Cdr Sarah West, 42, took charge of Type 23 frigate HMS Portland in May 2012, but left her vessel last month. A Royal Navy spokesman said Cdr West had now been "removed from command" but gave no further details saying it was an "internal matter". She would be reappointed to another post, the spokesman added. Cdr West had been on board Plymouth-based HMS Portland on a deployment since January. Last month, the Ministry of Defence confirmed it was "aware of an allegation of a breach of the code of social conduct" on board the ship, which it said it was "treating seriously". The code governs personal relationships, which are not permitted if they compromise operational effectiveness. Confirming her removal, a Royal Navy spokesman said the case was an "internal matter between the individual and her senior officers". "Cdr West will continue to serve in the Royal Navy and she will be reappointed to a post where her skills and experience can be used to best effect," the spokesman added. The spokesman said Cdr West's second-in-command had taken over the running of HMS Portland. When she took up her post in May 2012, Cdr West said it was "definitely the highlight of my 16 years in the Royal Navy so far". Cdr West, who grew up in Lincolnshire and joined the Royal Navy in 1995, previously commanded four minesweepers. There has been no confirmation that Cdr West had a relationship with a fellow officer.

Summary: The first female commander of a major Royal Navy warship has been removed from her post following allegations of an affair with one of her officers.


Both locals and immigrants joined the protest with placards saying "Africa Unite" and "Welcome foreigners". An anti-xenophobic protest also took place in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth. South Africa's army was deployed to flashpoints earlier this week to prevent further violence. At least seven people have been killed, 5,000 left homeless and many foreign-owned shops looted since the attacks started about three weeks ago. "We will defeat xenophobia like we defeated apartheid," the premier of South Africa's Gauteng province, David Makhura, told the crowd in Johannesburg. Gauteng is the economic heartland of South Africa and includes Johannesburg. Many unemployed South Africans accuse foreigners of taking their jobs. South Africa has an official unemployment rate of around 25%. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani, who was at the scene, said the crowd marched through Johannesburg's Hillbrow suburb, which some describe as Lagos because of its huge Nigerian population. Protesters sang a sorrowful song, Senzenina, or "What have we done?" It was popular at funerals of anti-apartheid activists during white-minority rule. "Mandela must be turning in his grave. This is not the South Africa he fought for," Johannesburg resident Vusi Hlongwane told the BBC. South Africa's freedom was won through such solidarity. "Africa for all" was the message shared by the tens of thousands who marched through the streets of Johannesburg. A sea of people from different parts of the continent carried banners in support of the day's event. They are hoping the same spirit that led this country to freedom will help bring unity here. The events of the past few weeks have brought shame to many South Africans and the country. But many speakers sought to remind South Africans that in the days of apartheid it was the rest of Africa that became a home for this country's leaders, reminding them that its liberation was won with the support of the entire continent. "They were welcomed with open arms and never treated how some of you are treating them now," one leader said. As they danced and sang together, calling for an end to the violence that has brought fear to some communities here, a group shouted: "This is for Mandela!" Another chanted "Mayibuye iAfrika" - an old slogan calling for the revival of Africa. For those hours, it seemed that Africa stood united. In Port Elizabeth, a silent march was held, with some protesters waving a Zimbabwean flag and and carrying placards which said: "Diversity is our strength". South Africa has faced a backlash across Africa over the attacks. Official data suggests there are about about two million foreign nationals in South Africa, about 4% of the total population. But some estimates put the number of immigrants at five million. Most of them are Africans and Asians who came to South Africa when apartheid ended in 1994, with the election of Nelson Mandela as South Africa's first black leader.

Summary: About 30,000 people have taken part in a march through South Africa's main city, Johannesburg, to demand an end to a recent wave of xenophobic attacks.


The League One team had the embargo placed on them in November because of a £300,000 bill from HM Revenue & Customs and fees owed to other clubs. The Latics won their first league game since 18 October on Saturday as they beat Gillingham 1-0 in boss John Sheridan's first game since returning. Sheridan replaced Stephen Robinson, who was sacked after six months in charge. "We'll have three or possibly four players in next week," Sheridan, 52, told BBC Radio Manchester after beating Gillingham.. "We need them and they can only add to what we've got and make us stronger."

Summary: Oldham Athletic have confirmed that they have had their transfer embargo lifted and can now sign players again.


The "drinkable book" combines treated paper with printed information on how and why water should be filtered. Its pages contain nanoparticles of silver or copper, which kill bacteria in the water as it passes through. In trials at 25 contaminated water sources in South Africa, Ghana and Bangladesh, the paper successfully removed more than 99% of bacteria. The resulting levels of contamination are similar to US tap water, the researchers say. Tiny amounts of silver or copper also leeched into the water, but these were well below safety limits. The results were presented at the 250th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, US. Dr Teri Dankovich, a postdoctoral researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, developed and tested the technology for the book over several years, working at McGill University in Canada and then at the University of Virginia. "It's directed towards communities in developing countries," Dr Dankovich said, noting that 663 million people around the world do not have access to clean drinking water. "All you need to do is tear out a paper, put it in a simple filter holder and pour water into it from rivers, streams, wells etc and out comes clean water - and dead bacteria as well," she told BBC news. The bugs absorb silver or copper ions - depending on the nanoparticles used - as they percolate through the page. "Ions come off the surface of the nanoparticles, and those are absorbed by the microbes," Dr Dankovich explained. According to her tests, one page can clean up to 100 litres of water. A book could filter one person's water supply for four years. Dr Dankovich had already tested the paper in the lab using artificially contaminated water. Success there led to the field trials which she conducted over the past two years, working with the charities Water is Life and iDE. In these trials, the bacteria count in the water samples plummeted by well over 99% on average - and in most samples, it dropped to zero. "Greater than 90% of the samples had basically no viable bacteria in them, after we filtered the water through the paper," Dr Dankovich said. "It's really exciting to see that not only can this paper work in lab models, but it also has shown success with real water sources that people are using." One location gave the paper a particularly tough challenge. "There was one site where there was literally raw sewage being dumped into the stream, which had very high levels of bacteria. "But we were really impressed with the performance of the paper; it was able to kill the bacteria almost completely in those samples. And they were pretty gross to start with, so we thought - if it can do this, it can probably do a lot." Dr Dankovich and her colleagues are hoping to step up production of the paper, which she and her students currently make by hand, and move on to trials in which local residents use the filters themselves. "We need to get it into people's hands to

Summary: A book with pages that can be torn out to filter drinking water has proved effective in its first field trials.


David Rees, who chairs the assembly's health committee, said it was "unable to reach a consensus view" on the idea. The five Labour members supported curbs on e-cigarettes, claiming their use "normalises" smoking behaviour. The idea was opposed by four opposition AMs, while Plaid Cymru's Elin Jones suggested imposing less stringent restrictions than those on tobacco. As the Labour Welsh government does not have an outright majority in the Senedd, it will need some opposition support to get the measure passed as part of the Public Health (Wales) Bill. The plan, intended to come into force in 2017 and the first in the UK, has divided opinion among health and medical groups. Some anti-smoking campaigners have opposed restrictions, saying e-cigarettes help smokers kick the habit. But Health Minister Mark Drakeford has said it is a "balance of risk", claiming restrictions on e-cigarettes will deter children from smoking. In a report on Monday, the committee said it agreed with the bill's other proposals, including a licensing scheme for tattoo and piercing parlours, and a ban on intimate piercings for under 16s.

Summary: Plans to ban the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public places have divided a group of AMs looking at the proposal.


Heavy snow affected routes across the country, including the main motorways, after the Met Office issued an amber "be prepared" warning for much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. Tulloch Bridge in Inverness-shire saw the deepest snow in Scotland with 23cm (9ins) while there was 9cm (3ins) in Aviemore. Further snow is now expected. A missing woman was airlifted to hospital after she was found unconscious in blizzard conditions in the Scottish Borders, while a car skidded on ice and fell off the road into the basement area of a building in Edinburgh. A Royal Navy Search and Rescue helicopter was used to help a sick one-year-old who had become stranded in a house near Langholm because of the snow. The youth was airlifted to hospital in Carlisle by a sea king helicopter after an ambulance became stuck in the snow and an air ambulance from Glasgow was not cleared to fly, reported the Royal Navy. Out of the 122 schools in Dumfries and Galloway, 80 have been closed because of the weather. BBC Scotland's Willie Johnston has reported "dreadful conditions" on the A75 near Carrutherstown. Meanwhile, Highland Council said 18 schools and nurseries in its area are closed because of the weather. About 10 others have been closed to pupils who have to travel by bus, or were opened later. Scottish Borders Council said three of its schools were closed, while eight schools were shut in South Lanarkshire, along with two in South Ayrshire. Flights at Inverness Airport and Kirkwall Airport were disrupted on Thursday morning while the M9 was closed for an hour between junction 5 (Bo'ness) and junction 6 (Falkirk) after a cattle lorry overturned. The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings for all of Scotland for the remainder of Thursday and Friday. The warnings will remain in place for northern and western regions of the country for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Showers of sleet, snow and hail are expected to continue through Thursday and Friday morning. Between 1-3cm of further snow could fall on lower levels. More snow and strong winds are forecast for the north and west of Scotland on Saturday and Sunday. BBC weather forecaster Darren Bett said icy conditions were expected to follow the snow on Thursday. He said: "Tonight ice is going to be more of a concern. "We have a band of wetter weather moving down from the north later in the evening. Overnight most of it will fall as rain, but there will be snow on the highest ground. "But there will be breaks in the cloud and skies will clear again, so tricky for the gritters tonight and tricky for anyone on the roads." Ch Supt Iain Murray, from Police Scotland, urged motorists to carefully plan their journeys and said localised conditions could make driving difficult. "If you do decide to travel, ensure your vehicle is well prepared before setting off; make sure your windscreens are completely free of snow and ice, and your lights are working and clean," he said. Check out the latest travel news for

Summary: Wintry weather has caused hazardous driving conditions across parts of Scotland and has led to more than 100 school closures.


