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The spirited home side took the lead at Firhill with a stunning Steven Lawless strike from 25 yards. Aberdeen refused to fold and Andrew Considine equalised with a far-post header from Johnny Hayes' cross. Simon Church headed home a Barry Robson corner to seal Aberdeen's fifth win in seven league games. Aberdeen, who host Kilmarnock on Saturday, have played one more game than Celtic, who travel to eighth-placed Partick in the game's early kick-off. Hayes, making his return from injury, was a lively presence in the early stages with his direct running, and also lashed a shot over the crossbar. Graeme Shinnie delivered a perfectly weighted through ball for Kenny McLean, who failed to make strong enough contact with his weaker foot as he tried to lob Patrick goalkeeper Tomas Cerny. There was little hesitancy on display in a free-flowing game and, moments after Hayes pulled the ball just past the upright, play swung upfield and Gary Fraser lifted a shot over from Sean Welsh's delivery. Chances continued to be traded and, when Hayes sent a free-kick into the penalty area, Mark Reynolds headed the ball down and Church steered over as he stretched. Fraser cut in from the left and curled a shot narrowly wide of Aberdeen's far post. David Amoo, in particular, was a constant threat for Thistle whenever he could take on Considine on the right wing. The home side also pressed the ball relentlessly and one period of pressure resulted in Lawless gathering the ball and firing left-footed into the top corner beyond Aberdeen keeper Scott Brown. Moments later, Brown blocked Mathias Pogba's header from close range. The appearance of Robson as a substitute stiffened Aberdeen's resolve, and their fighting spirit was evident as they played their way back into the game. Having worked the ball out to the left, Hayes crossed for Considine to head home. Two minutes later, Robson's corner reached Church, who angled a header past Cerny. Patrick's Kris Doolan pulled a shot wide late on, but Aberdeen had the defensive resolve to secure victory.

Aberdeen moved to within a point of Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic as two goals in three minutes gave them victory at Partick Thistle.

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Media playback is not supported on this device Despite an unimpressive display, the Swans' third victory in four matches took them 11 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone. Guidolin missed the last three games with a chest infection and was pleased to make a winning return. "It has been a long time and it is my first home win," he said. "I was happy to be back. Maybe this is the most important victory of the season so I am very happy." A listless Swansea performance saw Villa dominate the first half at the Liberty Stadium, though the visitors failed to really trouble Swans goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. There was a marginal improvement from the hosts after the break as Federico Fernandez bundled in the game's only goal, though Guidolin knows his side have much work to do before their Premier League survival is assured. "The result and victory was all important. I know the performance was not very good but this is the match I was waiting for," he said. "I know the situation and I saw my players nerves come across in their performance. I thought that would be the case for this game - they [Villa] could play with freedom and we did not. "But in the future for the club, the fans and everyone involved we need to make sure we are not in this situation again. It has been an up and down season, it is nearly finished but not quite." Victory against Villa means Swansea are 11 points clear of the relegation zone, though that could change on Sunday when 18th-placed Sunderland take on local rivals Newcastle, who are one place below them in the table. "Norwich won so we are not safe. It is not certain but what I liked here was the attitude they showed," Guidolin added. "We had the attitude of a cup final, and they are never pretty games but the result is what matters. "We need to play with this character but with more freedom. I want to see this. If we can play this way we have the chance to have good results and finish the season well."

Swansea City head coach Francesco Guidolin believes the 1-0 win against Aston Villa was their "most important" of the season.

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The singer took control of the gavel as 150 items, including handwritten lyrics and bespoke suits, went under the hammer for a Staffordshire hospice. The sale raised £120,000, with a highest bid of £25,000 for handwritten lyrics to the 2013 track Go Gentle. Williams is a patron of the Donna Louise children's hospice in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent. The star chatted and joked with the audience, which included his wife Ayda Field and father Pete Conway. When he sold a set of handwritten lyrics to Kids - his duet with Kylie Minogue - for £5,500, Williams told the auction room: "It's the popular song from last century.... Kylie Minogue is very fit and still is." When asked if it was his first time as an auctioneer, Williams said: "I think so, but my memory is shocking." The singer appeared to become distracted when fan Barbara Veras, 26, a doctor from Sao Paulo in Brazil, entered a bid. He told her: "Haven't I kissed you during a gig? "Are you Barbara, is your name Barbara? Nice to see you again, you normally wear really red lipstick and are at the front of the shows. "It's nice to meet you, glad we've had a chat now because we kissed first and now we're chatting."

Robbie Williams made a surprise appearance at an auction selling some of his memorabilia for charity.

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The singer tops the nominations for this years' Billboard Music Awards too. She has 14 entries in 14 categories, with Sam Smith closely behind on 13 nominations. Ludacris is returning to host the awards in Las Vegas next month, and will be joined by the American model Chrissy Teigan. The finalists are based on album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social media interactions. There's 40 chart-specific categories and fans will be able to vote online for a chart achievement award. Iggy Azalea has the third most entries with 12. She also won best song last year with Ariana Grande for Problem. The awards take place on 17 May. Here's a full list of the finalists: Ariana Grande, One Direction, Katy Perry, Sam Smith and Taylor Swift 5 Seconds of Summer, Iggy Azalea, Hozier, Sam Smith and Meghan Trainor Drake, Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Justin Timberlake Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor 5 Seconds of Summer, Florida Georgia Line, MAGIC!, Maroon 5 and One Direction One Direction, Pentatonix, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Taylor Swift Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor Iggy Azalea, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor The full list of Billboard Music Award nominations is available on the Billboard website Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

She's already been named the most popular artist of 2014, and it seems Taylor Swift getting awards isn't going to end anytime soon.

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The Adcocks, who won badminton gold in the same venue at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, took the match 21-10 21-13. "It was great to get into the arena and we're really happy with the performance," Gabby Adcock said. The pair are trying to become Britain's first world champions since 2006. Chris Adcock and his previous partner Imogen Bankier were the last British athletes to win a medal at the event - claiming silver in 2011. "It's a Worlds so anything can happen but we want to be in the medals - we've made no secret of that target," Chris Adcock told BBC Sport. The Adcocks, who are the fifth seeds in the mixed-doubles event at the Emirates Arena, will face Japanese 11th seeds Kenta Kazuno and Ayane Kurihara in the next round. Men's singles second seed Lee Chong Wei suffered a shock opening-round loss to Frenchman Brice Leverdez. The Malaysian, who is a three-time Olympic silver medallist and has been a runner-up at the World Championships a further three times, saved match point twice in the second set. However, the 34-year-old could not complete his comeback, with Leverdez securing the biggest win of his career. Rio Olympic men's singles champion Chen Long suffered no such problems, dispatching Georges Julien Paul of Mauritius 21-7 21-9. Women's singles number one seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan progressed to the last 16 with a 21-6 21-13, defeat of Danish player Line Kjaersfeldt. Scottish duo Martin Campbell and Patrick MacHugh progressed to the second round of the men's doubles event with an impressive 21-13, 21-18 defeat of Dutch pair Jacco Arends and Ruben Jille. Wednesday will see British Olympic bronze medal-winning duo Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis begin their campaign in the men's doubles event. European silver medallist Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland, Britain's best hope of success in the women's singles competition, competes for the first time on Wednesday.

Britain's Chris and Gabby Adcock powered into the last 16 of the World Championships in Glasgow with a straight-set defeat of French duo Bastian Kersaudy and Lea Palermo.

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Bright Osayi-Samuel's curling effort put the visitors ahead, and they had chances to extend their lead as Mark Cullen hit the bar and post. Cullen scored with a penalty, before Alex Samuel bundled in to give Newport hope. Osayi-Samuel broke to score a late third for Blackpool. He scored after home keeper Joe Day had gone up for a corner. Despite a first loss of caretaker manager Mike Flynn's reign, Newport stay second from bottom and seven points adrift of safety. Newport County caretaker manager Mike Flynn told BBC Radio Wales: "I can't fault the boys' effort again. We gave away a poor first goal and I don't think it was a penalty. "Their keeper made a great save at 2-1 that would have made it 2-2. I just think we needed to be on the move a little bit more in the box and anticipating more instead of reacting. "We went for the equaliser an wanted to salvage something and they went and nicked the third." Match ends, Newport County 1, Blackpool 3. Second Half ends, Newport County 1, Blackpool 3. Goal! Newport County 1, Blackpool 3. Bright Samuel (Blackpool) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal following a fast break. Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Dean Lyness. Attempt saved. Alex Samuel (Newport County) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top left corner. Bright Samuel (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card. Dan Butler (Newport County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Dan Butler (Newport County). Bright Samuel (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Blackpool. Will Aimson replaces Jordan Flores. Foul by Mark O'Brien (Newport County). (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Dean Lyness. Attempt saved. Sean Rigg (Newport County) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Ryan Bird (Newport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool). Foul by Jaanai Gordon (Newport County). Clark Robertson (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Dean Lyness. Attempt saved. Sean Rigg (Newport County) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Attempt blocked. Alex Samuel (Newport County) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Substitution, Blackpool. Ian Black replaces Neil Danns. Substitution, Newport County. Jaanai Gordon replaces Tom Owen-Evans. Attempt missed. Ryan Bird (Newport County) header from the centre of the box is too high. Goal! Newport County 1, Blackpool 2. Alex Samuel (Newport County) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Sean Rigg. Substitution, Blackpool. Jamille Matt replaces Mark Cullen. Scot Bennett (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Mark Cullen (Blackpool). Mickey Demetriou (Newport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Mark Cullen (Blackpool). Goal! Newport County 0, Blackpool 2. Mark Cullen (Blackpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner. Penalty conceded by Mickey Demetriou (Newport County) after a foul in the penalty area. Penalty Blackpool. Bright Samuel draws a foul in the penalty area. Attempt missed. Tom Owen-Evans (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Tom Owen-Evans (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Mark Cullen (Blackpool). David Pipe (Newport County) is shown the yellow card for hand ball. Hand ball by David Pipe (Newport County). Sean Rigg (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Clark Robertson (Blackpool).

Blackpool moved to within a point of the League Two play-off places with a win at Newport which deepened the hosts' relegation worries.

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Police said the 30-year-old been walking on the northbound carriageway of the road after his own car had been involved in a crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, which took place near the Newhouse Interchange at about 18:20 on Monday. Police said they wanted to hear from witnesses to the incident, or the earlier crash involving the man's car. The 30-year-old had been driving a black Suzuki Liana north on the A78 when his car was involved in what police described as a minor single-vehicle crash. It came to rest on the nearside verge of the northbound carriageway. He was walking on the carriageway when he was struck by a Volkswagen Golf. Police said the driver of the other car was uninjured. Sgt Iain Pittams said: "The road would have been relatively busy around the time of the incident and inquiries are continuing to establish the exact circumstances of what happened." He urged any witnesses who saw the man being struck by the Volkswagen Golf to get in touch. "I would like to speak to anyone who saw a black Suzuki Liana car driving northbound on the A78 around the time of the incident," he added. "I would also like to speak to anyone who may have seen the initial crash or the man walking on the carriageway prior to being struck."

A man has died after being struck by a car on the A78 in Irvine.

