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Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said it was hard to seek EU help on migration "when some regions in your own country say the problem has nothing to with them". Leaders in Lombardy, Liguria and Veneto warn they cannot accept more migrants. Italy is struggling with a huge surge in migration, with nearly 6,000 people rescued from the sea just this weekend. More than 50,000 people have arrived in Italy this year, most of them setting sail from Libya aboard unsafe vessels. More than 1,500 people have drowned while making the Mediterranean crossing this year. The deaths have prompted an EU effort to boost naval patrols off Libyan waters. The rescued migrants are brought ashore to centres throughout Italy, where they are expected to remain until their claims for asylum within the EU have been processed. Speaking to reporters after the G7 summit in Germany, Mr Renzi said the EU had to acknowledge that its current system for dealing with migrants was not working. "What we need to do at the moment is solve problems, not by shouting but through action," he said. He also urged the EU to take in more refugees from Italy, saying a recent plan to relocate 24,000 refugees to other European countries was "not enough". The influx has put a severe strain on Italy's asylum infrastructure, and has fuelled support for right-wing politicians who oppose immigration. On Sunday, the president of Lombardy, Roberto Maroni, said his region would not take in any more migrants. He also threatened to cut funding for local authorities who continued to accept migrants. His stance was supported by Luca Zaia, the president of Veneto and a member of the Northern League. He was also backed by Giovanni Toti, the newly-elected president of the Liguria region and a member of Forza Italia. The three northern regions are among the most affluent in Italy, and have so far accommodated around 15% of the latest migrant influx. Sicily, a relatively poor southern region with high unemployment, has accommodated 22%. Italy's government predicts a total of 200,000 migrants will arrive on its shores this year, up from 170,000 in 2014.

Italy's government has criticised leaders in the north of the country for their refusal to host any more migrants rescued from the Mediterranean.

He declared Nato was "no longer obsolete" and dropped his pledge to declare China a currency manipulator. Mr Trump also said he was no longer opposed to a federal exports agency he once dismissed as "unnecessary". And the president signalled he was open to reappointing Janet Yellen as head of the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, his administration dropped a freeze on federal hiring that it imposed in January. The about-faces suggest the mercurial Mr Trump may be favouring a more pragmatic, moderate approach to the hardline economic nationalism that helped elect him. The startling series of flip-flops come amid reports of a titanic White House power struggle between chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior adviser Jared Kushner. According to the Washington rumour mill, Mr Bannon - the former Breitbart News executive - has been sidelined after falling out with the president's son-in-law, Mr Kushner. Mr Trump's decision not to label China a "currency manipulator" emerged in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. That U-turn follows his talks last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Trump repeatedly pledged to label Beijing a "currency manipulator" on his first day in office, during an election campaign when he also accused the Asian powerhouse of "raping" the US. But experts said a formal declaration to that effect by the Treasury Department could have led to US sanctions, which would have prompted retaliation from Beijing. Mr Trump's last campaign ad depicted Janet Yellen, head of the Federal Reserve, as a member of a shadowy globalist cabal "who control the levers of power in Washington". On Wednesday, he told the Wall Street Journal he "respects" the US central bank chief. He also indicated he might consider reappointing her next year, saying she would not be "toast". Mr Trump was once highly critical of the Fed, saying its low interest rate policy had hurt savers. Now he says he likes "a low-interest rate policy". On his first working day in office, Mr Trump signed a presidential memorandum to suspend hiring of non-military federal workers, in a move that delighted small government conservatives. The order mandated that "no vacant positions… may be filled and no new positions may be created". But that policy was gone on Wednesday. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said: "It does not mean that the agencies will be free to hire willy-nilly." He said they were "replacing it with a smarter plan, a more strategic plan, a more surgical plan". In the Wall Street Journal interview, the president praised the Export-Import Bank, which he dismissed in August last year as an "unnecessary" agency with "a lot of excess baggage". The bank, which provides taxpayer-backed loans for the purchase of US exports, is accused by conservatives of corporate cronyism and welfare. Now he plans to fill two vacancies on its board. "It turns out that, first of all," Mr Trump told the Journal, "lots of small companies are really helped." Mr Trump repeatedly questioned the military alliance's purpose during the campaign. But as he hosted Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on Wednesday, the US president said the threat of terrorism had underlined the alliance's importance. "I said it [Nato] was obsolete," Mr Trump said. "It's no longer obsolete." CNN political pundit David Gregory says the shifts show Trump is willing to be a dealmaking president. "He's flexible, perhaps unprincipled, with a pragmatic approach to government," he said. But he warned that, although tacking back and forth is fine, it is dangerous to be "all over the map" because people stop believing what you say. Where Trump stands on key issues What has Trump done so far?

US President Donald Trump has reversed course in the space of 24 hours on an array of populist positions he adopted during the election campaign.

Paul Green and Ryan McLaughlin scored their first goals for the Latics, who completed back-to-back home victories under recently returned boss John Sheridan to move to within three points of safety. Oldham gave free admission to all fans in a bid to arrest their decline in attendances. And the majority of a 7,224 crowd were almost celebrating the breakthrough in the 19th minute, only for McLaughlin's shot to be deflected inches wide. Oldham threatened again when Green pulled back a right-wing cross and Peter Clarke fired over from 10 yards. The hosts also made a bright start to the second half, with Green testing Posh goalkeeper Luke McGee and Clarke seeing his header cleared off the line by Michael Smith. Oldham struck after 69 minutes when Dominic Ball hauled down McLaughlin and Green slotted in the penalty, sending McGee the wrong way. The lead was doubled eight minutes from time as McLaughlin tapped in a six-yard volley after fine build-up play by Anthony Gerrard and Aaron Amadi-Holloway. Peterborough were well below par and did not go close to scoring until injury time when Marcus Maddison clipped the bar from distance. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Oldham Athletic 2, Peterborough United 0. Second Half ends, Oldham Athletic 2, Peterborough United 0. Attempt missed. Ousmane Fane (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) hits the bar with a left footed shot from outside the box. Jamie Reckord (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United). Foul by Ousmane Fane (Oldham Athletic). Dominic Ball (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Michael Ngoo replaces Aaron Holloway. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Billy McKay replaces Ryan McLaughlin. Goal! Oldham Athletic 2, Peterborough United 0. Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Aaron Holloway. Attempt saved. Oliver Banks (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Foul by Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic). Leonardo Da Silva Lopes (Peterborough United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Ousmane Fane (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Michael Bostwick (Peterborough United). Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Anthony Gerrard (Oldham Athletic). Paul Taylor (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Andrew Hughes. Attempt missed. Peter Clarke (Oldham Athletic) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Ryan Tafazolli. Substitution, Peterborough United. Junior Morias replaces Tom Nichols. Attempt missed. Aaron Holloway (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Dominic Ball. Attempt missed. Paul Taylor (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Goal! Oldham Athletic 1, Peterborough United 0. Paul Green (Oldham Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner. Penalty Oldham Athletic. Ryan McLaughlin draws a foul in the penalty area. Penalty conceded by Dominic Ball (Peterborough United) after a foul in the penalty area. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Andrew Hughes. Attempt blocked. Aaron Holloway (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Michael Smith. Paul Green (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Andrew Hughes (Peterborough United). Attempt blocked. Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Ousmane Fane (Oldham Athletic). Leonardo Da Silva Lopes (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Peterborough United. Leonardo Da Silva Lopes replaces Gwion Edwards. Substitution, Peterborough United. Paul Taylor replaces Lee Angol. Paul Green (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Oldham boosted their League One survival hopes with victory over play-off chasing Peterborough.

It's the fifth coin portrait to have been created during the Queen's reign. It was unveiled in a special ceremony in London and coins carrying the new design will also begin being made from today. But it may take a little while for the coins to get into your pockets - new coins tend to go to cash centres and banks first.

A new picture of the Queen to appear on coins has been unveiled.

Thousands of pounds were allegedly stolen when security guards were targeted at the Hatfield Avenue Shell garage in Fleetwood on Wednesday. An axe was said to have been thrown at a police car during the raid, while a woman was dragged out of her vehicle. Four men from the Bolton area, aged 22, 24, 27 and 32, have been charged with two counts of robbery. They were also charged with dangerous driving and threatening a person in a public place with a bladed or pointed article. They are due before Blackpool magistrates later.

Four men have been charged in connection with a robbery at a Lancashire petrol station.

The move follows a claim by Crossmaglen Rangers player Aaron Cunningham that he was the victim of verbal abuse during the 2 December Ulster football final. The Ulster Council carried out an investigation and BBC Sport understands one Kilcoo player is to be banned for six months and another for four months. Kilcoo said they had not been notified, and the players could appeal. The two suspensions have yet to be officially confirmed by the Ulster Council. It is believed the case was the first time an allegation of racial abuse had been lodged with the provincial governing body. When an investigation was announced, Ulster GAA president Aogán O Fearghail, said anyone found guilty of racism would be dealt with severely. Kilcoo released a statement saying the club condemned abuse and would co-operate with the Ulster Council's investigation. The Gaelic Athletic Association, which governs the sport in Ireland, is to discuss how to deal with racism at its annual congress in March.

Two Kilcoo players are to be suspended by Ulster GAA chiefs following allegations of racial abuse.

Hospital bosses made changes last August in a bid to help ambulances reach the emergency unit more quickly at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff. Barriers were installed and traffic is not allowed to drive past the unit. The gridlock also led to people being late for appointments. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is now planning to introduce a direct weekday park and ride service for patients, visitors and staff in a further bid to keep traffic off site. It will start on 2 May and operate from Cardiff East park and ride at Pentwyn from 06:30 to 19:15, running every 20 minutes, which should also free up car parking by 12%. There are also plans to introduce bus and cycle hubs at UHW. Geoff Walsh, director of capital, estates and facilities at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: "The traffic management system was implemented to allow clear access for emergency vehicles onto the site which has been successful. "It has also improved the bus access with Cardiff Bus reinstating two services following the improvement of site accessibility." He added: "We are still looking at ways to stop people using the site as a thoroughfare."

The amount of traffic using Wales' biggest hospital as a "rat run" and causing gridlock has dropped by 7% after changes were made to the roads.

Volkswagen (VW) shares plunged more than 18% on Monday after US regulators found that some of its cars could manipulate official emissions tests. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that software in several diesel cars could deceive regulators. Volkswagen was ordered to recall half a million cars in the US on Friday. In addition to paying for the recall, VW faces fines that could add up to billions of dollars. There may also be criminal charges for VW executives. The White House in Washington also reportedly said it was "quite concerned" about VW's conduct. Volkswagen's chief executive apologised after the scandal emerged. "I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public," Martin Winterkorn said. He has launched an investigation into the software that allowed VW cars to emit less during tests than they would while driving normally. The EPA found the "defeat device" in diesel cars including the Audi A3 and the VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat models. VW has stopped selling the relevant diesel models in the US, where diesel cars account for about a quarter of sales. The EPA said that the fine for each vehicle that did not comply with federal clean air rules would be up to $37,500 (£24,000). With 482,000 cars sold since 2008 involved in the allegations, it means the fines could reach $18bn. That would be a considerable amount, even for the company that recently overtook Toyota to be the world's top-selling vehicle maker in the first six months of the year. Its stock market value is about €66bn ($75bn; £48bn). Analysis: Richard Westcott, Transport Correspondent There's one question people keep asking me at the moment. Is this the car industry's version of Libor, the scandal that rocked the financial world? It's way too early to say just yet. But the pressure is now on the car industry to prove that cheating the pollution figures isn't a widespread problem stretching across both sides of the Atlantic. The German government is investigating whether other companies are massaging their emissions data. The American regulator is widening its probe to other carmakers. If they dig up more examples, the implications could be huge. Fines running into billions. A complete loss of credibility. And worst of all, the possibility that people have become ill or even died early because of higher emissions. Americans don't tend to buy diesels. They represent just 3% of their car market. But half of all new cars sold in Europe are a diesel. Diesel cars: Is it time to switch to a cleaner fuel? VW has ordered an external investigation, although it has not revealed who will be conducting it. "We do not and will not tolerate violations of any kind of our internal rules or of the law," Mr Winterkorn said. €14bn Wiped off VWs market cap $18bn Potential fines 482,000 Diesel cars recalled 1 Biggest selling global carmaker The scandal comes five months after former chairman Ferdinand Piech left Volkswagen following disagreements with Mr Winterkorn. "This disaster is beyond all expectations," Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, head of the Centre of Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, said. The VW board is due to meet on Friday to decide whether to renew the chief executive's contract until 2018, and some analysts speculated Mr Winterkorn may be on his way out. "No question that this is a big problem for Volkswagen and could lead to [the chief executive] losing his job," said Prof Christian Stadler from Warwick Business School. He compared the scandal to Toyota recalling nine million cars between 2009-11. "To some extent, the cheating by Volkswagen seems more blatant, but the numbers are lower and there are no fatalities involved. "This suggests that in the heat of the moment, the long-term effect on Volkswagen may be overstated. Sure, it will hurt, but maybe not quite as bad as we expect right now." VW had been promoting its diesel cars in the US as being better for the environment. The US law firm Hagens Berman is launching a class-action suit against VW on behalf of people who bought the relevant cars. The models cited by the law firm are the diesel versions in the US of: "While Volkswagen tells consumers that its diesel cars meet California emissions standards, vehicle owners are duped into paying for vehicles that do not meet this standard and unknowingly pay more for quality they never receive," Hagens Berman alleged.

Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn will "support" the German transport ministry's investigation into the carmaker's emissions scandal.

Alistair Spagnoletti, 21, of Luton, and Curtis Walker, 23, of Watford, pleaded guilty to controlling a child at Harrow Crown Court. Callum Ward, 19, of Watford, was found guilty of the same charge. Police said the men groomed a 17-year-old girl into prostitution in one of the most "damaging" cases of child sexual exploitation they had seen. Det Sgt Iain MacPherson, of Hertfordshire police, said: "This is one of the most damaging cases of child sexual exploitation we have encountered in Hertfordshire. "It has also been an extremely complex case. These men had groomed their 17-year-old victim into having sex with men for money which they took, she believed that by providing her with food, drink, drugs, they were looking after her and they were people she could trust. "The power they wielded over her was so great that she felt she could not support police action against them. Sadly she may never recover from what they have done to her. "These acts are deplorable and I am in no doubt these men pose a risk to other children. It is right they are now serving time in prison." Spagnoletti, of Wauluds Drive, Luton, was jailed for six years and eight months. Walker, of Lord Street, Watford, was jailed for four and a half years and Ward, of The Thrums, Watford, was jailed for two years.

Three men have been jailed for sexually exploiting a teenage girl in Hertfordshire.

The stretch of road on the A890 was closed following rock falls last month, before it was later partially reopened. Highland Council said work to further stabilise rock in the area would continue over the next two to three weeks. The local authority is seeking a long term solution to the bypass.

The Stromeferry bypass in Wester Ross has been reopened after a landslide led to travel on the road being restricted to between 07:00 and 19:00.

The Duke of Rothesay laid a wreath on a visit to a new memorial cairn built by the community of Cabrach in Moray. The cairn commemorates the farming community and neighbouring parishes at Rhynie, Lumsden and Dufftown. The Imperial War Museum suggests that, between battle and disease, the number of war dead could be several hundred. Along with those officially acknowledged "lost in battle" are the many who died from disease in France and Belgium. It is thought that coming from such a remote rural area, they had little resistance. A recent BBC TV programme, examining the effects of World War One on rural Scotland, quoted an eminent Dutch historian speaking on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who referred to the ruined crofts and farm buildings of the Cabrach as representing "perhaps the biggest War Memorial in Europe". Charles, wearing a Gordon Highlanders kilt, took part in a short service with local residents, followed by a minute's silence. He then laid a wreath which said: "In special memory of those from the Cabrach, and the parishes of Rhynie, Lumsden and Dufftown who lost their lives during the First World War." The prince chatted to locals, including Royal Observer Corps veteran John Gordon, 88, who laid a wreath on behalf of the community. His family has farmed in the Cabrach area for more than 300 years. The memorial project was led by Marc Ellington, a leading authority on Scottish cultural heritage, who said: "Each and every aspect of the construction of the cairn has involved members, both young and old, of the Cabrach Community working closely with master craftsman Euan Thompson, a specialist in traditional dry stone construction. "As well as being one of the finest memorial cairns to be built in Scotland in recent years, this is an outstanding example of what a local community, working together with energy and determination, can achieve."

Prince Charles has joined tributes to a Scottish community whose loss of lives in World War One may have been greater than previously thought.

Jacqueline Carol Lloyd, 46, died after being struck by an out-of-service bus on Butts Lane, Southport, at about 23:50 BST on 17 May 2015. Derek Bebbington, 57, of Moss Nook, Burscough, denied the charge during a hearing at South Sefton Magistrates' Court. He will appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 10 June.

A man has pleaded not guilty to causing death by careless driving after a woman was hit by a bus in Southport.

Subhan Shafiq stepped down as Milton Keynes mayor after describing the man as being of "good current character". This helped the driver, Mr Shafiq's friend, to get a taxi driver's licence. Milton Keynes Council leader Peter Marland said Mr Shafiq should examine his conscience over whether he could even continue as a councillor. Mr Marland, Labour leader of the council, said: "He resigned to protect the reputation of the council but I think it is very difficult for him to remain and keep the trust of the public after advocating for someone who has been convicted of rape. "He must examine his own conscience on this." Mr Shafiq, a Liberal Democrat, had described his "friend", who had been convicted of four sexual assaults, as being of "good current character". But earlier this month a member of the public raised concerns about the driver and his licence was revoked. The council claimed it had "taken rapid steps" to keep passengers safe. Mr Shafiq said in a previous statement he had resigned as mayor "with deep regret". The driver had been issued with a licence in September 2011, despite councillors knowing of his four convictions, for which he had served a "substantial" custodial sentence. He had received a "very strong" character reference from Mr Shafiq, who became mayor in June. The driver's convictions were discussed again in 2012 and his licence was temporarily suspended, but this ban was later "inexplicably" lifted, the council said. Seven other drivers who give the council "cause for concern" have been identified as part of a detailed review of licence holders.

A mayor who resigned after a taxi driver he vouched for was found to have a rape conviction has been urged to leave the council altogether.

It would mean some schools being taken from council control and being converted to academies. There are four investigations examining "Trojan Horse" claims that groups of hardline Muslims have been trying to take over schools in the city. A government source says that no options have been ruled in or out. The trust which runs Park View, one of the schools caught up in the claims, issued a statement on Thursday dismissing allegations of extremism as false. The education watchdog Ofsted and the Department for Education are expected to deliver reports in June on the next steps for schools which have faced these allegations. It is understood that ministers have approached heads of successful schools and academy trusts about taking over other schools where there have been concerns. This could include taking schools away from local authority control, converting them into academies - directly funded by central government - and putting them under the leadership of high-achieving head teachers. Groups of outstanding schools like the Perry Beeches chain in Birmingham may have a role. As some of the schools caught up in the Trojan Horse claims are already academies, it could mean schools being reassigned to other academy trusts. Birmingham City Council said it would not be appropriate to comment on any "proposed action" until Ofsted's inspection reports had been published. "We can say, however, that we are in regular contact with DfE and this action has not been discussed with us," said a council spokesperson. The GMB union warned: "It is absolutely disgusting that the government is pre-empting the outcome of the investigation into these schools and planning to sell these schools on to their friends in the academy chains." Before the Trojan Horse claims, Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw had spoken publicly of his belief that the local authority might need to be broken up. Birmingham is the biggest local authority in England - and it is believed that private soundings have shown it would be difficult to find a private sector contractor willing or able to take on the running of such a wide range of services. But another option would be for some or all of the council's education and children's services to be hived off to an independent trust. This model has been used before where central government believed there was a need for radical intervention - such as in Hackney in London. Birmingham City Council's chief executive, Mark Rogers, was recorded at a meeting with school representatives last week, where he warned of a "firestorm" when the Ofsted reports were published, and telling his audience to prepare for "significant structural changes" within the education department. The investigations into extremism in Birmingham schools had been sparked by an anonymous and unverified letter claiming that there was a "Trojan Horse" conspiracy by a group wanting to impose a more hardline Muslim agenda on schools in the city. This included claims that head teachers were being replaced with staff who were more likely to be sympathetic to these religious beliefs. The authenticity of the letter has been disputed, but the National Association of Head Teachers says there seem to have been "concerted efforts" to take over six schools in Birmingham. However, claims of extremism have been categorically denied by Tahir Alam, chairman of governors at Park View School. And the Park View Educational Trust issued a statement arguing that the response to the letter had created a climate which encouraged false allegations. The claims about religious extremism were driven by "the settling of political scores" and disgruntled former staff, the trust argues. "Our assemblies, or acts of worship, are used to focus on the spiritual and moral development of pupils and are relevant to their school and home lives," said the statement from Park View. "This includes looking at the common values of kindness, mercy and forgiveness and talking to students about studying hard, and being a good friend."

Super-heads could take over running clusters of schools in Birmingham, as the government considers its response to allegations of extremism.

That was certainly the case when I met up with my friend Kerrie the other week and asked why she smelled of bliss on toast. "Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears," she replied. Now, I obviously appreciate Britney as pop royalty, but I was surprised such an arresting scent would have a celebrity's name attached to it. Not long ago, fragrances were associated with well-established, fashionable names such as Ralph Lauren or couture brands like Chanel. But the number of celebrity perfumes on the market has rocketed in the last decade. Why? Jennifer Lopez. "Glow changed everything," says Chandler Burr, the former scent critic for the New York Times and author of several books on the subject. He credits Lopez's first fragrance, which was released in 2002, with triggering a deluge of deodorants. "Elizabeth Taylor was one of the first [to have her own scent], but Glow kicked the whole thing into overdrive," he says. Lopez had sparked what Jezebel brilliantly described as the "scentocalpyse". Suddenly, everyone and their goldfish had a scent of their own. And they sold by the truckload. "Brands can see a huge surge in sales and awareness when a celebrity face resonates with their audience," says Gill Smith, managing director of The Perfume Shop. She cites Beyonce and Ariana Grande's ranges as some of the store's most popular products. So, what is the appeal of celebrity fragrances? "Identification and intimacy," says Burr. "Scent is an affordable unit of a star. Assuming the celebrity has actually been involved in its creation, a scent constitutes identification with that star viscerally and intimately. It is, in a small way, meeting them." Perfumes ideally have to match the celebrity's image while also appealing to their core audience (which explains why pop stars with younger fanbases have fragrances with sugary sweet smells). Smith says: "We all still aspire to be more like our idols and connecting through a fragrance is one way of doing that. "Britney Spears has stood the test of time. Diehard fans who wore Britney Fantasy over 12 years ago are still coming to us to try her new fragrances." This is probably a good moment for me to make a confession. And, before I start, it's not something I'm proud of, ok? It was August 2014. I'd been to Spain on holiday and was in the duty free section of Barcelona Airport. Early, bored and trying to get rid of the last of my euros, I was spraying various aftershaves up and down my arm when one caught my nose. I looked at the bottle and was surprised to see it was something called The Secret by Antonio Banderas. So I bought it, and was duly mocked by my friends for having spent money on something called The Secret by Antonio Banderas. But it did make me realise that, if something smells good, it will sell regardless. For celebrities who don't want to release a fragrance under their own name, the mere act of endorsing an existing brand can have a huge impact. "Johnny Depp as the face of Dior Sauvage has helped to drive awareness for that fragrance," Smith says. "Eighteen months after launch it's still one of our top 10 sales every day. "Other examples include Gigi Hadid with Tommy Girl; Jared Leto with Gucci; and Estee Lauder Modern Muse with Kendall Jenner." She adds: "More recently the announcement of Guerlain working with Angelina Jolie has given a more traditional fragrance house a celebrity boost." The stigma around celebrity fragrances may have faded over the last few years - but now the sales are fading as well. It's a decline that started several years ago in the US. "We saw it in 2008 right after the crash, and it's now a given in the US industry that the celebrity market has collapsed - or at least hugely shrunk," Burr explains. "Rihanna and a few others have scents that are doing well, but it's nothing like before." Consumers in the UK appear to be turning their noses up at them too. Figures released by market research group National Purchase Diary (NPD) show sales of celebrity fragrances declined by £12m in the UK last year - a drop of 22%. But the fragrance market as a whole actually grew by 1.4% - so it's not that people stopped buying perfume, just that they're less drawn to celebrities. Just look at the sales of couture brands like Prada, Chanel and Dior, which collectively saw a 6% increase last year. "The decline in celebrity perfumes is something we noticed in the past two years - it's not something we see normally," says Teresa Fisher, senior account manager in UK Beauty at NPD. That drop, she points out, could partly be down to fewer launches. "The market was very healthy a few years ago because there were a lot of celebrity fragrances around," Fisher says. "We saw One Direction and James Bond scents generate market growth, but now we aren't seeing as many celebrity launches." There might be fewer celebrities cologne-ising the shelves (sorry), but Smith says the market is still strong. "It's definitely not the end of celebrity fragrance, we do still believe there is a place in the market for them," she says. "Customers still want celebrity perfumes as long as it is the right celebrity, and the right scent." The right scent, of course, is the crucial part. When he was the NYT's scent critic, Burr famously awarded Britney's Midnight Fantasy four stars, implying there should be no snobbery about celebrities if the smell itself is good. He cites Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely as one of the best of the celebrity fragrances he came across and is now even developing his own, called You or Someone Like You. Fisher says: "I think overall what we're seeing is the polarisation of the fragrance market. "At one end, consumers look for value for money, they go for promotions and maybe celebrity fragrances. But at the other, consumers are becoming more selective. "Rather than buying 10 times a year maybe they buy five times a year. They're spending the same amount of money but going towards a more niche or premium offering." The fragrance industry was worth £1.25bn in the UK last year, and shows no signs of slowing any time soon. But if the current sales trends continue, there could well be far fewer famous faces plastered across perfumes in the future. Expect your next birthday present to be a bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier rather than Justin Bieber. Celebrity fragrances: A brief history Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].