It was sweet revenge for Nigeria whose senior side lost 3-2 to Claude Le Roy's Congo last year in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier - a result which ultimately denied the Super Eagles a place at the finals and a chance to defend their title. Nigeria boast a proud Olympics football record, having won gold medals at the Atlanta Games in 1996. They also finished runners-up at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where current Nigeria under-23 coach Samson Siasia (pictured) also coached the 'Dream Team' in China. On Sunday, it was Junior Ajayi who proved to be Siasia's match winner, scoring both goals just after half-time, in front of 35,000 home fans. Le Roy's Congo pulled one back in the 68th minute - but Nigeria held on to seize the first leg advantage in the under-23 level third-round qualifier. The return match is scheduled for early August and the overall winners qualify for an end-of-year tournament in Senegal from which the top three teams out of eight go to Rio. Elsewhere, a late goal blitz helped Egypt overwhelm Uganda 4-0. The Baby Pharaohs led after eight minutes in Alexandria and added three more goals in the last 15 minutes to build a huge first-leg lead. Mahmoud 'Kahraba' Abdel Moneim - bagged a brace and Mohamed Salim and Ramadan Sobhy were also on target. Egyptian TV commentators angered Uganda coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic (pictured) before the match by labelling his team a "punching bag". It looked as though Micho might have the last laugh as the east Africans recovered from falling behind to a Salim goal and even came close to levelling soon after half-time. Uganda captain and leading scorer Farouk Miya found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Mosaad Awad, but failed to score. Egypt coach Hossam El-Badry turned the tide back in favour of a country that has played at Olympics football tournaments 11 times by introducing midfielder Ahmed Rafaat midway through the second half. Rafaat set up goals for 'Kahraba' and Sobhy as the Ugandans wilted under relentless pressure. 'Kahraba' completed the rout in stoppage time by rounding goalkeeper Omar Salim and stroking the ball over the line. Adama Niane became the leading scorer in the African qualifying competition, taking his total to four goals by snatching the winner as Mali defeated Gabon 1-0 in Libreville. Niane, who is with French club Nantes, scored 13 minutes from time. Gabon were shock winners of a pre-London Olympics tournament in Morocco four years ago having eliminated Mali en route. Zambia forced a 0-0 draw with Ivory Coast in Abidjan despite having to play much of the second half with 10 men. Defender Boyd Mkandawire was sent off on 62 minutes after being shown a second yellow card, but the Ivorians failed to take advantage of their extra man. South Africa, whose previous Olympics appearance was in Sydney 15 years ago, drew 1-1 with neighbours Zimbabwe at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare on Sunday. Keagan Dolly put South Africa ahead in the 67th minute before hosts Zimbabwe were awarded a penalty seven minutes from

Summary: Nigeria edged closer towards qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics with a 2-1 victory over Congo Brazzaville in Port Harcourt.


Speaker Mitchel McLaughlin said Gregory Campbell had been "blatantly disrespectful" after he yawned loudly twice when Sinn FÃ©in member Caitriona Ruane had been speaking in Irish. It happened last Monday. Mr Campbell was barred from speaking on Monday and Tuesday. "It can be tiring listening to Sinn Fein abusing the Irish language," said Mr Campbell. "Has Caitriona Ruane nothing else better to do with her time than complain? "Does this mean every time you blow your nose someone is going to say that's inappropriate nose blowing? "This is ludicrous. It's nonsensical. "If I was feeling somewhat tired I would yawn in Westminster too. "Some people yawn quietly, some yawn loudly." Last November, Mr Campbell was barred from addressing the Northern Ireland Assembly for a day for failing to apologise for an Irish language parody. A row developed after he began his address to the assembly with: "Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer".

Summary: DUP MLA Gregory Campbell has defended his actions after being barred by the assembly speaker over what has been described as "schoolboy behaviour".


The wreck of the 3rd Century trading ship Asterix was discovered in the mouth of St Peter Port harbour entrance in the 1980s. The timbers are to go on display as part of an exhibition about a Celtic hoard of 70,000 coins. The hoard was found in a field in Jersey by two metal detector enthusiasts in 2012. The timbers have been undergoing conservation work at the Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth. Val Nelson, Jersey Heritage Trust Registrar, said the timbers from the Asterix would be on display with a scale model of the original ship. She said: "This is the first public airing for the timbers, the restoration work has just been completed. "The coin hoard will be the major part of the exhibition, but we have borrowed objects from Guernsey, Normandy and Brittany to put the hoard in context and show what was happening in this part of the world at the time. "As well as the timbers, we will have a very special piece from Normandy that is considered a French national treasure." The timbers had to be lifted into the museum gallery, on the third floor, using a large crane. The vessel is the "biggest object from Roman Britain and the most intact sea going ship [of its age] found outside the Mediterranean," said Jason Monaghan, director of Guernsey Museums, which owns the wreck. The whole ship, for which a permanent home has yet to be found, could not be included in the exhibition as it is too large at about 5m (16ft) wide and 17m (56ft) long. The exhibition opens at the Jersey Museum in St Helier on 2 June. It will visit Guernsey in 2015.

Summary: Timbers from a Gallo-Roman wreck found off Guernsey will go on display in Jersey later as part of an exhibition.


As reported by The Sun, a utility worker had planned to buy a Persimmon Homes property near Colchester. But he pulled out after learning a clause in the contract meant he would not be able to park his van outside. The town's Conservative MP Will Quince said the ban "seemed unreasonable". Persimmon has yet to respond to the BBC. LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories It is understood the restrictive covenant on homes in the new Oakwood Meadows development also bans boats and caravans from being parked either on the property or out on the road. Mr Quince said: "I am a former property solicitor and am well used to these kinds of covenants and there's always a reason why they are included. "The commercial vehicle one has always seemed unreasonable to me, particularly in a county like Essex which is an entrepreneurial county and many of those people will operate out of vans. "They cannot always afford to own a car as well so effectively you're saying van drivers are not welcome in Essex which is a particularly snobby attitude." Commonly used restrictive covenants can dictate parking arrangements, letting, the display of advertising posters on property and pets. Restrictive covenants are not only imposed on commercial or other large vehicles. Residents on a new development in Beverley, East Yorkshire, for example, are subject to a covenant banning them from hanging out the washing or airing clean clothes outdoors. Covenants prohibiting hanging washing in the front garden are not uncommon, but the one at Westwood Park covers windows, balconies, roof terraces, communal gardens and potentially even the back gardens of individual houses on the site. The developers, though, did fit every home with a washer-dryer to help the enforcement of the covenant. Other common covenants prevent occupiers from erecting fences in their front garden, keeping livestock other than domestic pets, washing their cars on the premises and removing any grassed areas. Covenants can also be imposed on who can buy a property. In Wales, for example, a covenant on a home in Maentwrog meant it could only be bought by a local person.

Summary: A housing developer has been accused of "snobbery" for banning traders from parking vans outside their homes.


Glamorgan will resume on 101-2 after being set a mammoth victory target of 554, although bad light wiped out the final session on day three. "We're behind the eight-ball as we have been for most of the game," he said. "We caught a bit of a break with bad light helping us out in the last session so we've got eight wickets to bat it out." Wallace added: "It's still a good pitch as Kent's batsmen showed and our batsmen showed at the start of our second innings, so we're very capable of batting out for a draw." James Kettleborough (52 not out) and Colin Ingram (42 not out) halted Kent's victory march with a stand of 78 after Glamorgan again lost early wickets. Earlier Kent had cruised to 451-2 before declaring just after lunch on day three, with Rob Key hitting 158 and Joe Denly making 161 not out. The target of 554 left Glamorgan needing far in excess of their previous best fourth-innings championship chase of 367. Stand-in skipper Wallace welcomed Kettleborough's highest score for the club after being out of the championship side since May. "Ketts's performances for us in the first-class game this year have shown he's got the ability to be a first-class opener," Wallace told BBC Wales Sport. "He's just been getting to 20 and getting out without quite being able to kick on. Luckily this game he's got to 50 and hopefully there's plenty of batting ahead of him tomorrow." Glamorgan managed to hold on for a draw after starting the final day with one wicket down in Canterbury in May, so Wallace knows they face a similar task in the return fixture. "There are still good balls out there, you've got to be on your mettle as a batsman and the first half-hour tomorrow will be hard work but it's a good surface. "We put ourselves in this position, we didn't bat well enough in our first innings and that let them dictate the play, "Bbut we're confident of being able to do that (bat through the day)."

Summary: Captain Mark Wallace says Glamorgan are "very capable" of salvaging a draw on the final day against Kent in Cardiff.


12 January 2016 Last updated at 09:50 GMT In an era when an 80-120 hour week was seen as standard for junior doctors, they opted to not work beyond a 40-hour week. Pay was another major issue at the heart of strike action in 1975. The rate of pay was reduced by about two-thirds after the first 44 hours of the week. The junior doctors' strike began across England at 08:00 GMT on Tuesday 12 January 2016, with junior doctors only providing emergency care. Weekend pay and concerns about safeguards to stop hospitals over-working doctors are the issues at stake.

Summary: The last major strike over pay and conditions by junior doctors was over 40 years ago in 1975.