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He won the £25,000 award for self-released album Konnichiwa, which covers topics including police harassment and his anger at British politics. The record, described by the NME as a "landmark in British street music", went to number two earlier this year. "I'm just so thankful. I've been trying to do this music stuff and work it out for so long," Skepta said of his win. Speaking to the BBC backstage, he said he would use the prize money to help the disadvantaged. "Something positive, something to help other people feel as happy and as free as me," he said. "We're doing a project right now, actually, building a studio in my old estate to help the young kids do music." Skepta's victory meant that bookmakers' favourite David Bowie missed out after receiving a posthumous nomination for his swansong album, Blackstar. Judge Jarvis Cocker said the jury had faced a tough decision deciding between the two records, which had been whittled down from a longlist of 12. "In the end, the winner came down to a contest between two black stars," he said. "And we, as a jury, decided that if Bowie was looking down on the Hammersmith Apollo tonight, he would want the 2016 Hyundai Mercury Music Prize to go to Skepta." Other albums shortlisted for the 2016 prize included Michael Kiwanuka's Love & Hate, and Bat For Lashes' The Bride - a concept record about a woman whose fiancé is killed in a car crash while driving to their wedding. Radiohead received a record fifth nomination for their record A Moon Shaped Pool but went home empty-handed again. Perhaps sensing that the odds were stacked against them, the band were absent from the ceremony, instead sending a video for the ballad Present Tense. All of the other acts performed on the night, with actor Michael C Hall performing David Bowie's song Lazarus, which opens with the lyrics: "Look up here, I'm in heaven." The star of Dexter and Six Feet Under will soon be seen in London in the lead role in Bowie's musical - also called Lazarus - which premiered in New York shortly before his death. Hall said it was a great responsibility to be representing the musician on the stage where he had famously "killed" his Ziggy Stardust character. "I'm trying not to spend too much time dwelling on the reality of the situation for fear that it will overwhelm me. It's beyond anything I ever anticipated but I'm really humbled and honoured to be asked to do it." Skepta was born Joseph Junior Adenuga 33 years ago in Tottenham, London, and started making music in the early 2000s. He rode the first wave of grime to a contract with Universal Records, but his sound was watered down and they soon parted ways. Konnichiwa was the result of a major shift in the star's life. "I had friends that died, and I had to realise that I don't care about certain things I used to care about before". It prompted him to return to the music he loved, reaching out directly to fans via social media. In 2014, he released That's Not Me, a rapid-fire freestyle that atoned for losing sight of his roots: "I used to wear Gucci / I put it all in the bin cause that's not me." Accompanied by a video that cost £80, it went on to win a MOBO award and showed the star he could make it on his own terms. Accepting the Mercury Prize, he said: "I was like' let's do it for ourselves'. "All these songs, we've travelled the world - no record label, nothing. We just did this for us but the love is very appreciated. "We all won today. Konnichiwa!" Skepta is the second grime artist to win the Mercury, following Dizzee Rascal's victory in 2003. His win marks the commercial resurgence of the genre, with Skepta key in helping recalibrate the sound back towards its inner city roots. Fellow grime artist Kano was also nominated for the Mercury Prize, and Skepta made sure to recognise him during his awards speech. "Kane - for life, bro - we did it!" Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email [email protected].

Grime star Skepta has beaten the likes of David Bowie, Radiohead and The 1975 to win the Mercury Prize.

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The city council will launch a public consultation on its plans in October and, depending on the results, will seek to make some areas smoke-free. The council said it would rely on people's goodwill to enforce the smoke-free areas and there would not be fines for those that smoked. But smokers' groups said the policy was "patronising" and a "slippery slope". The Smithfield development and Hanley bus station are among zones earmarked, with a view to expanding the policy to play areas across the city. Smoking rates in the city were about 10% higher than the national average last year, according to Public Health England figures. It is hoped they would be reduced by 5% by 2018 as smoking costs the authority £4m annually in social care costs, the council said. In a cabinet meeting, the council agreed to launch a £2,000 public consultation with residents on the implementation of smoke-free public places. The measure is one of a range of options proposed by the authority. Others include supporting families to quit and helping schools with educational material. Ann James, cabinet member for health and social care, said: "Smokers have got to realise some people find it offensive. It's just asking them to be more considerate." However, officers warned public support for smoke-free areas was "poor". Smokers' rights group Forest said increasing numbers of councils were seeking to bring in voluntary bans, such as Brighton. He said: "It's very patronising of local authorities to assume people need to be forced to quit. "There is no evidence smoking outdoors is putting people's health at risk. The smoke is massively diluted and blows away on the breeze. "Any voluntary ban is tantamount to a ban. It's a slippery slope. If these bans are ignored, the next stage is that people demand a law with penalties."

People in Stoke-on-Trent are being asked about proposals to "control" smoking in some public spaces.

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The 19-year-old Ipswich loanee, who this week agreed to extend his stay with the Shots until the end of the season, opened the scoring with a low drive from distance into the bottom corner. Benyu struck again after the break to double his tally, capping a blistering counter-attack by finding a yard in Solihull's box and finishing superbly. Benyu's heroics extended Aldershot's winning run to four games and gave them a two-point cushion over the chasing pack in fifth place. Match report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Solihull Moors 0, Aldershot Town 2. Second Half ends, Solihull Moors 0, Aldershot Town 2. Manny Oyeleke (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Callum Coyle replaces Andy Brown. Hafeez Sanusi (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Dominic Hyam replaces Callum Reynolds. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Matt McClure replaces Kundai Benyu. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Hafeez Sanusi replaces Ashley Sammons. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Manny Oyeleke replaces Jim Kellerman. Goal! Solihull Moors 0, Aldershot Town 2. Kundai Benyu (Aldershot Town). Substitution, Solihull Moors. Omari Sterling-James replaces Jack Byrne. Kundai Benyu (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins Solihull Moors 0, Aldershot Town 1. First Half ends, Solihull Moors 0, Aldershot Town 1. Goal! Solihull Moors 0, Aldershot Town 1. Kundai Benyu (Aldershot Town). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Kundai Benyu's brace strengthened Aldershot's National League play-off hopes with victory at Solihull.

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Peter Whittle said his party was "more united than ever" with a "sense of renewed purpose" despite failing to take Stoke-on-Trent Central from Labour in Thursday's by-election. Mr Nuttall said he was "not going anywhere" after the defeat. Mr Whittle told Andrew Marr he was currently "on a trip he had booked" beforehand. Labour held Stoke with 7,853 votes. Gareth Snell beat Mr Nuttall into second place on 5,233 votes. Mr Whittle said Mr Nuttall was taking time out after the "gruelling time" he had been through and the "particularly personal" attacks he experienced. The UKIP leader was criticised over fake claims he lost close friends in the Hillsborough tragedy and investigated by police over whether he spent time in the house he rented during the campaign to be elected as the local MP. Mr Whittle said of his leader: "Without question, he has united the party. Of course it's disappointing that we didn't win in Stoke. But we are more united than ever, everything is more in place than ever and there's a real sense of renewed purpose." Asked about a report in the Sunday Express that multi-millionaire UKIP donor Arron Banks had threatened to take his money elsewhere unless he was made chairman, Mr Whittle said the party already had a "great, young, dynamic chairman" in Paul Oakden. While he was "always very grateful for Arron's contributions", he added: "If Arron were to take his money away, there are always other people... Obviously I wouldn't want that to happen." Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage had said the Stoke seat was "fundamental" to the party's future, in a constituency where 69% of the electorate voted to leave at the EU at the referendum. Mr Whittle said Mr Nuttall had only been leader for 12 weeks at the time of the by-election and people "hadn't got to know him well enough".

UKIP leader Paul Nuttall is ready to carry on as leader "without question" his deputy has told the BBC.

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There was no confirmation from the PA. But President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened "unprecedented steps" to end the political division with the rival Hamas movement, which dominates Gaza. Hamas called Thursday's move "a grave escalation and an act of madness". Gaza's 1.9 million inhabitants already endure lengthy blackouts. The United Nations says there is no electricity in the coastal territory for up to 20 hours per day, meaning that basic services are "grinding to a halt". On Thursday, the Israeli military's Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat) announced that it had been notified by the PA that payments for electricity supplied to Gaza would stop immediately. Israel currently provides Gaza with 125MW, which accounts for 55% of the territory's usual electricity supply. Israeli media say the cost is about $11m a month, which Israel deducts from tax revenue collected on behalf of the PA. Israel does not deal directly with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organisation. In 2006, Hamas won Palestinian Legislative Council elections. It reinforced its power in Gaza the following year after a violent rift with Mr Abbas' Fatah faction. The rival groups agreed to the creation of a unity government in 2014, but it never got off the ground in Gaza. On 12 April, Mr Abbas said Palestinians faced a "dangerous and tough situation" and that he was "going to take unprecedented steps in the coming days to end the division". He did not elaborate, but the PA has already cut the salaries of civil servants based in Gaza and taxed Israeli fuel for Gaza's sole power plant. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said the salary cuts would stay in place until Hamas moved towards reconciliation. "I think there is a golden and historic chance to regain the unity of our people," he said. "Hamas should relinquish control of Gaza." On 17 April, the Gaza Power Plant, which produced about 30% of the territory's electricity supply, was forced to shut down completely after exhausting its fuel reserves and being unable to replenish them due to a shortage of funds. Days later, malfunctioning power lines coming from Egypt, which accounts for 15% of the supply, exacerbated the outages. That left Gaza totally reliant on electricity purchased from Israel. The UN has expressed particular concern about the impact of the blackouts on Gaza's hospitals, which already rely on back-up generators and whose fuel reserves are expected to be exhausted within days. The frequency of water supplies to homes has also been reduced, with desalinisation plants operating at a third of their capacity, and wastewater treatment has largely halted, resulting in the discharge of some 110m litres (24m gallons) of raw or poorly-treated sewage into the sea. Gaza's electricity supply has been also affected by restrictions on the import of goods imposed by Israel as part of a land, sea and air blockade that is now in its 10th year. Egypt is meanwhile blockading Gaza's southern border. Israel and Egypt maintain the blockades as a measure against attacks by Islamist militants based in Gaza.

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority has told Israel that it will stop paying for electricity supplied to the Gaza Strip, Israeli officials say.

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The incident, in Newburgh's High Street, was reported to police at about 09:00. A cordon had been set up near the town's post office, but was removed at about midday. Police said the package had contained "a non-suspicious item".

A road has been reopened in a Fife town after a "suspicious" package was deemed to be safe.

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Danielle Jones said she "just screamed" when the singer turned up during the reception in Old Windsor in Berkshire on Friday. He sang Take That's hit A Million Love Songs for the 33-year-old fan, before chatting to wedding guests. Earlier this year the star tweeted he would be singing at the weddings of three fans during 2015. Mrs Jones, from Bracknell, explained she and her husband had just had their first dance when her maid of honour, who had organised the stunt, led her to the surprise guest. "He was stood immediately in front of me - I was nearly not breathing for quite a long time," she said. Making his offer on Twitter in January, Barlow said he receives "thousands of requests" to sing at people's weddings. Mrs Jones said she had tweeted him to invite him to her wedding, but had received a message saying he was out of the country on the day. Photographer Gary Fielder said he had almost finished his day's work at the wedding when the "amazing" performance took place. "He seemed a genuine guy - so happy to be making an impact for someone," he said.

Take That star Gary Barlow has shocked a bride by making a surprise appearance to sing at her wedding.

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5 November 2015 Last updated at 16:50 GMT Thousands go there on holiday every year and large numbers of Brits are currently stranded there, unable to get home. It's because the British government has stopped all UK flights going in and out of the area until they are sure everyone travelling is as safe as possible. Ayshah talks about why.

Sharm el-Sheikh is a holiday resort in Egypt, which is popular with many people from the UK.

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The driver, initially pulled over for speeding and having no licence plates, evaded capture for 90 minutes. The fugitives even managed to continue after road spikes deployed by officers destroyed one of their vehicle's tyres. They were finally halted by the sheep, which blocked the road entirely as they were being moved to new pasture. In a coincidence, the sheep were reported to be owned by a local police officer from Queenstown. All four fugitives were arrested.

A flock of sheep has come to the aid of New Zealand police, stopping a car-load of fugitives who had led officers on a high-speed chase across Central Otago.