One of the first things many of us notice when we meet someone is what sort of perfume or aftershave they're wearing.

Human Rights Watch believes Nato air strikes killed at least 72 civilians and says the organisation needs to bear responsibility where appropriate. "We're calling for prompt, credible and thorough investigations," HRW's Fred Abrahams told BBC News. Nato insists it took unprecedented care to minimise civilian casualties. It argues that it cannot take responsibility because it has had no presence on the ground to confirm the deaths. Aircraft from the US, the UK and France conducted most of the 9,658 strike sorties last year, targeting forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. In March, another human rights organisation, Amnesty International, said it had documented 55 cases of named civilians, including 16 children and 14 women, killed in air strikes. It described Nato's failure to investigate these cases thoroughly as "deeply disappointing". The point of the Nato air campaign in Libya last year was to protect civilians, so how many innocent people died is still a sensitive issue, BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall reports. In its report published on Monday, HRW said it had examined in detail evidence of claims of civilian deaths from eight separate Nato strikes. In one instance, it said a first Nato bomb killed 14 people and a second bomb, moments later, killed 18 more who had rushed to help victims. What concerns Mr Abrahams, the main author of the report, is that the deaths remain unacknowledged and the families have been offered no compensation. "Until now, Nato has taken a position of denial," he said. Source: Nato "They refuse to give information about how they died and they refuse to investigate, and it is this lack of transparency that is deeply troubling. "I think it will lead to unnecessary civilian deaths in the future if Nato refuses to look at what went wrong and make corrections." Nato says it is ready to co-operate with the new Libyan authorities in assessing what further action is appropriate. But so far the task force being set up in Tripoli seems to have made little headway, our diplomatic correspondent adds.

A leading human rights organisation has urged Nato to investigate fully the deaths of civilians in air strikes in Libya last year.

Kallum Watkins gave the bottom-of-the-table Rhinos an early lead but Willie Isa's first two Wigan tries put them 12-4 ahead at the break. George Williams, Dom Manfredi and Ben Flower put the Warriors in control before Mitch Achurch pulled one back. But Oliver Gildart and Dan Sarginson went over late on to wrap up the win. Wigan's victory, complete with their biggest points haul of the season, leaves four teams separated by only points difference at the top of the table, although Catalans and Hull both have the opportunity to take over as leaders if they beat Wakefield and Hull KR respectively on Sunday. Shaun Wane's Warriors came into the game - a re-match of last season's Grand Final won by Leeds - having suffered back-to-back league defeats but knowing that they had not been beaten at Magic Weekend since 2008. And once they went in front they proved too good for the out-of-sorts Rhinos, whose nightmare season since winning the treble last year shows no signs of ending. Leeds, who were without 10 regulars through injury and suspension, have now lost five successive games in all competitions and defeat leaves them six points away from eighth-placed Widnes in the race for a top-eight finish before the league splits. Leeds coach Brian McDermott: "It was a tough way to lose, a tough scoreline. Obviously the crucial part was just after half-time but before then the game was a contest. "I thought we gave it absolutely everything. We kept on having a crack, probably over-played a bit. "There was another chunk of effort this week. We're clearly hamstrung with players missing and what's gone on in pre-season and you get to the stage when things don't go your way. "But quietly there are some positives. I think there is something special to be done for us at the end of the year. "Your objectives shift as weeks go by and you keep losing games. I don't think I'm giving up on the Grand Final - I know numerically we might just be out of touch at the moment. "But there is something there to work with, something good for the future. These young fellas are learning some lessons." Wigan coach Shaun Wane: "I thought we played well for 40 minutes. We started well in both halves and were ruthless but then we got a bit bored and went away from it. "I have to say there is loads of spirit in the Leeds team, there is no question about that. They have a competitive coach and competitive players." Leeds: Hardaker, Handley, Watkins, Keinhorst, Golding, McGuire, Lilley, Galloway, Jones-Buchanan, Singleton, Ferres, Cuthbertson, Walters. Replacements: Mullally, Hallas, Achurch, Briscoe. Wigan: S. Tomkins, Manfredi, Gildart, Sarginson, Charnley, Williams, Smith, Crosby, Powell, Flower, Bateman, Isa, O'Loughlin. Replacements: Mossop, Tautai, Sutton, Burke. Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL), replaced by Joe Cobb (RFL) on 18 minutes because of injury.

Wigan went level on points with Warrington, Catalans Dragons and Hull FC at the top of the Super League table with a Magic Weekend win over Leeds.

The England Knights player made his Tigers debut as a 16-year-old in 2008, and went on to make 44 first-team appearances for them, scoring 16 tries. "I'm looking forward to a new challenge and something a bit different," Arundel told Hull's club website. "I'm really excited and also a little nervous as it's a big club and that will put a bit more pressure on me." Hull FC's director of rugby Shaun McRae added: "We have said since day one that we're trying to build a culture and winning mentality at this club, one that isn't only about now but also about the future. "That's why we're looking at players of Joe's calibre that are not just showing immense promise now but look to have ever greater years ahead of them in their career, not just with Hull FC but England too."

Hull FC have signed 20-year-old centre Joe Arundel from Castleford Tigers on a four-year contract from 2013.

The pilot was flying solo during a training flight on Thursday and radioed for assistance while returning to RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire. The Hawk jet was promptly joined by another aircraft from the same squadron as a wingman to provide guidance. They then flew in formation and landed safely. The RAF has offered no further details on the condition of the pilot. A spokesman said: "Flying in formation, and conducting an approach to land as a formation, is a daily skill practised by RAF fast jet pilots."

An RAF pilot was guided into landing his jet by a colleague in another aircraft after suffering "a partial loss of vision", it has emerged.

BBC Wiltshire report the 23-year-old forward left Sixfields before kick-off, having been told he wasn't involved in the squad for the League One match. Head coach Luke Williams said the matter would be dealt with "in house". The Robins are in the relegation zone after five straight losses, four points from safety, with 14 matches remaining. Swindon have won three, drawn four and lost 11 of their 18 games in all competitions since Tim Sherwood's appointment as director of football on 10 November.

Swindon Town's Jermaine Hylton may face internal disciplinary action after walking out on his side before Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Northampton Town.

Over 100 shops in the coastal town of Cumana were hit and at least one person died according to local media. Venezuela has one of the world's highest inflation rates at 180% and people can queue for hours for subsidised food. Opposition politicians blame government mismanagement for the shortages. But the government says the shortages are part of an economic war being waged to drive President Nicolas Maduro from office. Most of the shops were looted for food according to opposition congresswoman Milagros Paz. She is quoted in Venezuelan newspaper El Universal as saying that the authorities "have not admitted the food distribution emergency". But according to the socialist governor of Sucre state, Luis Acuna, it was off licenses, opticians and clothes shops that were targeted in the looting, reports El Nacional. Food and medicine are in short supply and street protests have become increasingly agitated. More than 10 attempts of looting happen every day, according to the non-governmental organisation Venezuelan Violence Observatory. Diosdado Cabello, a lawmaker from Mr Maduro's PSUV party, blamed the opposition for inciting violent protest. "These are fascist groups which are generating unrest," he said. "Don't come to me with this fairy tale that these are spontaneous protests," he said on his television programme.

At least 400 people have been arrested in Venezuela after rioting and looting over food shortages.

Seven riders in the peloton crossed with the safety barrier down, but were not sanctioned for breaking race rules. Sir Bradley Wiggins finished 18th in his final race for Team Sky, 31 seconds behind German winner John Degenkolb. "It's the most beautiful race in the world and we get bothered by a train," said French champion Arnaud Demare. "This needs to be taken care of, it was dangerous. We went through but it was close." One rider from the Belgian Lotto team was clipped by a barrier which came down seconds before the 60kph train sped past. Race organisers said the peloton were 10m from the barrier as it started to descend and that the leading riders "could not stop in safe conditions". A police motorcycle stopped the rest of the pack, before organisers of the 151-mile race slowed the leaders to allow the pack to catch up. Former British champion and Olympic track medallist Rob Hayles, commentating on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, said: "That could have ended in disaster. "You could see riders nip across but that train wasn't slowing down." A similar incident occurred last year but it affected only the eight men in the breakaway. In 2006, three riders who were chasing a lone breakaway by eventual winner Fabian Cancellara were disqualified after crossing a railway line after the barrier was down.

Several Paris-Roubaix riders were seconds from being hit by a train as they raced over a rail crossing while a TGV approached.

The 22-year-old was one of six men arrested as part of an investigation into spot-fixing by the National Crime Agency and bailed until April 2014. Montano, who had been at Boundary Park since the summer of 2012, was suspended without pay by the Latics following the initial allegations. The former West Ham trainee made 48 appearances, scoring four goals. A club statement read: "After a thorough investigation carried out by Oldham Athletic Football Club relating to the conduct of Cristian Montano, a decision has been made by the board to dismiss the player forthwith. "Oldham Athletic take matters such as this extremely seriously and believe it was essential to act as swiftly as possible." Director Barry Owen told BBC Radio Manchester: "It's been a very difficult week for the club. It's not an easy decision that we've had to make, but it's been made. "We've got to move on. We've got a big FA Cup tie tomorrow evening [against Mansfield] and the lads are up for it. We've got to move on. We've made the decision and we believe that's the right decision for our fans and the football club. "I just hope that people realise we've acted positively, and not hastily may I add."

League One club Oldham Athletic have confirmed that they have sacked winger Cristian Montano.

Homosexual acts are illegal in the East African nation and punishable by up to 30 years in jail. Those who advertised homosexual activities online would also be targeted, the politician warned. Tweeters accused him of homophobia and infringing on the right to freedom of expression online. But Hamisi Kigwangalla argued that homosexuality did not scientifically exist and was a social construct. In a tweet written in Swahili and English he said: "Have you ever come across a gay goat or bird? Homosexuality is not biological, it is unnatural." The 42-year-old, who is a medical doctor by profession, argued that homosexuality could only be associated with an urban lifestyle. He said that in the small town in central Tanzania where he came from, there were no homosexuals. Tweeter: "Consider the fact that your move will only fuel more hatred, violence and increased mob lynchings" Response: "Fulfils my duty as head administrator of the rules and policies of our country! I do not have any trouble with the 'community'" Tweeter : "Freedom of choice, freedom of expression and right to privacy are constitutional justifiable rights. May God change your heart" Response: "Freedoms/rights have boundaries and both are protected by law! The law in Tanzania has boundaries when it comes to sexuality" Tweeter: "It seems politics has made you forget the basics of science. Homosexuality is partly a result of biogenetics" Response: "There is no literature to suggest so. Homosexuality has no any scientific backing! I am a scientist and I read a lot than you think" Earlier this month, Dr Kigwangalla ordered three men he accused of being gay to report to the police for "spreading" homosexual activity through social media, in violation of the law. It is not clear whether they have been charged. Dr Kigwangalla's outspoken comments on Twitter follow the health ministry's move last week to suspend the activities of 40 drop-in HIV/Aids clinics, accusing non-governmental organisations of using them to promote gay sex. The BBC's Sammy Awami in Dar es Salaam says most Tanzanians are strongly opposed to homosexuality - and the gay community keeps to itself. But homosexuality was named as one of the three major challenges facing the country in a parliamentary debate about Aids earlier this month. MP Hussein Bashe said the other issues were drug use and poor education.

The threat to publish the names of suspected homosexuals in Tanzania has been defended by the deputy health minister in a fierce row on Twitter.

From 2010 until mid-2014, world oil prices had been fairly stable, at around $110 a barrel. But since June prices have more than halved. Brent crude oil has now dipped below $50 a barrel for the first time since May 2009 and US crude is down to below $48 a barrel. The reasons for this change are twofold - weak demand in many countries due to insipid economic growth, coupled with surging US production. Added to this is the fact that the oil cartel Opec is determined not to cut production as a way to prop up prices. So who are some of the winners and losers? Russia is one of the world's largest oil producers, and its dramatic interest rate hike to 17% in support of its troubled rouble underscores how heavily its economy depends on energy revenues, with oil and gas accounting for 70% of export incomes. Russia loses about $2bn in revenues for every dollar fall in the oil price, and the World Bank has warned that Russia's economy would shrink by at least 0.7% in 2015 if oil prices do not recover. Despite this, Russia has confirmed it will not cut production to shore up oil prices. "If we cut, the importer countries will increase their production and this will mean a loss of our niche market," said Energy Minister Alexander Novak. Falling oil prices, coupled with western sanctions over Russia's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine have hit the country hard. The government has cut its growth forecast for 2015, predicting that the economy will sink into recession. Former finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, said the currency's fall was not just a reaction to lower oil prices and western sanctions, "but also [a show of] distrust to the economic policies of the government". Given the pressures facing Moscow now, some economists expect further measures to shore up the currency. "We think capital controls as a policy measure cannot be off the table now," said Luis Costa, a senior analyst at Citi. While President Putin is not using the word "crisis", Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has been more forthright on Russia's economic problems. "Frankly, we, strictly speaking, have not fully recovered from the crisis of 2008," he said in a recent interview. Because of the twin impact of falling oil prices and sanctions, he said the government had had to cut spending. "We had to abandon a number of programmes and make certain sacrifices." Russia's interest rate rise may also bring its own problems, as high rates can choke economic growth by making it harder for businesses to borrow and spend. Venezuela is one of the world's largest oil exporters, but thanks to economic mismanagement it was already finding it difficult to pay its way even before the oil price started falling. Inflation is running at about 60% and the economy is teetering on the brink of recession. The need for spending cuts is clear, but the government faces difficult choices. The country already has some of the world's cheapest petrol prices - fuel subsidies cost Caracas about $12.5bn a year - but President Maduro has ruled out subsidy cuts and higher petrol prices. "I've considered as head of state, that the moment has not arrived," he said. "There's no rush, we're not going to throw more gasoline on the fire that already exists with speculation and induced inflation." The government's caution is understandable. A petrol price rise in 1989 saw widespread riots that left hundreds dead. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and Opec's most influential member, could support global oil prices by cutting back its own production, but there is little sign it wants to do this. There could be two reasons - to try to instil some discipline among fellow Opec oil producers, and perhaps to put the US's burgeoning shale oil and gas industry under pressure. Although Saudi Arabia needs oil prices to be around $85 in the longer term, it has deep pockets with a reserve fund of some $700bn - so can withstand lower prices for some time. "In terms of production and pricing of oil by Middle East producers, they are beginning to recognise the challenge of US production," says Robin Mills, Manaar Energy's head of consulting. If a period of lower prices were to force some higher cost producers to shut down, then Riyadh might hope to pick up market share in the longer run. However, there is also recent history behind Riyadh's unwillingness to cut production. In the 1980s the country did cut production significantly in a bid to boost prices, but it had little effect and it also badly affected the Saudi economy. Alongside Saudi Arabia, Gulf producers such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have also amassed considerable foreign currency reserves, which means that they could run deficits for several years if necessary. Other Opec members such as Iran, Iraq and Nigeria, with greater domestic budgetary demands because of their large population sizes in relation to their oil revenues, have less room for manoeuvre. They have combined foreign currency reserves of less than $200bn, and are already under pressure from increased US competition. Nigeria, which is Africa's biggest oil producer, has seen growth in the rest of its economy but despite this it remains heavily oil-dependent. Energy sales account for up to 80% of all government revenue and more than 90% of the country's exports. The war in Syria and Iraq has also seen Isis, or Islamic State, capturing oil wells. It is estimated it is making about $3m a day through black market sales - and undercutting market prices by selling at a significant discount - around $30-60 a barrel. "The growth of oil production in North America, particularly in the US, has been staggering," says Columbia University's Jason Bordoff. Speaking to BBC World Service's World Business Report, he said that US oil production levels were at their highest in almost 30 years. It has been this growth in US energy production, where gas and oil is extracted from shale formations using hydraulic fracturing or fracking, that has been one of the main drivers of lower oil prices. "Shale has essentially severed the linkage between geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, and oil price and equities," says Seth Kleinman, head of energy strategy at Citi. Even though many US shale oil producers have far higher costs than conventional rivals, many need to carry on pumping to generate at least some revenue stream to pay off debts and other costs. With Europe's flagging economies characterised by low inflation and weak growth, any benefits of lower prices would be welcomed by beleaguered governments. A 10% fall in oil prices should lead to a 0.1% increase in economic output, say some. In general consumers benefit through lower energy prices, but eventually low oil prices do erode the conditions that brought them about. China, which is set to become the largest net importer of oil, should gain from falling prices. However, lower oil prices won't fully offset the far wider effects of a slowing economy. Japan imports nearly all of the oil it uses. But lower prices are a mixed blessing because high energy prices had helped to push inflation higher, which has been a key part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth strategy to combat deflation. India imports 75% of its oil, and analysts say falling oil prices will ease its current account deficit. At the same time, the cost of India's fuel subsidies could fall by $2.5bn this year - but only if oil prices stay low.

Global oil prices have fallen sharply over the past seven months, leading to significant revenue shortfalls in many energy exporting nations, while consumers in many importing countries are likely to have to pay less to heat their homes or drive their cars.

His firm, Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, already owns the Three mobile network, and combining it with O2 would create the UK's biggest mobile group. However, the move could face tough scrutiny from competition regulators. It would reduce the number of major operators in the UK from four to three, which might not benefit consumers. Further consolidation within the telecommunications industry is already on the cards, with BT Group in talks to buy rival operator EE. If a deal is agreed it would have to be approved by competition regulators in Brussels. Currently the UK mobile market is dominated by O2, EE, Vodafone and Three. However, Hutchison Whampoa group finance director, Frank Sixt, pointed to deals in other countries, including Ireland, which were given the green light and which also reduced the number of competitors in the market from four to three. "The European Commission has taken a positive view of four-to-three consolidations of mobile in three cases now...and we believe that the precedents that they have set in those transactions will apply for this transaction," he said. Mark Newman, chief research officer at telecoms consultancy, Ovum, thinks there may still be grounds for concern. "The big question we should be asking ourselves is whether the consolidation will result in prices going up," he said. "It's worth looking at the Austrian market which has gone from five operators a few years ago to three today. It appears as though prices have gone up in the Austrian market." O2 said in a statement: "Three is known for campaigning on behalf of its customers, much like O2. "We are confident that an agreement will mutually benefit the customers of both companies, as well as drive better value, quality and investment in one of the most digitally competitive countries in the world." These are turbulent times for the UK mobile phone industry - and for its customers. Just a few years back, there were five operators - Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2 and the scrappy outsider, Three. Now Three owner Li-Ka Shing's move for O2 means it is likely there will be three giants in charge of our phones and the prices we pay to use them. BT's move on EE, the merger of Orange and T-Mobile, appeared to raise few competition concerns because it won't cut the number of choices for consumers. Hutchison's plans are a different matter. Three has been a small player making a big impact by bold pricing moves such as offering free international roaming and unlimited data deals. But combined with O2 it would be the biggest operator, and might be keen to raise prices. The competition authorities in Brussels and in London seem certain to want to have a look at the deal, though some might argue that consolidation in Europe's most competitive mobile market is inevitable and will lead to more investment in better networks. One company which might be cheering the regulators on is Vodafone. It was already unhappy about the implications of any BT/EE deal - now what was the UK's global telecoms powerhouse faces being an also-ran in its home market. Hutchison said in a statement that the exclusive negotiations with Telefonica will take a period of several weeks. "Shareholders and potential investors of the company should note that such negotiations may or may not result in any transaction, and accordingly are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the shares of the company," it said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange. Hutchison shares jumped 4% on the announcement after they resumed trading in Hong Kong. They had been suspended on Friday morning pending the statement. Mr Li has spent more than £20bn on overseas acquisitions in recent years. Earlier this week, he agreed to buy the UK's Eversholt Rail Group for £1.1bn. The 86-year old is also undertaking a major reorganisation of his business empire, which has interests in property, energy, ports and telecoms. The conglomerates Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa are both controlled by Mr Li. He plans to merge them and spin off their property assets into a new company, also to be listed in Hong Kong.

Asia's richest person Li Ka-shing is in talks to buy Britain's second-largest mobile provider O2 for up to £10.25bn ($15.4bn) from Spain's Telefonica.

Imran Khawaja tried to sneak back into the UK last year - and while his exact activity in Syria remains a mystery, police say he is one of the most dangerous British jihadists to return from conflict. He was one of the most public British fighters in Syria - always online, but always masked. But now, Imran Khawaja, 27, from Southall, west London is facing a possible prison term up to life imprisonment for his role in life and death on Syria's battlefields. Khawaja left the UK last January. He called himself Abu Daigham al-Britani. And after reaching the warzone via Kurdish territory, he began posting videos and pictures of his personal jihad. In one video he explains how a fellow fighter was shot through the side - but "thanks to Allah's will" was soon back on the front line. In another - masked again - he is showing off his amateur weight-lifting skills as his brothers-in-arms cheer him on. Khawaja was a member of Rayat al Tawheed - which means Flag of Unity. The group of fighters affiliated to Islamic State includes many British men, and they have spent more than a year selling a message to their supporters and would-be recruits back home. Khawaja was involved in appeals for donations, video diaries of their lives and "through the keyhole" tours of fighters' quarters. Shiraz Maher, of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), at Kings College London, has been tracking foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. He says: "The group that Khawaja was with in Syria was really quite dynamic," he says. "They clearly had people with programming skills - they were able to put together very slick, well produced propaganda videos and posters that appealed to young British Muslims. "They were able to play on the same cultural anchors and mores that those people recognised and know. They could speak to them as peers. "Rayat al Tawheed helped a great deal in the early stages of this conflict with portraying the idea of volunteering as a jihadist as quite a glamorous adventurous thing - and a noble thing." But Rayat's war was neither noble nor glamorous. Some of its material online showed gruesome scenes of death. One image showed a man's bloodied-hands with the caption "my first time". And another shocking image included Imran Khawaja. In this gruesome picture, the Londoner - masked yet again - is holding a bag that contains a head. The only thing we know about the victim is that he was supposedly a Syrian army soldier. But we do know that the British security service MI5 was watching - and waiting. And last June, its opportunity came. Imran Khawaja decided to come home. It's not clear why because he hasn't told the police. His cousin Tahir Bhatti, a taxi driver from Watford, agreed to help him return because the family wanted him back safely. Khawaja's own intentions are unclear. He had originally asked his cousin for money for a new gun - something Bhatti did not help him with. And then the fighter began trying to cover his tracks. As Bhatti, who has admitted assisting an offender, drove to Bulgaria to pick him up, Khawaja faked his own death with an online obituary that said he had died in battle. The announcement asked that Allah grant him the highest position in heaven. He then tried to slip back into Britain unnoticed. As the pair arrived at Dover, the police were waiting - and they ended up facing prosecution at the Old Bailey. Cdr Richard Walton, the head of the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command, says: "Imran Khawaja is not a vulnerable teenager who has been enticed to travel to Syria. "This is a man who chosen the path of terrorism, who has chosen to go out to Syria to be trained and engage in a terrorist training camp. "We don't know why he came back, we don't know what he was planning - but we know he concealed his entry and faked his own death. This is a dangerous man." Imran Khawaja was considered so dangerous that while he was on remand, he was held in the special unit for high risk terrorism suspects at London's maximum security Belmarsh prison. He has admitted four offences: Tahir Bhatti has pleaded guilty to assisting an offender. Khawaja had originally faced an additional charge of soliciting to murder. That allegation, the most serious to be made yet against a Syrian fighter, will lie on file.