New Zealand striker Wood finished from close range after Forest failed to clear a corner for his sixth goal in his past four league appearances. Souleymane Doukara netted a stunning 20-yard volley to seal the win. Forest went closest at 0-0 when Britt Assombalonga forced an excellent save from goalkeeper Robert Green. An entertaining game was short on clear chances until the visitors were made to pay for two lapses in concentration at set-pieces. Forest, who stay 19th and five points above the relegation zone, fell to their first defeat since Philippe Montanier was sacked and Gary Brazil was placed in interim charge on 14 January. Leeds climbed above Reading and Huddersfield in the table and they are seven points behind second-placed Newcastle, having played a game more then their promotion rivals. Garry Monk's side have won 10 of their 12 Championship games at Elland Road since losing to Huddersfield on 10 September, their only defeat in that time being against Newcastle in November. Leeds have also kept six successive clean sheets at home in all competitions. Leeds head coach Garry Monk told BBC Radio Leeds: "Credit to Forest in the first half - their game plan to slow the tempo was lowering our intensity and pace of play, which was making it difficult for us and making it a much more even game. "I said at half-time that we needed to up our intensity and we made a couple of tweaks. We looked very dangerous, controlled the second half, scored two really good goals and could have had a few more. "The pleasing bit was that we bounced back from a defeat. It's something that we talked about in pre-season, something that we felt was important as a group - if we suffer a defeat, we make sure we react straight away. That was the pleasing bit because that was the most important bit." Nottingham Forest interim boss Gary Brazil told BBC Radio Nottingham: "I felt in the first half we were the better team, we got ourselves a couple of good chances we didn't take, we defended well and played some good football. We knew our opponents, and knew they were in good form and handled it fantastically in the first half. "In the second half we lost tempo, it's something we'll work on, we need to maintain the tempo from the first half and we didn't, we fell away a bit. "We lost to a set-piece and a worldie goal. I didn't think there was much in the teams at all, there was a lot in the performance to be pleased with, we need to get fitter and we know we need to keep working on the training ground." Match ends, Leeds United 2, Nottingham Forest 0. Second Half ends, Leeds United 2, Nottingham Forest 0. Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Pontus Jansson. Attempt blocked. Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Luke Ayling (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick

Summary: Chris Wood's 20th goal of the season helped Leeds United to victory over Nottingham Forest, which took them up to third in the Championship.


The Championship club had been in talks with the former owner of San Diego Padres. However, Al Hasawi, who took control at the City Ground in 2012, says negotiations have "come to an end". "A deal as it stands is not in the interests of the long-term future of our club," said the Kuwaiti. "We feel strongly that we have acted in good faith on behalf of the club and its fans." In October, it was reported that Moores, who had previously been interested in buying Premier League side Everton, was on the verge of securing a £50m deal to take an 80% stake in the East Midlands club. The American was reportedly ready to finalise the deal on 22 December, but was waiting for final sign-off from Al Hasawi. Two-time European Cup winners Forest are 20th in the Championship after 25 games, two points above the relegation places. Forest had been under a transfer embargo since January 1 due to a delay in submitting audited accounts, but that was lifted on Friday. Former Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Jermaine Jenas on BBC Radio 5 live "The fanbase will be devastated. I am a Forest fan and am disappointed by it too. I know they were looking forward to that takeover. "There were a few names linked with the club in terms of who would be brought in to help bring stability, growth and get the club back to where it belongs. "This just digs deeper into the fans' hearts in terms of bad news for the season."

Summary: Nottingham Forest's proposed takeover by a United States-based consortium led by John Jay Moores has collapsed, according to owner Fawaz Al Hasawi.


The fourth seed lost 10-6 to qualifier Michael Holt on Tuesday, becoming the fifth former champion to lose in the first round at the Crucible this year. But Robertson, who won the UK Championship in December, said: "The season's been fantastic. "I played great in the Masters, I played great in the Welsh Open - even at the China Open." The 34-year-old added: "It's probably the best match I've played all season and got beat." Robertson beat Liang Wenbo to win the UK Championship and then reached the final of the Welsh Open, losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Also this season, the Cambridge-based Australian was edged out by Judd Trump in a classic quarter-final at the Masters, but won the Champion of Champions event. Media playback is not supported on this device Robertson said he had played some of his best snooker leading up to his Crucible defeat, which he put down to a run of misfortune. "I said coming into the World Championship that it's probably the best season I've had to date," the 2010 world champion said. "I've played really well, but snooker's a funny game. It's very frustrating when you don't always get the right kind of rub - you watch tennis and know if you play better than the other guy, you win. "But that's the game we play. It can create mini-upsets. I suppose if it was the top four players in the world getting to the semis, it'd be pretty boring." Robertson continued: "Michael played a great match - nothing really went right for me. "He's got to take credit for taking advantage, because even though he's coming to the table and the balls are all there, he still has to pot them." Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app.

Summary: Neil Robertson still feels he has had the best season of his career, despite a surprise World Championship exit.


Some 121 patients called at the hospital on 4 and 5 January - up 46 on the previous year. The spike coincided with a flu outbreak which forced the closure of ward 12. General Manager for Diagnostics, Nicole Hamlet, said the hospital had continued to provide "high quality care" at the "most challenging part" of the year. She said dealing with illness over winter months brought "additional challenges" such as ward closures. "We have robust planning measures in place to respond to this peak in activity," she said. "Contingency measures have been in place over recent weeks to cope with the anticipated extra demand on the service, particularly over the festive break. "We had planned to keep our non-urgent elective operations to a minimum at this busy time." She said that despite admission pressures they had been able to "maintain patient flow throughout the service". Ms Hamlet said that was due in "great part" to the "dedication and commitment" of staff across the NHS and their partners. "Their dedication, support and ability to work under pressure have proved invaluable," she said.

Summary: NHS chiefs have praised staff who helped to cope with a 60% surge in emergency admissions to Dumfries Infirmary at the start of the new year.


Former Gower AM Edwina Hart backed steel-coating firm Kancoat despite a warning of a "weak" business plan. The Tories claim she may have broken the code because the firm was based near her constituency and she did not consult with the first minister. The Welsh Government said the code was not broken. Mrs Hart, who stood down from the assembly at the election in May, has been asked to comment. Paragraph 4.4 of the Welsh Government's ministerial code, which sets out standards for their conduct, states: "Where ministers have to take decisions on their own portfolios which might have a particular impact on their own constituencies or electoral regions, they must take particular care to avoid any possible conflict of interest. "Where ministers are uncertain about whether a conflict arises between their ministerial and constituency/regional responsibilities they should consult the first minister, for a decision as to how the business is to be handled." A Freedom of Information request by the Welsh Conservatives found there was no record of any meeting between Mrs Hart and the first minister to discuss the granting of financial support to Kancoat. Kancoat, which was based at the old Alcoa factory in Waunarlwydd, Swansea, was set up to coat metal used to make food cans and other products. It was based less than half a mile outside Mrs Hart's Gower constituency. Between May 2012 and February 2014 Kancoat was given a mix of loans and grants totalling £3.4m by the Welsh Government in decisions signed off by Mrs Hart. The bulk of the support was given after the Welsh Government's own financial due-diligence reviewer raised concerns about Kancoat's financial projections in February 2013. The review said Kancoat's business plan "appears weak and inconsistent" and the project was identified as high risk. A request for support had previously been turned down by the government's investment arm Finance Wales due to an "unacceptably high" risk. The company went into administration in September 2014. A Wales Audit Office report in July revealed the company owed the government £2.6m - it created 12 jobs but ran into difficulties when it struggled to maintain its supply of steel. Sir Alistair Graham, who chaired the UK's Committee on Standards in Public Life from 2004 to 2007, told BBC Wales he believed possible jobs for Ms Hart's constituents led to a potential conflict of interest. Suzy Davies, Tory AM for South Wales West, said: "The decision comes off the back of a series of poor financial decisions made by the Welsh Government. "I feel strongly that there needs to be an overhaul of the ministerial code, which in its current state lacks independence and transparency. "It cannot be right that the first minister is the sole arbitrator of these rules." Responding to the Conservative claims, a Welsh Government spokeswoman said: "The previous minister did not break the ministerial code." The government had previously said the decision to support Kancoat was based on projections that more than 30 jobs would be created. It has also pointed out that the factory was outside Mrs Hart's Gower

Summary: An ex-economy minister has been accused by the Welsh Conservatives of breaking the ministerial code by approving £3.4m aid for a firm which later went bust.


Kerosene leaked from a pipeline near Nantycaws, Carmarthenshire, into nearby Nant Pibwr, with dead fish spotted. The Welsh Government said the A48 will close in both directions from the Nantycaws turning to Carmarthen from 19:00 BST on Friday until 06:00 Monday. Traffic will be diverted through Nantycaws and Llangunnor. Rural Affairs Secretary Lesley Griffiths visited the site of the spill on Saturday. In a letter to assembly members, she confirmed the scale of the spill was bigger than previously thought.

Summary: Details of when a main road will close for repair work to a damaged fuel pipeline that leaked more than 140,000 litres of oil have been confirmed.


The full-back, 25, was hurt in Town's 3-1 defeat by Millwall on 9 April - his first game since last December - and a scan has shown he needs surgery to repair ligaments. "It's disappointing - he's just got back into the side," assistant boss Mike Jackson told BBC Radio Shropshire. "Hopefully he'll get it sorted and be back playing as quickly as he can." Demetriou, who is out of contract in the summer, has made 50 appearances for Shrewsbury, scoring three goals, since joining from Kidderminster Harriers in June 2014. He spent the first half of this season on loan at Cambridge United and returned to the Shrews in January. Following last season's automatic promotion, Shrewsbury are trying to avoid an immediate return to League Two over their final six games. One point clear of the relegation zone, Town have a tough-looking start to their run-in with back-to-back home games against fourth-placed Bradford City and Sheffield United before trips to Gillingham, in sixth, and automatic-promotion chasers Walsall. Micky Mellon's side then finish with two games against mid-table sides - Peterborough, currently 14th and Swindon in 16th.