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She and the Duke of Edinburgh were accompanied by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a steam train journey along the £294m line. Crowds in Tweedbank heard the Queen thank people around the world for their "touching messages of kindness". She also said she had never aspired to be on the throne for so long. The Queen added: "Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception. But I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness." Specially-selected passengers got a sneak preview of the route, the UK's longest domestic line to open in a century, on Saturday. The line between Tweedbank and the capital was publicly-opened on Sunday. People had lined the streets of Edinburgh as a procession made its way to the city's Waverley Station to meet the Queen, whose helicopter touched down at Holyrood Palace shortly before 11:00. Crowds started gathering at Waverley Station hours in advance of the Queen's arrival. Some had come from as far afield as Australia and Canada in the hope of catching a glimpse of the monarch on her historic day. There was a festival atmosphere at the station, with a guard of honour on the platform, a pipe band performing, a chocolate model of the Flying Scotsman on display and everything from railings to dogs bedecked with union flags. Commuters, tourists and well-wishers alike thrust flags, camera phones and occasionally children into the air as the procession of honoured passengers marched by, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the royal motorcade. The train itself, the Union of South Africa, was as much a focus of attention as anything else, the steam locomotive providing the backdrop for a succession of selfies. There were cheers and cries of "congratulations" from the crowd as the Queen stepped out of her car and was greeted by the first minister, who had earlier earned the envy of a crowd of watching enthusiasts by climbing into the engine's cab. After a quick wave to the crowds, the royal couple were quickly aboard the train and, amid a puff of steam and blast of the whistle, were off on a landmark journey to the Borders. The royal party's arrival in Edinburgh had been delayed by about 40 minutes due to poor weather at Balmoral. The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland entertained the crowds as they patiently waited for the guest of honour. The Queen was welcomed at Waverley Station by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon before embarking on the historic railway journey. Dozens of invited guests joined them on board the Union of South Africa as it made its way to Tweedbank. Buckingham Palace has calculated Queen Victoria reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes. The Queen passed that record at 17:30. The royal party had left Edinburgh at 11:15 and stopped off for a walkabout in Newtongrange, where it was greeted by flag-waving crowds. The Queen arrived at the Tweedbank terminus for the ceremony just after 13:00. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to the Queen as she prepared to open the railway. Ms Sturgeon said it was "a privilege" that the Queen had chosen to mark the day she becomes the UK's longest-serving monarch with a visit to Scotland. She added "a simple but heartfelt thank you" from everyone around the world who wanted to congratulate her on her anniversary. The crowds gathered early in the Scottish Borders for the royal opening of their rail link to Edinburgh. Under grey skies, spectators filtered through Tweedbank to their brand new station to catch a glimpse of the Queen. The line has been open to the public since Sunday but the regal trip along the route was set to give it the official stamp of approval. There was a little groan from some of the flag-carrying public when it was announced that the Queen was running late due to fog. But, having waited 46 years for the return of their railway, an extra hour or so did not seem such a great inconvenience. Read more here.

The Queen has officially opened the new Borders-to-Edinburgh railway line on the day she became Britain's longest-serving monarch.

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The stations' broadcasting hours are being extended significantly but many programmes will be shown at the same time on both stations. The duration of their flagship local magazine shows will be cut but there will be extended local news coverage. STV says the stations have performed in line with its expectations. STV Glasgow and Edinburgh are part of a growing chain of local TV stations in the UK. STV was the only major broadcaster to apply for local TV licences - the rest all went to brand new companies, and some have failed to get on the air. The company - which runs the stations in conjunction with Glasgow Caledonian and Napier Universities - has always insisted the stations were not a backdoor "STV2". However sceptics, who were surprised to see an established broadcaster get the local licences, may see the changes as a move in that direction. STV could point to the remaining local programming aimed purely at each area, the news, and opportunities for local advertisers as evidence to the contrary. Sceptics in the industry across the UK have questioned how big the demand for local TV really is and whether it will ever prove commercially viable. The new schedule will see both STV Glasgow and STV Edinburgh on air from 07:00 on weekdays and 09:00 at the weekend. At present they start broadcasting in the middle of the afternoon. In the morning they will show children's programmes from STV's archives. There will also be hourly local news bulletins from midday onwards, with 30-minute bulletins at 18:00, 20:00 and 22:00. The nightly magazine shows - the Riverside Show in Glasgow and the Fountainbridge Show in Edinburgh - will normally last one hour instead of 90 minutes. But a range of new local programmes covering topics such as history, cookery and music will be shown at 20:30. Bobby Hain, director of channels at STV, said: "City TV is a long-term commitment for STV and the enhanced schedules that will be launched in early March support our strategy to deliver relevant content to consumers across Scotland. "Both city TV channels have delivered in line with expectations since launch and the extended hours and enhanced news offering allows us to align the schedules on both channels so we offer the best possible service for our audiences." STV Glasgow broadcasts to a potential audience of two million viewers in the west of Scotland and STV Edinburgh has a potential reach of one million viewers in the east. However, as expected, the audiences for individual programmes are modest compared to STV's main channel. Figures from the ratings body BARB show that most programmes get less than 10,000 viewers. More than 100 students from the two universities have gained experience with the channels.

STV is to revamp its local television stations for Glasgow and Edinburgh.

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Olaseni Lewis, known as Seni, died in 2010 after he collapsed during a prolonged restraint by the police. His parents want the High Court to quash the initial report. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it needed to begin a new investigation, but the Metropolitan Police said that was unlawful. Seni, a 23-year-old IT graduate from Kingston University, died after being taken to hospital when his behaviour became uncharacteristically odd and agitated. He was restrained three times - first by hospital staff and then by 11 police officers - for 45 minutes before his collapse. He never regained consciousness and died three days later. The IPCC ruled in its original report, before it had full access to all the evidence, that no police officer was at fault. It now says a criminal act may have happened and has told the family to take legal action so that it can reinvestigate. His parents, Ajibola and Conrad Lewis, said: "We feel that by going to the High Court it's been acknowledged that wrongs were done and they're going to correct them. "The IPCC has apologised and said they want to do things right and they want to do another investigation and investigate the police under caution." IPCC commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: "We take the concerns raised by Mr Lewis's family seriously and our focus has not shifted from providing them with answers to what happened to their son. "We have reopened our investigation and have determined that there is an indication that officers may have committed criminal offences and, or, behaved in a manner which would justify disciplinary proceedings." She said the IPCC would not contest their claim and that it would pay their costs. The Met Police said: "We have always expressed our desire to assist the family in understanding the circumstances of Mr Lewis's death in any way possible and will continue to co-operate with the IPCC. "The commissioner is adopting a neutral stance [to the judicial review]."

The family of a man who died days after being restrained by police have asked judges to review the police watchdog's report on his death.

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Australia have pulled out of the tournament, which starts on 27 January, because of safety and security concerns. Donald, 19, has been recalled to the England squad and reassured over safety. "We're not worried at all and looking forward to getting out there," said the Glamorgan player. "The ECB have been very strict and have sent many security guys over there, speaking with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC [International Cricket Council]. "They're very happy with it going ahead. We've made preparations and have plenty of security, and it's going to be monitored the whole time." Ireland will replace Australia in the tournament while Scotland are also scheduled to take part. Donald captained England's Under-19 side in a one-day series against Australia in 2015, but missed the subsequent tournament against India and Sri Lanka. He spent the UK winter at the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy in Adelaide and playing club cricket in Australia. Swansea-born Donald will now travel to Dubai for a week of practice in January, including a warm-up match against South Africa.

England batsman Aneurin Donald has no security concerns about the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.

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The 28-year-old man was arrested at a swimwear store on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Saturday afternoon, police said. They allege videos and more than 100 photographs of women undressing were found on his phone. Many of the images were uploaded to a private Facebook account, police said. The alarm was raised when another shopper allegedly spotted the man holding a phone above a fitting room cubicle. The British man, who is in Australia on a working visa, has been charged with 54 counts of recording in breach of privacy. He is due to appear in court on Monday. Forty-nine women had been indentified in the images, a Queensland police spokeswoman said. Police urged women who used fitting rooms at Noosa Civic or Sunshine Plaza between 18 November and 10 December to come forward.

A British man has been accused of secretly photographing 49 women as they changed in fitting rooms in Australia.

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His future has been the subject of speculation after McLaren boss Ron Dennis said last November that they had discussed the idea of a sabbatical. After his first test in the new McLaren, Alonso said he would "of course" see the season out, adding: "And the next one. "I have a contract for three years. I'm not thinking about anything else." He added: "This is a very important year for us." The 34-year-old two-time champion, who is still regarded by many as the best driver in F1, indicated on Tuesday his wish for McLaren - and Honda - to turn their performance around after a difficult 2015 in which they finished ninth out of 10 teams. "The ambition is very high," he said. "I am not here just to travel around the world and to jump in the car and have some fun on Sunday. I am here to win." At the end of 2014 Alonso quit Ferrari because he believed McLaren offered him a better chance of winning a third world title. Ferrari's lead driver Sebastian Vettel was fastest for the second day running on Tuesday during pre-season testing in Barcelona. Alonso ended his first day in the 2016 car eighth fastest, 3.2 seconds off the pace, but 0.7secs quicker than team-mate Jenson Button had been on Monday. The McLaren ran reliably - Alonso did the equivalent of a race distance in the morning session and managed well over 100 laps for the day. Honda, which announced a new head of its F1 programme on Tuesday, has, according to Button, fixed one of the biggest issues with its engine - its weakness in deploying recovered electrical energy. However, the engine is still believed to be a significant margin - perhaps as much as 100bhp - down on the standard-setting Mercedes in terms of absolute performance. Honda has a new engine for next week's second and final test. Alonso said McLaren-Honda needed to "improve all areas of the car" but said he believed the team could have the best chassis by the start of the European races in May. However, he said he believed Mercedes' domination of F1 "had not finished". Vettel set the pace 0.715 seconds quicker than Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, as both drivers became the first to use the new ultra-soft tyre introduced for slow tracks this year. Force India's Sergio Perez was third fastest on the super-soft tyre and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg fourth on the medium tyre. Rosberg was two seconds off Vettel but Mercedes had an impressive day. Rosberg completed more laps than anyone else - as did team-mate Lewis Hamilton on the first day of the test on Monday - and taking into account the differences between the tyres, world champions Mercedes still appear to have a very strong car. The ultra-soft tyre is designed for low-grip slow tracks, not Barcelona, where the long corners and abrasive surfaces are hard on tyres. But it is much softer and would provide better grip and therefore greater speed over a short distance. Tyre supplier Pirelli estimates the lap-time difference between the ultra-soft and the medium at 1.8-2.3secs, based on initial data. Pirelli also said it believed the difference between the medium and super-soft was about 1.4-1.5secs - and Rosberg was only 1.2secs slower on medium tyres than Vettel's best time on the super-softs. On the face of it, that might suggest Mercedes still had a small advantage over Ferrari. However, the times are not necessarily directly comparable - even taking the tyres into account - because the teams do not reveal the fuel loads the cars are carrying - and 10kg of fuel is equivalent to nearly 0.4secs a lap at Barcelona. What can be said is that the Mercedes ran reliably and produced consistently impressive lap times over all its runs. Rosberg ran a remarkable 172 laps to add to the 156 done by Hamilton on Monday. Vettel said he was "fairly happy" with the performance of the Ferrari - which is a much more radical design departure from last year's car than the Mercedes. However, Ferrari are the ones with all the work to do - Mercedes had an average advantage of 0.6secs a lap in qualifying last year. Vettel brought the session to a slightly premature end when his car stopped out on track with five minutes to go, causing a red flag. Among the rest of the field, the new Haas team impressed, with Mexican Esteban Gutierrez setting the sixth fastest time after a delayed start because the car needed its front wing strengthened after a failure on Monday.

Fernando Alonso said he has no intention of leaving McLaren or Formula 1 before his contract ends in 2017.

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Alawite practices, which are said to include celebrating Christmas and the Zoroastrian new year, are little known even to most Muslims. They account for 12% of Syria's population, or just under 3 million people, and yet have been in tight control of a Sunni-majority country, for more than 40 years. After a coup in 1970, led by President Bashar al-Assad's father Hafez, Alawites consolidated power over Syria's main institutions and security apparatus. Hafez's identity as an Alawite helped him gain the loyalty of other minority groups in Syria, to whom he promised rights and protection. Alawites are seen by other Muslims in the Middle East as very liberal or even secular. In Syria women are not encouraged to wear hejab and many choose not to fast or pray. Some Muslims consider the Alawites a heretic sect. Nusairism, as Alawism was originally called, emerged in the 9th and 10th Centuries in Syria. The word Alawite, or Alawi means "follower of Ali", who was a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. Shia Muslims also venerate Imam Ali and like the Alawis believe he was the true heir to the Prophet and should have succeeded him. The perception that Alawis regard Ali as a deity or God in human form is what provokes disdain from some orthodox Sunni Muslims. BBC Radio 4's Analysis profiles Syria's Alawis, the sect to which President Assad belongs. Listen via the BBC iPlayer Download the Analysis podcast Explore the best of Analysis They regard the Alawite notion of Ali as heretical and a challenge to the fundamental belief that there is only one indisputable manifestation of God. But some scholars argue this is a misinterpretation and Alawis actually believe Ali to be an essence or form, rather than a human being, through which followers can try to "grasp God". In addition to the main tenets of Islam, Alawis observe two others, "jihad" or struggle and "waliya", the devotion to Imam Ali and his family. Traditionally, many Alawi practices are carried out in secret, in line with the Shia custom of taqiyya, which is the practice of hiding one's beliefs in order to avoid persecution. Syria's Alawis are concentrated mainly on the country's Mediterranean coast, in the port towns of Latakia and Tartous, spreading north across the Turkish border into the province of Hatay and south into northern Lebanon. In recent weeks, sectarian tensions have spilled over into northern Lebanon, sparking fatal clashes between the Alawi minority there, and the surrounding Sunni population who are angered by Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown of the uprising. The Syrian government accuses Sunni Islamist groups in Lebanon of supporting anti-government fighters and of planting a series of car bombs in Damascus.