A British man who went to fight in Syria - and then faked his own death in order to secretly return - has pleaded guilty to four major terrorism offences at the Old Bailey.

The competition organised by village leaders in Bibipur, Haryana attracted nearly 800 entries from all over the country. Winners were declared on Friday and received a trophy, a certificate and prize of 2,100 rupees ($316; £199). Haryana has one of India's lowest gender ratios, with 877 women for every 1,000 men. This, say experts, is the result of illegal sex-selective abortions, female infanticide, parental neglect and discrimination against girl children. Here we show some of the selfies as well as images taken by photographer Mansi Thapliyal, who travelled to talk to some of those who participated in the contest.

A village in India recently held an unique contest to raise consciousness about girl children: click a selfie with your daughter and win a prize.

An advance party of about 10 soldiers from Force Troop Command, 1 Div and Field Army training will support African Union peacekeeping efforts against the al-Shabab group. About 70 personnel will eventually be in Somalia carrying out medical, logistical and engineering duties. Around 300 troops are also be deployed to the conflict in South Sudan. Al-Shabab - the Islamist militant group allied to al-Qaeda - is battling Somalia's government for control of the country. Who are Somalia's al-Shabab? New questions for African force in Somalia Somali defector: Why I left al-Shabab The group has carried out a string of attacks - including in neighbouring Kenya - and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was launched in 2007, and is mainly comprised of troops from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia. In South Sudan, conflict between government and rebel forces has seen more than 2.2 million people flee from their homes in the state, which broke away from Sudan in 2011. The British troops being sent to South Sudan will also carry out engineering work to strengthen infrastructure. It follows a commitment by UK Prime Minister David Cameron at the UN in New York in September. It formed part of a pledge in the Strategic Defence and Security Review to double the number of UK troops on UN "blue-hatted" peacekeeping tasks and support efforts to end some of the world's most destabilising conflicts. Speaking at the time, Mr Cameron said operations "will help to alleviate serious humanitarian and security issues... helping to bring stability to the region and preventing these challenges from spreading further afield". Announcing the arrival of the team in Somalia, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "This deployment is another demonstration of the flexibility and global reach of our armed forces." It showed the UK's "determination to tackle terrorism wherever it rears its head", he added. The Ministry of Defence said the UK military's contribution to UN peacekeeping reflects a long history of supporting the organisation, including a lasting presence in Cyprus. Britain has long been a large financial contributor to UN peacekeeping missions and is the fifth highest provider of funds. But its troop commitment has been relatively small - focused mainly on 250 soldiers based in Cyprus.

A British Army team has arrived in Somalia as part of a United Nations mission to counter Islamist militants.

Jin Ok scored the game-winning goal after GB had come back from 2-0 down. Third-period goals from Angela Taylor and Leanne Ganney levelled the game after Jong Su-hyo and Won Chol-sun had put North Korea in charge. The game gives Britain their first point of the tournament but they are bottom of Group A after three games. "Nobody likes losing and it's disappointing," said Britain's head coach Cheryl Smith. "I am more disappointed because we took some risks. We were 2-0 down, took a risk and got the goal back. "We got our heads together and the girls listened and we got back into the game. "The game was going our way when we got back into it at 2-2, but we just didn't finish it. "We had the chances in overtime but we just did not get it done." Britain, who have also lost to the Netherlands and South Korea in this event, return to action tomorrow when they face Slovenia at 16:30 (08:30 BST).

Great Britain's women fell to an overtime defeat by North Korea in their third Group A game in World Championship Division Two in Gangneung.

But the design, for a new apartment complex in South Korea, has sparked a furious response from critics who say it resembles the collapse of New York's World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. The design, by a Dutch architectural company, is part of a flagship project to develop a major new site in central Seoul. The PR chief at the Yongsan Development Company, Seo Hee-seok, said the accusation was a shock. "When I heard that, I was totally surprised, and bewildered," he told me. "It felt like something out of a novel. And because this is just one of many buildings in the new development, I even wondered whether it was a conspiracy." The symbolism and spiritual impact of buildings is important in South Korea. Feng shui experts are often consulted on the best possible position of a new construction, and just a few years ago, the vast front gate to Seoul's main Gyeongbok palace was moved and rotated, to erase changes made by Korea's former Japanese colonial rulers. Mr Seo says this latest dispute is not a matter of insensitivity but of different cultural perceptions. "If I'd been living in New York at that time, and been part of that experience," he says, "I might agree it looked like it. But to me, at the moment, it doesn't resemble the World Trade Centre attacks at all." On the streets of Seoul, though, some people do make the connection. "Even if it does remind people of 9/11, there's no law saying it can't be built," one man told me. "It might even remind people of the tragedy that happened back then." "I know there's been some criticism of this," another commuter said, "because it looks like the 9/11 attacks, but in my view it's a piece of architecture and I don't think there's a problem with it - I think it's a fantastic design." The development company say they were offered two versions of the design. The chaotic pixelated style was chosen because it was seen as "trendy". A second version, with a smooth, undulating bridge snaking round the two buildings was dismissed as "too old-fashioned". The design will not be finalised until next year, with construction due to begin in 2013. But as of now, the company says there has been no decision to alter their plans to appease the critics.

It is what developers are calling a "pixelated cloud" - a profusion of box-like extensions jutting out from the middle of two tower blocks, and fusing them together.

Campaigners fought to save Ipswich Airport after it was earmarked for housing by Ipswich Borough Council, with some occupying the terminal building for about four months. The anniversary of the closure is being marked with an exhibition. Organisers said: "There is now a generation that probably doesn't even know Ipswich had its own airport." The site was formerly a World War Two airfield and home to RAF Blenheim light bombers, Hurricanes and - for short periods - Spitfire squadrons. During its 66-year history, the airport launched a daily flight to Clacton with a journey time of just 15 minutes in 1938 and it later handled flights carrying royal passengers and sports stars. In the 1980s, Suckling Airways started operating flights to Amsterdam and Manchester and by 1990 the airport housed flying schools, a helicopter school, parachute centre and various support firms. But in 1996 the borough council, which owned the airport, announced the site would close later that year, to be turned into what is now the Ravenswood housing estate. Saturday's exhibition at the town's Transport Museum has been put together by Ipswich Airport Association (IAA) whose members will be on hand to answer questions. The reunion and exhibition will also feature press cuttings, photos and memorabilia to mark 20 years since the airport officially closed on 31 December 1996. Martyn Steggalls, a director of the IAA, who worked part-time at the airport, said: "It's a time when a lot of people involved in the airport can get together and reminisce. "It's a focal point to people who used to fly from there, work there and lived nearby."

An airport that "refused to close" is being remembered this weekend, 20 years after flying eventually stopped.

It has been hailed as the most comprehensive list to date. About 9,000 names - nearly all German - are on the Auschwitz garrison list, some with photographs attached. The INR hopes the list will prove that Auschwitz was not a Polish-run camp. More than a million people died there. The victims were overwhelmingly Jewish - but Poles, Roma and political prisoners were also murdered. INR head Jaroslaw Szarek said that the creation of the database, the only one of its kind in the world, marked a historic day. It includes information about SS commanders and guards who worked at Auschwitz-Birkenau, their names, place and date of birth, nationality, military service and where possible, a photograph. The information was gathered from Poland, Germany, Austria and the US. Mr Szarek said it would help combat the wholly incorrect practice of referring to Auschwitz as a Polish-run camp. He said the institute hoped to compile similar lists for other Nazi camps in occupied Poland. In cases where a person has stood trial, judicial documents relating to the case are included with the documents. Auschwitz trial: Ex-guard Reinhold Hanning 'ashamed' Virtual reality to aid Auschwitz war trials of concentration camp guards Auschwitz trial: Prosecutor on bringing Nazis to justice (video) Auschwitz medic Hubert Zafke goes on trial at fourth attempt Auschwitz guard Ernst Tremmel dies a week before trial iWonder: Why did ordinary people commit atrocities in the Holocaust? The paperwork relating to camp commander Rudolf Hoess - in charge of Auschwitz from 1940-43 - contains a photocopy of the death sentence he received from a Polish court in 1947. Poland has long complained that death camps are wrongly referred to as "Polish" because of misunderstandings surrounding their geographical location. The new database is being made accessible in five languages and "is a tool to fight lies", Mr Szarek said. "We're not expressing an opinion, we're presenting the cold, hard facts." Soviet forces entered Auschwitz on 27 January 1945. The Nazis had abandoned the camp days earlier, leaving much of it intact.

The names of Nazi SS commanders and guards at the Auschwitz death camp in German-occupied Poland have been put online by the country's Institute of National Remembrance (INR).

A group chaired by Paralympic multi-gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson says it would be the first country in the world to take that step. It would mean more time for sport, but unions worry too many core curriculum subjects could dilute their importance. The Welsh government said it would consider the recommendation. Education Minister Leighton Andrews said he wanted to look into how schools can increase levels of physical activity in children and young people. By Arwyn JonesBBC Wales education correspondent Although the need for more exercise is clear enough, it isn't just a simple matter of adding PE as a core subject. Pupils in Wales already have as core subjects Welsh, English, maths and sciences. They are the areas the government has decided should have most time and resources allocated to them. And teaching unions fear the more you add to that core, the less of a priority they each become. More than one-third are either overweight or obese, costing the Welsh NHS more than £70m a year. The current core subjects in schools in Wales are English, Welsh (as a first language), mathematics, and science, while physical education is a foundation subject. Having PE elevated to a core part of the curriculum would mean more time devoted to it, as well as extra resources and more training for teachers. Schools would also need to give greater priority to provision for PE. As a result: • Teachers would be required to be competent to deliver the subject on completion of their initial teacher training. • Well qualified, specialist teachers would be needed to work with schools to ensure high-quality provision. • Standards and provision in physical education would be rigorously reviewed in school, both by the educational consortia and by schools inspectorate Estyn. • Progress would be regularly measured. The move to give PE more status in schools would be a bold move but an important one, according to the group. In its report, the group, which also included the chair of Sports Wales Laura McAllister, said: "Given the Welsh government's commitment to making physical literacy as important a development skill as reading and writing, the group felt that changing the status of physical education is the only credible and secure way of ensuring this." But while teaching unions support the idea, they are worried that too many subjects on the core curriculum could dilute their importance. Dr Philip Dixon, director of ATL Cymru, said it was important to decide on "what small core we want". "We certainly want literacy and numeracy in there," he said. "We may well want physical education in there too, that's for the government to decide. "But the core has to be kept very small or else we'll see a core which isn't a core and that's just ridiculous." Owen Hathway, Wales policy officer at the NUT, also warned that schools already had a heavy curriculum in Wales. "We are constantly being told that literacy and numeracy is a priority, " he said. "Science is being pushed as a priority with its importance to future PISA testing. We have the core subjects of maths, English, Welsh and so on already in place, while IT is also being promoted as a priority. "Quite simply, by the nature of the word, not everything can be a priority." Responding to the report, Education Minister Leighton Andrews said he would be considering the report in the context of the wider review of the national curriculum and assessment. "We firmly believe in the positive impact that physical activity can have on the people and nation of Wales and I'm determined to ensure that sport continues to make an important contribution to Welsh life," he added. Sport Minister John Griffiths said sport was important as it improves health and wellbeing, along with helping with team building and making friends. "We are committed to widening access and encouraging greater participation in physical activity as the health benefits of making physical exercise a part of everyone's daily lives is well-understood," he added.

PE should be given the same status as maths, English, science and Welsh in schools to help tackle obesity in Wales, experts have recommended.

When someone has a cigarette they inhale smoke - but this smoke is also breathed in by everyone else around them - and this is called passive smoking. Medical research suggests the effects of passive smoking on children cost the NHS £23m a year. It leads to 300,000 doctor visits and 9,500 hospital admissions annually and can cause breathing-related problems and other illnesses. Public Health England - the government body responsible for encouraging healthy lifestyles - found that three-quarters of smoking parents were shocked by the statistics. We asked you whether it bothers you when adults smoke around you. Do you worry about the effects on your health? Or do you think it's not a problem? This chat page has now closed but you can read a selection of your comments below "It annoys me when adults smoke because when I take my little sister to the park there are always adults smoking near it. I try to run past them so I don't have to breath it in." Leah, Surrey, England "My next door neighbour smokes and his wife only allows him to smoke outside in his garden. As my bedroom is overlooking his garden whenever I open my window I only get the smell of smoke and not fresh air because he is outside all of the time. I am never going to smoke because of this annoying experience." Isabel, London, England "It really bothers me when people nearby smoke because I have asthma so I'm scared it might affect my health. When someone is smoking nearby, I hold my breath and walk as a fast as possible to get away from them." Kaoutar, Manchester, England "I hate it when people smoke around me. It's just a dirty and horrible habit and it should make smokers feel dirty and smelly." Beth, Stoke, England "It's extremely bad and can cause loads of diseases and can be bad for the environment as it is made of poisons and also it is bad for the smoker. I feel really sorry for smokers." Jason, Lewisham, England "Smoking is an unpleasant thing to do. I usually hold my breath while I walk past someone who's smoking." Hannah, Powys, Wales "Smoking should be banned for ever and ever! My dad disappears into the garage to have, about 15 cigs a day. I don't like it. I hate people SMOKING!" Emma, Gloucester, England "It really annoys me when people smoke because it can damage their health and others as well." Emma, London, England "I think smoking is terrible and should be banned as it is dangerous not just to the smoker but to everyone surrounding them." Cat, England "I find it really annoying when you're trying to walk and adults just smoke in front of you as it really smells and it goes in your face." Nadia, London, England "When I am out and there are people are smoking it bothers me a lot! I hate the smell and when it blows onto me I feel like it clings to me! It's horrible." Genna, Swindon, England "You shouldn't smoke when children are around you, you could be affecting their lungs and future life!" Hannah, Manchester, England "There is a ban on smoking in public places but what constitutes a public place? Surely not just restaurants, pubs, transport. What could be more public than walking on the pavement? Smoking stinks, is really antisocial, the streets are filthy with butts and as an asthma sufferer it literally makes me sick. Kill smoking, not those passing by." Sue, London, England "I hate it when people smoke in front of me and then chuck the butts on the floor for people to tread on!" Lydia, England "It's ok when they smoke outside but when they smoke inside it's bad for the people who are around them because they breathe it in and also they make the house smell." Clairmond, Essex, England "I hate to breathe it in it makes me cough and feel sick. It gives children the idea to smoke so stop smoking it is bad for you and your surroundings. It is bad bad bad." Charlie, Dagenham, England "I hate when my mum smokes and I try telling her to stop but she doesn't listen to me. I don't like how it smells or what it does to your lungs. I think the factories should stop making cigarettes and shops to stop selling them." Cristi, Morecambe, England "Yes it bothers me, I have to hold my breath until I can't smell it." Madeline, London, England "I think it is bad because it can do harm to your body and when someone is smoking I just try to hold my breath." Marley, Herts, England "I don't mind smoking. Some of my friends smoke at school and I hang around with them, but I know that I could never smoke." Oliver, Reading, England "I'm glad that my parents don't smoke because if you breathe in smoke from cigarettes it's just as bad as actually smoking!" Sally, Manchester, England "It really stinks and always makes me cough. Smoking should be banned there is no positive from it except it makes money but that is a selfish reason. Also it costs the NHS money to treat diseases that were caused by smoking!!!" Grace, London, England ''It annoys me when my dad smokes with me when we watch films and sometimes in the car.'' Lily, Surrey, England "I cant stand it! I don't know why anyone would want to smoke!" Emily, Aberdeenshire, Scotland "Smoking stinks, it smells and it damages your body. Why do adults do it? Especially when kids are around. When someone is smoking near me I always try not to breathe it in. I don't get what is so appealing about smoking." Charlie, Leighton Buzzard, England "I think that smoking is terrible. You shouldn't smoke around children because they could get the wrong impression." Laura, Kent, England "When I pass someone who is smoking I have to hold my breath and that annoys me because if I don't I get a breath full of smoke and I feel like I'm choking." Holly, London, England "It bothers me because when my mum smokes I breathe it in which causes me to cough. I think more measures should be put in places where you can and cannot smoke." Stephanie, Norfolk, England "I don't mind because if your parents, like my dad, smoke outside it doesn't bother anyone." Emily, London, England "It does bother me because it smells really bad and if people are near you when they're smoking you can't help breathing it in." Amy, Norwich, England "Yes, it does. It is bad for their health and children around them. It smells horrible!" Tom, Hove, England "It bothers me when I go to the park and there are lots of adults smoking. I try to walk faster to get past it quicker." Libby, Birmingham, England

A government advertising campaign is being re-launched to remind people of the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Howard suffered the injury in a collision with Posh striker Shaquile Coulthirst in Sunday's 1-0 defeat. The 30-year-old joined Bolton in the summer from Sheffield United and had started every league game so far. "To lose someone of his quality is a blow for us," manager Phil Parkinson told the club website. "But it is also an opportunity for Ben Alnwick to stake his claim for a place in the team."

Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Mark Howard could be out for 12 weeks with a broken thumb and ligament damage suffered in their League One loss at Peterborough.

Some argue that Africans have never had so much artistic freedom, with a proliferation of books, paintings and films since the advent of multi-party democracy in the 1990s, and the huge advance in technology which has allowed anyone with a smartphone to publish their views across the world. But critics say artists are still subject to tight censorship, pointing out that a South African gallery was forced to remove a painting of President Jacob Zuma under political pressure, while in Uganda a play about gay rights was banned. So, just how free are Africa's artists - in film, literature and music- to tell their own stories? Here are some of their experiences: Having been born and raised in Uganda, it was the best place to be. It was my home and my everything. I remember joining the film industry in 1999 - everything was still good. You didn't need a licence to shoot a film, no censor body to look at your script. All you had to do was get a camera, run to the streets, shoot something and lock yourself in the edit suite - and later put your work out there for the world to see. Today, I have grown to understand that not all stories can be told and not just any film can be done here. There are topics you have to think twice before tackling or which, for your safety, are better left untold. Topics that will get even actors saying: "I think I am not the right person for that role" even when you know they can pull it off. Here, you don't just wake up to say you are doing a film about the gay community, a film about the political situation, or a film that paints a bad picture of Uganda. One day I had to drop a story that was inspired by the practice of female genital mutilation amongst some communities in Uganda. I had strong interviews and had done thorough research, but everyone kept telling me it was not safe to go ahead. But it is still my home, my Uganda, my everything. I don't think anyone is free to exercise their art. And that includes artists. There is a cost for this freedom. Artists are no different to the entrepreneur in that financial resources are required for the capital outlay of the "work" or manuscript. Just to be in a position to indulge in the work is time spent creating a product without the immediate benefit of financial return. Then the work needs to be produced depending upon the format and genre, requiring additional resources. In the case of a writer, it is then given to a publisher, who spends even more resources to fine-tune the manuscript with an editor, proof reader, type setter, graphic designer etc. which could take considerable time before it is placed on the retail shelf. Since the work now becomes a joint investment, compromise is inevitable. So, I guess artists are free to tell their story if they have the resources to indulge in this freedom. There is a preconceived notion and expectations regarding African films. Only in recent years have young filmmakers begun to break the mould and make more experimental films. Funders have a clear idea of the African films they want. In most instances, those that depict African people in an unconventional light are not the stories funders and international festivals want to see. They are content to see Africa as a struggling continent, which is corrupt and disease-ridden. Many urban African stories don't ever reach beyond Africa because of the question: "Are those really African stories?". The image and perception of African film is still very narrow. I want to tell African fantasy and surreal films, but the reaction is: "Why? Don't you have more important issues that you need to address in your films?" Each African film-maker has his own story to tell and we need to allow the "strange for Africa" films to co-exist with those that speak of identity, cultural and moral injustices, war, HIV/Aids etc. But things have changed slightly and filmmakers are finding alternative sources of funding - for instance, private investors - to tell stories they are passionate about. Are artists free to tell their own stories? This is a conscious choice each artist has to make. However, in the developing world, with most artists relying solely on their practice for their livelihood, they are forced to compromise their genuine stories with some "fabricated reality" that is sellable. This is further fuelled by the common perception that sales equal success, which leaves us caught up in creating fairy tales for sale. In oppressive environments, artists are intimidated and live in fear of censorship or consequences of defiance. In Kenya, having recently switched from the stereotypical African dictatorship that clamped down on creatives (mostly writers) to a more liberal government, artists whose work was inspired by bad governance, stemming from from semi-illiterate leadership, now have trouble remaining relevant. Tune in to the BBC World Service at 1900 GMT on Friday 1 March to listen to the BBC Africa Debate - Are artists free to tell their stories? - broadcast from Ouagadougou. Or take part in Twitter - using #bbcafricadebate - Facebook or Google+ Africa Debate The whole funding situation further complicates the scenario. There's a big chunk of "development" aid and "human rights" funding channelled through non-governmental organisations. A handful of very prolific artists have gone mercenary. They've stopped making good art and have started championing the causes of civil society groups because the money is good. Artists are very free to tell their stories. A lot of factors may determine whether they do but in spaces with rampant poverty, very few can resist the temptation of a fistful of dollars to tell someone else's story. Artists just have to believe that their own stories are good enough. Filmmakers, unlike other artists such as painters and dancers, need money to practice their craft. And African filmmakers are especially burdened by a lack of money because our societies are financially strapped and they historically undervalue art. Our governments have different priorities and our businessmen see no financial value in supporting art. So African artists often find it impossible to tell their own stories. One way around that difficulty, I find, is crowd-funding. With many people making small donations, an artist can raise enough money to see through a vision that would otherwise be impossible to realise. That is how I completed my debut feature, Ninah's Dowry. But the lack of a speedy internet structure and limited access to credit cards still make crowd-funding a challenge on the continent. Another not-so-obvious deterrent to an artist's freedom is the requirement by some governments that artists submit scripts for approval before filming permits are granted. It is understandable for my beloved Cameroon, for example, to be touchy about military sites appearing onscreen. That is a credible national security issue. But, what happens if the artist's screenplay is critical of his government or country? Belonging to a very traditional society with conservative cultural values, I always have to make sure that what I say or what I do does not offend certain sensitivities. Which is not easy when you realise that the Festival in the Desert, while looking outward to the modern world, is organised by an indigenous people from a very traditionalist milieu. With the occupation of a large part of Mali and the prohibition of any form of artistic expression such as music, things became much more difficult. Expression itself was extremely risky because you exposed yourself to various punishments from the occupiers - including imprisonment. Even on the international level, to denounce what was happening could bring you trouble. At first you may be labelled as "an enemy of Islam" with all that implies in consequences for your daily life. However, this does not intimidate us because we are convinced that what we do is not against Islam. Our struggle is to show the values that are held by the majority of Muslims in the world, values of sharing and of tolerance. In its comparatively short history, African cinema has been viewed with considerable apathy and condescension both at home and abroad. No post-colonial African state in the continent has attempted to develop a cultural or film policy that incorporates critical debates, political and the poetic, since former Senegalese President Leopold Senghor's 1960s attempt with his idea of "Negritude". With funding intertwined in various governmental departments and international development resources, film-makers are often forced to avoid making films dealing with their immediate surroundings. Instead, they produce films that are neither critical of social problems and national politics nor entertaining. That said, digital storytelling has presented film-makers with essential tools to battle for the freedom to create and distribute their work. In the last 10 years, young Africans have brought amazing energy to drama by embracing digital technology and therefore producing work that has been able to reach its audience across multiple platforms providing film-makers the freedom to imagine and free from the global hegemony.

Fespaco, Africa's premiere film festival, is taking place in Burkina Faso this week, amid debate about artistic freedom on the continent.