Summary: Shrewsbury Town defender Mickey Demetriou will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury.


The 21-year-old had already been absent earlier this season with a knee problem that had limited him to just one first-grade appearance. The Warriors have also lost prop Tony Clubb for an indeterminate spell while he undergoes an routine operation. Clubb, 29, has a medical condition but is expected to make a full recovery. He has played nine games this season, including the World Club Challenge success against NRL premiers Cronulla Sharks in February. "Unfortunately sport can be cruel and this is definitely the case for both Tony and Jake," rugby director Kris Radlinski said. "It's a tough pill to swallow but we will give them all of our support, as I'm sure will the Wigan fans and we look forward to seeing them back out on the field playing for Wigan."

Summary: Wigan Warriors half-back Jake Shorrocks is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury sustained in non-contact training.


With just one game remaining and only the group winners to qualify, Nigeria cannot make up their five-point deficit to table-toppers Egypt. Ramadan Sobhy's 65th-minute winner puts Egypt on the verge of qualification. Egypt face Tanzania in June and will book their place in Gabon with any result better than a 3-0 defeat. Nigeria won the Nations Cup in 2013 but have now suffered back-to-back eliminations in qualifying. They threw everything forward to find an equaliser on Tuesday and came close when West Ham winger Victor Moses crashed a shot against the post in the 84th minute. The match in Alexandria became a virtually all-or-nothing tie for Nigeria after Chad withdrew from the group on Sunday, citing financial difficulties, and all results from their matches were erased. That left only three teams in Group G and in accordance with the rules of the Confederation of African Football only the winner would qualify for the finals. Egypt have seven points with one match to play, against bottom club Tanzania, who have only one point but two games remaining. To have any chance of qualification Tanzania would need to beat Egypt by a better scoreline than the 3-0 defeat they suffered in Egypt last June because head-to-head records would come into effect if the sides finished level on points. Tanzania would still have to beat Nigeria in their final match in September.

Summary: Nigeria have failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations after falling to a 1-0 defeat in Egypt in their Group G match on Tuesday.


Tomomi Inada, a close ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stepped down over an alleged cover-up of documents on a controversial peacekeeping deployment. She was seen as an Abe protÃ©gÃ©, sharing his staunchly nationalist views. Her resignation comes as the prime minister sees a sharp plunge in public support over alleged cronyism. The 58-year-old Mrs Inada had already been widely expected to be replaced in a cabinet reshuffle next week that the prime minister hopes will help rebuild his ratings. The row over the South Sudan peacekeeping mission erupted in December when the defence ministry said peacekeepers' logs for July, when the security situation there was worsening, had been discarded. But two months later officials said they had found the data on a computer, leading to allegations that the logs had been withheld on purpose. Peacekeeping missions are controversial in Japan, which has a pacifist constitution. Japanese peacekeepers are only deployed under strict conditions, including that a cease-fire must be in place. Any change in the security situation in South Sudan could have affected whether the mission would continue. Mrs Inada was appointed defence minister in 2016. But her months in the position have seen a series of gaffes. She particularly came under fire for suggesting in a speech that the military wanted voters to back the ruling party. Mr Abe apologised to the country on Friday immediately after Mrs Inada's resignation. He also said that for the time being, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida would add the defence portfolio to his duties. In his years in power, Mr Abe has taken the controversial position that nation needs to change the pacifist constitution to formalise the existence of the military. Japan is highly divided on the issue and claims the defence ministry has not been transparent over the South Sudan deployment will likely fuel public scepticism. The prime minister is also facing plummeting support amid two patronage scandals. He denies wrongdoing, but his approval ratings have fallen below 30% according to recent polls. The opposition, however, has so far failed to capitalise on his unpopularity. On Thursday opposition leader Renho, who goes by one name, stepped down in order to take responsibility for the opposition's weakness.

Summary: The woman once seen as on track to becoming Japan's first female prime minister has resigned as defence minister.


Ian Stewart, 56, was convicted of secretly drugging and suffocating Ms Bailey in a plot to inherit her near-Â£4m fortune. Her body was found under their home in Royston, Hertfordshire, last July. Judge Andrew Bright QC said it was "difficult to imagine a more heinous crime". After the sentencing, the family of Stewart's late wife, Diane, said they supported a police re-investigation into her sudden death in 2010. Stewart reported Ms Bailey missing three months before her body was found in the "foul-smelling" cesspit alongside the corpse of her dachshund Boris. Murdered author 'more than a victim' A life shaped by death Sentencing at St Albans Crown Court, Judge Bright QC said Stewart had spun a "calculated and callous series of lies" in a bid to convince police, relatives and friends that his bride-to-be had genuinely gone missing. Ms Bailey had been "excitedly making arrangements" for the pair's wedding while Stewart was "planning how to kill her, hide her body and explain her disappearance as a case of an anxious woman running off because she could no longer cope with the more stressful aspects of her life", the judge said. Stewart, who wooed the widow after meeting her via a bereavement website, employed a "significant degree of planning and premeditation" before the killing, the court heard. During his trial, the prosecution said Stewart had played "the long game" in order to inherit Ms Bailey's fortune, made from the publication of more than 20 books. He plied her with the sleeping drug zopiclone in the weeks leading up to her death, and killed her beloved dog to make his "wicked lies...sound credible to those who knew her well", Judge Bright QC said. As he handed Stewart a life sentence, the judge said financial gain had been the "principal motive" for the killing. "You knew Helen Bailey to be a wealthy woman but were not content with having to share in her wealth as her husband. Instead you wanted it all for yourself," the judge said. "I am firmly of the view that you currently pose a real danger to women with whom you form a relationship," Judge Bright QC said. Ms Bailey penned the Electra Brown series of teen novels, and was also praised for her blog - Planet Grief - in which she talked about the death of her husband John Sinfield. "The world has lost a gifted author and her family and friends will have to live the rest of their lives with the deep sense of loss your wicked crime has inflicted upon them," the judge told Stewart. As a result of the case, detectives are now re-examining the death of Stewart's wife Diane, who died after an epileptic seizure at the couple's home in Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, in 2010. Stewart, who refused to appear via videolink from prison, was also found guilty of preventing Ms Bailey's lawful burial, fraud and three counts of perverting the course of justice. He had denied murder, claiming two men called Nick and Joe had kidnapped Ms Bailey in April last year and blackmailed him

Summary: The "wicked" fiance of children's author Helen Bailey, who murdered her and dumped her body in a cesspit, has been jailed for 34 years.


Eighty-five per cent of all births in Brazilian private hospitals are caesareans and in public hospitals the figure is 45%. The new rules oblige doctors to inform women about the risks and ask them to sign a consent form before performing a caesarean. Doctors will also have to justify why a caesarean was necessary. They will have to fill in a complete record of how the labour and birth developed and explain their actions. Each pregnant woman will now be assigned medical notes which record the history of her pregnancy, which she can take with her if she changes doctors. The new rules are designed to reduce unnecessary surgical procedures, and ensure pregnant women are aware of the risks associated with caesareans. However, experts say that a scarcity of maternity beds and wards equipped to deal with natural births means that for many women in Brazil, caesarean birth is seen as the best option. "The best way to guarantee yourself a bed in a good hospital is to book a caesarean," Pedro Octavio de Britto Pereira, an obstetrician and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said in an interview with BBC Brasil last year. Women who want to give birth naturally in a private hospital have reported finding all the beds are reserved for scheduled deliveries. There have been numerous reports of women going into labour without a caesarean scheduled and being forced to travel from hospital to hospital in search of a bed. Researchers say many women also see caesareans as more civilised and modern, and natural birth as primitive, ugly and inconvenient. In Brazil's body-conscious culture, where there is little information given about childbirth, there is also huge concern that natural birth can make women sexually unattractive. Many doctors prefer caesareans too, as they can plan the time of a birth, and feel more protected from litigation. Gynaecologist Renato Sa told BBC Brasil: "Doctors are responsible for what happens and in a situation of risk they chose a caesarean, because if there is a death or complication they will be asked why they didn't do this. Doctors are afraid of natural childbirth."

Summary: New rules have come into force in Brazil aimed at reducing the country's high number of caesarean births.


Dwr Cymru Welsh Water also announced that finance director Chris Jones will be taking on the chief executive role when Nigel Annett steps down. The firm, with three million customers, said it had kept bills to the same level in real terms as in 2001. Meanwhile, research by Cardiff University claims the company is worth £1bn a year to the Welsh economy. Its financial results come in a different form to companies with shares on the stock market. It is owned by the not-for-profit company Glas Cymru and savings or efficiencies are ploughed back into Dwr Cymru or used to keep bills as low as possible. Mr Annett, with Mr Jones, founded Glas Cymru 12 years ago, and he said the idea stems from the notion that having a public service company, which is a monopoly, being run on the basis of profit maximisation for shareholders does not work in the customers' interest. He said there were cases where the Glas Cymru non-profit model of ownership could work elsewhere in other businesses and industries. Mr Jones said of the job awaiting him: "There are some big challenges ahead. "We're a company that has to have a long-term vision, looking to invest in assets that will be around for the next for the next 20, 30 and 40 years, so we have to make the right decisions. "We have to balance that investment with the need to strive to keep bills down for our customers as well because everyone is feeling the pinch in difficult circumstances." Research also published on Thursday by Cardiff Business School said that Dwr Cymru contributes £1bn into the Welsh economy every year. The study claims for every £1 spent by the company, another 56p is generated for the rest of the Welsh economy. The report also quotes the water regulator Ofwat saying that between 2009/10 and 2014/15 Dwr Cymru customers face the lowest increase in average household bills of all water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. On top of the £338m spent on infrastructure last year, the company is committing another £650m over the next two years, which it is argued will employ 1,000 construction workers. The company has also reported that their financial reserves amount to £1.6bn, that's a tenfold increase compared with 2001 when Dwr Cymru was taken over by Glas Cymru. Dwr Cymru's borrowing or gearing has also come down. It now stands at 63% compared with 65% last year and 93% in 2001.