The Alawites, a small Levantine minority, have survived persecution and the Crusades to rise to the top and take over the Syrian establishment.

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Its aim is to raise £500m for the project from donations by the public. In return, donors would be able to have photos, text and their DNA included in a time capsule which will be buried under the lunar surface. Lunar Mission One aims to survey the Moon's south pole to see if a human base can be set up in the future. The plan has received the endorsement of a host of well-known scientists and organisations. These include Prof Brian Cox, the Astronomer Royal Lord Rees, and Prof Monica Grady of the Open University. David Iron, who is leading the project, said he was setting up the initiative because governments were increasingly finding it difficult to fund space missions. "Anyone in the world will be able to get involved for as little as just a few pounds. Lunar Mission One will make a huge contribution to our understanding of the origins of our planet and the Moon," he said. The team hope to raise £600,000, using the international crowd funding web service Kickstarter, in the next four weeks to fund the initial phase of the project. For the next four years, funds will be received through contributions from the public, who will be able to buy digital storage space on the lander for their own personal text messages, pictures, music and videos. They will also be able to pay for an immortality of sorts by sending up a strand of their hair, which the project team claim could survive for one billion years. The cost of a short message will be a few pounds, a compressed photo will be a few tens of pounds while a short compressed video will be about £200. The cost of sending a hair sample will be around £50. The lander will also contain a public digital archive of human history and science which will be compiled as a legacy which will survive even if our species becomes extinct. Mr Iron believes the fact that people will have a stake in the mission will make it all the more engaging. "The project's long-term legacy will be a new way of funding space exploration," he told BBC News. "Rather than just watching the mission, people can be directly involved, not just through funding but helping to make key decisions such as the selection of the landing site or what should be included in the public archive." All the money raised by the project will go to funding the mission, and any money left over will be put into a charitable trust whose proceeds will be spent on future space exploration. Mr Iron described it as "a Wellcome Trust for space exploration". The mission will also have a scientific component. The aim is to drill and analyse a sample from underneath the lunar surface, something which has never been done before. A key aim of the project is to educate and inspire a new generation to become engaged in science in the same way that the Apollo Moon landings did in the 1960s and 70s, and as indeed the Rosetta landing did just last week. "I really hope that it has the same effect as Rosetta that so gripped the world," said Prof Monica Grady, of the Open University, whose sheer enthusiasm and joy at Philae's landing was caught on BBC News. Follow Pallab on Twitter

A British-led consortium has outlined its plans to land a robotic probe on the Moon in 10 years' time.

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Lena Wilson said it had been "a real honour and privilege" to head the national economic development agency. But she said she wanted to "embark on a fresh set of challenges". Scottish Enterprise chairman Bob Keiller said she had done "an outstanding job" and driven "a much more international mindset across the whole organisation". He added: "A plan to appoint a successor is being developed and details of this will be released in due course." First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Ms Wilson had made a "significant difference" to Scottish Enterprise's operations in Scotland and on the international stage. "She has been a committed leader for Scottish Enterprise, a champion for Scottish business and I wish her the best in her future endeavours," she said. Economy Secretary Keith Brown also paid tribute to Ms Wilson. He added: "As we look ahead to developing a new approach to delivering continued economic growth and business support, Lena's decision to move on at this point will enable a new chief executive to be appointed to take the organisation into a new phase of its work."

The chief executive of Scottish Enterprise is stepping down after almost eight years in the role.

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The party is fielding five candidates under a manifesto entitled 'The Socialist Alternative'. The party says the election is unnecessary and will not solve anything unless voters use it to past judgement on the Stormont parties. The manifesto contains a demand for the removal of the petition of concern at Stormont, a bill of rights, an anti poverty strategy and an economic and jobs plan. The Workers' Party believes devolution will only work if the GFA is implemented in full.

The Workers' Party has launched its manifesto for next week's assembly election.

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The meeting's first day features three top-level Group One races although there have been several withdrawals because of the rain-softened going. Two American-trained runners are among leading contenders, with Tepin in the opening Queen Anne Stakes and Mongolian Saturday in the King's Stand Stakes. Guineas winners Galileo Gold, Awtaad and The Gurkha run in the St James's Palace Stakes. 14.30 BST Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 1m 15.05 Coventry Stakes (Group 2) 6f 15.40 King's Stand Stakes (Group 1) 5f 16.20 St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1) 1m 17.00 Ascot Stakes (Handicap) 2 ½m 17.35 Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) 5f Full schedule for 2016 meeting Dual winner Sole Power was taken out of the King's Stand Stakes with trainer Eddie Lynam stating the ground was unsuitable for his horse. The course had 27mm of rain between Friday and Sunday, with a mixture of sunshine and showers expected during the week. Breeders' Cup Mile winner Tepin will have to cope with the going and is being challenged for favouritism in the first race by the Godolphin-owned hopeful Belardo. Mecca's Angel leads the field of sprinters in the King's Stand Stakes, while the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold takes on Atwaad, winner of the Irish version, and French Guineas victor The Gurkha in the St James's Palace Stakes. Ryan Moore, who rides The Gurkha for Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, made history at last year's meeting by riding a record nine winners. Ascot continues a big year for the Queen - who is expected to attend every day - with Thursday's feature race renamed the Gold Cup In Honour of the Queen's 90th Birthday. The Queen is seeking her 23rd Royal Ascot winner as an owner, with the last coming courtesy of Estimate in the 2013 Gold Cup. Estimate is now retired from racing and is expecting her first foal next year having started a breeding career. But the Queen is expected to have up to six runners this week including Dartmouth in Saturday's Hardwicke Stakes, with another two horses set to run for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Ascot is renowned as a meeting where top action on the track mixes with style and glamour off it. In 2015, around 2,400 kilos of whole sirloin beef, 3,700 rumps of lamb and 2,900 Scottish lobsters were served. A further 51,000 bottles of champagne, 125,000 glasses of Pimms and 45,000 afternoon teas were consumed. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Royal Ascot starts on Tuesday with 280,000 racegoers due over five days.

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The application by Memoria Ltd for the development near Northop was rejected by the county council in February 2015. The company appealed the decision, claiming the council had "no technical evidence" to back up its refusal. Currently, Flintshire residents use crematoria facilities in Chester, Wrexham, Colwyn Bay and a new site in St Asaph. The council does not dispute the need for a crematorium in the county but it rejected Oxfordshire-based Memoria's plans because of concerns over road safety and the visual impact of the proposed buildings on their open countryside setting off Oakenholt Lane and Kelsterton Lane. Evidence will be heard from the company, Flintshire council, and members of the public. Objections will also be made by J Davies and Sons, a firm of undertakers whose application to build a crematorium at another site in Northop was rejected in 2014. The hearing will last six days but a decision is not likely to be made before next year.

A public inquiry into plans for Flintshire's first crematorium has begun in Mold.

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A card reader fault affected buses and Tube stations earlier. Passengers were waved through barriers free of charge by Transport for London (TfL) staff. The failure, linked to a fare increase, did not prevent people using the Tube, bus and rail networks. TfL said the problem, which began at 04:30 GMT, had since been resolved. TfL said it was the first such problem with the card readers in 10 years and the glitch was linked to a 1.1% increase in fares overnight. About 100,000 free journeys are believed to have been made between 04:00 and 10:00, which TfL estimated to be worth about £250,000 in lost revenue. A spokesman said: "Customers should now touch in and out as normal. Anyone charged a maximum fare due to this issue will get an automatic refund credited to their Oyster card early next week. We apologise for this disruption." People using pay as you go Oyster cards were able to travel for free while the card readers were down as the machines were unable to deduct the correct fare from the pre-paid cards. Season ticket Oyster card users were unaffected as travel is not paid per journey.

Passengers on London's transport network travelled for free after a technical glitch left people unable to use their Oyster cards.

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The body of Kye Backhouse was found at his home in Ewan Close, Barrow-in-Furness, at about 07:20 GMT on 9 October 2014. His father, Kevin Morton, 49, also of Ewan Close, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday. Sentencing was adjourned until 22 June for pre-sentence and psychiatric reports to be prepared.

A father has admitted the manslaughter of his 13-year-old son in Cumbria.

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Tobias Ellwood was criticised after he said that a planned 10% pay rise for MPs was "well overdue". He said he had been trying to make a point about not deterring future MPs who were not wealthy, but recognised his comments were "insensitive". The Bournemouth East MP earns a basic salary of £67,000 plus about £20,000 for his Foreign Office role. MPs salaries are to rise from £67,060 to £74,000 - backdated to 8 May. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) - put in charge of MPs' pay after the 2009 expenses scandal - approved the salary increase despite appeals from Downing Street and many MPs who said it was inappropriate. Ipsa says in future MPs' pay would rise in line with average rises in the public sector. During Ipsa's consultation, Mr Elwood, a junior Foreign Office minister, wrote to support the proposed pay increase. In his submission, he said: "I know I speak for the silent majority (who are not millionaires) to say this increase is well overdue. "I never expected to be watching the pennies at my age and yet this what I now have to do." The Conservative MP had said he would be earning much more if he had stayed in his job in the armed forces. However, his comments attracted criticism - prompting the minister to issue an apology "for the offence I've caused". In a statement on his official Facebook page, he said he recognised that the remarks in his "confidential submission" were "inappropriate and insensitive" and an "error of judgment". "Constituents' comments have been a stark personal reminder of the challenges everyone is facing and I am the wiser for it." he added. Mr Ellwood said the submission had been a "private attempt" to express "a genuine concern" about MPs pay, which he said was lower than in other public sector jobs. "Good candidates who are not so financially secure are being deterred from entering politics and this is not good for Parliament or the country. "We need to attract the best from all walks of life to ensure that Parliament is as representative as possible of our society in terms of its diversity," he said. But the MP said his comments had "underlined the perception that MPs are out of touch". "That is something I very much regret and must now focus on repairing."

A government minister has apologised for saying he had to "watch the pennies" on his almost £90,000 salary.

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The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) scheme identifies sites for housing developments that may be built on over the next 20 years. Green belt sites at Pilsworth, Carrington, Cheadle Hulme and Ashton Moss have been included on the list. The plans will be discussed by the region's 10 council leaders on Friday before the launch of consultation. A draft report says the release of some green belt is "essential" to keep up with the city region's growth. The combined authority said in 2015, 47% of the total land area of Greater Manchester was designated as green belt and this would be reduced to 43% if the plans are approved. Meanwhile, West Salford Greenway, Rectory Lane, Standish in Wigan and land within the Roch Valley in Rochdale would be newly designated as green belt. The GMSF also includes proposals for a new railway station at Droylsden and a Westhoughton bypass between Atherton and the M61. Council leaders agree former industrial land should be used before any protected space is developed. They say 200,000 new jobs will be created as industrial and warehousing sites are built or increased, as well as work on new roads and infrastructure to support them. The report says: "We are preparing the GMSF to make sure that investment and growth in houses and jobs happens but also benefits our residents and makes Greater Manchester a better place to live and work. "We need to be able to plan for schools, green spaces, roads and health facilities alongside new homes, offices and factories. If we don't do this, it won't happen." Mark Hunter, Liberal Democrat councillor for Cheadle Hulme South, said; "There is a problem about shortage of housing and we do particularly want to help those who are desperate to get their foot on the housing ladder. "But we've got many sites that are brownfield, some of which have stood empty for years and are ripe for development."

Plans for at least 225,000 homes across Greater Manchester - including some on green belt land - have been revealed.