But Mikel, 25, has been charged by the FA with misconduct following his involvement in the incident. The Blues had claimed Clattenburg directed racial language at Mikel in their home defeat by Manchester United. "The FA's verdict of no case to answer against referee Mark Clattenburg was hardly a surprise. "Ever since it emerged the alleged victim John Obi Mikel hadn't even heard the comment but was relying on second-hand evidence from Brazilian team-mate Ramires, Chelsea's case looked as wafer thin as their managerial contracts. "Rightly, given how high the stakes were, the FA has taken its time to be sure. "And while their reluctance to criticise Chelsea for bringing the case is designed to avoid other players from clamming up if they believe they have been racially abused, this is yet another damaging blow for a club which seems a magnet for trouble." Clattenburg said it was "truly frightening" to have faced the prospect that his career might be over. Following the match at Stamford Bridge on 28 October, the FA interviewed Clattenburg, Mikel and several other Blues players before reaching its decision to clear the official and charge the Nigerian. "It is alleged that in or around the match officials' changing room at the end of the fixture, Mikel used threatening and/or abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour," an FA statement read. Mikel has until Friday, 30 November to respond. Chelsea have indicated he will not deny the charge but will request a hearing to "explain the mitigating circumstances". The evidence for Chelsea's allegation towards Clattenburg came from their midfielder Ramires who, when interviewed, explained that his instinctive reaction was to seek confirmation from Mikel as to what the referee said. Mikel, who was being spoken to by Clattenburg, was much closer than Ramires and did not hear what it is suggested was said to him. The two assistant referees and the fourth official revealed they did not hear any of the comments Clattenburg was accused of making, despite being linked up to the referee via microphones. An FA statement also said the complaint by Mikel's team-mate Ramires was "made in good faith". Clattenburg, 37, has always maintained his innocence and the Metropolitan Police dropped its own inquiry earlier this month. He missed four weekends of Premier League matches while the FA investigated Chelsea's complaint. "I am looking forward to putting this behind me and concentrating on refereeing in the Premier League and other competitions," said Clattenburg. "The messages of encouragement from those inside and outside of the game have helped me through the most stressful time of my professional life. "To know you were innocent but there was the opportunity for it to wreck your career was truly frightening. "Racism has no place in football and this experience should not discourage those to speak out if they genuinely believe they are a victim of abuse. "However, there are processes that should be adhered to in order that any investigation can be carried out in a manner that is fair for all parties involved. "I know first hand the ramifications of allegations of this nature being placed into the public domain ahead of a formal process and investigation. I hope no referee has to go through this in the future." What has happened over the last few weeks should not overshadow the fact the on-pitch relationship between match officials, players and managers is the best we've ever known it Responding to the announcement, a Chelsea statement said: "Chelsea Football Club accepts the Football Association's decision regarding Mark Clattenburg and welcomes the fact that the FA recognises the club and players were correct in reporting the matter. "The club accepts the case is now concluded and notes the FA states the allegation was made in good faith. "Chelsea FC has a duty of care, as do all employers, to act responsibly when such allegations are reported by employees. "We did not take the decision to lodge a formal complaint with the FA lightly and followed the correct processes and protocols throughout." Referees' union Prospect, on behalf of Clattenburg, are asking Chelsea for a full apology and compensation. Police dropped an investigation into the alleged comments towards Chelsea's Mikel and Juan Mata in the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge last month. Chelsea initially suggested Spanish midfielder Mata had also been verbally abused by Clattenburg, before deciding there was insufficient evidence to support these claims.

The Football Association has cleared referee Mark Clattenburg of using "inappropriate language" towards Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi.

The adaptation will be based on the critically-acclaimed first book in the Noughts and Crosses series, set in a dystopian society where black people are the ruling class. It tells the forbidden interracial love story between Sephy, a "Cross" and politician's daughter; and Callum, a "Nought" and member of the underclass. The drama is expected to air next year. Blackman, who was the children's laureate from 2013-15, said she was "beyond thrilled" her book was being dramatised. "Callum and Sephy seem to have meant a lot to readers over the years and I'm excited at the prospect of watching them on my TV," she said. The series is being produced by Mammoth Screen, the company behind hit BBC drama Poldark. The commission was announced at the Edinburgh Television Festival by director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore as part of a new raft of programming designed to "reflect the diversity of modern Britain". Also announced were three new original drama series and two factual programmes: Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email [email protected].

Malorie Blackman's young adult novel Noughts and Crosses is to be made into a BBC One drama series.

Ingeborg Rapoport (then Syllm) finished her medical studies in 1937 and wrote her doctoral thesis on diphtheria - a serious problem in Germany at the time. But because of Nazi oppression she has had to wait almost eight decades before being awarded her PhD. Her mother was a Jewish pianist. So, under Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic race laws, Ingeborg was refused entry to the final oral exam. She had written confirmation from Hamburg University that she would have received her doctorate "if the applicable laws did not prohibit Ms Syllm's admission to the doctoral exam due to her ancestry". Now the university has set right that wrong. Three professors from Hamburg University's medical faculty travelled last month to Ingeborg's sitting room in east Berlin to test her on the work she carried out in pre-war Germany. They were impressed and a special ceremony took place at Hamburg University Medical Centre on Tuesday, in which she finally received the PhD that the Nazis stole from her. "It was about the principle," she said. "I didn't want to defend my thesis for my own sake. After all, at the age of 102 all of this wasn't exactly easy for me. I did it for the victims [of the Nazis]." To prepare for last month's exam, Ingeborg enlisted friends to help her research online what developments there had been in the field of diphtheria over the last 80 years. "The university wanted to correct an injustice. They were very patient with me. And for that I'm grateful," she told Der Tagesspiegel newspaper. 1912 - Born in Cameroon (Germany colony) 1938 - After studying medicine in Hamburg, prevented by Nazis from defending PhD thesis on diphtheria 1938 - Emigrates to US, meets Mitja Rapoport 1952 - Moves to East Berlin with family 1958 - Qualifies as paediatrician, becoming professor in 1964 1973 - Retires but continues her work as scientist into her eighties In 1938, as Germany became an increasingly dangerous place for Jews, Ingeborg fled to the US where she went back to university, finally to qualify as a doctor. Within a few years she met her husband, the biochemist Samuel Mitja Rapoport, who was himself a Jewish refugee from Vienna. But, by the 1950s, Ingeborg suddenly found herself once again on the wrong side of the authorities. The McCarthy anti-communist trials meant that Ingeborg and her husband were at risk because of their left-wing views. So they fled again - back to Germany. This time Ingeborg Rapoport went to communist East Berlin, where she worked as a paediatrician. Eventually she became a paediatrics professor, holding Europe's first chair in neonatal medicine, at the renowned Charite hospital in East Berlin. She was given a national prize for her work in dramatically reducing infant mortality in East Germany. But for all her achievements, winning back at the age of 102 the doctorate stolen from her by the Nazis must rank among her most impressive.

A 102-year-old German woman has become the world's oldest person to be awarded a doctorate on Tuesday, almost 80 years after the Nazis prevented her from sitting her final exam.

NFU Scotland said producers were losing about £10 for every pig that is sold. Prices have been driven down from a record high in 2013 after a Russian import ban led to an oversupply of the meat in Europe. Farming leaders now plan to meet retailers to discuss the promotion of Scottish pork over cheaper rivals. Midlothian pig farmer Robin Traquair said the dramatic price drop could lead to some producers going out of business. "Farmers are losing money, they are in a cash negative situation, their bank balances are going backwards," he said. "Investment won't be done, they won't become more efficient, people will start to go out of business." At its peak, he said he received £120 for each pig he produced. Now he sells them for about £85. "We sell 10,000 pigs a year so it's a big lump of cash," he said. "Now the commodity prices, the cereal prices have come down but it's not come down far enough to cover that." Mr Traquair, who owns Wellington Farm, said he was unable to invest in sheds or equipment which would make the business more efficient. He said their choice was either to "pack in or knuckle down". "At the moment there's some things we should do with spending money on - but we're just going to batten down the hatches and ride it out. It's tough," he added. NFU Scotland said that a new processing plant is now operating in Brechin, which could halt the price decline. It plans to meet retailers to discuss "positioning and publicity" of Specially Selected Pork, which guarantees high welfare standards as part of Quality Meat Scotland. Kevin Gilbert, NFU Scotland's pigs committee chairman said pig prices had fallen by 18% in the last year. "Production simply cannot be sustainable at these prices," he added. "It is clear that a lot of cheaper European meat is being substituted for UK product, especially in processed meat products. "Retailers could really help UK producers at this time by showing greater loyalty to Scottish and UK product. "This should be a time of positivity for the Scottish pig industry as the new abattoir at Brechin is set to double its processing capacity, allowing more Scottish pigs to be processed in Scotland, which will reduce haulage costs and allow wider stocking of Scottish labelled Specially Selected Pork across the major supermarkets in Scotland."

Scottish pig farmers have warned they are facing an uncertain future after the price of pig meat hit an eight- year low.

He defied the odds at every stage of his career, conjuring impossible victories at the ballot box and outmanoeuvring his political opponents with a trademark blend of mischief and guile. As he departs as Scottish National Party leader and first minister, after losing Scotland's independence referendum, it is difficult to believe we have seen last of Alex Salmond. He has bounced back many times before during his extraordinary 20 year career at the head of Scotland's independence movement. And even as he announced his decision to quit, to make way, he said, for a new generation of leaders, there were hints that we had not seen the last of him. So what was it about the ebullient, quick-witted former economist, who never seemed lost for words - except, perhaps, when he was contemplating the destruction of everything he had worked for since his student days - that made him such an effective political leader? Despite his public image, Salmond is often described as a very private person. No one has ever doubted his commitment to the nationalist cause and the incredible drive and energy he has devoted to it during the course of his long career. But where did it come from? Most look for clues in his modest upbringing. There is still "something of the chippy, working-class boy who made it to St Andrews [university] and has been determined to show how much cleverer he was than everyone else," a former Salmond aide told David Torrance in his 2010 biography of the SNP leader Against the Odds. After all, Alexander Elliott Anderson Salmond grew up on a council estate in Linlithgow, a small town in the central belt of Scotland, a traditional Labour Party stronghold. The second of four children, his father, a civil servant, voted Labour and his mother was, in Salmond's words, a "Churchill Conservative". All four of the Salmond children went to university and it was a politically aware household. In an interview with The Independent in 2008, Salmond fondly remembers how Hogmanay celebrations, which fell on his birthday, invariably ended in a political debate in the small hours. His enthusiasm for sport - and Heart of Midlothian football club - predated his interest in politics although his asthma restricted his prowess on the football field. He got his lifelong passion for golf from his father and, according to David Torrance's book, played most Saturday mornings from the age of five. The result, he told The Independent, is "a beautiful swing, a wonderful swing, but I can't chip or putt any more". Horse racing was another early passion. Salmond likes to recall his first bet, at the age of nine, when his uncle put half a crown on Arkle, the winner of the 1964 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and they crowded round the family's black and white television set to watch the race. Salmond wrote a tipping column for The Scotsman and continues to enjoy a flutter. He always cites his grandfather, who filled him with tales of Scottish history, as a source of inspiration. The family lived a short walk from Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and it was here that the young Salmond began to learn about his country's bloody past. "The most important person in my life was my grandfather," Salmond recently told broadcaster Derek Bateman. "He was the town plumber in Linlithgow. And my grandfather was a local historian. He was a national historian. He took me around Linlithgow. He showed me where all the great things had happened. I got Braveheart from my grandfather's knee." Salmond often recalls the time a Labour Party canvasser came to the door. "That's OK," said the Labour man, when told about Mrs Salmond's Tory allegiances. "Just as long as she's not voting for the Scottish Nose Pickers." His father, who was friends with an SNP supporter, was so incensed by the slur that he switched to the nationalist side, and his young son followed suit. Or so the story goes. His political roots set, Salmond took to campaigning for the SNP from an early age, even winning a mock election for the party at his primary school by promising to replace free school milk with ice cream. But he did not cut his ties with Labour and join the SNP officially until he got to St Andrews University, where he studied medieval history and economics. He got involved in student politics but was growing increasingly disillusioned with Labour's commitment to the Union. "I had a blazing row with a [Labour-supporting] girlfriend from Hackney and she said 'if you feel like that - go and join the bloody SNP', so I did," he told The Guardian in 1991. According to David Torrance's biography, Salmond and a friend went to the AGM of the university branch of the Federation of Student Nationalists the following day and, being the only two fully paid-up SNP members on campus, they were duly elected president and treasurer. Salmond was "very serious about politics" at university, says BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor, a St Andrews contemporary, but he was also "motivated by mischief", something that is still evident in the SNP leader today, he adds. After leaving St Andrews, Salmond was unemployed for six months. He is reported to have considered becoming a Church of Scotland minister, and attempted to get a job in journalism with the BBC, before passing the civil service exam and starting work as an economist in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, in Edinburgh. It was here that he met and fell in love with his future wife Moira. Much has been written about the 17 year age gap between the couple - he was 27 and she was 44 when they married - and the fact that she has stayed out of the spotlight. Some Salmond-watchers see significance in the fact that the couple do not have children. Did that make him even more determined to leave something lasting behind? Salmond is quick to dismiss such talk, and equally quick to praise Moira's loyalty and grace. In her only media interview, nearly 25 years ago, she said: "I married Alex not politics. That's his life and I am happy to be in the background." She also revealed that they liked to play Scrabble together in the home they share in the Aberdeenshire village of Strichen, although they sometimes fell out because Salmond kept changing the rules. She is, by all accounts, a well-liked figure in the party and is thought by those closest to Salmond to be a key factor in his political rise. She is often credited with knocking some of the rough edges off Salmond and giving him a more mature outlook. She even taught him to drive shortly after they were married. Salmond was a committed socialist at this stage and starting to make waves as a firebrand speaker at SNP gatherings. Frustrated by life in the civil service, he managed to land a prestigious role as an economist with the Royal Bank of Scotland, specialising in oil and energy markets. His new job strengthened his commitment to independence still further, he told The Guardian in 1991, "exposing for me a mythology I grew up with: that Scotland was a small, poor, dependent country reliant on munificence from outside". This is a common theme whenever Salmond is asked about the roots of his nationalism - his belief that Scotland has what it takes to go it alone as "a country which can hold its head up". But the SNP in the early 1980s was in a sorry state. The party had been dealt a body blow by the result of March 1979's Scottish devolution referendum. The majority of Scots that took part in the vote backed home rule - but the Labour government had set a threshold of 40% of the total electorate for the result to stand. In the general election that followed, the SNP lost nine of its 11 MPs and looked like it might he heading for extinction as a political force. Salmond had hitched his star to the "79 Group", a small band of left-wing rebels dedicated to transforming Scotland into an independent socialist republic. They managed to get up the noses of the party's traditionalist wing, which held sway under the moderate, centrist leadership of Gordon Wilson. In 1982, after one publicity stunt too many, and controversial efforts to forge links with Labour supporters, seven of the group, including Salmond, were expelled from the party. The ultra-nationalist - some would say neo-fascist - Siol nan Gaidheal faction was expelled around the same time as Wilson battled to stop the party from splitting. Salmond was only re-admitted when he signed a loyalty oath - but he continued to be frustrated by the party's lack of political direction. Its conferences brought out an odd mix of angry socialists in leather jackets, broadsword-wielding men in kilts dreaming of William Wallace and tweedy former Conservatives. "Because we weren't anchored to a political base, we were vulnerable to being called all sorts of ridiculous names; tartan Tories and tartan Trots at the same time. If you don't own up to a particular identity, you can't complain if someone pins one on you," said Salmond in 1991. His mission was to carve out a distinct, left-wing political identity for the SNP. Something that would appeal to traditional Labour-voters in West and Central Scotland - voters that would be key to any future independence referendum. In 1987, he defeated Tory MP Albert McQuarrie in Banff and Buchan to win a seat in the House of Commons. Now, at last, he had the national stage he needed for a bit of trademark Salmond mischief. The following year he grabbed headlines around the world by interrupting Conservative Chancellor Nigel Lawson's Budget speech. "What I said, although they turned my microphone off, was 'Poll tax for the poor, tax cuts for the rich, nothing for the National Health Service - an obscenity!' That was my wee speech," Salmond recalled earlier this year in an interview with Derek Bateman. The sitting was suspended for more than 20 minutes as MPs voted - by 400 to 23 - to expel the SNP troublemaker. He emerged to a sight that would soon become very familiar to him - a media scrum begging for a soundbite for the evening news. "I walked out from total nonentity to notoriety," he recalled decades later, still relishing the moment. "It was a very astute thing to do, but that was Alex Salmond," says Murray Ritchie, former Scottish Political Editor of The Herald. "He was an opportunist of considerable talent." His next goal was the party leadership and in 1990 he got it, after a divisive battle with the only other contender, SNP grandee Margaret Ewing. In one early coup he persuaded his golfing pal Sean Connery to star in a party political broadcast - his financial support for the party had reportedly almost cost the James Bond actor his knighthood. Salmond began to move the SNP in a more moderate direction, easing back on some of his earlier left-wing rhetoric and talking about how an independent Scotland would seek to join the European Union. He began to make the economic case for independence more loudly, and shift perceptions of the party as a bunch of narrow "little Scotland" nationalists. He recently revealed that he is haunted by Michael Foot's withering put down of David Steel, that he "went from boy wonder to elder statesman with no intervening period whatsoever." He took the decision to grow into a more statesmanlike figure, someone who could lead a country not just a pressure group. Many of the heavyweights that might have proved a threat to his supremacy in Scotland, such as Gordon Brown, Charles Kennedy or Alistair Darling, chose to make their careers in London, leaving the field clear for Salmond to dominate. He kept the party's commitment to a fully independent Scotland but joined forces with Scottish Labour Leader Donald Dewar and Scottish Lib Dem leader Jim Wallace to campaign for devolution in the 1997 Scottish referendum. The fundamentalist wing of the party - the "fundies" - scented betrayal. Their anger was further stoked when news came through that Salmond had accepted an invitation to tea with Prince Charles. The SNP man explained his ideas for a "slimmed down monarchy" to the heir to the throne. While Salmond may have thought he was playing the long game, to his growing army of internal critics it looked like he was consorting with Scotland's enemies and his "gradualist" philosophy was just a polite way of saying he had sold out. And there was another problem. The SNP leader had always been something of a lone operator. Despite his clubbable image, he never had a large circle of friends or even much of a fan club within the party itself. He was described by critics as "aloof" and "intellectually arrogant". Now they were calling him "dictatorial". It did not help Salmond that the party was struggling to make headway against Labour at the ballot box. The best it could manage in the first elections to the new Scottish Parliament, in 1999, was becoming the main opposition to the Labour-Lib Dem coalition government. Independence Day had been put back again. "Free by '93" had once been the SNP's battle cry. Now Salmond was talking about 2007. Some nationalists believed their newly-pragmatic leader would have been happy to settle for much less. In 2000, Salmond got into a spat with one of his most vocal critics over the party's finances and then - to the surprise of most observers, for whom the SNP was Alex Salmond - he stood down as leader. Telling the media he was "knackered", he quit his Scottish Parliament seat to concentrate on life as an MP at Westminster. His exile lasted just four years - during which time John Swinney led the party - before grassroots members begged him to return. "I did not expect to be ever doing the job again, however time and circumstances change," he told a news conference with his choice of deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, at his side. "I am not just launching a campaign to be SNP leader," he told reporters. "I am launching my candidacy to be the first minister of Scotland." The old swagger was still there - but there were serious doubts about whether he could ever win the majority he would need to secure a referendum in a Scottish political system specifically designed to prevent one party rule. Not for the first time, Salmond's opponents, particularly those in the Scottish Labour Party, underestimated him. The SNP broke the system. If Labour was shocked to lose to the nationalists by a single seat in 2007, ushering in a minority SNP government at Holyrood with Salmond as first minister, it was nothing compared to what was to come. With a 15-point lead in some polls, the 2011 Scottish election was Labour's to lose - and that's precisely what they did. Alex Salmond made history by becoming first minister in a majority Scottish government and, after all the decades of frustration, false starts and in-fighting, a referendum was now on the table. The only problem, claimed the pundits, was that Salmond, ever the canny strategist, did not really want one. At least not now, with the global financial system in meltdown and any hopes of signing up to the euro, becoming the next "Celtic tiger", having disappeared down the drain. So confident was Prime Minister David Cameron - he had seen the polls putting the pro-Union camp 20 points or more ahead - that Salmond did not want a referendum that he took to taunting him from the Conservative Party conference stage to name a date. When the two men finally sat down to hammer out an agreement on the referendum, many Westminster pundits thought Cameron had outfoxed Salmond by refusing to allow a third question on the ballot paper. Cameron was confident that the SNP could not win in a straight yes/no contest, so rejected Salmond's demands for a third "devo max" option - more powers for the Scottish Parliament in lieu of full independence - to be added to the ballot paper. "He [Salmond] may well be forced to hold a referendum knowing that he will lose. The greatest political conjuror of recent times will have run out of tricks," wrote commentator Steve Richards in The Independent. In the event, Salmond came far closer to winning the referendum than anyone thought possible when it was announced. The Yes campaign's late surge in the polls shocked the Westminster establishment into offering what may amount to a form of "devo max" after all, before a single vote had been cast. Perhaps the old conjuror has a few tricks left up his sleeve after all. Salmond called the referendum a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Scottish people. He will soon turn 60 and may not get another shot at it. That, he suggested, was one reason why he had decided to step down as SNP leader. Twenty years as SNP leader, with a four year break, and seven years as first minister, something that has been "the privilege of my life" was, he said, a "fair spell". But with characteristic defiance, he said Scotland "could still emerge as the real winner" and suggested his legacy was the tens of thousands of "energised activists" that had been drawn into politics through the Yes campaign, "who I predict will refuse to go meekly back into the political shadows". He may have departed the stage but, he told the reporters, he would "continue to contribute" and said the dream of Scottish independence "will never die".

He is the man who took a rag-tag bunch of political misfits to the brink of achieving their dream of an independent Scotland.

The move is in response to an £8m cut in the subsidy received from the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL). The cut in undergraduate places will come into effect from September 2015. Job losses will be among both academic and non-academic staff and Queen's says no compulsory redundancies should be required. There are currently around 17,000 full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students at the university, and around 3,800 staff. Queen's has a current intake of around 4,500 undergraduates per year. The university aims to reduce the number of student places by 1,010 over the next three years. The BBC understands that there are no immediate plans to close departments or courses, but that the cuts in funding may put some departments and courses at risk. The Education Minister Stephen Farry said he recognised that some students might now choose to study in other areas of the UK because of the cuts facing Northern Ireland's universities. "Some people will now be forced to look to opportunities in other parts of Great Britain and may not return to our economy," he said. "Defunding our investment in skills, particularly at a time when we're trying to grow the economy does not make a lot of sense. What's happening is we're going backwards. "The loss of any place is damaging to our economy, all subjects teach our young people critical skills." Queen's vice-chancellor Patrick Johnston said the cuts had the potential to damage the reputation of the university. "The potential negative impact, not just on the university but on the local economy is very significant," he said. "It's the last thing we want to do, but we have to begin to focus on those areas where we can grow the organisation and develop it - it's clear we can no longer depend on the public purse to fund tuition. "If we're not competitive we will not attract the best students, and we will not attract the best staff." Just under £100m, a third of the university's income, comes from the Northern Ireland Executive. DEL's budget was reduced by £62m earlier this year, and its budget for higher education institutions fell from £203m to £186m, a reduction of 8.2%. Ulster University announced in February that it was dropping 53 courses. It will be cutting jobs and student places, but it has not yet revealed how many.

Queen's University Belfast is cutting 236 jobs and 290 student places due to a funding reduction.