Summary: Welsh Water put £338m into capital projects in the past year, up £76m on 2012, its financial results show.


She was speaking ahead of her party's two-day conference in Glasgow. Ms Davidson told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that she believed the SNP government did not have a mandate for indyref2. She added that if First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called one she would take a "pretty big hit". Ms Davidson explained: "I don't think the FM, even by her own measure, has the right to do it [call a second referendum]. "She doesn't have a mandate for it, she doesn't have popular support for it and I think she will take a pretty big hit when you see how many people across Scotland don't want dragged back to a second independence referendum and if she insists on trying to call one I think she will take a pretty big hit." Prime Minister Theresa May also focused on the issue of independence during a BBC Scotland interview on Thursday. She told Jackie Bird that the SNP had a "tunnel vision" over wanting a second referendum. That led Ms Sturgeon to say that Mrs May's Westminster government had "no mandate" in Scotland. The PM will address Tory party members later. Ms Davidson, who will make her keynote speech to the conference on Saturday afternoon, said Ms Sturgeon had failed to show that she had public support for a second independence vote. She told presenter Gary Robertson: "She [Nicola Sturgeon] also said that she would only have a right to call one if she changed public opinion. "Now, not only has public opinion not changed, but public opinion over whether to call a referendum has gone, down and down and down." Ms Davidson was also quizzed about whether Scotland might receive more devolved powers as a result of Brexit negotiations. She said she had no "ideological objection to absolutely everything coming to Holyrood". However, the MSP said that the decisions made needed to protect the current market agriculture and fisheries had with the rest of the UK.

Summary: Scotland's Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has said there is no popular support for a second Scottish independence referendum.


The Austrian film-maker was also named best director, while the film's star Emmanuelle Riva won best actress. The French-language drama tells the story of an elderly couple dealing with the aftermath of a devastating stroke. It previously won Cannes' Palme D'Or. Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor by the panel of 60 critics. He received his award for playing America's 16th president in in Steven Spielberg's historical drama Lincoln. The movie, which will be released in the UK on 20 January, also won best screenplay. Amy Adams was chosen for the best supporting actress accolade, for her role in The Master, while Matthew McConaughey received best supporting actor for his films Magic Mike and Bernie. The National Society of Film Critics includes some of the most prominent movie writers in the US, including Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times and Kenneth Turan of the LA Times. They gathered at the Lincoln Center in New York to choose their winners, with the evening dedicated to the memory of Village Voice critic Andrew Sarris, a founding member of the society, who died last year. Elsewhere, the Houston film critics' society named Ben Affleck's political thriller Argo its favourite film of the year. Jennifer Lawrence picked up best actress for comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook while Day-Lewis again won best actor for Lincoln. Critics' awards are seen as key steps towards the Oscars. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had until Friday night to cast their ballots, with the nominations announced this Thursday, 10 January.

Summary: Michael Haneke's heartbreaking drama Amour has been voted the best picture of 2012 by the US National Society of Film Critics.


Glencoe, Loch Ness and Loch Lomond have been ranked among the top 10 best views in the UK. The highest place went to Snowdon in Wales, followed by the Three Sisters at Glencoe. Stonehenge in Wiltshire came out third, but we asked for your favourite views from around Scotland. Here we've collected some of the very best of the pictures you've sent us.

Summary: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.


The researchers say that soda is more effective than current methods and less damaging to the environment. The team have already successfully trialled microcapsules filled with the substance. They believe that the baking soda approach could be 40% cheaper than existing technology. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is believed by many scientists and politicians to be a critical element in global attempts to avoid dangerous levels of climate change caused by CO2 emissions. The burning of coal, gas and oil for energy production remains the single biggest source of the gas. For years researchers have been working to build experimental technology that would capture CO2 from chimneys and flue pipes before it gets into the atmosphere. The gas would then be buried permanently, deep underground. Indeed the promises made in Paris Climate Agreement to limit global temperatures to "well below" 2 degrees will need significant deployment of CCS. "Nobody can see us keeping temperatures increases below 1.5 degrees without these technologies," said Dr Oliver Geden at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. "Yet there hasn't been any debate about this technology and it doesn't exist at scale." The equipment and chemicals that need to be built on to a power station to extract the CO2 are known to be expensive and cumbersome. While governments and industry both recognise the benefits of such a system, they have been unwilling to put up the large amounts of cash needed. Late last year the UK government pulled the plug on a Â£1bn competition to build a scaled-up version of the technology. Scientists are now looking at other materials to see if they can achieve the same impact but at a lower cost. At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, they believe that baking soda could be a key ingredient for curbing the carbon. They've created microcapsules that have a liquid solution of sodium carbonate (also known as soda ash) at their core, surrounded by a polymer shell that allows CO2 to flow through. The tiny blue balls sit in an aqueous solution which prevents them from sticking together. When they come in contact with CO2 they change colour to a yellowish brown. Exposure of sodium carbonate to CO2 and water creates sodium bicarbonate - otherwise known as baking soda. "The whole idea is that by making these individual capsules you can have a dramatically increased surface area, so if they clump together you can decrease that," said researcher Congwang Ye. "You really want to have them separated." The scientists say that current CCS techniques using chemicals like monoethanolamine are toxic and expensive and create as many problems as they solve. The LLNL team believe that baking soda can do an effective job at a much lower price. "Like all the commercial CO2 schemes we have today, the goal for large scale implementation is taking many tonnes of gas from a power plant and finding geological features deep underground where we can inject that CO2 and it will stay indefinitely," said Joshua Stolaroff, an environmental researcher at Livermore. "Microcapsule solvents like we've

Summary: Scientists in California are testing sponges made with the key ingredient of baking soda as a way of capturing carbon emissions.


UK passport holder Lee Bo, 65 - also known as Paul Lee - is one of five booksellers who have gone missing. All five men worked for a publisher known for books critical of China. Activists fear they have been detained by Chinese officials. The Foreign Office said it was "deeply concerned". The disappearances have sparked fury from lawmakers and activists in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, adding to growing unease that freedoms in the city are being eroded, the BBC's Hong Kong correspondent Juliana Liu said. Mr Lee is the latest bookseller to go missing, after raising the alarm about four of his colleagues at publishing house Mighty Current, who disappeared in October. He disappeared last week and was last seen in Hong Kong. A letter faxed to his bookshop, apparently written by Mr Lee, says he travelled to China on his own and is fine. Activists believe the letter is genuine - but was written under duress. However, Mr Lee's wife, Sophie Choi, has withdrawn her request for police to help find him saying he has been in contact. She had previously told the BBC she was "really afraid" about his whereabouts. The 'unprecedented' case of the missing Hong Kong bookseller Hong Kong bookstore disappearances shock publishing industry Speaking at a news conference in Beijing alongside his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Mr Hammond said he had raised concerns about Mr Lee's whereabouts. "These people have gone missing. A Mr Lee Bo, who is a British passport holder, has gone missing and we have urgently enquired both of the Hong Kong authorities and of the mainland Chinese authorities what if anything they know of his whereabouts," he said. Mr Wang told journalists the missing bookseller was "first and foremost a Chinese citizen", while the Chinese foreign ministry has said other countries had "no right to interfere". But Mr Hammond said that any charges against Mr Lee should be dealt with in Hong Kong, not mainland China. "Our view is that the Basic Law, the joint declaration, the principle of One Country Two Systems means that in a question of any breach of Hong Kong laws the question must be settled in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong judicial system." Mr Lee's disappearance has sparked an outcry in Hong Kong, where some suspect he may have been kidnapped and illegally transported across the border to mainland China - in a process akin to extraordinary rendition. Activists believe he may have been detained because of a book about the private life of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The BBC's correspondent in Beijing, Steve Evans, said the booksellers had been publishing "pretty scurrilous stuff about mainland Chinese politicians" which was freely available in Hong Kong, but had been seeping over into mainland China. If they have been snatched by the Chinese authorities, that would represent a breach of the guarantees made by China to Britain when Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997, he said. "It matters for Hong Kong, because if there is perceived to be an erosion of the rule of

Summary: The UK has "urgently enquired" for information from Chinese and local officials after a British bookseller disappeared in Hong Kong, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.


Replays showed the Wales international was onside when he struck during Monday's 0-0 Premier League draw. Rugby officials have access to instant replays of incidents during matches. "To look at a video for 20 seconds would maybe have changed the outcome of the game," said Ramsey, 24. He added: "We can take a leaf out of rugby's book. They do it really well. "You see on the screens, they go up there for 20 seconds and they get the decision right in the end. Football can learn something from that." Ramsey's effort would have given the Gunners an early lead at Emirates Stadium on Monday. Television replays indicated he was in line with Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel when he collected Santi Cazorla's pass and finished past keeper Simon Mignolet. Speaking after the game, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said assistant referee Simon Bennett had got the decision wrong. It was the second time in two games the Reds have benefitted from a contentious offside decision. On 17 August, what proved to be striker Christian Benteke's winner against Bournemouth at Anfield was wrongly allowed to stand despite team-mate Philippe Coutinho being in an offside position. Football's lawmakers the International Football Association Board delayed trials of video technology for at least least 12 months at a meeting in February. The Dutch FA had wanted to extend its trial of having a video official in the stadium watching replays and advising the referee on key decisions via a headset. Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said at the time: "It's a question of making the biggest decision ever in the way football is played."