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The figure for the six months to December compared with a profit of $5.35bn for the same period in 2014. Lower commodity prices slashed revenue by 37% to $15.7bn, sending underlying profit down 92% to $412m. BHP, one of the world's biggest mining companies, took the axe to the interim dividend. It has abandoned its long-held policy of maintaining or increasing dividend payments to shareholders, reducing the payout from 62 cents a share to just 16 cents. Chairman Jac Nasser said BHP now believed the period of weaker prices and higher volatility would be prolonged. The decision to cut the dividend had not been made lightly but was a "determined response to changing markets", he said. The size of the dividend cut was worse than analysts had expected. Shaw and Partners analyst Peter O'Connor said: "Given months of anguish and market debate regarding the dividend, we expect that 16 cents while disappointing, is a cashflow positive and therefore will likely be absorbed by the market." After an initial fall, shares in BHP Billiton rose 2.7% to $17.64 in late morning trading in Sydney but have fallen 47% in the past 12 moths. The company pledged to pay a minimum of 50% of underlying profits in dividends in the future. Mr O'Connor commented: "While the [profits] miss looks big in percentage terms, the numbers are quite frankly disappointingly low anyway." Chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said: "With improved financial flexibility and a portfolio of high-return growth options, we are well positioned to grow." Mining companies such as BHP have been under intense pressure as a slowdown in China's economy results in lower demand for key commodities, such as iron ore and coal. BHP also revealed a new operating model with fewer layers that aimed to create a more agile company. The changes will result in Jimmy Wilson, head of the iron ore division, departing, along with Tim Cutt, head of petroleum operations. It took a charge of $858m after tax for costs associated with the November collapse of a dam at the BHP-owned Samarco mine in Brazil that killed at least 17 people. Mr Mackenzie said: "Supporting the response efforts, rebuilding communities and restoring the environment impacted by the dam failure remains a priority and substantial progress has been made." Dean Dalla Valle has been assigned to lead BHP's response to the incident and will be based in Brazil. The executive will retain responsibility for the Jansen Potash project in Canada. BHP Billiton is one of the world's largest producers of major commodities including iron ore, metallurgical coal, copper and uranium, and has substantial interests in both conventional and shale oil and gas and energy coal. BHP was founded in the mid-1800s in Australia, while Billiton's roots can be traced back to a tin mine in Indonesia in 1851. The Anglo-Dutch company merged with BHP in 2001 to form a global mining giant. However, that merger was partly undone last year when it spun off some smaller assets, including aluminium, nickel and manganese, into a new company called South32. Since listing in Sydney last June, its shares have fallen by 40% to A$1.22.

Mining giant BHP Billiton has posted a huge half-year net loss of $5.67bn (£4bn) and warned that weak commodity prices will continue.

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Should Shaun Reid steer Warrington Town, who play in the eighth-tier Northern Premier League Division One North, to victory over North Ferriby United, it will be the first time the Yellows have reached the FA Cup first round. "I've already been on the phone to ask Peter if I can borrow Anelka for the day, but we couldn't get him registered in time," the younger Reid said. There is a nine-year age gap between the siblings, who spent their playing careers at opposite ends of the professional ladder. The elder Reid spent most of his career in the top flight at Bolton, Everton, QPR, Manchester City and Southampton, earning 13 England caps along the way. Media playback is not supported on this device Shaun had midfield spells at Rochdale, York, Bury and Chester. Yet despite the age gap and differing scale of success, the Liverpool-born brothers are close. When 58-year-old Peter was appointed manager of Plymouth Argyle in 2010, he offered Shaun a coaching job at Home Park. And since being appointed Warrington manager in 2012, Shaun has reciprocated by inviting Peter - whose managerial CV includes spells in charge of Sunderland and Manchester City - to take training at the Cheshire club. The brotherly love might surprise those who witnessed the only time the duo faced one another on the pitch, on 13 August 1994. The team party was at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. Let's just say I had a few shandies. I actually lost my medal at one stage. Adrian Heath's dad eventually found it... in a lift Peter, whose medal collection also includes two league titles and a European Cup Winners' Cup, had joined fourth-tier Bury in the twilight of his playing career, while Shaun - 28 at the time - was a regular in Rochdale's engine room. Bury lost a bruising contest 1-0 at Gigg Lane in what turned out to be Peter's only appearance for the Shakers before retirement. "The tackles were flying and I remember smashing Shaun on one occasion," Peter told BBC Sport. The younger brother's account is different. "We were knocking seven bells out of one another right from the off," recalled 49-year-old Shaun. "I remember the referee pulling us together quite early in the game and saying: 'Lads, you're not giving me a chance here.'" Shaun was at Wembley to see his brother lift the FA Cup with Everton in 1984, when goals by Graeme Sharp and Andy Gray secured a 2-0 win over Graham Taylor's Watford. "It was a very proud moment," added Shaun. "I was 19 at the time and I went to the team party after the match. The evening was a bit of a blur. "There were 20 of us from the family at Wembley... mum, dad, aunts and uncles. "It's something I will never forget and that's why the FA Cup is a very special competition to me. "I spent my playing career in the lower reaches of the Football League and didn't go further than the third round. "So if I can get Warrington to the first round for the first time in their history then it will mean an awful lot to me." This is Warrington's seventh game in this season's competition. Saturday's opponents North Ferriby play two leagues above them in the Conference North. But confidence is high in the Yellows camp after they eliminated Colwyn Bay, also of the Conference North, in the last round. An FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Warrington's 3,500-capacity Cantilever Park is a world away from the glitz and the glamour of the Indian Super League, where Peter is in charge of Mumbai City. A crowd of 28,000 watched his side hammer Pune City 5-0 last Saturday. Around 600 - three times Warrington's average - are expected on Saturday to see whether a team made up of solicitors, delivery drivers and postmen can join League One and League Two clubs in the first-round draw. But the part-time club, that operates in the shadows of the town's successful rugby league side, will be in Peter's thoughts. "I'll be following Warrington Town's Twitter feed from India," he added. "I really enjoy going down there and watching the lads play. "It would be terrific for a club of their size to reach the first round. I've got my fingers crossed they do it."

While FA Cup winner Peter Reid is managing Nicolas Anelka and Freddie Ljungberg in the inaugural Indian Super League, his younger, less well-known brother is seeking to make football history of his own this weekend.

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Two blocks of flats in Edinburgh have become the 50th and 51st buildings whose construction was completed after World War Two to be given Category A listed status. Historic Environment Scotland puts important buildings into three categories. Those in Category A are considered to be buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic. Post-war structures to be given Category A status include the Forth Road Bridge, the Burrell Collection, numerous churches, hydroelectric power stations and two swimming pools. Cables Wynd House and neighbouring Linksview House in Edinburgh are the 50th and 51st post-war building to be given Category A status.

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Media playback is not supported on this device The BBC athletics commentator, a former 1500m world champion, expects Team GB to win "seven or eight medals in track and field - with three or four golds". He thinks Mo Farah will win two of them - repeating his golden double from London in the 5,000m and 10,000m. "I am surprised people think we are going to win fewer medals," he said. "I think we are going to do as well and win just about as many medals collectively as we did in London. "I think we will be third in the medal table across all sports, which is an incredible thing to think when everyone thought it happened in 2012 because it was our home Games. "But we have still got a system that is producing, and has managed to keep a lot of medallists in cycling, sailing, rowing, equestrian. We are as well prepared as we possibly can be going into Rio." Team GB finished with 65 medals - 29 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze - in London, surpassing their previous best Olympics tally of 47 in Beijing in 2008. In addition to backing Farah, Cram believes long jumper Greg Rutherford and heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill could also retain their Olympic titles. "Those guys are still on top of their events, or close to them," he told BBC Scotland's Sunday Sportsound programme. "Then perhaps we might pick up one or two other medals from our relay teams." But it is the prospect of seeing Farah, unbeaten in major championships since having to settle for silver in the 10,000m behind Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan at the 2011 World Championships, that excites Cram most. "I am intrigued this time," he added. "Kenya have got a couple of guys, particularly Geoffrey Kamworor [the 2015 world 10,000m silver medallist], who could challenge him. "You keep thinking 'surely they are to going to come up with a different tactic, surely they are not going to sit and let him kick and let him win again', even if that's what we want him to do. "It will be one of the great moments of the summer if he does it again."

Great Britain can match their haul from London 2012 at this summer's Olympics in Rio and finish third again in the medal table, Steve Cram says.

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Little has been decided about the contents or location of the gallery, although it is expected to focus on 20th and 21st Century Welsh art. The Welsh Government is funding a feasibility study and Plaid Cymru has also backed the idea. Work is led by the National Museum Wales (NMW) and Arts Council of Wales (ACW), whose chairman Phil George said there was "excitement" about the plan. They have examined some of the broader options ahead of a more detailed feasibility study later this year. The government is funding the study as part of a commitment during negotiations over last year's Programme for Government, which was passed with Plaid's support. "We certainly want a place which could be full of excitement in showing contemporary and modern art," Mr George said. "Everybody who wants that wants to see how it fits in with the existing scene, with existing galleries which are offering strong things. "And we want to be clear about exactly how existing collections relate to the showing of new work. "So the main question, I think, is whether this gallery is about showing temporary exhibitions with new focus, new work and also an international reach. Or whether it also includes the collection of modern and contemporary art that's already built up." Much of that collection is held by NMW at its galleries in Cardiff. A previous feasibility study in 2008, which also considered the need for a new gallery, resulted in the renovation and expansion of the museum's galleries. Elfyn Lewis, who is a previous winner of the gold medal for fine art at the National Eisteddfod, said it was a "fantastic" idea. "It is something that has long been needed. "I think it would definitely put a marker down for us as a country and a nation, and show that we we are serious about our art." Asked about the existing collections housed at NMW, Mr Lewis said a new gallery would allow more works to be displayed. "The museum's collection is vast, they can't show everything. I think, if we did have this building, it would just show us in a different light. I think we need to showcase ourselves, and also Wales." Artist Kevin Sinnott, who has a gallery in Pontycymmer, said he would like to see people's lives in Wales represented and an "exciting" building but said this would not have to be enormous. But Stephen Bayley, the Cardiff-born cultural critic, said Wales needed to be innovative in its approach and questioned whether a new gallery would be beneficial. He said: "I just cant help believing that the sort of art we are talking about, and the sort of gallery we are talking about, is actually something of the past century. "If there is to be a future for Wales - and I think there's a huge future for Wales - I'd like to see some slightly more progressive thinking, rather than aping something that has already happened in Europe, the United States and in England." "Of course, you could make an interesting new building in Aberystwyth or somewhere, and why not? You'd have to be out of your mind to be against it. I just think it's a conventional, old fashioned way of thinking and I'd rather see a different sort of investment in a new future for Wales." The initial work by ACW and NMW is expected to be completed in the next few weeks ahead of a detailed feasibility study later this year. David Anderson, director general of NMW, said: "There is an appetite from our visitors to experience work by artists living and working in Wales today, and by Welsh artists who work outside Wales. "Our recent Ivor Davies exhibition at National Museum Cardiff's contemporary art galleries - currently Wales' largest space for contemporary art - was a clear indication of that." He said it was "extremely important" that contemporary art from Wales and from around the world - both popular and unfamiliar - was "shown in fresh ways to as many people as possible."

Plans are being drawn up for a new national gallery of modern Welsh art.

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The brain area involved develops late in adolescence and degenerates early during ageing. At the moment, it is difficult for doctors to predict which people might develop either condition. The findings, in the journal PNAS, hint at a potential way to diagnose those at risk earlier, experts say. Although they caution that "much more research is needed into how to bring these exciting discoveries into the clinic". The Medical Research Council team who carried out the study did MRI brain scans on 484 healthy volunteers aged between eight and 85 years. The researchers, led by Dr Gwenaëlle Douaud of Oxford University, looked at how the brain naturally changes as people age. The images revealed a common pattern - the parts of the brain that were the last to develop were also the first to show signs of age-related decline. These brain regions - a network of nerve cells or grey matter - co-ordinate "high order" information coming from the different senses, such as sight and sound. When the researchers looked at scans of patients with Alzheimer's disease and scans of patients with schizophrenia they found the same brain regions were affected. The findings fit with what other experts have suspected - that although distinct, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia are linked. Prof Hugh Perry of the MRC said: "Early doctors called schizophrenia 'premature dementia' but until now we had no clear evidence that the same parts of the brain might be associated with two such different diseases. This large-scale and detailed study provides an important, and previously missing, link between development, ageing and disease processes in the brain. "It raises important issues about possible genetic and environmental factors that may occur in early life and then have lifelong consequences. The more we can find out about these very difficult disorders, the closer we will come to helping sufferers and their families." Dr Michael Bloomfield of University College London said: "Schizophrenia can be potentially devastating but at the moment it's very difficult to predict with certainty who is going to have a good prognosis and who might have a poor one. "This study brings us a step closer to being able to make this prediction, so patients could in the future receive better targeted treatments." Armed with this new knowledge, it may also be possible to understand how to prevent the brain changes before they occur, he said

The brain has a weak spot for Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, according to UK scientists who have pinpointed the region using scans.