More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements were also revealed by looking at infra-red images which show up underground buildings. Initial excavations have already confirmed some of the findings, including two suspected pyramids. The work has been pioneered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham by US Egyptologist Dr Sarah Parcak. She says she was amazed at how much she and her team has found. "We were very intensely doing this research for over a year. I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the "Aha!" moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found and I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt. "To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist," she said. The team analysed images from satellites orbiting 700km above the earth, equipped with cameras so powerful they can pin-point objects less than 1m in diameter on the earth's surface. Infra-red imaging was used to highlight different materials under the surface. Ancient Egyptians built their houses and structures out of mud brick, which is much denser than the soil that surrounds it, so the shapes of houses, temples and tombs can be seen. "It just shows us how easy it is to underestimate both the size and scale of past human settlements," says Dr Parcak. And she believes there are more antiquities to be discovered: "These are just the sites [close to] the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt. This is just the beginning of this kind of work." BBC cameras followed Dr Parcak on her "nervous" journey when she travelled to Egypt to see if excavations could back up what her technology could see under the surface. In the BBC documentary Egypt's Lost Cities, they visit an area of Saqqara (Sakkara) where the authorities were not initially interested in her findings. But after being told by Dr Parcak that she had seen two potential pyramids, they made test excavations, and they now believe it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt. But Dr Parcak said the most exciting moment was visiting the excavations at Tanis. "They'd excavated a 3,000-year-old house that the satellite imagery had shown and the outline of the structure matched the satellite imagery almost perfectly. That was real validation of the technology." The Egyptian authorities plan to use the technology to help - among other things - protect the country's antiquities in the future. During the recent revolution, looters accessed some well-known archaeological sites. "We can tell from the imagery a tomb was looted from a particular period of time and we can alert Interpol to watch out for antiquities from that time that may be offered for sale." She also hopes the new technology will help engage young people in science and will be a major help for archaeologists around the world. "It allows us to be more focused and selective in the work we do. Faced with a massive site, you don't know where to start. "It's an important tool to focus where we're excavating. It gives us a much bigger perspective on archaeological sites. We have to think bigger and that's what the satellites allow us to do." "Indiana Jones is old school, we've moved on from Indy. Sorry, Harrison Ford." Egypt's Lost Cities is on BBC One on Monday 30 May at 2030 BST. It will also be shown on the Discovery channel in the US.

Seventeen lost pyramids are among the buildings identified in a new satellite survey of Egypt.

So far troops have rescued 150 people from the worst-hit site in central Kegalle district, but hopes are fading for another 134 still unaccounted for. No more people were found overnight, dead or alive - on Wednesday 14 bodies were pulled from the mud. Five more bodies were found at the site of another mudslide in the district, bringing the death toll there to 10. Landslides and flooding caused by days of torrential rain have hit many parts of the country, killing at least 43 people in total, according to official figures. Nearly 350,000 people have been displaced. In the worst-hit area, Aranayake district, three villages were buried after a huge section of hillside sheared away in the rain on Tuesday. Bad weather is hampering the army's efforts to reach possible survivors. "I fear the missing 134 could be dead at this point," Maj Gen Sudantha Ranasinghe, the officer in charge, told BBC Sinhala. "But we will continue our operation to recover the bodies to give families some peace." We started to climb up to the disaster site with troops who were going back on Thursday morning to continue to search for survivors. However they suspended their mission and evacuated the area along with us and some villagers who had returned. Rain was beating down on the collapsed mountain again, creating a risk of further landslides. We had to take shelter in a tiny schoolroom on higher ground. Villagers we spoke to were losing hope of finding any more survivors. We waded through mud and silt to reach the foot of the mountain where most of the devastation has taken place. Army units have identified several places where people may have been buried in the landslide. In one of the villages, Pallebage, local resident PG Sekara said: "The army keeps going up the mountain, but they're not going to find anything. To find survivors they will have to dig about 40 feet now." Prema Adikari said she feared she had lost her brother and his family. "My brother's house is completely destroyed. They were inside when the mudslide started. His 15-year-old daughter and his wife were also in the house," she told BBC Sinhala. "When it rains, the canal waters nearby get so loud - they had not heard the neighbours warning. Only one member of the family remains, my nephew, who had gone to the shops nearby when the landslide struck. At least we want to see their bodies." At Bulathkohupitiya, the site of the second, smaller landslide in Kegalle district, six people are still reported missing. Sri Lanka's monsoon rains often bring floods but officials say these are the worst for several years. Many displaced people have moved to shelters, and officials have appealed for water, dry food rations and sanitary items. Low-lying coastal areas have also been hit. In southern India the authorities are on alert as the rains move up the country's east coast. At least 280 people died in a month of heavy rains and floods in the city of Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu state last year. The rains, the heaviest there in a century, were blamed on climate change although city officials were also criticised for being unprepared. Other parts of India have been suffering a severe drought in recent weeks.

Sri Lankan teams searching for scores of people missing after a landslide fear there may be no more survivors.

The visitors started brightly and broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when Rhys Browne found the bottom corner of Ryan Clarke's net. The game became more open as the first half wore on, with both sides creating a number of chances, but it remained 1-0 at the break. Macclesfield had the ball in the net once again seven minutes after the interval but the flag was up. Eastleigh nearly equalised in the 70th minute but Ayo Obileye's header clattered against a post. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Eastleigh 0, Macclesfield Town 1. Second Half ends, Eastleigh 0, Macclesfield Town 1. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Danny Whitaker replaces Rhys Browne. Substitution, Eastleigh. Ben Close replaces Sam Togwell. Substitution, Eastleigh. Mekhi Leacock-McLeod replaces Craig McAllister. Substitution, Eastleigh. Scott Wilson replaces James Constable. Second Half begins Eastleigh 0, Macclesfield Town 1. First Half ends, Eastleigh 0, Macclesfield Town 1. Adam Dugdale (Eastleigh) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Eastleigh 0, Macclesfield Town 1. Rhys Browne (Macclesfield Town). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Macclesfield moved within three points of the National League play-off spots after recording a 1-0 victory over Eastleigh.

The 27-year-old's career, which started at French club Montpellier, has taken him to Ukraine and Germany and he spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Nice. "I've joined the biggest club in Turkey and after two years without the title I hope my coming will change that," Belhanda told the club's official website. He becomes Galatasaray's third signing of the season after Brazilian defender Maicon and French forward Bafetimbi Gomis. The 2012 BBC African Footballer of the Year nominee made his debut for Montpellier in 2009 and went on to make 144 appearances, scoring 29 goals for the club. A member of the Montpellier side that won the French Ligue 1 title in 2012, he joined Dynamo Kiev from Montpellier on a five-year deal in July 2013. He scored 11 goals in 88 appearances for the capital side, winning the Ukrainian League and Cup titles twice. Belhanda spent the last two seasons on loan with German side Schalke and French outfit Nice. A former French youth international, Belhanda chose to represent the country of his parents Morocco in 2010 and has two goals in 30 appearances for the Atlas Lions.

Moroccan international Younes Belhanda has joined Turkish giants Galatasaray from Ukranian side Dynamo Kiev on a four-year deal.

American billionaire Michael Eisner will address fans on Thursday with details of his £5.67m offer for 100% of the promoted League Two club. Shareholders and PST members will vote on the former Walt Disney chief executive's proposals later this month. "I don't think that we should think this is our only chance," Brown said. Eisner, 75, has presented the terms of his offer before a town hall-style meeting at Portsmouth's Guildhall on Thursday. Among his proposals are a further £10m equity investment, as well as the removal of three PST members from the club's nine-strong board. The PST own 48% of the club after helping bring it out of administration in 2013. Rather than instructing shareholders to vote in favour of Eisner's deal, the PST and club presidents have told fans to make up their own minds. "What people need to do is see if it's the right option and the right person," Brown told BBC Radio Solent. "That's the difficulty for people as you're dealing with somebody you don't know. "Thursday is a chance for some people to look him in the eye in a public forum and ask him some questions and we'll see what he has got to say then. "It's a huge decision about the future of the club, one that will define the path in goes on in the next few years. The beauty is that it's the fans that are making it."

Portsmouth FC and Pompey Supporters' Trust (PST) board member Ashley Brown has urged fans to make an informed choice over a proposed takeover.

Discovered on land at North Elmham, near Dereham, the circa 600 AD coin was created by French rulers of the time to increase their available currency. Adrian Marsden, finds officer based at Norwich Castle Museum, said the object was probably buried with its owner. The pendant was declared treasure by the Norfolk coroner on Wednesday. Mr Marsden added: "This is an early copy of a Byzantine gold coin made in France. "The Merovingians [French rulers] created copies of Byzantine coins from their bullion as there wasn't enough coinage coming in from the eastern Roman empire. How many of these copies were 'official' currency is hard to say." The 23.5mm diameter pendant, created from an imitation of a gold solidus of emperor Maurice Tiberius (582-602 AD), features a suspension loop with three longitudinal ribs having been soldered to the edge of the coin immediately above the emperor's head. "What's interesting is you have somebody in France copying a Byzantine coin which then also followed the trend of turning it into jewellery." Mr Marsden said the coin was likely to have come to England as a result of export trade at the time. "We see very few of these so it's an interesting find and one that we will hope to acquire for the Norwich Castle Museum collection." Other items declared treasure at the coroner's inquest include an early-medieval Carolingian-style silver mount found in Barnham Broom, a hoard of 150 Roman coins discovered in Quidenham and an early-medieval biconical gold bead which would have been worn on high-status necklaces.

An early-medieval gold pendant created from an imitation of a Byzantine coin that was found in a Norfolk field is a "rare find", a museum expert has said.

More than 20 competitors are due to take part in Saturday's event in Carrbridge in the Cairngorms. Carvers from Scotland, England, Ireland as well as continental Europe, Canada and the US regularly enter the competition. They can use only chainsaws - any other carving tool is banned - to carve logs into the shapes of animals and people. Last year's winner Pete Bowsher, from Moffat, is to return to defend the title, and retain the first place winner's prize the Claymore Trophy.

About 3,000 people are expected to attend the 14th annual Carve Carrbridge chainsaw carving competition.

Martyn Graham, 58, also seriously injured two other motorists in the crash of the A421 Bedford bypass on 12 January 2016. A web cam in his cab showed the brake lights ahead for 17 seconds before the collision. Graham admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. He also pleaded guilty to two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. A collision report said Graham had not reacted or braked at all, and the court heard the cause of his inattention remained a mystery. He was not using a mobile phone, was not tired or ill, and had driven about two million miles over the previous years without incident. Wayne Cleaver, prosecuting, told Luton Crown Court the couple who died were grandparents Martin Spratt, 70 and his wife Evelyn, 68, of Buckden, Cambridgeshire. Davina Stubbs, 54, from Bedford sustained serious injuries and had to be cut free from her Vauxhall Corsa. She now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Danny Delasalle, 32 from Stevenage, who was driving a flatbed Transit van, had to wear a neck brace for three and a half months after the crash, the court was told. Judge Philip Bartle QC said the crash had "devastating consequences" for those involved. Graham said later he had no memory of the events leading up to the accident and could not explain why he had not braked. Ian Bridge, defending, said Graham was thoroughly remorseful and thought of the accident every day and had sleepless nights. Graham was also banned from driving for five years.

A lorry driver who ploughed into a queue of traffic without braking, killing a retired couple, has been jailed for four years and eight months.

A review into the murder of Rhys Jones, who was killed by a man released five days earlier, questioned whether his killer's risk to the public should have been reassessed. But Mr Jones' family were initially blocked from reading it. Plans to transfer the management of such reviews to HM Probation have been put on hold. Mr Jones, 36, who had schizophrenia and had been under the care of mental health services for much of his life, was stabbed to death by Rhys Barnes in November 2015 at the Solas supported housing hostel where they were living in Newport. Barnes, 28, who had 17 previous convictions for 41 separate offences including grievous bodily harm, assault and carrying offensive weapons, was jailed for life in March 2016. At the time of the killing he was being supervised by the National Probation Service after his release from prison, having been assessed as a high risk to his family and a medium risk to the public. He had been readmitted to prison at the beginning of November for breaching supervision conditions, but five days after coming out, he murdered Rhys Jones following a row about a girlfriend. A review into the killing questioned whether Barnes' level of risk to the general public should have been reassessed, and whether a multi-agency public protection meeting should have been held. The report said staff should consider referring prisoners who breach their licence conditions to a probation-approved premises following re-release. The findings of the review were shared with staff across Wales, "to highlight areas of learning so that staff across the organisation can embed the learning into their own practice". But Mr Jones' family had to push to see it after they claim they were initially told it "would not benefit" them to know the findings. David Hanson, Labour MP for Delyn and a member of the justice select committee in Westminster, said it was important families and the public know what went wrong in cases such as these. "That means that the report has to be published for the victim, but also for those like myself who take an interest to make sure the system is working well," he said. "Without that we think something may well be hidden and something may not be dealt with that could be dealt with." Labour's Newport East AM John Griffiths, who had been supporting Mr Jones' family, echoed his call. "I would pay tribute to Rhys' family because they've shown dogged determination to try and ensure that the whole of the circumstances are understood, and that lessons are learnt for the future, crucially, to try and minimise the chances of further tragic loss of life in these sorts of circumstances," he said. "The more openness the better, for public confidence; if people feel things are being hidden that arouses suspicions and concern." Tania Bassett, of the National Association of Probation Officers, called on the government to honour its pledge to transfer management of serious further offence reviews from the probation service to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation. She said: "We welcome that [the transfer] because it would apply a much more consistent approach across the board: everyone would have the same treatment, it would be an external independent body looking at that investigation rather than those who may have their own commercial interests, and also it would mean greater transparency for the public, which we think is the right way forward." The National Probation Service said: "Serious further offences such as this [Mr Jones's murder] are rare but each one is taken extremely seriously and investigated fully. "Public protection is our priority. A full review was undertaken and all identified learning was taken forward." Nick Taylor, of Solas Cymru, said an internal hostel review of Mr Jones' killing found there was "absolutely no way that this incident could have been predicted".

Inquiries into serious crimes committed by recently-released prisoners should be published, politicians have said.

Ministers are looking to limit access to benefits, health care and housing when freedom to work controls on Romanians and Bulgarians end. The detail of how changes might differ from current rules is not yet clear. Downing Street said the curbs were being considered in response to "widespread public concern". The PM's official spokesman said there was particular concern about the pressure created by migrants on local services, housing and the health service. He declined to give any details about specific measures, or say whether the government was poised to introduce an "entitlement card" to limit access to the health service. The measures would be announced in due course, he said. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the government was drawing up a package of measures designed to bring the UK into line with policies in other European member states already deemed legal by the European Court of Justice. Councils will be urged to use new powers to give priority on council house waiting lists to those with local connections - whether born, educated or with relatives in their area - which could make it harder for outsiders to get housing. Ministers are also examining the possibility of linking some benefits to contributions, which would have the effect of excluding new arrivals from eligibility. On Sunday, Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC people should not be attracted to the UK just by the benefits available and "benefit tourism" had to end. He said ministers wanted to remove "artificial, perverse incentives" to come to the UK. One immigration pressure group estimates 50,000 people will move to the UK every year from Romania and Bulgaria once the movement restrictions expire at the end of the year, but Mr Hague said any attempt to estimate the number would be "guesswork". People from Romania and Bulgaria have been free to live in the UK and anywhere else in the EU since the countries joined the EU in 2007, but in the UK they have either had to apply for one of the limited work permits available, be self-employed, or work in specific jobs such as seasonal agricultural or as domestic servants. Under EU rules, these temporary restrictions must come to an end at the beginning of 2014, after which Romanian and Bulgarian migrants will have the same rights to live and work in the UK as those of other EU countries, which will give them access to benefits and the NHS. Ministers say the impact of the temporary work restrictions, and the fact that eight other EU countries are also ending their restrictions at the same time as the UK, make forecasting the number of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants who might come to the UK difficult. When the first wave of former East European states joined the EU in 2004, the UK was one of just three existing members that did not bring in any temporary work restrictions - instead the UK introduced a Worker Registration Scheme to prevent "benefit tourism" by EU migrants coming to the UK for less than a year and claiming benefits. For Labour, shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant said: "Managing immigration in a fair way is really important. Yet what we are getting from the Government is just an unseemly reaction to threats from their backbenches. "In a panicked reaction to Eastleigh they are briefing anything and everything they can think of that they are looking at for the future, instead of properly considered, substantive and deliverable proposals that work for everyone."

Government plans to clamp down on "benefit tourism" could see both Britons and immigrants affected by changes to the rules on entitlement.

Doctors realised Maia Collingswood needed the transplant after her father Dan revealed he also had the procedure in 1997. Maia, from Barmouth, Gwynedd, had the transplant at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital in August after a three-month wait for a new heart. She has now been welcomed back to her school, Ysgol y Traeth. Maia, a year five pupil, fell ill at Easter while visiting her grandparents in Telford, Shropshire. "Maia was out of breath and could not move," explained her mother, Hannah Carter. "She was taken to the local hospital and then transferred to the Birmingham Children's Hospital where a heart problem was diagnosed." But Maia's father said when he questioned doctors and revealed he had undergone a heart transplant, the medical team realised her condition was serious. She was transferred to the London Children's Hospital, where surgeons confirmed she also needed a heart transplant. Her condition continued to deteriorate over the next three months, until she finally received the donor heart she needed on 15 August. It was three months of desperate worry for her parents, who are are separated, but remain friends. The local community rallied around to ensure they could spend as much time as possible with their daughter in London. "Dan's family, my family, the school, friends and indeed the whole community here in Barmouth and in Telford have been magnificent and supported us throughout the summer after Maia was taken ill," said Mrs Carter, who works for the Gwynedd home care team. Mr Collingswood, who works at a private care establishment near Dolgellau, added: "I am with the local lifeboat here in Barmouth and the RNLI helped us out financially when we had to visit Maia in hospital in London. "The community has been great, there were collection tins everywhere for Maia and it helped us out. We could not have managed without the support of the community." On Tuesday, Maia was greeted by pupils and the head teacher as she returned to class, seven weeks ahead of schedule. "Maia would have liked to have gone back to school last week but we had to travel to Great Ormond Street for check-ups," said her mother. "She asked if she could go back to school after returning home from London and the expert medical team said that it was OK. Maia was delighted." The long wait for the transplant meant Hannah's mother had to give up her flat in Barmouth to be with her daughter, but she has now moved into a new home with Maia after being rehoused by housing organisation Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd. Mrs Carter added: "I started back to work this week, Maia has started school, we have a new flat, it is all coming together. "It has been a long and traumatic summer and without the support of family, friends and the community and the medical team, I don't know how I got through it." Maia herself said she was delighted to be back in the classroom, and revealed how she had coped with her long stay in hospital. "I used to talk to my school friends on Skype when I was in hospital in London and the headmaster visited me a couple of times." She also had a number of special visitors while on the hospital wards. "When I was in hospital I met the singer Adele, racing driver Lewis Hamilton, Alexandra Burke from the X Factor and two American astronauts, " she said.

A nine-year-old girl has undergone a heart transplant, 14 years after her father had the same operation.

Spaniard Valdes, 34, has made eight appearances for Liege since joining in January, helping them win the Belgian Cup final in March, but is currently injured. In a statement, Liege said they had decided to play their younger players for the rest of the season. Valdes' current contract with United will expire this summer. Former Barcelona player Valdes clashed with United manager Louis van Gaal in July before a proposed move to Turkish club Besiktas collapsed the following month. Never want to miss the latest Man Utd news? You can now add United and all the other sports and teams you follow to your personalised My Sport home.

Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes has had his loan spell with Belgian club Standard Liege terminated.

The bird, known officially as LF15, and her partner LM12 bred three chicks in both 2015 and 2016 at the Dunkeld reserve. Lassie arrived back in Scotland on 23 March, six days after her mate. Viewers from around the world have been watching the pair's progress on the Loch of the Lowes live webcam. Charlotte Fleming, Perthshire ranger for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: "LF15 has settled down to begin incubating, and we would expect the egg to hatch in about six weeks' time. "It's now clear that the pair's attempts at breeding have been a success and they are on track to repeat the hat-trick of chicks that were hatched in both 2015 and 2016."

A female osprey nicknamed Lassie has laid her first egg of the season at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes nature reserve.

Ahead of talks with his US counterpart James Mattis, Sir Michael said too few of the 28 members were meeting Nato's annual 2% defence spending target and countries needed to "raise their game". The Trump administration has said other countries must bear more of the cost. Sir Michael said UK spending was rising but the armed forces must continue to ensure they were "fit for purpose". Gen Mattis said Britain was an example to other states and its "global leadership is needed today as much as at any time in history". The Times has reported that the Ministry of Defence is facing a £10bn budget shortfall in the next decade, suggesting this could lead to further cuts in personnel. At the moment, only five of the 28 Nato members - including the US and the UK - spend 2% of their annual income on defence. The White House has warned that the US could "moderate" its commitment to the 70-year-old defence partnership if other countries don't commit more resources. Sir Michael, who is holding talks with the retired Marine Corps general, said the US had always been the financial mainstay of Nato and no-one wanted to see it retreat from this. He said the UK had always met the 2% target but too many others did not and this was no longer acceptable. "There are five members of Nato who don't even spend 1% and I will be working with Jim Mattis on persuading them that they have to raise their game," he said. "We want other countries to shoulder a fairer share. For instance, getting them to commit to annual increases, and putting the 2% target into their policy documents." He suggested that publishing a table every year of the progress countries were making towards the 2% target would "shame the others into increasing their defence spending." Speaking at a joint press conference in Lancaster House, Sir Michael said Nato was the cornerstone of Western security but needed to be "fitter and faster". Gen Mattis said the two countries were on an "equal footing" in terms of confronting the threat from terrorism, standing together as "bulwarks against maniacs who think by hurting us they can scare us". Their "special relationship", he argued, was "not a historical artefact but a source of strength today for our two nations". The two are discussing measures to modernise Nato, including streamlining command structures, as well as progress on a series of joint equipment projects including the F-35 Lightning joint strike fighter. Sir Michael announced £90m investment at RAF Marham in Norfolk to support Britain's consignment of the new aircraft. But the defence secretary is facing questions about the UK's own future capability amid reports that financial pressures could result in cuts to personnel, including to the Royal Marines. The defence secretary said the UK had the fifth largest defence budget in the world and the government was committed to increase defence spending ever year up to 2020, including building many new warships. But he said the armed forces were not immune from having to become more efficient and to adapt to changes in what was being asked of them. He told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 that the "balance" of resources within the Royal Navy was a matter for the First Sea Lord. "What I am saying to you is we have 7,000 Royal Marines... and I have not agreed any cut in the size of the Royal Marines," he said. He added: "What we are looking at is the way in which our armed forces work, the different tasks that they have and we are constantly looking to see that they are fit for purpose in what we do. "So if something is no longer needed, if it's redundant, we need to make sure that we can put the savings back into new equipment. "That applies to buildings, it also applies to the way we work and the efficiencies we need." But Labour said "mistakes and poor decisions" since 2010 were now coming home to roost and ministers must be clear about where future savings would come from. "Further cuts of £1bn each year, to make up for this mis-management of the defence budget, will do yet more severe damage to our Armed Forces," said shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith. "Reports that the Royal Marines could be cut are particularly concerning...The defence secretary kept referring to investment in equipment but he needs to be investing in our forces personnel to ensure that professional standards remain high."

Nato members will be "shamed" into spending more on the alliance, defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon has said.

Its annual report singles out President Donald Trump as an example of an "angrier and more divisive politics". But it criticises other leaders, including those of Turkey, Hungary and the Philippines, who it says have used narratives of fear, blame and division. The group also says governments are exploiting refugees for political ends. The report, which covers 159 countries, cited a rise in hate speech across the US and Europe targeting refugees and said the reverberations would see more attacks on people on the basis of race, gender, nationality and religion. It criticised countries that, it said, once claimed to champion rights abroad and that were now rolling back human rights at home. "Instead of fighting for people's rights, too many leaders have adopted a dehumanizing agenda for political expediency," Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International, said in a statement. "The limits of what is acceptable have shifted. Politicians are shamelessly and actively legitimizing all sorts of hateful rhetoric and policies based on people's identity: misogyny, racism and homophobia." The group made special reference to Mr Trump's executive order last month that banned refugees and immigrants from seven mostly Muslim countries from entering the US. It said Mr Trump put "his hateful xenophobic pre-election rhetoric" into action by signing the measure. The US president, who recently said he was the "least racist" and "least anti-Semitic person", is expected to unveil an updated order this week. But Amnesty also mentioned Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as leaders who were using the "us versus them" rhetoric. "2016 was the year when the cynical use of 'us vs them' narratives of blame, hate and fear took on a global prominence to a level not seen since the 1930s," Mr Shetty added, citing the year when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany. "A new world order where human rights are portrayed as a barrier to national interests makes the ability to tackle mass atrocities dangerously low, leaving the door open to abuses reminiscent of the darkest times of human history." Kate Allen, director of Amnesty UK, criticised as "shameful" the recent decision by the British government to halt the scheme which allowed the entry of unaccompanied refugee children already in Europe, estimated to be 90,000. The group also cited in its report: The London-based group exceptionally launched its report in Paris, saying that France has seen an erosion of its rights in the name of security. The French government says its measures, which followed a series of attacks in 2015, are necessary to protect the country.