Summary: Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey wants football to follow rugby's lead on video technology after he had a goal controversially disallowed for offside against Liverpool.


Alvaro Negredo ended a goal drought which stretched back to the opening day of the season when he put Boro ahead following a neat exchange of passes with Gaston Ramirez. Riyad Mahrez equalised from the penalty spot after Calum Chambers was judged to have handled. Negredo looked to have given Boro the points when he latched on to a long ball from Adam Forshaw and clinically dispatched a low shot past Foxes goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. But Slimani converted from the spot in the fourth minute of injury-time after Wes Morgan was fouled by Marten de Roon. Relive Leicester v Middlesbrough as it happened Saturday's Premier League reaction There were murmurs of discontent from the home fans at the King Power Stadium, but Leicester's players rolled up their sleeves and fought right to the final whistle. For large parts of the game, the Foxes lacked any kind of zip or purpose about their play. Crucially, though, they kept going and salvaged a valuable point. It came on the back of Tuesday's 2-1 win over Club Brugge, which secured their passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a game to spare. Importantly, it ensured Leicester did not slip to a third successive Premier League defeat. "We showed fantastic character," said Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri. "Lucky is someone who believes in something more." Media playback is not supported on this device Negredo, who is on a season-long loan from Valencia, found the net for the first time since Boro's 1-1 draw against Stoke City on 13 August. It was not just the powerful Spaniard's finishing that caught the eye at the King Power Stadium either. Negredo held the ball up, linked up the play and was generally a handful for the Leicester defence. He scored 23 goals in 48 appearances for Manchester City en route to helping them win the Premier League title in 2013-14. This display was reminiscent of those days. Given his side's overall lack of goals this season, Boro boss Aitor Karanka will hope it represents the start of a hot streak for Negredo. While Negredo was back among the goals, Jamie Vardy's struggles to find the net continue. Vardy has not scored for the champions since 10 September - a run of 15 games. His form is in stark contrast to a year ago, when he scored for a record 11th Premier League game in a row. Without Danny Drinkwater, suspended for three matches for elbowing Watford's Valon Behrami, Leicester tried too many high balls, which did not utilise Vardy's strengths. But irrespective of that, Vardy's performance was subdued, as was his body language. He could have few complaints when substituted with 25 minutes left. Media playback is not supported on this device Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri: "We are fighting for a relegation battle. Now we could be tired but fortunately the character and spirit of the group is good. We knew it was a tough match. Twice fighting back is not easy. "It was difficult to surprise Middlesbrough, who showed good football to score twice. It's a

Summary: Islam Slimani's injury-time penalty rescued a point for Leicester as they came from behind twice against Middlesbrough.


It happened at about 08:25 on the A737 at Lauchlan Way, near Ayrshire College. The Scottish Ambulance Service said one person had been freed after being trapped in a vehicle. No-one on the bus was thought to have been injured. The college has tweeted that there may be some disruption to classes this morning due to a "major traffic incident". Two ambulances and a special incident support vehicle were sent to the scene, the ambulance service said.

Summary: Two people have been injured after a crash involving a car and a bus in Kilwinning in North Ayrshire.


Essiedu scooped best performance in a play at the UK Theatre Awards, which reward shows produced outside London. The 26-year-old played Shakespeare's prince in Stratford-upon-Avon. Two musicals from Sheffield's Crucible Theatre - Flowers For Mrs Harris and Show Boat - led the other winners, while Vanessa Redgrave and Sir Ian McKellen received honorary awards. Essiedu said his award was "a huge honour" and that the fact he was the RSC's first black Hamlet was "significant and insignificant at the same time". He said: "It's significant in that the RSC is a national organisation that should represent everyone in our country regardless of your creed, colour, religion, sexuality, whatever. "As such you would expect something like this to have happened before. But I think it was really important that it was happening now and we were really proud of the work that we did." Sir Ian McKellen was given an award for his outstanding contribution to British theatre and told the ceremony about the importance of his visits to the three theatres in his home town of Bolton in his youth. "If it hadn't been for those local theatres, where I did my first theatregoing, I wouldn't be an actor, of course not," the 77-year-old said. The number of theatres around the country has declined since then, he said - but he added that the standards in those that now exist, like Bolton's Octagon, were often higher than in the past. Vanessa Redgrave was presented with the Gielgud Award for excellence in the dramatic arts and told the audience she believed theatre "helps keep society sane". "And boy do we need to be kept sane at the moment. And if I've helped along the way," she added with a laugh, "I'm glad." Among the other winners, Flowers For Mrs Harris and Show Boat, both directed by Sheffield Theatres' former artistic director Daniel Evans, shared the award for best musical production. Clare Burt won best performance in a musical for Flowers for Mrs Harris, a new musical that was adapted from a 1958 novel by Paul Gallico. Rebecca Trehearn picked up best supporting performance for playing Julie La Verne in Sheffield's production of classic musical Show Boat, which later transferred to the West End. The prize for best new play went to Cuttin' It by Charlene James, a drama about female genital mutilation among teenage girls in the UK. An operatic adaptation of Sarah Kane's innovative and intense play 4:48 Psychosis by the Royal Opera and Guildhall School Of Music and Drama earned the prize for achievement in opera. Choreographer Gary Clarke, who picked up the achievement in dance accolade for Coal, his show about the 1980s mining industry, dedicated it to his home town of Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, and other mining communities. And a theatre in a restored 18th Century flour mill on the outskirts of Reading, The Mill at Sonning, was voted the UK's most welcoming theatre. The UK Theatre Awards do not cover National Theatre productions or West End shows unless they have transferred from a theatre outside the capital. The

Summary: Paapa Essiedu, the first black actor to play Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company, has won a top theatre award.


The latest round of bloody protests over Oromo rights had a tragically surreal beginning. A bus filled with a wedding party taking the bride to the groom's home was stopped at a routine checkpoint on 12 February near the southern Ethiopian town of Shashamane. Local police told revellers to turn off the nationalistic Oromo music playing. They refused and the bus drove off. The situation then rapidly escalated and reports indicate at least one person died and three others were injured after police fired shots. The exact details of the incident are hard to verify, but what is clear is that days of protest followed, including armed local militia clashing with federal police, leaving seven policemen dead, the government says. Oromia at a glance: Why Ethiopia is making a historic ‘master plan’ U-turn Since last November, Ethiopia has seen a third phase of the recent unrest in the Oromia region which has been unprecedented in its longevity and geographical spread. The region is the largest in Ethiopia and the Oromos, who make up a third of the population, are the biggest of the country's more than 80 ethnic groups. Initially the protests were in reaction to a plan to expand the administrative border of the capital, Addis Ababa, which is encircled by Oromia. But even after the region's governing party, the Oromo People's Democratic Organisation, which is part of Ethiopia's governing coalition, shelved the plan in January, protests have continued. "There is a strong sense of victimhood, extending back 150 years," says Daniel Berhane, a prominent Addis Ababa-based political blogger, covering Ethiopia for the website Horn Affairs. "People remember the history. The scars are still alive, such as how the Oromo language was suppressed until 20 years ago." Despite there being an ethnic basis to these protests, observers say that the deeper issues behind them, frustrations over land ownership, corruption, political and economic marginalisation, are familiar to many disenchanted Ethiopians. The numbers killed since November following clashes between protesters and security forces given by international rights organisations, activists and observers range from 80 to 250. The government has dismissed various death tolls as exaggerations, and said that a recent report on the situation by the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) was an "absolute lie". Ethiopian citizens had a right to question the plan to expand Addis Ababa, but the protests were hijacked by people looking to incite violence, according to government spokesman Getachew Reda. He says the security forces have faced "organised armed gangs burning down buildings belonging to private citizens, along with government installations". A security analyst who closely watches Ethiopia says "there could be radical elements and factions taking advantage, but you cannot define a movement by isolated events". Despite violent incidents, the protests have been described as "largely peaceful" by HRW and observers in Ethiopia. "There is a perception of lack of competence in governance on the ground," Mr Daniel says. "There were easy remedies to appease initial protests, it was not hard science, but the right actions were not taken." In its defence, the government says it

Summary: As protests in Ethiopia over the rights of the country's Oromo people continue, Addis Ababa-based journalist James Jeffrey considers if they are threatening the country's unity.


He replaces Barrie Hubbard, who has chosen to step down after 29 years on the club's board. Allen, who had previously held the position of chief executive, told the club website: "I intend to give 100% in my efforts to achieve what the fans want, which is Championship football." Meanwhile, midfielders Danny Whitaker, 31, and Mark Randall, 18, have agreed new one-year deals. Whitaker, who joined the Spireites from Oldham in 2010, made 35 appearances in 2011/12. Randall played 18 games in his first season with the club, having joined them from Arsenal last summer.

Summary: Chesterfield have appointed Dave Allen as their new chairman.


The extra term of two years and eight months was imposed after a retrial at Taiwan's high court, in which Chen was acquitted of another corruption charge. He was first jailed in 2009. Chen has accused Taiwan's current government of persecuting him to win favours with China; he strongly supported independence while in power. At his earlier trial, Chen was sentenced to life imprisonment, a sentence which was reduced on appeal last year. In this latest case, Chen was initially found guilty of embezzling some $5m (Â£3m) from a special presidential fund while he was in power. But the Supreme Court ordered a retrial last November, citing insufficient evidence. Now Taiwan's High Court has acquitted Chen of the charge. The court, however, found him guilty of money laundering and forging documents, and handed down the additional two-year sentence. That brings his overall sentence to about 20 years. Chen's wife, former first lady Wu Shu-chen, received a longer sentence of nearly 12 years at the retrial, but she is unlikely to spend any time in prison because of her poor health, says the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei. Analysts say the ruling could appease Chen's supporters and help President Ma Ying-jeou, who is seeking re-election in the upcoming January presidential race. But it could also help the opposition party which Chen once led, by giving it more leverage to accuse the governing party of playing politics in prosecutions, says our correspondent. Chen angered Beijing during his eight years in office by pushing for Taiwan's independence. Taiwan has been ruled separately from China since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan to create a self-governing entity. But Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force if the island ever moved to declare formal independence.