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The project has been headed by Gordon Brown, former UK prime minister and UN special envoy for global education. The aim is to raise $3.85bn (£2.66bn) over the next five years which could support the education of more than 13 million young people. Mr Brown said it would help restore the sense of hope for refugee families. Speaking at the summit in Istanbul in Turkey, Mr Brown said: "For the first time, we have a humanitarian fund targeting education. "A fund that plans - not just for weeks or months - but for years in support of a child's development. And a fund with a contingency reserve allowing us to act when a crisis hits ensuring no begging bowl has to be circulated." Mr Brown said that education was a way to protect young people from exploitation. "Without school, young children caught up in emergencies are at risk of becoming the youngest labourers in the field, the youngest brides at the altar, the youngest soldiers in the trench and, in some cases, the youngest recruits vulnerable to extremism and radicalisation," he said. The emergency fund, called Education Cannot Wait, would be aimed at providing a rapid response to the need for schools for young people caught up in conflict. The fund, launched with an initial $100m (£69m) in donations, has been backed by Unesco head, Irina Bokova, who said: "Exceptional measures are urgently required to meet the educational needs of millions of children and youth whose future is jeopardised by conflicts, displacement and natural disasters." Unesco says education in emergencies has been "grossly underfunded" - and at present only receives 2% of humanitarian aid. Ms Bokova is calling for a fivefold increase in this allocation for education. Ahead of the summit, Unesco published figures with the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) showing that only 50% of refugee children are in primary school and 25% of refugee adolescents are in secondary school. A report warned that there could be even worse problems about which little is known. Information on refugee education is mostly gathered by agencies working in camps, but many refugees are outside these official camps - living in cities or other informal settlements. There are also unknown numbers of young people who are displaced within their countries, such as those missing school in Nigeria because of attacks by Boko Haram. The threat of violence against places of education was highlighted by Unicef, in a report published ahead of the summit. It warned that there were on average four schools or hospitals attacked or occupied by armed forces every day. "Attacks against schools and hospitals during conflict are an alarming, and disgraceful, trend. Intentional and direct strikes on these facilities, and on health workers and teachers, can be war crimes," said Afshan Khan, Unicef's director of emergency programmes. It warned of attacks in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria and the Palestinian Authority. Unicef is calling for international support for a Safe Schools Declaration, with more than 50 countries having signed an agreement for protected status to be given to places of education during war and violent conflict.

An emergency fund to provide education during conflicts and natural disasters has been launched at the World Humanitarian Summit.

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Harris made 79 appearances for the Blades after joining from Blackpool in January 2014, but he has been without a club since being released last May. The 29-year-old ended last season on loan at Fleetwood, featuring in only one League One game. "He has done well in training during his time with us and will provide cover for us," said manager Darrell Clarke. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Bristol Rovers have signed former Sheffield United left-back Bob Harris on a deal until the end of the season.

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The woman was walking on Carmuirs Avenue at its junction with Mariner Road when a man walked past her, before turning back and assaulting her. The incident happened between 17:00 and 17:30 on Friday 27 May. The man was described as white, in his late 30s, about 5ft 8in tall, of medium build and with short fair hair. He was wearing a dark blue zip-up cardigan with a red t-shirt underneath and dark jeans. Det Con Grant Stronach said: "This attack was completely unprovoked and it's possible that someone witnessed this from a nearby house."

Police in Forth Valley have appealed for witnesses following a "completely unprovoked" assault on a woman in Camelon.

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The saddles were initially piloted in 2012, to help transport women in labour in mountainous regions of Afghanistan. SaddleAid, based on Anglesey, has been working with their donkey 'Queenie' to help adapt and improve the design. "They can be used for a range of different activities," said Peter Muckle, from SaddleAid. These include "carrying women who are in labour to the nearest medical facility to using the saddle to enable people with mobility issues to experience horse, pony or donkey riding," he said. The fully inflated saddle weighs about 8kg (18lb) and provides a frame which can be sat in, with a quick release mechanism that makes it easy to get off the donkey. SaddleAid aim to train local people to make the saddles, using low-cost and easily available materials. Hub Cymru Africa, funded by the Welsh government, is supporting the project, which will begin trialling the saddles in parts of northern Ethiopia. "The time to get to the facilities can often put both the mother and baby at risk, so a device like this can make a real difference when access to roads and vehicles is often not possible, but where many families have access to a horse, pony or donkey," said Cat Jones, Head of Partnership at Hub Cymru Africa.

An inflatable saddle for donkeys developed in Wales is helping mothers-to-be in some of the remotest parts of the world.

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The frontier, closed by Venezuela last August as part of a crime crackdown, was to open for 12 hours. Venezuela is going through a deep economic crisis and many say they struggle to feed their families. Last week, about 500 Venezuelan women broke through the border controls in search of food. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the border closure because, he said, the area had been infiltrated by Colombian paramilitaries and gangs. The measure also prevents subsidised goods from being smuggled from Venezuela into Colombia. Some 35,000 people crossed the border between San Antonio del Tachira, in Venezuela, and Cucuta, in Colombia, a Colombian official told the BBC. Supermarkets were crowded with Venezuelans buying basic supplies such as rice, oil, flour and sugar, which are expensive in their country because of the shortages. Gloria Archila was all smiles. "They had everything," she said, comparing the situation here with the empty shelves in markets back home. Everyone seemed to have a story like this - a mother who was looking for medicine for her daughter, another who described being "happy to see so much food together". They complained about how devaluated their Venezuelan bolivar was, limiting their purchase power. They also found goods smuggled from Venezuela being resold here. But, by and large, as they returned home in packed buses, they were triumphant - and with full bags. An unnamed woman who crossed with her husband and two young children told the Efe news agency it was "unfair" to keep the border closed. "We are from San Antonio, and the reality is that we do not have any food to give to our children." Venezuelans who want to cross into Colombia in states where the border has been closed need a special permit to do so. But as the scarcity of food gets worse in Venezuela, many have crossed the porous border illegally. Venezuela: Economy on the brink?

Thousands of people have crossed to Colombia after Venezuela opened their common border to allow its people to buy food and medicine, officials say.

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Scottish Borders Council said the site in Galashiels would open later and close earlier from 1 July. It said the decision had been made for a "series of reasons" including late-night antisocial behaviour. After the changes, it will open from 05:45 to 23:00 each day rather than 04:30 to 01:00. The council said the decision also took into account low bus passenger numbers late at night and early in the morning. It said an average of just 1.5 passengers used the five services running outside the new opening times. The move is also part of a review of services at the interchange which the council said could save £40,000-a-year. It stressed there would be no permanent job losses as a result of the change. SBC's Gordon Edgar said: "The Galashiels Transport Interchange is a well-used facility, with 3,000 people passing through every day. "However, council figures show that since it opened in August 2015, it is rarely used by bus passengers after 23:00 and before 06:00. "There has also been late-night antisocial behaviour, with staff suffering verbal and physical abuse which has resulted in court appearances for offenders." He said closing earlier would help with that issue. "In the current financial climate, the council has to consider how it delivers its services differently," he added. "While this change will result in some inconvenience for a small number of passengers, it will result in better use of the council's resources. "Importantly, this decision will not change any bus or train services and will not see any permanent jobs lost."

A transport interchange built for the Borders Railway is to cut its opening hours after the physical and verbal abuse of staff.

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Steyn's 4-18 against Kent helped Glamorgan regain top spot in the T20 Blast South Group. "I'm loving it, just to feel that vibe again, feel that energy flow about taking wickets," he said. Steyn played only one game in the Indian Premier League and two in the T20 World Cup after a shoulder injury. He did not take a wicket in his first game, the defeat against Essex, after having a catch dropped first ball, but has since taken three against Hampshire, two against Gloucestershire and four against Kent to help Glamorgan to victories. "Just to get back into that (wicket-taking) mode, when you don't do it for a while, you miss it, you almost forget how to do it," he added. "When I played against Essex I was a bit rusty, one or two things didn't go my way and you doubt yourself again. "But the second game, when I got a wicket, it kicks in again." Final game in Cardiff The 32-year-old Steyn departs for the Caribbean Premier League after Glamorgan's game against Surrey. "I'd love to win that, Glamorgan top of the log (table), and I hope I've come and added some kind of influence on the guys' game as well as the matches," he said. "But I think the guys have played excellently so far, and I've learnt a lot also." "Wild Thing" to come Steyn's place as the second overseas player will be taken for the second half of the T20 campaign by Shaun Tait, the Australian fast bowler who played for Glamorgan in 2010. "If he just comes and does his stuff, the "Wild Thing" [Tait], he bowls really quick and everyone else is bowling really well, that's the beautiful thing about this team. "I don't think he needs to worry about coming in and filling a hole." Glamorgan, who last qualified for T20 Finals Day back in 2004, have four wins, one defeat and a washout from the first six games of their 14-match campaign.

South African pace bowler Dale Steyn says he is loving his time at Glamorgan after taking nine wickets in the last three T20 matches.

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Kevin Wilson, of Tiverton, was given a 10-week suspended jail sentence this month for swindling housing and council tax benefits of nearly £4,000. Mid Devon District Council approved a motion on Wednesday condemning his actions and calling for him to resign. Wilson said he "couldn't be sorrier" for his actions, but it was for voters to decide whether he should go or stay. "What I really want to say is how profoundly sorry I am for what I did," he said. "I want my constituents to understand that this is a very personal apology to them. "They are the people who put me here and they are the people who should be able to take me away if they wish to do so. "They will get that democratic opportunity in 2015." Wilson, formerly a Liberal Democrat councillor and former mayor of Tiverton, now sits on the authority as an independent. The motion, condemning Wilson's conduct, was proposed by councillor Colin Slade, who said if someone in public office betrayed their position of trust they should "do the decent thing and resign". Under the Local Government Act, Wilson cannot be forced to stand down from his position on the council as his prison sentence was for a period of less than three months.

A councillor convicted of benefit fraud has refused to resign but has apologised to his constituents.

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The company has written to the 39 workers to tell them they are all at risk of redundancy, though there may be the chance of redeployment. The letter adds that Homebase is intending to assign the lease on its unit to another unnamed occupier. In a statement, Homebase confirmed it had entered a period of consultation with staff regarding the closure. "Colleagues at the store have been informed and we will be working with them to support them as much as possible," the statement added. "As the consultation is in progress, we are unable to comment further at this time." SDLP West Tyrone representative Daniel McCrossan said the proposal would "come as a devastating blow" for staff. He questioned why closure was being proposed saying he understood the store was making a profit. Last year, the group which owns Homebase said it planned to cut the number of stores by 25% by 2019. Home Retail Group said a number of its 323 Homebase stores across the UK were "unprofitable or are in decline". Earlier this year, the rival B&Q chain announced that five stores in Northern Ireland were to close, with the loss of about 300 jobs.

Staff at the Homebase DIY shop at the Great Northern retail park in Omagh have been told it is facing closure.

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"Me and Hammond with a surrogate Jeremy is a non-starter. It has to be the three of us," he told the Guardian. He added that Top Gear without Clarkson would be a "tough call" and "a bit of a daft idea". Clarkson was removed from presenting duties on the motoring show after assaulting producer Oisin Tymon. "I don't think you could carry on with two people and put someone in as the new Jeremy because they are not going to be the new Jeremy," May said. "That would be short-sighted and I don't think it would work. Virtually impossible." May changed his Twitter account to say "former Top Gear presenter" on 25 March, the day it was announced Clarkson's contract would not be renewed. May's own contract, and that of his co-presenter Richard Hammond, expired last month. It raises the possibility of an entirely new presenting line-up for the hit BBC Two show. Channel controller Kim Shillinglaw has been given the job of finding a replacement for Clarkson, with former X Factor host and Jodie Kidd rumoured to be in the running. But May has said there "might be an opportunity for three of us to get back together on the BBC to do Top Gear or a car show of some sort". "The BBC haven't completely closed the door on Jeremy's return," he told the Guardian. "They've not banned him or fired him, only just not renewed his contract for the moment. It's a subtle difference, but an important one." Earlier this week, Shillinglaw stressed there was no ban on Clarkson returning to the BBC, despite director general Tony Hall's decision to fire him last month, saying "a line has been crossed". "It's serious and unfortunate what happened but there is no ban on Jeremy being on the BBC," said Shillinglaw. "It's a big deal what happened and Jeremy, as any human being would, needs some time."