Politicians who have used a divisive and dehumanised rhetoric are creating a more divided and dangerous world, says rights group Amnesty International.

Police had appealed for witnesses to an incident in the town's Agnew Crescent on Saturday evening. However, a short statement said a 23-year-old man had now been arrested and charged with wasting police time. It added that they were not looking for anyone in respect of the original alleged robbery.

A man has been charged with wasting police time following inquiries into an alleged assault with intent to rob in Stranraer.

The writer's work tells the story of a Nigerian woman who moves to the US to pursue a college education. In 2008, her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the UK's Orange Prize and Purple Hibiscus was longlisted for the Booker Prize four years earlier. Other category winners for the US honour included Sheri Fink's book about Hurricane Katrina. Her account of the patients, staff and families who took shelter in New Orleans' Memorial Hospital during the devastating storm took the non-fiction prize. Frank Bidart won the poetry section for his collection Metaphysical Dog, while Amy Wilentz was honoured with the autobiography award for her account of journeys to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake in the country. For the first time, a special award was given for a debut writer, crossing all categories. Anthony Marra was honoured with the prize for his novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Adichie's third novel was also named as one of the New York Times' top 10 books of 2013. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the author said her book drew on her own experiences as an African living in the US, particularly with African Americans. "I don't know race in the way an African American knows race… Sometimes it takes an outsider to see something about your own reality that you don't," she said. Her preceding work, Half of a Yellow Sun, is set during the Biafran War of the late 1960s and has been adapted into a forthcoming film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton. The writer is also in the running for the UK's Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction - formerly known as the Orange Prize - for Americanah. The National Critics Book Prize was first awarded in 1974 and is open to writers of all nationalities whose work has been published in the US.

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has won the US National Critics Book Prize for her novel Americanah.

Astronauts helped capture 360-degree panoramas of the insides of the ISS modules, as well as views down to the Earth below. Some of the photography features pop-up text descriptions, marking the first time such annotations have appeared on the Maps platform. This is not the first time 360-degree imagery has been captured beyond Earth. In 2015, the European Space Agency published its own interactive tour of the ISS. And last year Nasa repurposed images captured by its Pathfinder mission to Mars to create clips suitable for virtual reality headsets. However, one of the benefits of Google's technology is that it should give members of the public an improved sense of freedom of movement and a greater choice of viewpoints than had been possible before. The tech giant said it hoped to inspire the public to further explore the science and engineering involved in space exploration. "Every [ISS] component had to be flown on a space shuttle or rocket and constructed and connected in space, and it had to be done with such precision that it formed a hermetic environment to support life," project manager Alice Liu told the BBC. "That is an engineering marvel that people should care about and know about." The firm said creating the latest Street View expansion had posed unique challenges. Past efforts - including capturing underwater views of Australia's Great Barrier Reef and elevated sights from Peru's Machu Picchu citadel - involved transporting specialist camera equipment to the locations. But the cost and certification processes that would have been required to do this for the ISS meant it was not practical this time, nor could the US company send its own staff to take the photographs. Instead, it had to rely on the astronauts already on board the ISS, who used digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras they already had to hand. "Typically, to stitch panoramic images we take a camera and mount it on a fixed mount and rotate it around," explained Ms Liu. "In space there were no tripods, so we ended up using a really simple set-up: a pair of bungee cords strapped in the module in a criss-cross fashion, so that the crossing point defined the centre of where the camera needed to be. "The astronauts had to take the pictures at the defined angles and float around the camera to complete the set of images." It took up to 24 such images to create a single panorama. The astronauts had to fit the activity round their other duties and, from first snap to last image download to Google, the initiative lasted four months. "There are a lot of obstacles up there, and we had limited time to capture the imagery," recalled astronaut Thomas Pesquet in a blog. "Oh, and there's that whole zero gravity thing." The notes that pop up as the user moves among the station's 15 modules provide background information about the equipment on display, and are intended to help make sense of what Google acknowledges can be a "confusing" experience. Ms Liu confirmed the annotation technology could be rolled out to some of her firm's other Street View locations in the future. "But we are not planning on using it as a form of advertising," she added. While the ISS tour might not provide Google the opportunity to make money in itself, one expert suggested it would help the firm keep its mapping products one step ahead of Apple and other rivals. "This feels like a cute marketing exercise that will keep Maps and Street View front and centre in consumers' minds," commented Ben Wood from the CCS tech consultancy. "It adds a dimension of fun and one could argue also education, as it's a tool you could see schools adopting if they are doing projects on space."

The International Space Station has become the first "off planet" addition to Google Maps' Street View facility.

The girl was forced into a vehicle in Bishop's Stortford at about 20:30 GMT on 16 February and dropped off near the town's railway station the following morning. An E-fit image of the attacker has now been released. Police said the attack had caused "concern within the community". The girl was forced into a dark-coloured vehicle, thought to be a Land Rover, and taken to an unknown location, believed to be outside the county of Hertfordshire, where she was sexually assaulted. Ch Insp Gerry McDonald of Hertfordshire Police said: "I believe local people hold the key to our investigation. "This is an extremely serious matter and one which, understandably, has caused concern within the community. "We have conducted a number of inquiries in the local area but would ask anyone who was around between the times mentioned and who has not yet spoken to police to contact us if you have any information which may assist our investigation. "I would like to reiterate that this is an unusual incident and would reassure everyone that investigations into this incident are a priority."

Police are hunting for a man who raped a 14-year-old girl from Hertfordshire while holding her prisoner for nearly 12 hours overnight.

2 June 2017 Last updated at 08:09 BST Although kids aren't able to vote, the decisions made in the election will have a big impact on the lives of all children across the country. But with so many different political parties competing with each other, we're giving you the lowdown on the main ones. Find out all you need to know about the Labour Party in Newsround's 60-second guide.

There's a general election coming up on 8 June, when adults will vote to decide who will run the UK.

Police said the boy was badly injured in the incident, after being struck in Coatbridge. Emergency crews were called the scene on the town's Bank Street near Langloan Primary School at about 16:40. The boy was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, in Glasgow, where his condition is believed to be serious.

A nine-year-old boy is being treated in hospital after being hit by a vehicle in North Lanarkshire on Saturday.

John Fell, from Cumbria, is confident his 1.5kg ostrich egg covered in meat will earn him a Guinness World Record. The existing record was set in 2008 in a London hotel when the snack produced weighed in at just over 6kg. Mr Fell, Calderbridge, used 10kg of sausage meat and 1.5kg of breadcrumbs - about five loaves' worth. It took him seven hours to cook his giant snack - the Ostrich egg was boiled for two hours and it took another three hours to cook the meat. His attempt in a chip shop in Leith, Edinburgh, was filmed by Scottish television and watched by an official record monitor, with each stage carefully documented. Mr Fell said: "I am a judge in a competition entitled the Egg Awards 2014 - we support local egg producers, and encourage people not to buy supermarket eggs. "This is to promote local eggs. But ironically the egg used had to come from Mexico as I couldn't track any down in England. "About 60 people watched me cook the egg and helped us eat it - it was nice - the meat was based on an old Cumberland sausage recipe." He now has to wait six weeks to find out whether his enormous savoury delicacy will be officially classed as a record-breaker.

A chef is hoping he has cooked the world's biggest scotch egg - a whopping 11kg (24lbs) - which took three hours to deep fry.

PC Keith Palmer's murder, in an attack outside the Houses of Parliament in March, prompted "greater emphasis" on the need for a permanent memorial. The UK Police Memorial Trust appealed for £1.5m towards its construction at the National Memorial Arboretum. It is set to bear the names of more than 1,400 officers and staff. Sir Hugh Orde, chairman of the trust, said: "PC Palmer's death has put greater emphasis on the need to create a place where the nation can honour and commemorate our police service and where family, friends and colleagues of those killed on duty can go to carry out personal acts of remembrance. "We need to establish a fitting memorial that recognises the vital contribution that policing makes to our society and acknowledges the courage and sacrifice made by police officers and police staff who have paid the ultimate price. "That tribute must become part of the fabric of our national life." More updates on this story The memorial, at the site in Alrewas, Staffordshire, will be dedicated to the courage and sacrifice of the officers, who have lost their lives over the past 250 years. A brass screen will have leaf shapes cut out and given to the families of fallen officers, with the names of loved ones as a personal memorial. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the government had committed £1m towards the £4m needed for it. "It is entirely fitting that those officers and staff who give their lives in the line of duty should be remembered with a lasting tribute," she said. The memorial is expected to be completed by 2019.

An appeal has been launched for public donations towards a national memorial to police officers killed in the line of duty.

The migratory bird of prey has returned to RSPB Scotland's Loch Garten reserve, near Grantown on Spey, for its 14th season. Nicknamed EJ, her previous drama-filled visits have included having her eggs kicked out of the nest by rival males. Reserve staff have compared her seasons to a TV soap.

A female osprey whose previous breeding seasons have been described as being akin to a soap opera has laid her first egg of the 2016 season.

About 2,000 pieces dating back more than 1,000 years were spotted on the seabed by members of a diving club, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said. At first the group thought the coins were toys, but quickly realised the significance of their discovery. The Antiquities Authority said the find was "so valuable that it's priceless". Divers were exploring an ancient harbour in Caesarea when they came across the gold. They collected several coins and quickly returned to the shore to inform the director of the club. Experts from the authority called to the site uncovered "almost 2,000 gold coins in different denominations" circulated by the Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled much of the Middle East and North Africa from 909 to 1171. Kobi Sharvit, director of the marine archaeology unit at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said excavations would be carried out in the hope of shedding more light on the origin of the treasure. He added: "There is probably a shipwreck there of an official treasury boat which was on its way to the central government in Egypt with taxes that had been collected. "Perhaps the treasure of coins was meant to pay the salaries of the Fatimid military garrison which was stationed in Caesarea and protected the city." He said another theory was that the treasure belonged to a large merchant ship that traded with the coastal cities and the port on the Mediterranean Sea. The haul, which weighs 9kg (20lb), is believed to have been exposed as a result of winter storms. It is now the property of the state and there was no finders' fee.

Scuba divers have inadvertently discovered the largest trove of gold coins ever found off Israel's Mediterranean coast.

The incident happened in Forbes Road at about 10:25. The van driver had picked up the thief in Yeaman Place in his red Renault Trafic van. As he dropped him off in Forbes Road, the thief pulled out a knife. He took a two-figure sum of money and left in the direction of Bruntsfield Place. He was about 30 years old, white, about 6ft tall and of medium build. He was wearing a dark jacket with a white stripe on the sleeve and dark jeans. Police have appealed for witnesses. Det Con Joyce Gunderson said: "Thankfully the van driver was not injured during this robbery but he was left understandably shaken. "We are pursuing various lines of inquiry to trace the man responsible and we are keen to hear from anyone who can assist us in identifying him.

A thief who stole money at knifepoint from a van driver he had just caught a lift from in Edinburgh is being sought by police.

Thistle got in front from the penalty spot, Sean Welsh netting after Ryan Dow had fouled Kris Doolan. County threatened when Craig Curran fired against the post. The hosts lost Liam Lindsay to a neck injury in the second half and Welsh threatened again before Chris Burke fired County level. It had appeared Thistle, who were the better side for much of the game, were about to record their first victory since the opening day of the season. But, just as they have done recently against Hamilton Academical and Hearts, they conceded a late goal to drop points. In fact, they could have lost all three points as Ryan Scully saved instinctively from Ryan Dow moments after Burke's equaliser. Alan Archibald will once again rue missed opportunities and a failure to capitalise on their overall dominance of the match. Lindsay's serious-looking injury after coming into collision with Scully and Andrew Davies caused disruption to the Thistle backline but the points should already have been safe. Archibald's managerial acumen - despite Thistle's lowly league position - was recognised by Shrewsbury Town's enquiry this week. As he sought to put an end to his side's eight-game winless run, he shuffled his pack, dropping Adam Barton into a back three and using Callum Booth and Christie Elliott as wing-backs. Not only did that provide Thistle with energy and width, but it allowed their central midfield trio of Welsh, Abdul Osman and Ryan Edwards to dominate the County duo of Ian McShane and Martin Woods. It meant they bossed the game and though Lindsay had to be replaced by Ziggy Gordon, it appeared Thistle had found the means to finally win again. Media playback is not supported on this device Just as Thistle's winless run continues, so does County's, though Jim McIntyre will be a lot happier that it does so with a draw rather than another defeat. They are now without a victory in seven matches, but Burke's injury-time strike at least put an end to their goalless streak. County scarcely threatened Scully's goal before that but did come within a couple of inches of an equaliser when Craig Curran steered a shot against the post. But the continuing absence of striker Liam Boyce through injury is hurting the Staggies and McIntyre will hope his return comes sooner rather than later. Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald: "We were very good, dominant for most of the match, but County nearly stole it. We need to turn those into victories. That's too many points that have been dropped at home." Burke was bundled over in the box as County began to press in injury time before eventually grabbing the equaliser through the former Rangers and Scotland winger. Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: "It's a stonewall penalty. I've watched it back. If the ref deems the first one a penalty, that's every bit as much a penalty. He's got one right and one wrong. He's made a mistake so that's disappointing." Match ends, Partick Thistle 1, Ross County 1. Second Half ends, Partick Thistle 1, Ross County 1. Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Danny Devine. Attempt missed. Michael Gardyne (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Attempt saved. Ryan Dow (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Goal! Partick Thistle 1, Ross County 1. Chris Burke (Ross County) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Attempt missed. Callum Booth (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner from a direct free kick. Ryan Dow (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. David Amoo (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ryan Dow (Ross County). Attempt blocked. Chris Burke (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle). Tony Dingwall (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Tony Dingwall (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Callum Booth (Partick Thistle). Attempt missed. Chris Burke (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Substitution, Partick Thistle. David Amoo replaces Kris Doolan. Substitution, Ross County. Tony Dingwall replaces Craig Curran. Attempt missed. Sean Welsh (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Foul by Christie Elliott (Partick Thistle). Greg Morrison (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Partick Thistle. Ziggy Gordon replaces Liam Lindsay because of an injury. (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County). Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle). Chris Burke (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Paul Quinn. Substitution, Ross County. Chris Burke replaces Marcus Fraser. Substitution, Ross County. Greg Morrison replaces Alex Schalk. Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle). Ian McShane (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Andrew Davies. Attempt missed. Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Paul Quinn. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) has gone down, but that's a dive. Abdul Osman (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ryan Dow (Ross County). Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Marcus Fraser. Attempt blocked. Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Partick Thistle were pegged back late on by Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

Dating back 520 million years, the clawed spider-like fossil shows clear evidence of a brain and of nerve cords running through the creature's trunk. The specimen now confirms that the ancestors of spiders and scorpions were related, but branched off more than half-a-billion years ago. A team of international scientists present their work in Nature. The "great appendage" arthropods, are an extinct group of joint-legged creatures with large claw-like appendages - or growths - protruding from their heads. The nervous system tends to be similar between major groups of animals, which helps palaeontologists work out how they are related, explained Greg Edgecombe from the Natural History Museum in London. "The nervous system is one of the more reliable tool-kits we have. We were trying to investigate whether there was evidence for the preservation of neural tissues from very early parts of the animal fossil record," he told BBC News. "What we've been working with is fossils with very fine anatomical preservation from the Cambrian period. These have given us information about brains, the nerve cords and the neural tissue that goes into the eyes." New to science, the fossil was recently discovered in South China and is part of the genus Alalcomenaeus. This group had segmented bodies equipped with about a dozen pairs of appendages which enabled the creatures to swim or crawl. It was placed in a CT scanner and compared with other arthropods in order to understand its evolution. The team then used 3D software to see structures not visible on the surface of the fossil. "People like myself who are mad keen on creepy crawlies want to understand how very strange early arthropods relate to living ones," added Dr Edgecombe. "By having access to the nervous system it allows us to study the evolutionary relationships of very ancient fossils using the same kind of information that we would use for living animals." Co-author, Xiaoya Ma, also from the Natural History Museum, said: "It is very exciting to use new techniques to successfully reveal such a complete central nervous system from a 520-million-year old fossil, and in such detail." She told the BBC's Science in Action programme that the high resolution of the reconstructed image allowed the team to see "the concentrated neural structures in the head region". They could also observe the segments of the brain associated with the claw-like appendages. The fossil belongs to an extinct group of marine arthropods known as megacheirans, Greek for "large claws". To infer the evolutionary relationships between species, the fields of palaeontology and neuroanatomy came together. Nicholas Strausfeld was from the anatomy side of the team at the University of Arizona, US. "We now know that the megacheirans had central nervous systems very similar to today's horseshoe crabs and scorpions," said Prof Strausfeld. "This means the ancestors of spiders and their kin lived side by side with the ancestors of crustaceans in the Lower Cambrian." He added that their prominent appendages were clearly used for grasping and holding. "Based on their location, we can now say that the biting mouthparts in spiders and their relatives evolved from these appendages." The team says they expect to find more fossils dating even further back, which will shed new light onto the ancestors of many of today's arthropods.

Scientists have discovered the best-preserved nervous system in an ancient fossil.

The treatment isn't offered on the NHS, but it's understood some staff have occasionally put patients in touch with organisations who provide it. Experts say attempting so-called "gay cures" can be "dangerous" and "damaging". Fourteen organisations, including NHS England, have signed an agreement to stop gay conversion therapy being offered to patients. Although in general, referrals to conversion services are rare - there is evidence that GPs, counsellors and psychotherapists have made them. They will also be providing training for staff to enable them to improve support available to lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people seeking advice. The agreement, The Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy in the UK, makes it clear that NHS England, the organisation which has day-to-day responsibility for running the NHS, "does not endorse or support conversion therapy" and will make this clear to staff. It essentially means GPs will not be able to refer patients for gay therapy and that no-one employed by the NHS can provide it. Amber Dowell, communications officer at the UK Council for Psychotherapy, told Newsbeat the agreement was "really important". "It's very common for people to have feelings where they might question their sexuality, where they might want to explore the attractions they're feeling. "We want people to be able to do that in an environment that is safe, supportive and free of judgement." There are no official figures for how many people attempt conversion therapy every year, but the Department of Health has acknowledged to Newsbeat it does occasionally happen. Amber suggested that an "ignorance of the issue of the ethics involved" rather than staff being "prejudiced against LGB people" was to blame for it being offered by the NHS in the past. "I think, in trying to help people mistakenly, referrals had been made in the past," she said. Newsbeat has spoken to people who said they had experienced conversion therapy. Louise from West Yorkshire said she was blackmailed into receiving "treatment" for being gay in 2007 by her evangelical church. She later attended group sessions of around 20 women near Liverpool. "[Most] were married with children. They were there without the knowledge of their partners or their children. "If I'd been more impressionable I think I could have been really damaged by the process." Brad, from Illinois, lives in the West Midlands. He said he was "scared" when he first discovered he was gay and "wanted to do my very best to change it". He attended group therapy sessions but realised the treatment, which he said encouraged him "to do more stereotypical masculine things" wasn't going to change his feelings. "It's really sad I spent three years of my life trying to do something that was impossible." There are some who suggest it works and insist people should be able to try it. Mike Davidson told Newsbeat he "converted" with therapy over the course of two years and now provides what he calls "support" for people who have "unwanted same-sex attraction" in Northern Ireland. He thinks the service should be allowed but he wasn't able to give an accurate estimate of how widely the treatment was available. He told Newsbeat that gay conversion isn't a "huge industry" and that the people he works with have decided it is something they want to do. "By the time they [clients] get to us, they know what we're about and know what they would like to achieve." Explaining the process, he said: "For some people they want to go as far as controlling their behaviour... they do not want to act out on those issues and we would support them." He also said that he turns people away who appear to have been pressured into taking therapy and admitted that, even when working with someone who wants to change their sexual feelings, a "result" is never guaranteed. The UK Council of Psychotherapy says it intends to expand the agreement to Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland soon. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

NHS staff in England have been told that they should no longer help people access gay conversion therapy.

Mike Peters, lead singer of The Alarm, is encouraging US congressmen and senators to 'Get On The List' on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Three-time cancer survivor Mr Peters co-founded the Love Hope Strength Foundation in 2007 to encourage more people to sign up as potential lifesavers. The US visit follows a similar recruitment drive in Westminster. Ahead of the event, Mr Peters encouraged people in the USA to write to their local representative asking them to attend the donor drive at Capitol Visitor Centre. Potential donors fill out a consent form and have their cheeks swabbed. Their details are then stored anonymously on an international bone marrow registry until they are 61-years-old. It is hoped the event will grow the number of US donors and improve the chances of finding matches for patients suffering from a blood borne cancer or illness. Mr Peters said the foundation has been campaigning for this day for many years. "It is so exciting to feel that all the hard work and effort, made possible with the support of DKMS - We Delete Blood Cancer, and so many others, is finally coming to fruition," he said. "People are realising that one day it could be someone that they know who needs a bone marrow donor, and the more people that are on the list, the better everyone's chances of finding an unrelated donor area." The event in the House of Commons in 2013 registered more than 100 MPs and staff members, and MP John Glen became a lifesaving match a few months later.

A Welsh rock star has taken his bone marrow donor drive to Washington DC.

They were on board an anti-piracy vessel, the Seaman Guard Ohio, which was detained in October, 2013. They face charges including straying into Indian waters and carrying weapons without permission. Another British man, Paul Towers from Yorkshire, remains in jail along with the ship's Ukrainian captain. News of the men's release was confirmed by an international maritime lawyer who is close to the case. He said: "Yes, they are out. Checking in to hotel and looking forward to a beer." The five men freed on bail were: Billy Irving, 33, of Oban in Argyll, John Armstrong, of Wigton, in Cumbria, Nick Dunn, 28, of Ashington in Northumberland, Ray Tindall, 38, of Chester, and Nicholas Simpson, originally of Cottingham in East Yorkshire. All of them must remain in India. Their employer AdvanFort, a maritime security patrol specialist, has always insisted the men were working to provide protection to other ships from pirate attacks. Nick Dunn's sister Lisa has commented on social media: "After 169 horrific days that Nick Dunn has spent in prison and another five being detained on the ship, I'm over the moon to say that the first hurdle is now cleared ... he's out!"

Five British men who were being held on arms charges have been freed on bail from an Indian jail, according to a lawyer close to the case.

The move is part of national fire service reforms unveiled by Home Secretary Theresa May last week. Sussex PCC Katy Bourne said emergency services would have an increased duty to collaborate under the new bill. But West Sussex County Council (WSCC) said it already had an excellent model. East Sussex's fire authority said it would co-operate with the PCC but it believed collaboration could be achieved without elaborate structural change. Ms Bourne said she had written to WSCC leader Louise Goldsmith and Phil Howson, East Sussex Fire Authority chairman, to request they begin to look at the feasibility of bringing both fire services under her authority. "Just as we have one police force that effectively manages the county, we need to understand if one fire service not two could achieve the same," she said. Ms Bourne's letter met with cross-party opposition from WSCC. And Ms Goldsmith also invited the home secretary to visit West Sussex and see an alternative to the government's preferred plan. Ms Goldsmith said West Sussex fire service was already integrated within the council and served communities. She added last year's Shoreham air disaster showed how West Sussex emergency services already worked together. East Sussex Fire Authority said it was willing to co-operate with the PCC to determine whether proposals could improve delivery of services and create efficiencies. In a statement, it added: "[The fire authority] believes whilst close collaboration between the emergency services is essential, it can be achieved without elaborate structural change. "It is also the fire authority's considered view that it is more accountable to the community it serves because its members are elected councillors."

Plans set out by the Sussex police and crime commissioner (PCC) to take responsibility for fire services in East and West Sussex - and potentially merge them - have met with opposition.