Summary: Taiwan's ex-President Chen Shui-bian - who is already in jail for corruption - has been given an additional sentence for money-laundering and forgery.


The PSNI began an investigation after allegations emerged last week that trainees had shared exam questions. Chief Constable George Hamilton has said 54 student police officers must go back to the start of their 22-week training programme and repeat it. He said all concerned received written warnings under misconduct procedures. Several recruits were not allowed to graduate from the PSNI training college at Garnerville, east Belfast, after a whistleblower raised the allegations. In a statement, Mr Hamilton said the cheating claims emerged "the day before last Friday's graduation". "The allegations of impropriety suggested that student officers had individually memorised examination questions and collectively shared this information between themselves with a view to assisting them prepare for any re-sit examinations they might have been required to take." He added: "As chief constable, I am deeply disappointed by the actions of those student officers who have acted in a way that is not in keeping with the standards I expect from aspiring police officers. There have been disciplinary consequences for all of those students who were involved in this impropriety." However, Mr Hamilton also admitted that Policing Board members, who hold the PSNI to account, were "concerned at the action I had taken". He described his meeting with board members on Thursday as "challenging". He added: "I accept that others may not fully agree with my decisions on the matter. "However, I have acted in good faith and with integrity believing that my actions have been proportionate and appropriate in all the circumstances." In a statement, the Policing Board said that the chief constable was questioned for two hours regarding the "actions and decisions taken following this information coming to light". Policing Board Chair Anne Connolly said: "The chief constable has been left in no doubt that board members consider this to be a very serious matter which has caused reputational damage to the PSNI. "It is deeply concerning to the board that so many trainees, at the very start of their careers, have been prepared to engage in this impropriety." She added: "Members questioned the chief constable on their suitability and future credibility to perform the duties of constable and did not agree that the sanctions imposed were appropriate or adequate. "The board is of the unanimous view that a clear, organisational message needs to be conveyed that inappropriate behaviours can simply not be tolerated. "The chief constable has now been asked to ensure the investigation that is already under way is completed expeditiously and a further report is provided to the board when complete." Mr Hamilton said the ongoing investigation, led by Ass Ch Con Alan Todd, would "report to the Policing Board in due course".

Summary: The Northern Ireland Policing Board has said that sanctions imposed on student officers who allegedly cheated in exams were not "appropriate or adequate".


The Six Nations' annual start could move from February to April with bonus points and promotion and relegation being introduced. Davies says the current demands on players are "unsustainable", prompting talks over a "global season". He says the WRU held "discussions" with New Zealand in June over the issue. Recently installed World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said moving the Six Nations to April "could be a solution" in a global calendar. The idea was on the agenda in 2003 amid concerns over fixture overlaps and clashes between clubs and countries. In 2014 the Rugby Players' Association, representing players in England, urged changes to the playing calendar for the sake of player welfare. Davies witnessed Wales' 18-Test season ending in a 3-0 whitewash against the All Blacks in June, a year after preparations for the 2015 World Cup started. "The main reason for the global season is player welfare, to try to cut down the numbers of games players are playing," Davies told BBC Radio Wales. "Our guys were in New Zealand in June, July. They started training the first week of June the previous year. "The New Zealand guys couldn't get over it. These guys had been going for 13 months playing international rugby - that is not sustainable. "And it was a World Cup year and exceptional year etc, finishing with the New Zealand tour." For southern hemisphere teams, hosting rivals from the northern hemisphere also disrupts their Super Rugby domestic tournament calendar. Davies added: "Basically they want us to move a month or so so they can have a clear run-in. "I think we see it, just moving three or four weeks is not going to help the northern hemisphere with player welfare, for example. "So it is a bigger question than just the Six Nations. That is being looked at at the moment. "There's a Six Nations council meeting at the end of this month and this isn't to fuel speculation, it is an annual review of where the Six Nations sits. "So is it worth considering moving it? Do we look at bonus points, which is something that people have asked for to make it more exciting, scoring tries etc? "Do we look at 'is it a closed shop for Six Nations?' Do we open the gates to Georgia, Romania or anybody else who is deemed worthy and is capable of being in there? "So all those are up for grabs really. "Moving the Six Nations - I don't see it as a problem if it helps other things. "I don't think we need to move it for the sake of it because it does work where it is now - it gets huge following, huge TV audiences etc. "But if it were necessary to move it in order that it were a piece of the jigsaw that enabled northern and southern hemispheres to have a coherent global season, then it's worth doing." Wales' next international fixture is against Australia at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, 5 November. Throughout the season Warren Gatland's players and those of England,

Summary: Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chairman Gareth Davies believes a Six Nations revamp is "up for grabs" when tournament organisers meet this summer.


She was cut free from the wreckage by firefighters and was airlifted to hospital. The accident happened at about 10:10. The emergency services have also been dealing with a collision involving a lorry and a car on the A96 near Inverness. There were no details at this stage on any casualties. The lorry ended up in a field during the accident near the Barn Church Road junction. The incidents follow two separate accidents in the Highlands on Thursday. A male biker was airlifted to hospital after he was involved in a collision with another vehicle on the A835 north of Ullapool in Wester Ross. A man was injured in Lochaber after his lorry overturned on A82 near the Corran Ferry terminal.

Summary: A woman has died after a one-vehicle crash on the A87 near Broadford on Skye.


Paul Finlay-Dickson's civil partner, Maurice, died of cancer in January. He, himself, is ill. Attacks on the couple's home began nearly two years ago. After his partner's death, Mr Finlay-Dickson had been due to move to a new house in Cosgrave Heights. However, vandals attacked it at the weekend. On Saturday, a gang smashed windows and daubed graffiti on the building in Tiger's Bay. Mr Finlay-Dickson said he now felt too frightened to move in. "The house was boarded up, there was black paint above the window," he said. "On either side of the door they wrote 'pedo'. I'm not a paedophile. I'm a gay man, I'm not a paedophile." He said he had suffered 15 attacks in the past four months. "They make me feel as if I am living in fear," he said. "I am being segregated and attacked because of my sexual orientation. "I am not the only gay man in Northern Ireland. This is a homophobic hate crime attack. Something needs to be done, I cannot take much more." Gavin Boyd from the Rainbow Project said he felt a lot of sympathy for Mr Finlay-Dickson in what had been "a very difficult year". "My heart goes out to Paul," he said. "It is deeply disconcerting that anyone should have to go through such a sustained period of homophobic attacks and crimes. "With all kinds of prejudice or hate-based violence, it is about whatever someone can identify as a weak spot - that is something people will prey on." Mr Boyd called for a joined-up approach from the police, the Housing Executive, politicians and community leaders to tackle homophobic attacks. "For far too long, people have been putting up with these sustained campaigns of intimidation," he said. "Police need to adopt a robust response to these kind of crimes." A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said they would make contact with Mr Finlay-Dickson as a matter of urgency to discuss his options.

Summary: A grieving man who has been the target of a series of homophobic attacks has had his new north Belfast home vandalised.


Chasing a modest 130 in a game reduced to 20 overs per side by rain, the hosts were set for a historic triumph with 20 needed off 16 balls and Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara at the crease. However, Morgan's departure for 33 was the first of four wickets to fall for three runs in eight balls as England were struck by a bout of nerves. They finished on 124-8 after James Tredwell missed the last ball of the innings with six required for victory. 1979 World Cup: Lost to West Indies by 92 runs 1987 World Cup: Lost to Australia by seven runs 1992 World Cup: Lost to Pakistan by 22 runs 2004 Champions Trophy: Lost to West Indies by two wickets 2010 World Twenty20: Beat Australia by seven wickets 2013 Champions Trophy: Lost to India by five runs Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 2-14 and slow left-armer Ravindra Jadeja 2-24 to complement his vital unbeaten 33 off 25 balls in India's 129-7. England are left to reflect on a fifth defeat in a major final - and another agonising loss in the Champions Trophy showpiece after going down to West Indies in 2004 - following the sort of woeful batting display that many thought had been consigned to the past. A jubilant India, meanwhile, can add the Champions Trophy to the World Cup they won in 2011. They - and the thousands of India fans among a sell-out crowd - also owe a debt of thanks to the International Cricket Council, which extended the close of play by more than an hour to allow the match to finish at 20:30 BST. The manner in which England floundered against spin - two batsmen were stumped, albeit one, in Ian Bell, despite replays suggesting otherwise - took the gloss off a fine performance with the ball. Bopara's 3-20 was therefore in vain, while his dismissal for a punchy 30 - what looked like being the game's most pivotal innings - is likely to be remembered as part of an infamous collapse. A fifth-wicket stand of 64 between Morgan and Bopara aside, England were rarely comfortable during a pursuit that was undermined when Alastair Cook edged Umesh Yadav to first slip in the second over. "India have been the team of the tournament and nobody can begrudge them this victory. Thank goodness the close of play time was extended because we had a fantastic game of cricket. It was a remarkable over from Ishant Sharma and it was that which turned the match around." Jonathan Trott, criticised for his strike-rate in this tournament, batted like he had a point to prove in making 20 off 17 balls, only to over-balance as he attempted to work Ashwin to the on side. Mahendra Dhoni completed a smart stumping off a leg-side wide. Joe Root swept Ashwin to short fine-leg and Bell was stumped - some replays suggested his foot was grounded - when he dragged his foot out pushing at man of the match Jadeja, leaving England 46-4. Bopara hit two huge leg-side sixes and Morgan

Summary: England's search for a global one-day title goes on after they collapsed to a five-run defeat by India in a pulsating Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston.