Top Gear presenter James May has said he will not return to the BBC show without co-host Jeremy Clarkson, who was dropped from the show last month.

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The incident happened on Thursday, and the man died as a result of his injuries in hospital on Saturday. The Health and Safety Executive (HSENI) is investigating. "Our sympathies are with the family at this most difficult time, a spokesperson said.

A man in his 40s has died following a farm accident in the Derrylin area of County Fermanagh.

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The rider was taken to hospital following the collision at 05:00 BST on the junction of Allport Road and Bridle Road in Wirral. Police said the taxi driver was shaken but not injured, and is "cooperating fully". Motorists have been advised to avoid the scene and the slip road from New Chester Road into Allport Road.

A motorcyclist has died from his injuries after a collision with a taxi in Merseyside.

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A majority of MSPs backed a Conservative amendment which said the government's council tax proposals undermined local accountability. But when it came to the final decision, the vote was tied at 63 all - with Ms Dugdale apparently not voting. The presiding officer then used his casting vote to back the government. The Scottish Parliament uses an electronic system that allows MSPs to cast votes by pushing a button while remaining in their seats. Ms Dugdale has insisted she did vote - with her party calling for an investigation into what happened. But parliament officials said they had checked the voting consoles in the chamber and were satisfied the system was working properly. Ms Dugdale tweeted: "Today I categorically voted to reject the SNP's council tax proposals. They made a promise to the people of Scotland - they should keep it." Scottish Labour's business manager, James Kelly, said: "Every Scottish Labour MSP voted against the government today." Ms Dugdale was in the Scottish Parliament chamber at the time and had voted previously. She was sitting next to Labour MSP Iain Gray, who has also said that Ms Dugdale had cast a vote and that it had apparently registered with the system. Of all the votes for this to happen on; and of all the MSPs for it to happen to. The SNP were staring defeat in the face; in fact having lost the vote on the amendment they were expecting it. They were as relieved when the score came out 63-each as opposition members were outraged. Who had let the air out of their carefully planned manoeuvre to embarrass the government? Kezia Dugale was as surprised as anyone else when the votes were tallied and it turned out to have been her. Now, in truth this is still a shot across the bows for the government. They are a minority administration with, on this issue, no opposition support. The SNP know they will need to change something before the next vote on council tax, to win over at least one opposition MSP. But in the end instead of being an immediate embarrassment for them, it's Labour who have been left with red faces. The SNP hailed Ms Dugdale as a "lone ranger" who had "taken her newfound autonomy literally" - a tongue-in-cheek reference to proposed changes to the relationship between Scottish and UK Labour. A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: "Notwithstanding the confusion over Kezia Dugdale's vote, the SNP has been sent a very clear signal that it must rethink its council tax plans." The council tax changes, which were set out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in March, would see the average band E household pay about £2 more per week, with those in the highest band paying an extra £10 a week - an average of £517 a year. The aim is to raise an extra £100m a year for schools as part of efforts to close the attainment gap between Scotland's wealthiest and most deprived pupils. The reforms follow a report by the Commission on Local Tax Reform which last year called for council tax to be scrapped altogether, and urged politicians to implement a fairer, more progressive and transparent tax to fund local services. During a debate earlier on Thursday, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay hinted that the Scottish government could consider further reform of the council tax system. He said: "We have embarked on a journey in local taxation. We want to make it more progressive, deliver the steps that we got support for at the elections, then engage further on what can be delivered next in view of the report." Conservative Murdo Fraser said the SNP appeared to have abandoned a 2007 manifesto pledge to replace council tax with a local income tax. Mr Fraser said the Tories supported an end to the council tax freeze, additional protections for low-income households and higher charges for those in properties in bands G and H, but opposed increases for homes in bands E and F. The Scottish government also came under fire from Labour's Jackie Baillie and Green MSP Andy Wightman, who both served on the local tax commission. Ms Baillie said: "Here are the SNP simply tinkering with the bands and keeping in their words a hated and unfair council tax. Exactly what the SNP said they were against. "They say that actions speak louder than words. The SNP's actions in this case are a mere whimper." Mr Wightman said it had taken the commission "two nanoseconds" to decide the current system should be abolished. He also criticised Scottish government plans to use the £100m extra cash that will be raised from its reforms to improve education. Mr Wightman said: "This is the first time in the history of local taxation since the introduction of the Poor Law in 1579 that local taxation has been appropriated for national spending priorities." He said there could be a "progressive majority" in Holyrood for a revaluation, with the current system based on property values dating back to 1991 - a situation Mr Wightman says has left many properties in the wrong band.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has failed to register a vote at Holyrood - allowing the Scottish government to avoid a defeat.

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The warning from one industry body, the Pre-School Learning Alliance, comes as ministers say trials of the new scheme are being brought forward to 2016. The current allowance of 570 hours a year for three and four-year-olds will be doubled for working parents. David Cameron said it would "take time" to get the policy right. The Pre-School Learning Alliance - which represents 14,000 private, voluntary and independent groups - is warning of "meltdown" in the system because of a shortfall in government funding. It says the grant for the existing 15 hours falls, on average, around 20% short of the true cost of providing care - £3.88 per hour compared with £4.53. Employment Minister Priti Patel told the BBC the government accepted "funding rates need to increase" and is launching a consultation on how the policy will work in practice. Currently, all three and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare a year, which works out as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of the year. The Childcare Bill, announced in last week's Queen's Speech, would double this for working parents - although it is not clear yet how many hours they will have to work in order to qualify. Ministers say up to 600,000 families could benefit, saving as much as £5,000 a year. The change had been due to come into force from September 2017, but some working parents will be entitled to the extra help when pilots begin in September next year. However, the alliance said many groups were already having to charge parents extra for hours of childcare not included in the scheme to make ends meet, and would struggle to deal with the changes. "I think this is crunch time," said chief executive Neil Leitch. "While we of course welcome the drive to improve the availability of childcare in this country, these figures clearly show the government's plan to extend funded childcare hours simply cannot work without a substantial increase in sector funding. "The so-called 'free' childcare scheme is nothing of the sort. For years now, the initiative has been subsidised by providers and parents because of a lack of adequate government funding." Fiona Weir, chief executive of single-parent charity Gingerbread, said 30 free hours of childcare a week was "really good news" for those who will get it. "The cost of childcare is one of the biggest barriers the UK's two million single parents face to finding and staying in work. As the primary carers for their children, they can't do the kind of 'shift parenting' couple parents often do. "However, we look forward to seeing more detail on how parents will qualify for this extra support, and the way in which the extra hours will work." Following the announcement, the prime minister visited Buttercups Nursery in Teddington, south-west London. Kate Thomas, 49, whose three-year-old daughter attends the nursery, said it was worrying that any shortfall in funding for the extra hours might be passed on to parents. "Most mothers I know don't work full time and if they are lucky they will have a job that covers their childcare and have a bit extra," she said. "But if that bit extra then ends up being what funds the extra cost of the nursery, what is the point of working?" The National Day Nurseries Association welcomed the doubling of provision, but also said its members were "struggling with current levels of investment". "Funding is critical and it's vital that the increase pledged by the government is meaningful," chief executive Purnima Tanuku said. Jill Rutter, from the Family and Childcare Trust, which campaigns for quality childcare that is affordable and accessible, said there was "no proper funding formula". "The money local authorities get from government to pass on to providers is very varied," she said. The short answer is - from parents. But as extra hourly fees are not legal, nurseries have worked out canny ways to get round this. The most common technique is requiring parents to take more than the total number of free hours and charging a set fee for the extra time. Read more on childcare funding Extra free childcare: Who benefits? Labour's shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said the Conservative Party "failed to explain how it would fund its childcare offer before the general election", and added: "It remains unclear how they propose to fill the funding gaps in their plans now." Mr Cameron told ITV's This Morning it would "take time" to get the policy right "because obviously we need an expansion of the childcare sector, we need more nurseries, more of these places to open, so we're working with them to expand". He said the government would start talking to childcare providers immediately "about what's the best way of making sure that they're being properly paid for the childcare that they provide so we can expand the number of places". The cost to the Treasury was initially estimated at £350 million a year, but Ms Patel said the sums involved were yet to be finalised. Asked why households with a relatively high income would receive help, she added: "This isn't about subsidising well-off people at all. This is about providing affordable childcare and increasing childcare provision for working families." In Scotland, three and four-year-olds are entitled to up to 600 hours of free early years education or childcare a year, while in Wales, provision is for a minimum of 10 hours a week. In Northern Ireland, it is limited to four-year-olds only, for up to 12.5 hours a week. England average Nursery 25 hrs (aged 2+) £111.64 Childminder 25 hrs (aged 2+) £104.15 Scotland average Nursery 25 hrs (aged 2+) £99.93 Childminder 25 hrs (aged 2+) £99.30 Wales average Nursery 25 hrs (aged 2+) £103.44 Childminder 25 hrs (aged 2+) £96.81 Source: Family and Childcare Trust

Childcare providers in England say the system is at "breaking point" as plans to double free provision for three and four-year-olds in England are sped up.

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Net profit was a better-than-expected $174m (£112m) in the April-to-June period, up from $141m a year earlier, Lenovo said in a statement. Lenovo overtook Hewlett-Packard to become the top PC maker this year. However, as global PC sales decline, the company has aggressively expanded into smartphones, tablets and other mobile products. The firm's shares rose 2.4% in early trade in Hong Kong. Lenovo said it had outperformed the global PC market, which saw sales fall 11% during the period, from a year earlier. Lenovo's desktop PC shipments were flat compared with the previous year. However, for the first time, Lenovo's combined sales of smartphone and tablets overtook its PC sales during this quarter. Sales of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices more than doubled from the same period last year. According to the firm, it is now the second-biggest smartphone seller in China, with shipments increasing by 121% from last year. Lenovo has said it is also expanding into other emerging markets. It beat ZTE to become the world's fourth-largest smartphone firm in the April-to-June period, behind Apple, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, according to research firm IDC. Laptop sales, which Lenovo said account for 53% of its revenue, rose by 4.7%.

Lenovo, the world's biggest maker of PCs, has reported a 23% jump in profits as sales of mobile devices doubled.

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The 45-year-old Zimbabwean made the decision following talks with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Paul Downton on Thursday. "For some time, this England team have carried an arrogant attitude. That's not necessarily Andy Flower's fault, but if you are looking for change then there were two major candidates - Flower and captain Alastair Cook. "There are very few candidates to replace Cook. Matt Prior was left out for the final two Ashes Tests and Stuart Broad is too much of a loose cannon to be considered for the top job just yet. "Therefore, when you are looking for change - and a simplification of an England set-up that has become bloated with various captains, coaches and backroom staff - Flower's departure and replacement with one man to oversee all teams seems a clear choice." Read Aggers' full analysis Flower, who oversaw three Ashes wins and the World Twenty20, is expected to take a coaching role with the academy. England limited-overs coach Ashley Giles is favourite to take over, with a decision expected within two weeks. In the meeting, Flower told Downton that one coach should be in charge of all three England teams. Flower had enjoyed total control from his appointment in February 2009 until November 2012, when Giles took over the one-day and Twenty20 sides. The job of technical director overseeing all England senior teams will now be advertised, with former spinner Giles - who will lead England on their limited-overs tour of West Indies in February and March - the front-runner. Former South Africa and India coach Gary Kirsten is another potential contender. Ex-Zimbabwe wicketkeeper/batsman Flower took over in difficult circumstances nearly four years ago after a rift between coach Peter Moores and then-captain Kevin Pietersen led to both leaving their jobs on the same day. Having seen England bowled out for 51 in Jamaica in his first match, Flower then moulded his team into one of the most polished and professional units in international cricket. Highs Lows After winning the Ashes back later that year, and retaining them in the 2010-11 series down under, he steered England to number one in the world Test rankings in August 2011 following a 4-0 home victory over India. Flower also improved England's performances in the shorter forms of the game, coaching them to their first global limited-overs success at the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup, although the team slumped at the 2011 one-day World Cup. After handing over one-day and Twenty20 duties to Giles, Flower remained in charge of the Test side, overseeing their first series win in India since 1984. His team completed a third consecutive Ashes series victory with a 3-0 home win last summer but despite arriving down under as favourites this winter, they were heavily beaten in all five Tests and have now slipped to fourth in the Test rankings. Following the final Test in Sydney, Flower said it was the "end of an era" for England. He later denied issuing an ultimatum that he would leave unless Pietersen was dropped. Flower had two stints as Zimbabwe captain during a decade-long international career in which he established himself as a world-class batsman and wicketkeeper, scoring 12 centuries, and averaging 51.54 in 63 Tests. After quitting the international arena, Flower dedicated himself to county cricket and Essex, where he played for five seasons between 2002 and 2006.