Oneil Din, 27, from Coventry, got caught in a rip current and died at Crantock beach, Cornwall on 15 August. Crantock Parish Council told the duchy in April it was "extremely concerned about the safety risks to the public". The duchy said new warning signs were put up in 2016 and it planned to "see what more can possibly be done". More on this story, and other Devon and Cornwall news The duchy was involved in a series of meetings and concluded there was no "simple solution" as the area had protected status, and that re-engineering the course of a river was a complicated and long process with no guarantees of success. The council said the beach had become more dangerous since a breakwater was damaged by storms in 2015, causing the River Gannel to change course. Earlier this month 11 bodyboarders had to be rescued at the same beach. The council said: "Since the river diverted, very significant movements of sand have occurred that have made bathing conditions extremely dangerous at certain states of tide and sea condition". The council met the duchy, the National Trust and the Marine Management Organisation on 27 January to discuss the issue but no repairs were authorised. It also wrote a letter to the duchy in April saying it remained "extremely concerned about the safety risks to the public at large on a very busy beach, especially in the summer, and the possibility of an unfortunate, and potentially fatal, situation occurring". RNLI lifeguard supervisor John Steadman said after the recent death: "Crantock beach has some unpredictable currents at the moment due to the topography of the beach constantly changing." The duchy, which has land in 23 counties and funds the activities of the Prince of Wales, expressed its condolences and said in a statement: "In 2016 new signs were installed to alert people to the danger of strong currents and other risks. "We plan to meet again with the parish council, National Trust and other stakeholders to see what more can possibly be done." The National Trust, which has responsibility for the beach above the high water mark, said it had categorised Crantock as a "higher risk" beach, "on account of the river running across the beach and the resulting rip current". At high tide the sea covers Crantock beach, leaving sand dunes and a car park at the top of the beach.

The Duchy of Cornwall was warned of the risk of a "potentially fatal situation" at a beach it owns, ahead of a man's death there last week.

The business was owned by John and Karen Blisard and began operating in 2007. It now has five branches: two in Belfast, two in Dublin and one in Galway. The firm's last set of abbreviated accounts suggest it made a profit of around £300,000 in 2014. It has been taken over by Belfast brothers David and Andrew Maxwell. They are backed by the Dublin-based investment firm Renatus Capital Partners Andrew Maxwell is a former professional rugby player with Ulster. David has previously run restaurants in Arizona where he said he "fell in love with Mexican food and culture". He said they planned to expand the chain. "The management and crew at Boojum provide exceptional service which has been pivotal to the success of the business," they said. "Our aim, in partnership with Renatus, is to preserve that success and build on it. "We expect to create many new jobs as we bring the Boojum experience to new communities." The deal was initiated by the Belfast-based corporate advisors HNH Group. Matt McCullough from HNH played rugby at Ulster with Andrew Maxwell. He said: "Knowing the Maxwells, who are high quality operators with a passion for Mexican food, we felt they would be capable of maintaining everything that is good about the Boojum brand, whilst moving the business forward. "These aspects were key to making this deal happen." The sale does not include the Blisard's barbecue restaurant, Bubbacue.

Boojum, the Belfast-based chain of burrito restaurants, has been sold.

About 170,000 people are expected in Cardiff over four days around the match between Real Madrid and Juventus. South Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Richard Lewis said the force could invoke temporary powers allowing officers to search anyone without the usual reasonable grounds. He described safety and security at the event as "our absolute aim". He added: "We have powers to stop and search every day of the week and we will be utilising these, but we can also apply for extra powers to allow us to stop and search specifically in an area which we may apply for and use this weekend." These powers, which must be approved by a senior officer, allow random searches if serious violence may take place in a specific area. Streets immediately surrounding the National Stadium of Wales will be off limits for anyone without a match ticket on Saturday and no bags will be allowed in the stadium. Real Madrid and Juventus fans have two different bag drops and their belongings will be held in articulated lorries. ACC Lewis advised against attempting to drive into the capital on match day due to additional security barriers preventing vehicles from getting into the centre. Over 24 hours on Saturday there will be 2,000 deployments of police officers throughout the city. Between Thursday and Sunday, when the festival around the match runs, there will be 6,500 deployments, including 550 armed officers. ACC Lewis said the Champions League "even trumps Nato" in terms of the impact on the city.

Police are likely to apply for extra powers to stop and search people at this weekend's Champions League final.

Marco Goncalves, 34, assaulted the referee after being sent off in last month's game against Rio Tinto, and was escorted off the pitch by police. Images of the attack went viral, with the referee suffering a broken nose. Goncalves plays for Canelas, a club made up of FC Porto ultras who have been branded "thugs" for their aggressive style of play. Three members of their squad, including the captain, hail from the 'Super Dragons' ultras, a well-known fan group of Porto. Other clubs in the fourth-tier amateur league would rather pay a 750-euro fine and forfeit the match than play Canelas. As a result, they are top of the league after a string of default wins, but no official complaints have yet been filed against the club. A spokesman for the Porto regional league told AFP Gonclaves has been banned for four years for the attack on the referee, three months for assaulting an opposition players and two months for "insults".

An amateur footballer in Portugal has been banned for more than four years after kneeing a referee in the face.

Rikki Evans, 28, started playing the bagpipes at 11:00 on Wednesday and stopped playing more than 24 hours later on Thursday. Under Guinness rules he was allowed to take a 10 minute break every two hours. Mr Evans is now awaiting official confirmation from Guinness World Records that he is the new record breaker.

A man from Aberdeen hopes to have set a new Guinness World Record by playing the bagpipes for over 24 hours.

When Adidas, Gazprom, Hyundai-Kia, McDonald's, Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Visa signed their deals, they would have envisaged seeing their brands beamed into millions of households around the world. Pitch-side exposure at World Cup matches, accompanied by high-profile advertising campaigns, means that backing the World Cup guarantees getting your company promoted in all parts of the globe. However, having spent tens of millions of pounds to be associated with sporting excellence, those famous brands now find their name and products associated with the increasingly tarnished Fifa brand, arrests and allegations of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted corruption". A number of the sponsors - Coca-Cola, Kia, Adidas and Visa - have made known their concerns about what is happening at Fifa, with the latter particularly vociferous, warning that unless the global governing body makes "changes now", it would "reassess our sponsorship". And McDonald's said it "takes matters of ethics and corruption very seriously and the news from the US Department of Justice is extremely concerning. We are in contact with FIFA on this matter. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely". For the four years of the last "World Cup cycle", from 2011 to 2014, Fifa's six top tier Global Partners (as was - it is now five) paid a total of $177m (£116m) annually, which would mean each partner paid roughly $30m a year for this status. Tier one sponsor Sony decided not to renew its contract last year - it had been a Fifa partner since 2007, after signing a contract in 2005 worth $38m annually. One publicity-savvy bookmaker has offered odds on which sponsor will be the first to pull out of its association with football's Swiss-based powerbrokers. It has Visa as the favourites, followed by Hyundai-Kia, although none of Fifa's backers have said yet they are ending their deals. Russian gas firm Gazprom is bottom of the betting to leave, and indeed it has put out a statement saying the current situation will have "no influence" on its agreement. But as the scandal is not likely to go away any time soon, what damage is being done to these well-known companies, some of whom have associations with Fifa stretching back decades? "This is disastrous for the main core group of big Fifa sponsors. For them, this is a major issue," says Anastasia Kourovskaia, a brands expert at agency Millward Brown. "The idea of sponsorship is to transfer the goodwill that supporters feel for the sport, to the benefit of a brand's equity." She suggests that the big seven corporations may have to position themselves at arms-length from Fifa, if they do not want to be hit by the fall-out from the sensational developments. "The solution is to emphasise that they are supporting football for the benefit of the game itself, and the pleasure and challenge of winning and playing football, rather than Fifa as an organisation," she says. "They have to differentiate themselves from Fifa's management." In addition, she points out that as this is not the first scandal to hit Fifa, it might be a good time for the sponsors to form a committee of their own "to ensure the ethical running of big global football events". One other unforeseen outcome of the furore may be that in future, potential sports sponsors may look to back smaller, grass-roots, events - which traditionally have been more complex and costly to back - rather than global blockbusters such as World Cups, which have a greater potential for scandal. "This might be the tipping point that sees sponsors move away from events which are 'uniform' across the world, and towards more local events," she says. Adidas - the German sportswear firm has been supplying the official match ball for all Fifa World Cup tournament matches since 1970. Also involved in all other Fifa events, such as the Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, and the Fifa U-20 World Cups for women and men. Coca-Cola - the US soft drinks firm is one of the longest-standing corporate partners of Fifa, with a formal association since 1974 and an official sponsorship of the Fifa World Cup that began in 1978. Coca-Cola has had stadium advertising at every Fifa World Cup since 1950. Gazprom - the Russian energy giant signed up with Fifa in 2013 as a partner for all competitions in the period of 2015 to 2018, including the 2018 Fifa World Cup, which is due to take place in Russia for the first time. (The firm is also an official partner of the Uefa Champions League 2012 to 2015). Hyundai/Kia - the South Korean carmaker began its Fifa alliance in 1999, in a deal to sponsor 13 Fifa competitions including the 2002 World Cup, an agreement extended to the 2006 event. It again backed the 2010 World Cup and is now the official Automotive Partner of Fifa until 2022. Visa - the credit card company became a top-tier Fifa partner in 2007, taking over from rivals Mastercard in controversial circumstances, and recently extended its relationship until 2022. It is a sponsor of five Fifa events this year, including the Women's World Cup in Canada. Budweiser - the US beverage has been a World Cup sponsor since the 1986 event in Mexico, and is the Official Beer of the tournament, with its product on sale in all stadiums at the finals, and it also sponsors the Man of the Match award at each game. McDonald's - the American fast food chain has been a sponsor since the 1994 World Cup in the US. Its products are available at all matches in the finals tournament, and it also sponsors the World Cup Player Escort programme, in which children accompany the teams onto the pitch. Meanwhile, it appears that Nike, which is not an official Fifa sponsor (but does come up with clever marketing campaigns around the World Cup) has also been dragged into the furore, with the US Department of Justice questioning its deal with the Brazilian Football Association. The American indictments state that an unidentified "major US sportswear company" is alleged to have been involved in the payment and receipt of bribes. The Department of Justice did not name the firm, but Nike and the Brazilian football federation have been partners since a $400m sponsorship deal was signed back in 1996. Nike did not confirm it was the company alluded to, but said it "believes in ethical and fair play in both business and sport and strongly opposes any form of manipulation or bribery. We have been co-operating, and will continue to co-operate, with the authorities." Meanwhile, the editor-in-chief of Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad says he does not want to see any adverts from Fifa sponsors in his paper until they have "converted". And the sponsorship industry's trade body in Europe is taking a dim view of the arrests and indictments. The European Sponsorship Association says that the developments "underline the critical importance of transparency and high ethical standards in sport and in business". They said that sponsors did not want to be associated with alleged "shady practices" and were "increasingly asking rights-owners tough questions on a range of compliance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues".

It has not been an easy week for the big multinational corporations that sponsor football's world governing body Fifa.

Zipping up a thick jacket and pulling on a pair of gloves, Mohammed is ready for a hard day's graft. He is one of a number of refugees and asylum seekers living in Belfast who spend their spare time doing voluntary conservation and preservation work in the Mourne mountains in County Down. In Algeria, his home country, he was a police officer, but "problems with my government and a terrorist group" forced him to flee. He has been in Northern Ireland for 18 months now - it is his "new home". These mountains are where Mohammed and others displaced from their homelands come regularly to find peace. They are working with the Mourne Heritage Trust, which looks after this area of outstanding natural beauty, to rebuild dry-stone walls and repair mountain paths. The walls are one of the most unmistakable features of the Mournes, with hundreds of miles stretching over mountain peaks, dividing land and providing shelter for livestock and other wildlife. The skills to build them - patience, an eye for a good stone, and a strong back, among other things - have been passed down through generations. And now these refugees are learning them, too. For Mohammed, this is his first time working on the walls: "I think it's very good experience for me." With about 100 Syrian refugees expected to arrive in Northern Ireland before Christmas, the volunteer scheme could soon play a bigger role in offering a tranquil retreat to more people who have left conflict-hit countries. Mediation Northern Ireland is one of the charities helping refugees and asylum seekers to settle into their new lives. Mary McAnulty from the organisation says it works closely with the Mourne Heritage Trust. The intention has been to help the refugees to make new friends, improve their language skills and explore part the country they now call home. "Lots of people suffer from anxieties, so having a day out of Belfast is great," Mary says. "If your world is very small, just the area you live in, then these can be your hills. "I love to see people becoming proud of it and feeling that they have a sense of place." Amar, who has moved to Belfast with his family from Sudan, says getting outside the city "is good for me". And for Elizabeth, who is Colombian, the fresh countryside air is "good for my mind". But it is not just a one-way thing. Large areas of walls have become damaged due to erosion and increasing visitor numbers, and the Mourne Heritage Trust relies on volunteers to do the repair work. Ranger John McEvoy says the trust is indebted to the refugees. "They're willing to get the sleeves rolled up, get stuck into it," he explains. "As the day goes on, you'll see them lifting the stone, doing exactly as we're doing." And Dean Fitzpatrick, a Mourne man who comes from a family of stoneworkers, says you do not have to be born and bred in the shadow of the mountains to chip in. "There are boys here who aren't stonemasons at all, from all different parts of the world," he says. "They're doing as good as anybody and they've only been here an hour or two." As Mohammed removes his gloves and wipes his brow after the work is done, his smile is wide. "Here it's very quiet - everything is perfect for me here."

"I'm here to help my new friends to build a big wall, like the Chinese wall."

The Supreme Court case related to federal law limiting gun ownership for people convicted of domestic violence. Justice Thomas has said in the past he prefers not to "badger" lawyers as they present their arguments in court. He spoke weeks after the death of one of the most conservative Supreme Court members, Justice Antonin Scalia, which may shift the court's balance of power. Justice Thomas on Monday asked a lawyer for the Department of Justice whether the violation of any law "suspends a [person's] constitutional rights". The court is considering placing new limits on the reach of the federal law banning people convicted of domestic violence from owning guns. It was the court's second week of oral arguments - when justices are given the chance to question lawyers about their briefs - since the death of Justice Scalia, a friend and fellow conservative of Justice Thomas. The last time he was reported to have asked a question at the high court was during a death penalty case in February 2006. Explaining his silence over the years, Justice Thomas told the Associated Press in 2013: "We have a lifetime to go back in chambers and to argue with each other." He told a group of students in 2000 that "there's no reason to add to the volume. I also believe strongly, unless I want an answer, I don't ask things... Usually, if you wait long enough, someone will ask your question".

Justice Clarence Thomas, one of eight judges at the highest court in the US, has broken a 10-year silence at court.

At least 11 people died in Wednesday's 8.3-magnitude quake - the strongest in the world this year - that sent tsunami waves as far away as Japan. The coastal town of Coquimbo, close to the epicentre, saw waves of 4.7m (15ft) hit the shore. Hundreds of people spent Thursday night in temporary shelters, while tens of thousands are without electricity. About one million people had to leave their homes after Chile sounded a tsunami alert when the quake struck, although most are reported to have returned. Tsunami waves also hit the coast further north and south of the quake's epicentre, with waves half a metre higher than usual as far north as La Punta. Gloria Navarro, who lives in the coastal town of La Serena, said people were "running in all directions". "Everything is a mess," restaurant owner Melisa Pinones told Reuters from the city of Illapel. "It was a disaster, a total loss." Across parts of central Chile, residents began clearing up after what was the country's sixth most powerful recorded earthquake. Large parts of the sea front in the fishing village of Tongoy were destroyed, and more than 500 homes were badly damaged across the region, according to emergency response teams. Emergency powers mean aid will reach Coquimbo quicker, and allow troops to be deployed on to the region's streets. Visiting Coquimbo on Thursday, President Michelle Bachelet paid tribute to people's response, saying that the death toll, "while unfortunate, was not very high considering the strength of the earthquake". The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the tremor struck off the coast of Coquimbo, 46km (29 miles) west of the city of Illapel at 19:54 local time (22:54 GMT). The USGS said it was at a depth of 25km, while Chilean seismologists calculated its depth at 11km. Small tsunami waves were felt along the west coast of the US and Canada. A one-metre (3ft) wave also reached in Hawaii. The earthquake struck as thousands of Chileans were travelling to the coast ahead of a week of celebrations for independence day. President Bachelet said some of Friday's official festivities would be cancelled.

Chile's government has declared a state of emergency in a central region struck by a powerful earthquake.

They report that a checkpoint manned by local police was attacked in the Mirzawalang area of Sar-e Pul province. The assailants then entered the village and shot dead mainly Shia Muslim civilians including women and children, a spokesman for the provincial governor said. "They were killed in a brutal, inhumane way," he added. He reported that seven members of the Afghan security forces has also been killed, as well as a number of insurgents. A combination of Taliban and Islamic State (IS) group fighters - including foreigners - were involved, he said. Both are Sunni Muslim militant groups. The Taliban denied killing civilians, saying that its fighters had killed 28 members of a government-supported militia in the area. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack. "Criminal terrorists have once again killed civilians, women and children," he said in a statement. "This barbaric act of them is deemed a direct violation of human rights and a war crime." Fighting has intensified across Afghanistan in recent months. More than 1,662 civilians were killed in the half of the year, according to UN figures. Can Afghan military turn tide in Taliban fight? US President Donald Trump is considering whether to increase the number of US troops aiding the military and police in the country. End of Twitter post by @afgexecutive

At least 50 civilians have been killed by militants in northern Afghanistan, officials say.

Resuming on 25-1 on day two, Lancashire batted throughout all three sessions to reach 311-8 at the close of play. England's Stuart Broad took 3-57, as did fellow paceman Jake Ball. But 55 from wicketkeeper Alex Davies, 48 from Alviro Petersen and then Livingstone's 63 not out helped the home side end the day on top. Coming in at number seven, at 156-5, with his side still 86 runs in arrears, Livingstone put on 72 for the sixth wicket with Davies. And the 22-year-old has so far put on a further 62 for the ninth wicket with Zimbabwean Kyle Jarvis, who ended the day also unbeaten on 36. Earlier, Warrington-born Steven Mullaney claimed the 50th first-class victim of his career on his old home ground when he had his former Red Rose team-mate, Lancashire captain Steven Croft, caught behind for 15. Lancashire batsman Liam Livingstone told BBC Manchester: "I found out I was going to play on Friday afternoon. It's been a very good day for me but also for the team. We're in a strong position. "There's still two days left in the game so we're looking at building as big a lead as we can, so that we can set attacking fields in their second innings. "A lot's been said that we've got a young squad but that doesn't mean that we're not talented enough to fill the gap left by Ashwell Prince. We're all working hard to try and prove people wrong." Notts fast bowler Jackson Bird told BBC Radio Nottingham: "Obviously, it's a pretty flat wicket but we did well to contain them. After the new ball lost its shine it was tough work. "It was disappointing we couldn't break that partnership. Once it got soft there wasn't much bounce or movement at all. "They're only 69 ahead so hopefully we can get these last two wickets early. We can still get a positive result. Hopefully the wicket will start to go up and down and maybe reverse swing will come into it. If we can get a reasonable lead, you never know on day four."

Lancashire youngster Liam Livingstone marked his first-class debut with an unbeaten half century to build a useful 69-run lead over Nottinghamshire.

About 1,000 athletes, aged between 14 and 18, will participate in the event, scheduled for 27 July to 1 August. Boxers Carl Frampton and Michael Conlan, and swimmer Sycerika McMahon are among Northern Irish athletes to have previously competed at the Games. NI Commonwealth Games chairman Robert McVeigh described it as a hugely significant day for local sport. "This is the result of many years of lobbying and hard work," said McVeigh. Media playback is not supported on this device "It offers a great opportunity for children to strive towards being part of the largest ever Team NI at a Commonwealth Youth Games." More than 60 nations were represented at the last Youth Games, staged in Samoa in September, with Northern Ireland finishing eighth in the medal table. The next Youth Games will take place in the Bahamas in 2017, after which it will revert to a four-year cycle. The formal announcement of Northern Ireland's hosting of the 2021 Games will take place at Belfast City Hall on Monday, with Commonwealth Games NI patron Dame Mary Peters in attendance. It is expected the swimming competition will take place at the Aurora complex in Bangor, with the Mary Peters Track in Belfast hosting the athletics, and the gymnastics being held in Lisburn. Northern Ireland were the only bidders for the 2021 Games, after Jersey and Botswana withdrew.

Northern Ireland has been chosen to host the Commonwealth Youth Games in the summer of 2021.

The election was called after mayor Lutfur Rahman was convicted of electoral fraud and removed from office in April. He has been banned from standing again. The Met Police said it was investigating 16 allegations of electoral malpractice in relation to this election, including harvesting votes and the improper distribution of election literature. The full list of Tower Hamlets mayoral candidates is:

Voters in Tower Hamlets are going to the polls to vote for a new mayor.

The turkey firm was sold to the food tycoon Ranjit Boparan on Tuesday. There had been fears that the new owners would not take on the existing workers' pension scheme. But Unite regional officer Steve Harley said: "We had productive talks and we were given guarantees that all current agreements will be honoured." Unite said it understood that the Bernard Matthews final salary pension scheme was closed in 2004 and that its members presently have an alternative pension scheme which is unaffected the takeover. The Boparan Private Office, the "chicken king" Mr Boparan's private investment, confirmed that the current pension arrangements with Bernard Matthews would continue under the new ownership. Mr Harley met with representatives from Boparan at the Great Witchingham headquarters. He said: "It was made clear that the new owner wishes to restore Bernard Matthews to its former position as a highly profitable business. "This would be achieved by greater investment in the business, cost savings and utilising the present spare capacity at Bernard Matthews to process chicken and not just turkeys."

A union has welcomed reassurances from the new owner of Bernard Matthews over job security and pensions.

It found children from deprived backgrounds were twice as likely to face police action than better-off children who commit the same crime. Living in poverty also increased the likelihood of violence among both boys and girls. The government has said Scotland is becoming a safer place to live. The study was carried out by University of Edinburgh researchers. They found that a history of being in trouble with the police was the strongest predictor of whether a young person was not in education, employment or training by the age of 18. Poorer young people were also about five times more likely to be placed on statutory supervision than their better-off counterparts. And household poverty was identified as an exacerbating factor that increased the likelihood of young people offending. This was the case even when a range of other risk factors have been taken into account, the researchers said. They found that people who lived in extreme poverty were much more likely to be the victims - and perpetrators - of crime. The study also identified gender as one of the most powerful predictors of violence, with boys being three times more likely than girls on average to engage in violent acts. Girls from poorer backgrounds were twice as likely as girls from more affluent households to be involved in violent crime, the authors said. This was the case even after other factors - such as truancy, substance abuse and poor parental supervision - were taken into account. The findings from the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, by the University of Edinburgh's School of Law, has been published in the latest edition of the Scottish Justice Matters journal. The study has tracked 4,300 young people in Edinburgh since 1998 to better understand changes in their behaviour and lifestyles. It has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Nuffield Foundation and the Scottish government. Report author Prof Lesley McAra said: "Our findings highlight a very destructive dynamic - poverty increases the risks of violence. Contact with juvenile justice system increases the risks associated with poverty. "As a result, contact with the very agencies meant to stop offending is inadvertently reproducing the conditions in which violence can flourish." Scottish Justice Matters also published a report that showed the recent fall in crime rates in Scotland has not benefitted areas with the most chronic rates of crime. A study by Applied Quantitative Methods Network (AQMeN) Research Centre - also based at the University of Edinburgh's Law School - suggested that victims experiencing the most crime continued to be within the most deprived communities. Half of the communities with the highest crime rates were found in the top 20% of areas with the highest levels of chronic health problems, the report showed. A third of the communities with the highest rates of crime were in the top 20% of areas with the highest levels of unemployment. Lead researcher Prof Susan McVie said: "The findings are important as they suggest that crime tends to be highly concentrated amongst poor people and within poor neighbourhoods, and this has not changed despite crime being at its lowest level for decades. "This raises important questions about whether inequality is being adequately tackled by the Scottish government." A Scottish government spokesman said: "Scotland is becoming a safer place to live with recorded crime at a 41-year low, homicide figures at their lowest level in 39 years and 1,000 extra officers on our streets. "The Scottish government has a long-standing record on protecting the poorest and most vulnerable in our society and we are tackling poverty and inequalities head-on through a number of initiatives including a £296m investment to limit the damaging effects of the UK government's welfare cuts."