The Pope said migrants often met "rejection from those who could offer them welcome and assistance". He also condemned terrorism as "a blind and brutal violence" that should be fought with "weapons of love". The Pope was delivering his "urbi et orbi" (To the city and the world) message to thousands amid tight security in St Peter's Square. The Pope said: "The Easter message of the risen Christ... invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees... fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice. "All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance." Tens of thousands of migrants, mainly fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq, are now stranded in Greece, after European nations and Turkey agreed a plan to shut their route to northern Europe. Pope Francis also offered a prayer for Syria: "The risen Christ points out paths of hope to beloved Syria, a country torn by a lengthy conflict with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord." He expressed his hope for success at peace scheduled to resume next month. The Pope also urged people to use the "weapons of love" to combat the evil of terrorism. He spoke of recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq. "May [the risen Jesus Christ] draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world," he said (text in Italian). The latest terror attack - in Brussels on Tuesday - left 28 people dead. The former king and queen of Belgium, Albert II and Paola, attended the Mass on Sunday and met the Pope. Many pilgrims cancelled their planned trips to Rome in the wake of the violence in Brussels, but the square was packed on Sunday, as was St Peter's Basilica when Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Saturday evening. In his homily in the basilica, he called on Christians not to let fear and pessimism "imprison" them. He said: "Today is the celebration of our hope. It is so necessary today."

Summary: Pope Francis has condemned those who fail to help migrants, during his traditional Easter speech in Rome.


Wales host the showpiece event on Saturday, 3 June, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Speaking to BBC Wales, chief executive Jonathan Ford said he "would love the FAW to be considered in the future to host these major events". He also said Wales' run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 has boosted their standing in the game. Hundreds of millions of people around the world are expected to tune in to watch the Champions League final live. Ford said the FAW had built up its credentials in hosting major tournaments and matches, and he wanted more. "We do not want it to just stop there in June," he explained. "We would like to continue to do it." Wales has already hosted the Uefa under-19s Women's championship in 2013 and the Super Cup final in 2014, but the Champions League final is a giant step up, with estimates it will generate £45m for the local economy. "We are at the business end now," Mr Ford said. "We have got a team of 12 people at the FAW working full time on it, and in Wales alone there are probably several hundred people working on it. "That will go up when Uefa are over here and if you add in the volunteers and the people working in the stadium then you are probably talking about four to five thousand people who will work this event. "There is a lot of work being done to make sure this is successful and to make sure we utilise it to achieve the objectives we have with football." Hundreds of thousands of spectators - with and without tickets - are expected to travel to south Wales in the days leading up to the final, with the FAW, police, governments and local authorities involved in a huge logistics exercise. Details of road closures and restrictions in the Welsh capital are yet to be officially published, but significant disruption is expected. Major sporting events in the Welsh capital have been dogged by transport problems in the past, down in part to capacity issues at Cardiff Central railway station and pinch-points on the M4 at the Second Severn Crossing and Brynglas Tunnels in Newport. BBC Wales has been told that 10% of the UK's entire rolling stock of coaches will be used to bring fans in and out of Cardiff on the day of the final and 21 intercity trains will be in place after the match to take supporters from Cardiff back to London. Wales take on Ireland in a World Cup qualifier on Friday, still unbeaten in their group, but needing a win to improve their chances of qualifying for the finals in Russia next year.

Summary: The Football Association of Wales is considering a future bid to host another Champions League final.


Five weeks ago, the fraudsters telephoned 65-year-old Nargess Sadjady, from west London, in a series of calls. Posing as staff from her bank, they can be heard persuading her to transfer the money into one of their own accounts. The recordings were set up by her son, who was worried that either of his parents might fall victim to just such a fraud. He installed special software on their phone, and subsequently passed the recordings to the BBC. Originally the police decided not to get involved, as they said there was no realistic prospect of a conviction. But as a result of the recordings, to be broadcast on Radio 4's Moneybox programme on Saturday, detectives have now decided to launch a full investigation. The first call to Mrs Sadjady was from a man calling himself Mark, who claimed to be from her bank, Santander. He explains that he is worried about recent fraudulent transactions on her account. He comforts her by saying they have managed to stop the payments, but they might not be able to stop subsequent attempts. Mrs Sadjady can be heard trying to resist his enquiries. "I don't know you," she says. "Really I can't give more information. Please write to me, because I don't know you." But the man calling himself Mark offers her layer upon layer of reassurance, including giving her a password. "I'm not going to ask for personal information," he says. Then he asks her to check the bank's helpline number on the back of her card, and tells her that she will receive a call back from that number. In a trick known as "number spoofing", orchestrated through freely-available software, that number then appeared on Mrs Sadjady's phone when a second man called back, claiming to be from Santander's fraud department. Later she admitted that up until this point in the call she had been sceptical - but the number spoofing persuaded her that it was genuine. "I wasn't sure, until they called my mobile from that phone number on the back of my card," she said. A few minutes later, the fraudsters made a third and final call. Sensing that she might be about to alert her bank, they persuade her that staff at her local branch may be responsible for the fraud. So they suggest that she transfers £12,000 in her Santander account to a separate account at the Halifax, which they say has her name on it. In reality they had already opened that account themselves. When money is transferred in, banks do not usually cross-check the names. So, after one hour and 40 minutes of phone calls, spread out over three hours, Mrs Sadjady moved her money, voluntarily. Almost immediately the fraudsters then started to distribute that money to other accounts in the UK, before the banks cottoned on. It was a classic case of "Vishing" - or voice phishing - which last year cost consumers and banks £24m, according to Financial Fraud Action UK (FFAUK). But it is thought to be the first time that such a crime has

Summary: Three men who tricked their victim into handing over her £12,000 savings on the phone have been caught on tape.


About 23,000 pills were taken during a raid in Waterlooville, Hampshire, by officers working for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). MHRA is responsible for regulating all UK medicines and medical devices. Some of the drugs were marked "herbal", but actually contained the banned pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine. Sibutramine was licensed as the medicine Reductil until 2010, when it was withdrawn across Europe and the US because of an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes associated with the use of the drug, the MHRA said. The agency's head of operations, Danny Lee-Frost, said: "The action we have taken to seize these products demonstrates our total commitment to tackling this dangerous and illegal trade and to protecting patients. "Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medical products aren't interested in your health - they are only interested in your money." He said that the pills "may contain dangerous ingredients" and warned that the "consequences (of taking them) could be devastating". Mr Lee-Frost added: "The internet offers access to a vast number of websites offering a wide range of products marketed as 'slimming pills' or 'diet pills'. Many make attractive claims and offer quick-fix solutions. Be aware that 'natural' doesn't always mean safe."

Summary: Unlicensed slimming pills with an estimated value of £30,000 have been seized by enforcement officers.


The Dung Beetle UK Mapping Project (Dump) is still in the early stages of its research work, which has included examining beetle sites in Scotland. However, the team said it had already noted an "alarming trend" of decline of some species. Dung beetles play key roles in improving soils and controlling pests. Reasons for the decline in some beetle species include coming into contact with anthelmintics, a type of drug given to livestock to control intestinal worms that prevent the farm animals from thriving. Dump involves Darren Mann, who is head of life collections at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Steve Lane, Ceri Watkins and Sally-Ann Spence. The project is not funded and the team members have been doing their research in their spare time, while on family holidays and fitting it around their other work. The scientists have been examining well-documented dung beetle sites, including locations in the Cairngorms, and have also been looking for the insects in previously unrecorded places. They hope to enlist the help of organisations that record flora and fauna and also wildlife enthusiasts, whose attention is being drawn to Dump via social media. On Twitter the project has the hashtags #dungathon and #dungisfun. Ms Spence said some of Dump's early results had given cause for concern. She said: "Our results mapping the dung beetle species in the UK, although the project is in its youth, are already showing an alarming trend in species rarity and even extinction. "The three main reasons behind this are considered to be the use of anthelmintics, soil disturbance and the disappearance of livestock from historic pastures due to a change in farming practices." It has been suggested that dung beetles save the UK's cattle industry an estimated Â£367m a year, Ms Spence said. They do this by encouraging the growth of healthy grass through their burrowing in soil, which aerates it and allows rainwater and nutrients into the ground. Dung beetles also eat animal droppings harbouring parasites harmful to livestock. Ms Spence said: "We take the opportunity of our survey visits to make farmers and livestock keepers aware of their dung beetles, the latest research, their economic benefits and how they might implement simple workable measures ensure a healthy dung beetle population. "We have received a fantastically positive response from all we have spoken to. "Farmers are keen to preserve their dung beetles and we intend to gather more data about species and their population frequencies to enable more research into these incredibly important beetles." As well as their importance to agriculture, the beetles and their grubs are food for wild birds and mammals. Scotland has the UK strongholds for at least three species of dung beetle - Aphodius fasciatus, Aphodius lapponum and Aphodius nemoralis. The Cairngorms and the Western Isles are among the best recorded areas for the creatures, but large parts of the rest of Scotland remain unrecorded. Ms Spence said: "The project is vast. "Different species live in, or under, different dung in different stages of decomposition on different soils at different altitudes at different times

Summary: Some of the UK's dung beetle species are becoming scarcer and could even face extinction, according to scientists.