tuition fee increases and the accompanying increased debts would have damaging impacts on students and their numbers." Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: "More young people than ever are choosing to go to university, with record application rates for 18-year-olds this year as well as those from disadvantaged backgrounds."

Summary: University applications have fallen by 5% - with the decline driven by a drop in European Union students and a sharp fall in nursing applications.


The latest investment round now sees the company, a rival to Whatsapp, valued at $1.4bn (Â£767m). China's Tencent and Taiwan's Foxconn were the biggest investors in the latest cash injection. The tie-up with Tencent - the company behind China's messenger giant WeChat - is seen as key to expanding the range of services on Hike. Hike is a messenger app similar to many others, offering services such as messaging, voice calls and stickers. But the Indian app has won over many customers by including features catering to local demands such as higher privacy and the ability to send messages to be received as SMS texts. Given that many mobile phone users in India do not yet have data on their phones, the feature is a crucial advantage over competitors such as Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger. The link with China's Tencent as investor is expected to go beyond mere investment and involve collaboration on technology and knowledge. Judging by the example that the Chinese giant set with WeChat in China, it is likely to set Hike on its way to become an all-in-one app. WeChat in China offers just about everything from messaging to calling, mobile games, food deliveries and online shopping. Hike already offers mobile games, news services, stickers and coupons. "This shows you that messaging - even in India - can become a gateway to content services," Hike founder and chief executive Kavin Bharti Mittal told the BBC. "So expect us to double down on that path." The company already has plans to integrate a payment platform into its services. It is not Tencent's first foray into the Indian market. An attempt to launch their own WeChat app a few years ago was not very successful, despite significant marketing efforts. Hike was originally a joint project between Bharti and Softbank and has rapidly developed into a success story across India. The latest round of investments has added some $175m in funding with the majority coming from Tencent and Foxconn. The new money raised has lifted the company's value to what's referred to as "unicorn" status - start-ups valued at more than $1bn. Existing investors in the app, including Softbank, Bharti Enterprise and Tiger Global, also contributed to the latest cash injection. Market leader Whatsapp says it has some 100 million active users in India. In January, Hike said it had more than 100 million registered users, although the number of active users might differ from that figure.

Summary: Indian messenger app Hike has won fresh money from investors and a key partner from China.