Scotland's criminal justice system punishes poorer people and makes it difficult for them to escape poverty, according to an academic study.

Derek Penman said the oversight of the project was inadequate and made 30 recommendations. Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said the report included some "hard messages" for the force and pledged the recommendations would be implemented. The report followed the M9 crash in which Lamara Bell and John Yuill died. Ms Bell, who was discovered critically injured in the crashed car, had been in the vehicle next to her dead partner Mr Yuill for three days. She died later in hospital. Police Scotland admitted they did not investigate a report they had received about the crash until three days after it happened. The father and grandfather of Ms Bell's five-year-old son Kieran, said the report delivered "a damning indictment on Police Scotland's call-handling processes". In a statement, Kieran's father Lee Burt and grandfather James McMillan said "such a catastrophe should never happen again", and that Police Scotland were "guilty of failing communities across Scotland". They added: "At the heart of this tragedy is Kieran who never stops speaking about his mum. "Some mornings he will wake up a happy boy because he dreamt of Lamara, but it is heartbreaking when a little boy tells you he misses his mum and the sound of laughter changes to silence." Ms Bell's brother Martin said he was no closer to understanding why the call reporting his sister's vehicle had crashed down an embankment was not investigated. He said he would have to wait for the results of an inquiry by Pirc (Police Investigations and Review Commissioner) to get the answers to those specific questions. The HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report, which concentrates on police call-handling more generally, found examples of call handlers being under pressure to end calls quickly and grading of calls being dependent on resources available. Mr Penman said staffing levels at Bilston Glen - where the call regarding the M9 crash was received - were insufficient and had resulted in poor call-handling performance, although the force had made "considerable efforts to address this". The report also said: Read our guide to 10 things we have learned about police call-handling from the report. The report offered assurances on areas including staffing levels, the effective handling of emergency and high priority calls, and training arrangements for new staff. Its recommendations included a review of the use of ad hoc "scribble pads" by service advisors and to "provide definitive guidance on their use, issue and proportionate supervision". Scribble pads are used by some staff to note information rather than inputting it directly into the computer system. Mr Penman said there were "a number of weaknesses" in Police Scotland's approach to the roll-out of its new national call handling system. "This model is a critical element in the delivery of frontline policing and a key part of the bringing together of Police Scotland post reform," he said. "The oversight of this project has been inadequate with key risks and other issues not being identified or highlighted to senior managers. "There was an initial focus on meeting deadlines and increased productivity rather than a well-managed project with a focus on customer service, good staff relations and thorough process design." Mr Penman also said that Police Scotland should focus on stabilising the existing call-handling arrangements before making any further changes. Plans to close control rooms in Aberdeen and Inverness have already been postponed and Mr Penman said that should not change in the near future. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, the justice secretary said independent experts would be brought in to provide strong assurances before any decision was considered regarding the implementation of proposed changes to Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness control centres. In January 2014, Police Scotland announced proposals to cut the number of police control rooms, retaining five of its 11 sites. Dumfries was first to close, followed by Stirling, Glenrothes, and Pitt Street in Glasgow in March 2015. Aberdeen, which has two control rooms was scheduled for the end of this year. The reform plan saw Motherwell and Govan becoming a West Area Control centre, Bilston Glen near Edinburgh given responsibility for the East Command Area and Dundee the North Area Command. Inverness was to lose its police control room but would instead become the new hub for the command and control of major incidents and national events anywhere in the country. Following the interim HMICS report in September, plans to close Aberdeen and Inverness were put on hold. Mr Matheson said that, in future, "any dip in performance such as experienced in Bilston Glen earlier this year will become quickly apparent and will trigger rapid intervention". He also said unannounced visits would be made to call centres which would begin with immediate effect and would be ongoing until the restructure was complete. "The report also includes some hard messages for Police Scotland and I have been assured that all 30 of the recommendations will be accepted and actioned by them," he said. "It is my strong conviction that investment in staff is as important if not more important than investment in systems." Police Scotland's Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick said the force would be implementing the recommendations of the report "through a detailed and comprehensive action plan". She said maintaining the eight previous systems had not been a "viable option" and that the changes required had been "highly complex". "We acknowledge there have been challenges. Today's report recognises that we have already made progress in addressing these issues to ensure we can further strengthen call handling." Brian Docherty, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, which represents police officers, said: "We have consistently stated that the drive to save money was resulting in an erosion of service and creating intolerable pressures on those working within it. "We have also stated that there is little point answering calls quickly if there are no police officers available to respond to them. "This report leaves no doubt that this was indeed the case and that our concerns were fully justified." The HMICS report is the first of two reports into the incident. The Police Investigations Review Commissioner (Pirc) is investigating the incident itself while the HMICS review examined the broader issue of call-handling. Chief Constable Sir Stephen House, who will stand down next month, admitted the information received about the M9 crash near Stirling on Sunday 5 July in the initial call had not been entered into police systems.

Weaknesses in Police Scotland's roll-out of its new national call-handling system have been highlighted in an Inspector of Constabulary report.

British Transport Police said there had been a 19% rise, from 108 incidents in 2014 to 128 last year. The organisation said longer evenings and the summer holidays "spell danger" for young people, who are twice as likely to trespass this time of year than in winter. Almost 170 young people have died in 10 years in the UK after trespassing. Lynsey Slawson's sister Victoria Swift was killed by a train in Wrexham when she was 14. She told BBC News: "I think a lot more needs doing because you're seeing it all the time. "Kids need to realise it's not a place to be playing, at all. "They think 'we've got time', they don't realise it's not like a car. They can't slam the brakes on like a car, it takes time for the train to stop. "On that patch [where Victoria was killed] there's a bend, trains come round there, she's gone to run but it's too late. By the time she's realised it's there, it's there." Tracey Young, of Network Rail Wales, said: "We are urging parents to remind their children that if they are on the railway, they are on dangerous ground. "It may seem like a good idea to take a shortcut, or like fun to play on the tracks, but this is not only illegal, it is also dangerous. Of those who died in the past decade, 72% were hit by a train, 17% were electrocuted and others fell from structures or trains.

A warning has been issued after figures showed rail trespass incidents in Wales have risen.

The charity said there had been a total of 137 convictions in the same period. The maximum sentence for offenders is six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine, but campaigners want it to be raised to up to three years. Brian Wheelhouse, who runs a dog rescue centre, said offenders only cared about financial gain and not about the dog. Eduardo Goncalves, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "Evidence from the UK and abroad points to the activity being a 'gateway' crime to serious and organised offences, such as drug and gun crime. "In the United States dog fighting is recognised as a Grade A felony by the FBI." France applies a sentence of up to two years, and Germany and the Czech Republic apply a sentence of up to three years. The RSPCA said the highest number of calls it had received had been in Greater London (924), followed by the West Midlands (469), West Yorkshire (305) and Greater Manchester (238). Rural counties are also affected, including the areas of Kent, Essex and Lancashire. Get the data for your area here The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said there were "strict laws in place" to deal with people who were not properly looking after animals. A spokesman said: "Anyone who is cruel to an animal or does not provide for its welfare needs may be banned from owning animals, given an unlimited fine or sent to prison." Campaigners including the League Against Cruel Sports, the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust, along with the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) have all called for tougher sentencing as a deterrent. Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard, the NPCC's lead for dangerous dogs, said "this kind of animal abuse" caused "untold distress and harm to the animals involved". We had a call from the dog compound. There was concern because this dog had obviously been used for dog fighting, or as dog bait, with the injuries it had sustained. A dog that attacks another dog will go for the jugular vein - for the neck - so Benji has got injuries all around his neck, [and] around his face. Dog fighting is done by individuals that are fighting them for financial gain. They're not bothered what happens to the dog at the end of the day as long as it wins. They're not bothered about the injuries because they're not going to be taking it to the vets and having it treated. They'll leave it to heal up by itself. If the dog dies then so be it. To inflict injuries and do horrible things on these poor creatures just beggar's belief. Last year, two kittens were found in Bradford with their fur coloured using marker pens. It is thought they were to have been used as bait in a dog fight, where people would have bet on which one would have died first. They came in through a police officer who'd been to a property and seized them. We'd never seen anything quite like it before - one was coloured blue with a marker pen, and one was green. Thankfully nothing terrible had happened before they came to us. We believe that they may have been coloured in to be used for dog fighting. It was horrendous and we were thinking those cats were probably minutes away from being ripped to shreds by dogs, and they were tiny. We're aware of other incidents where cats have been used as bait for dog fighting.

Nearly 5,000 calls about organised dog fighting in England and Wales have been made to the RSPCA since 2006, according to figures released to the BBC.

A head teachers' conference has heard claims of threats such as dead animals being left in school playgrounds. "Trojan Horse has not gone away," said Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, head of Anderton Park School in Birmingham. Responding to the claims, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "There is no place for extremism in our schools." The National Association of Head Teachers' annual conference in Liverpool heard warnings that problems over extremism remained unresolved and schools could still face pressure on issues such as tackling homophobia. The so-called Trojan Horse inquiries followed allegations that there were organised attempts by hardline Muslim groups to undermine head teachers and take over schools in Birmingham. Head teachers at the conference complained that no governors had been barred as a result of the inquiries and they called for a database which would identify individuals removed from governing bodies. Ms Hewitt-Clarkson told the head teachers' conference: "Trojan Horse has not gone away. Those of us who were involved, we knew it was the tip of the iceberg. "We still have dead animals hung on the gates of schools, dismembered cats on playgrounds. We have petitions outside schools, objecting to teachers teaching against homophobia." There were threats on social media, she said, such as "Any head teacher who teaches my children it's alright to be gay will be at the end of my shotgun." Ms Hewitt-Clarkson said she knew of a school which had found a dismembered cat in the playground, while another had a dog hanging from the railings. Head teachers warned that despite the high profile reports following the Trojan Horse claims, the response had been inadequate. Alison Marshall told the conference: "Despite all the evidence we have, we're faced with a situation where not one single governor implicated in the Trojan Horse scandal has been investigated or even banned. Where is the justice in that?" And Ms Hewitt-Clarkson warned that the problems underlying the Trojan Horse claims could "start up again". "All the behaviours and things we saw before are still there. So too have promises that have been broken," she told the NAHT conference. There were particular concerns about the lack of scrutiny over the role of governors, highlighted by the Trojan Horse inquiries. Tim Gallagher told delegates the lack of regulation meant it was "blindingly obvious" that there would be problems with governing bodies. "Many, many of our members have suffered greatly from rogue governors," he said. The conference carried a motion calling for a national register of governors who have been removed or barred so that schools and local authorities can check the suitability of governors. The BBC revealed earlier this year that there is no central record of governors held by the Department for Education, which would also show people serving as governors in multiple schools, one of the concerns raised in the Trojan Horse inquiries. Mrs Morgan, responding to the heads' warnings, said: "There is no place for extremism in our schools and we continue, absolutely, to work to eliminate any form of extremism." But the Conservative education secretary said: "This is a reminder that this is a serious issue and something that is not going to be solved overnight. "We have taken action to remove and continue to take action to remove people from being in schools who don't follow British values."

Head teachers have warned that intimidation is still continuing after the investigations into the so-called Trojan Horse scandal.

A major emergency had been declared at the airport after the Italian C-27J aircraft lost communication. It was escorted to Prestwick by RAF Typhoons as a precaution and landed without incident shortly before 20:00. Police Scotland said the C-27J had been flying from Iceland to Italy. Flights are believed to have been delayed for a short time at Glasgow and Edinburgh, but Scottish airspace was not closed. Prestwick Airport also remained open throughout, and a Ryanair passenger flight to Malta took off a short time after the Italian plane landed. A video posted on Facebook by the Ayrshire News newspaper appeared to show the civilian aircraft landing at the airport. The Typhoons did not land. Photographs from the scene posted on social media showed several emergency service vehicles which had been summoned to the scene as a precaution. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Typhoon aircraft were launched this evening from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept a civilian aircraft which was causing concern to air traffic control authorities. "The aircraft was safely escorted to Prestwick airport and the local police now have the lead."

A civilian cargo aircraft has landed safely after being escorted into Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire after suffering technical problems with its communications equipment.

There have been grumblings about whether F1 was providing enough of a spectacle for some time, but they have grown in momentum in recent weeks. And on Monday BBC co-commentator David Coulthard finally revealed to the public what many in F1 already knew - the drivers don't like the current cars because they think they are too slow and too limited by artificial restraints. A large part of the reason for that is down to the tyres, which was not addressed by the decisions made by the strategy group on Thursday. But much has been addressed - and the answers F1's bosses have come up with would create a very different-looking sport in two years' time if they are confirmed. The headline change is the return of refuelling for 2017, along with cars that will be between five and six seconds a lap faster. The step-change in speed will be welcomed by drivers and fans alike - the current cars are at some tracks as much as 10 seconds a lap slower in race trim than they were in 2004. With changes to aerodynamics to increase downforce and make the cars look "more aggressive" - wider cars, with bigger front and rear wings and wider rear tyres - and by reducing weight. Engines will also rev higher and be louder - addressing the complaints of some fans and F1 commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone about the new turbo hybrid engines. This will be done by reducing the number of gears from eight to six, which will force teams to rev higher than the 11,000rpm or so they use now - out of a limit of 15,000rpm. Engineers have been tasked with finding solutions to make the engines louder, perhaps by adding another exhaust pipe. That satisfies Ecclestone's demand for more noise, while retaining the hybrids, which was important to the engine manufacturers - and increasing the fuel-flow limit would have meant an expensive redesign to enable engines to cope with what would have been vastly increased power outputs in qualifying. The fuel-flow limit - which has driven the engineers to develop F1 engines with thermal efficiency in excess of 40% - is also central to the development route of these engines - raise it, and they become far less relevant to current road car research. On that front, these new engines have been a conspicuous success. Only last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell was talking about how the device that recovers energy from the turbocharger - which has been criticised as unnecessary and expensive - will soon be adopted in road cars on a widespread basis. Having 1,000bhp engines was discussed over the winter, but the idea of making changes to facilitate this has been quietly dropped. Although, as the best engines are about 900bhp already, it may well happen through normal development anyway. All of the technical changes to cars and engines had been widely discussed for months, but the reintroduction of refuelling came out of the blue. Reaction from fans on social media was immediate and split down the middle - some cheering it, some saying it would lead to a lack of overtaking on the track. But it's not hard to see where the bosses might be coming from. For one, without having to carry the maximum fuel load at any time, cars will be faster in the races from the off, taking the sting out of criticisms that they are too slow. Likewise, less load on the tyres means the drivers might be able to push the tyres harder - a criticism of the current situation with Pirelli, when drivers are often well within themselves for the majority of the race distance because pushing hard overheats the tyres and reduces their life. Pirelli would have to change the tyre design for it to make any significant difference on that front, though - because the current tyres generally cannot be pushed flat out for any more than a handful of laps, no matter what the fuel load. It also gives F1's bosses more flexibility when it comes to choosing which company will supply tyres after Pirelli's contract ends in 2016. The drivers would love to have tyres on which they could drive flat out at all times, including throughout the race distance, as they could during the tyre war between Michelin and Bridgestone in the 2000s, and even in the years of Bridgestone as a monopoly supplier from 2007-10. Few have been more critical of the current tyres over the last few years than the active driver who was most successful in those pre-Pirelli years - Fernando Alonso. Many insiders - drivers, engineers and team bosses - will privately admit they wish Michelin would come back, for no company is regarded more highly when it comes to providing strong, consistent, grippy tyres for circuit racing. That is a long shot, though. Ecclestone made it pretty clear in an interview this week that he is not keen on a Michelin return. His opinion that the French company would "make a rock-hard tyre that you could put on in January and take off in December" was immediately rejected as inaccurate by BBC F1 analyst Allan McNish, who raced on Michelin tyres for 18 years in sportscars and F1. But Ecclestone is well known for making public statements for effect, not necessarily because they bear any relation to the truth. Senior sources say the reality is that the 84-year-old wants Pirelli to stay largely because of the attractive commercial terms the Italian company offers, rather than any technical or sporting reason. Media playback is not supported on this device F1 will discuss what requirements it wants of its tyres come 2017. Ecclestone has already indicated to senior insiders that the new contract will almost certainly go to Pirelli again in 2017. What the return of refuelling does mean is that whoever is supplying the tyres could afford to make more durable rubber - on which drivers could push harder for longer - without that risking a reduction in pit stops. This is important, because Ecclestone believes multiple pit stops are a vital element of a good F1 show. Introducing refuelling will mean there will always be pit stops - and usually, although not always, more than one per driver in each race. That's because of the speed advantage created by running less fuel - when every 10kg removed equates to on average 0.35secs in lap time. There is one major objection to the return of refuelling - it is expensive. Teams will have to pay to cart all that heavy equipment around the world, a bill that may well run into the millions. Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff questions that figure, but adds that the idea will be dropped if it turns out to cost too much - the big teams are not unaware of or unsympathetic to the financial burden on the smaller teams, who are already finding F1 budgets onerous. For the likes of Lotus, Sauber, Force India and Manor, there was little help from the strategy group. No cost-cutting measures were agreed, and bosses continue to pursue the concept of customer cars. But this is only a contingency plan should some of the smaller teams fail. And the detail of what is worked out is not simply going to be Red Bull or Ferrari selling cars to smaller outfits. The plan is to make it possible, should it be necessary, for some teams to buy chassis from others should they want to - and the 'selling teams' could include the likes of Williams - who operate on not much more of a budget than Force India or Lotus - as well as McLaren and Mercedes. Or struggling teams can continue as customers if they can make the numbers add up. No-one really wants customer cars. The strategy group is simply providing the sport an option should smaller teams run out of money, whether by misfortune or mismanagement.

The raft of potential changes to the Formula 1 rules announced on Friday amounts to a recognition that something needed to be done to answer the ever-louder questions about the health of the sport.

France's National Front leader Marine Le Pen said the French must now also have the right to choose. Dutch anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders said the Netherlands deserved a "Nexit" vote while Italy's Northern League said: "Now it's our turn". The UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU after 43 years. David Cameron has announced he will step down as PM. Global stock markets fell heavily on the news and the value of the pound has also fallen dramatically. The European parliament has called a special session for next Tuesday. Analysts say EU politicians will fear a domino effect from Brexit that could threaten the whole organisation. Ms Le Pen hailed the UK vote, placing a union jack flag on her Twitter page and tweeting: "Victory for freedom. As I've been saying for years, we must now have the same referendum in France and other EU countries." She is the front-runner among candidates for the presidential election in 2017 but opinion polls suggest she would lose a run-off vote. The EU worries Brexit could reverse 70 years of European integration. In all my years watching European politics, I have never seen such a widespread sense of Euroscepticism. Plenty of Europeans looked on with envy as Britain cast its In/Out vote. Many of the complaints about the EU raised by the Leave campaign resonated with voters across the continent. Across Europe leading Eurosceptic politicians queued up this morning to crow about the UK referendum result. But the mood in Brussels is deeply gloomy. The Brexit vote sends screaming alarm bells, warning that the EU in its current form isn't working. Last Friday, Ms Le Pen had told a gathering of far-right parties in Vienna: "France has possibly 1,000 more reasons to want to leave the EU than the English." She said the EU was responsible for high unemployment and failing to keep out "smugglers, terrorists and economic migrants". Mr Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, said in a statement: "We want to be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy. "As quickly as possible the Dutch need to get the opportunity to have their say about Dutch membership of the European Union." The Netherlands faces a general election in March and some opinion polls suggest Mr Wilders is leading. A recent Dutch survey suggested 54% of the people wanted a referendum. Mateo Salvini, the leader of Italy's anti-immigration Northern League, tweeted: "Hurrah for the courage of free citizens! Heart, brain and pride defeated lies, threats and blackmail. "THANK YOU UK, now it's our turn." The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats wrote on Twitter that "now we wait for swexit!" Kristian Thulesen Dahl, leader of the populist Danish People's Party, said a referendum would be "a good democratic custom". European Parliament President Martin Schulz denied Brexit would trigger a domino effect, saying the EU was "well-prepared". But Beatrix von Storch, of Germany's Eurosceptic AfD party, praising "Independence Day for Great Britain", demanded that Mr Schulz and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker resign. "The European Union has failed as a political union," she said.

The UK's vote to leave the EU has sparked demands from far-right parties for referendums in other member states.

Marjory Stewart, of Bellshill, Lanarkshire, is alleged to have crashed into three other vehicles during the incident in Portsoy in July. She is accused of failing to keep her car under proper control. The case called at Banff Sheriff Court and was continued without plea until next month.

An 81-year-old woman is due in court charged with injuring four people - one seriously - while driving dangerously in an Aberdeenshire village.

It is understood civil claims have been made against the car owners, even though they were not involved in the thefts or crashes. The officers are claiming for injuries sustained when stopping the cars. The owner's no-claims bonus can be affected and their car insurance premiums can increase as a result. Bill Rooney is one of those affected. He had his car stolen from his north Belfast home last July. He was still awake in the early hours of the morning when he heard his car being driven away from his house. After a police chase, two men were arrested and his car was so badly damaged that it was written off. He had arranged a new car through his insurance and believed the matter to be closed until he received an unexpected letter. "I received a letter from a solicitor saying he was suing me for personal injuries on behalf of his client... and I later found out this client was a police officer who had been hurt when retrieving my car," he said. "I was very angry and disheartened by the fact that a police officer was suing a victim. "I'd already had my house broken into, I'd had my car stolen and I had had to replace it. "I did feel sorry for the police officer if he was hurt doing his job but I felt that he should be insured in his own place of work." Mr Rooney's case has not yet been settled and he believes the police officer is prepared to take it to court. The BBC has been unable to discover how many claims individual police officers have pursued or how much money they have received. In a response to a Freedom of Information request, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they did not have a record of such claims. "The PSNI would not hold any information in relation to police officers making a compensation claim against the owner of a stolen vehicle," they said. "This would be a private matter between the officer and the solicitor and the information would not be recorded or required by police. "Neither are they required to inform PSNI of their intention to pursue a claim." Stormont's justice committee, where the matter was first raised, also requested information from the PSNI. In a letter, Supt Ryan Henderson said victims of car crime may or may not be penalised depending on their insurer and the terms of their policy. He said that police officers, like any individual, could decide to pursue a claim through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) if they were in a crash where the driver of the other vehicle was at fault and could not be traced or was not insured. "When claims against the MIB are settled, the MIB can seek to recover the cost incurred from the actual party at fault, i.e. the person who stole and was driving the vehicle," he said. "In reality this probably seldom happens as car thieves do not generally have the financial assets to repay what MIB have had to pay out in damages and costs. "It is a matter between the person who insures the vehicle and the insurance company as to whether or not in the event of their vehicle being stolen and involved in a collision, the insurance company will treat that incident as a claim under their policy." SDLP MLA Alban Maginness, who brought the matter to the attention of the justice committee, said two of his North Belfast constituents had received claims. "Here are cases where victims of crime are actually penalised financially as a result of the act of criminals," he said. "It seems to them and me to be totally unjust and quite unfair that they have to carry the burden of the criminal's actions."

The owners of stolen cars are being sued by some police officers in Northern Ireland who were injured when chasing car thieves.

Megan Bannister, 16, from Leicester, was dead before the collision between a car and a motorbike in Enderby, Leicestershire, on Sunday, said police. The force said a post-mortem examination was inconclusive, but it revealed her injuries were not consistent with a crash. Two men, aged 27 and 28, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Updates on this story and more from the East Midlands Megan was due to take the first of her GCSE exams on Tuesday, said her school. She wanted to become a midwife. Her family said in a statement: "Megan was our beautiful, talented, loving daughter and sister, and our hearts have been utterly broken by her death. "The thought of life without Megan is impossible to imagine, and we cannot adequately express in words the sense of numbness and overwhelming grief we feel at her loss. "She was bright, clever, and a responsible person who loved her family and her many friends. "She had a strong self-will and had set her heart on training to becoming a midwife. "Knowing how confident and determined she was, we have no doubt she would have realised that dream." Wigston College, where Megan was a student, said in a statement: "Megan was funny, friendly and good. "She was popular and had a wide range of friends. She liked people and they liked her and this is how we will remember her. "Our thoughts are very much with her family at this impossibly difficult time."

A teenager whose body was found in the back of a car following a crash with a motorbike has been named by police.