England technical director Andy Flower is standing down following the 5-0 Ashes whitewash by Australia.

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Hart, expected to leave with Claudio Bravo close to signing, was applauded by home supporters throughout the 1-0 second leg win over Steaua Bucharest. "We've a top manager and he's going to have his opinion on things," added Hart, after City's 6-0 aggregate win. City boss Pep Guardiola said: "I know Joe is a legend for this club." Hart, 29, was dropped by Guardiola for the first three games of the season but was handed the captain's armband before marking his first start of the season with a clean sheet. At one point in the second half, the Etihad reverberated to chants of: "Stand up if you love Joe Hart". He responded by shaking his head and touching the club badge on his shirt. "That was a really special night for me," said Hart, who joined City in 2006 and has won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup. "We all know there is a situation going on but I feel that inside, outside of all the circus, we are handling it well. "Tonight was really nice. I really appreciate the people at Manchester City and it turns out they appreciate me. "This is a special place for me, I've made no secret of that. Situations occur in football. We are men and we get on with it." Asked if he might be leaving, Hart added: "That's not for me to say." Guardiola is expected to complete the signing of Barcelona keeper Bravo in the next few days. Bravo flew into Manchester on Tuesday for a medical. "I'm here to take decisions," said Guardiola. "I can't deny what I feel. I was honest with Joe, the club and myself. "I can completely understand if the fans are not happy. Joe did a lot with this club in the years he's been here, more than I have done. "I know part of what the club has become, one of the reasons is Joe. They won the Premier League, the cup. He helped to make this team one step above. "I am so happy how the people treat him and love him." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Joe Hart says helping Manchester City reach the group stage of the Champions League on possibly his last appearance for the club was "a special night".

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Balotelli, 25, has scored three goals in 17 appearances this season for Milan, who sold him to the Reds for £16m in 2014. "He has an immense desire to stay at the club. I hope he shows that with his performances," said Adriano Galliani. "I've told him that based on what he's shown, he doesn't deserve to stay." Italy international Balotelli is set to return to Liverpool after his loan spell ends in June. "I told him to convince me that he should stay, as we want the best for him," added Galliani. "He has promised me he will do that and I hope he does." On Saturday sixth-placed Milan host Serie A leaders Juventus, who are six points clear of second-placed Napoli with seven games of the season remaining.

On-loan Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli "does not deserve" to join AC Milan on a permanent basis, says the Italian club's chief executive.

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500 BC - Thracian tribes settle in what is now southeastern Bulgaria. They are subsequently subjugated by the Macedonian king Alexander the Great and later by the Roman Empire. Volunteers re-enact the liberation of Sofia from the Ottoman Empire. It was previously ruled by the Romans 681 - Bulgarian state established. 890s - The earliest form of the Cyrillic alphabet - later versions of which are now used in dozens of Slavonic languages - is created by Bulgarian scholars. 1018-1185 - Bulgaria is part of Byzantine empire. 1396 - Ottoman Empire completes conquest of Bulgaria. Next five centuries are known as era of the "Turkish yoke". 1876 - Nationwide uprising against Ottoman rule is violently suppressed. 1878 - Treaty of San Stefano - signed by Russia and Turkey at the end of their war of 1877-78 - recognises an autonomous Bulgaria. 1878 - Treaty of Berlin creates much smaller Bulgarian principality. Eastern Rumelia remains under Ottoman rule. 1886 - Eastern Rumelia is merged with Bulgaria. 1887 - Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha elected prince. 1908 - Bulgaria declares itself an independent kingdom. Ferdinand assumes title of tsar. 1914-18 - World War I. Bulgaria allies itself with Germany. Some 100,000 Bulgarian troops are killed, the most severe per capita losses of any country involved in the war. 1939-45 World War II - Soviet army invades German-occupied Bulgaria in 1944. Soviet-backed Fatherland Front takes power. 1946 - Monarchy abolished in referendum and republic declared. Communist Party wins election. Georgi Dimitrov elected prime minister. Todor Zhivkov was the Soviet bloc's longest-serving leader Bulgaria's ex-communist leader dies 1947 - New constitution along Soviet lines establishes one-party state. Economy and industry sectors nationalised. 1954 - Todor Zhivkov becomes Communist Party general secretary. Bulgaria becomes staunch USSR ally. 1971 - Zhivkov becomes president. 1978 - Georgi Markov, a BBC World Service journalist and Bulgarian dissident, dies in London after apparently being injected with poison from the tip of an umbrella. 1984 - Zhivkov government tries to force Turkish minority to assimilate and take Slavic names. Many resist and in 1989 some 300,000 flee the country. 1989 - Reforms in the Soviet Union inspire demands for democratisation. Zhivkov ousted. Multiparty system introduced. Opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) formed. 1990 - Economic crisis. Communist Party reinvents itself as Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and wins free parliamentary elections. President Petar Mladenov resigns and parliament appoints UDF's Zhelyu Zhelev. BSP government collapses amid mass demonstrations and general strike. 1991 New constitution proclaims Bulgaria a parliamentary republic and provides broad range of freedoms. UDF wins election. 1992 - Zhelev becomes Bulgaria's first directly-elected president. UDF government resigns. Lyuben Berov heads non-party government. Todor Zhivkov sentenced to seven years in prison for corruption in office. 1993 - Mass privatisation programme. 1994 - BSP returns to power in general election. 1995 - BSP's Zhan Videnov becomes prime minister. 1996 - Financial turmoil. Petur Stoyanov replaces Zhelev as president. Bulgarian Supreme Court overturns Zhivkov's conviction. Videnov resigns as prime minister and chairman of the BSP. 1997 - Mass protests over economic crisis. Opposition boycotts parliament and calls for elections. Interim government installed until elections, when UDF leader Ivan Kostov becomes prime minister. Bulgarian currency pegged to German mark. 1999 - Protracted demolition attempts on marble mausoleum of first communist leader Georgi Dimitrov become national joke. 2000 - Post-communist prosecutors close file on Georgi Markov case. In December Markov is awarded Bulgaria's highest honour, the Order of Stara Planina, for his contribution to Bulgarian literature and his opposition to the communist authorities. 2001 June - Former King Simeon II's party, National Movement Simeon II, wins parliamentary elections. Simeon becomes premier in July. Simeon II of Bulgaria served as Tsar between 1943 and 1946, when he was forced into exile. In 2001 he returned to become prime minister 2001 November - Thousands march through Sofia on 100th day of Simeon's premiership, saying he has failed to improve living standards. Socialist Party leader Georgi Parvanov wins presidency in an election with the lowest turnout since the fall of communism. He vows to improve people's lives and to speed up EU and Nato entry. 2001 December - Parliament agrees to destroy Soviet-made missiles by late 2002, ahead of Nato membership. 2004 March - Bulgaria is admitted to Nato. 2005 August - Socialist Party led by Sergei Stanishev tops the poll in general elections. After weeks of wrangling the main parties sign a coalition deal under which he becomes prime minister. 2005 December - Bulgaria's contingent of 400 light infantry troops leaves Iraq. In February 2006 parliament agrees to dispatch a non-combat guard unit. 2006 December - Bulgarian officials condemn death sentences handed to five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor by a Libyan court. The six were found guilty of deliberately infecting Libyan children with the HIV virus. 2007 January - Bulgaria and Romania join the European Union, raising the EU membership to 27. 2007 June - The European Commission calls on Bulgaria to do more to combat corruption. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor were condemned to death by a Libyan court for allegedly infecting children with HIV. They were later released 2007 July - The death sentences against six foreign medical workers in the HIV case in Libya are commuted to life in prison. They are repatriated to Bulgaria under a deal with the European Union. 2008 February - European Commission interim report says Bulgaria and Romania have failed to show convincing results in their anti-graft drives. 2008 March - European Union freezes some infrastructure subsidies over corruption in the traffic agency. 2008 April - European Union calls on Bulgaria to take urgent action after two prominent gangland killings, including a senior figure in the nuclear industry. Interior Minister Rumen Petkov resigns over police officers accused of passing state secrets to alleged crime bosses. Government reshuffled in order to combat organised crime and wave of contract killings. Ambassador to Germany, Meglena Plugchieva, appointed deputy prime minister without portfolio to oversee use of EU funds. 2008 July - European Commission suspends EU aid worth hundreds of millions of euros after series of reports criticise Bulgarian government for failing to take effective action against corruption and organised crime. EU pressed for reactors to close at Kozloduy nuclear plant 2008 September - European Commission permanently strips Bulgaria of half of the aid frozen in July over what it says is the government's failure to tackle corruption and organised crime. 2009 January - Russia's gas dispute with Ukraine cuts supplies to Bulgaria, resulting in a severe energy shortage lasting several weeks and widespread anger at the government's energy policies. 2009 June - Workers rally to protest at government's handling of economic crisis. 2009 July - General election is won by the centre-right GERB party led by Sofia mayor Boiko Borisov. 2010 January - Boris Tsankov, a prominent crime journalist who specialised in reporting on the mafia in Bulgaria, is shot dead in Sofia. 2010 June - EU expresses concern over reliability of Bulgarian national statistics and says these may have to be subjected to EU scrutiny. 2010 July - Former PM Sergei Stanishev is accused of failing to return files containing state secrets relating to security and organised crime after losing the 2009 election, and is charged with mishandling classified documents. 2010 September - EU calls on Bulgaria to take urgent action to tackle crime and corruption. 2010 December - Government-appointed commission finds that 45 senior Bulgarian diplomats were secret service agents during the communist era. France and Germany block Bulgaria from joining Schengen passport-free zone, saying it still needs to make "irreversible progress" in fight against corruption and organised crime. 2011 September - Anti-Roma demonstrations in Sofia and elsewhere following the death of a youth who was hit by a van driven by relatives of a Roma kingpin. 2011 October - Rosen Plevneliev, from the centre-right GERB party of Prime Minister Borisov, beats the Socialist candidate in the presidential election. 2012 January - Bulgaria becomes the second European country after France to ban exploratory drilling for shale gas using the extraction method called "fracking" after an overwhelming parliamentary vote. 2012 July - A suspected suicide bomber kills five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver on a bus in the Black Sea resort of Burgas. 2013 January - A controversial referendum on whether to build a second Bulgarian nuclear plant is invalidated by low turnout. 2013 February - The Bulgarian authorities say the Burgas suicide attack was most likely the work of the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Hezbollah itself denies the allegation. Prime Minister Borisov resigns after 14 people are injured in clashes with police at anti-austerity protests. 2013 March - After failing to persuade any of the leaders of the main political parties to form a government, President Plevneliev appoints a caretaker cabinet headed by Marin Raikov, the ambassador to France. He is tasked with organising fresh elections. 2013 May - The centre-right GERB party of former prime minister Boiko Borisov narrowly beats the socialist BSP in parliamentary elections, but falls well short of a majority. The Socialists provide parliamentary support for a technocratic government headed by Plamen Oresharski. 2013 June - Tens of thousands of protestors take to the streets for five days over the appointment of controversial media mogul Delyan Peevski to head the national security agency. Parliament reverses the appointment but anti-government demonstrations continue. 2013 July - Weeks of protests over official corruption culminate in a blockade of parliament and clashes with the police. 2014 January - Transitional curbs on Bulgarians' right to work and receive benefits in some EU members in place since Bulgaria joined the bloc in 2007 lapse. 2014 June - Banking crisis. Rumours of liquidity shortfalls cause panic and runs on major banks. 2014 July - Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski steps down after little more than a year in office, paving the way for a snap election due in October 2014. 2014 October - Low turnout of about 50% produces parliament divided between a record eight parties. 2014 November - Boyko Borisov returns to premiership as his GERB party forms coalition with fellow centre-right Reformist Bloc. 2014 December - Russia scraps plans for South Stream gas pipeline because of EU opposition. The project planned to pump Russian gas across the Black Sea through Bulgaria, bypassing Ukraine. 2015 January - Bulgaria says it will extend a controversial fence along its border with Turkey by 80 kilometres to help stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

A chronology of key events:

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Insp Tony Lumb, based in Brighton, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and has been suspended. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was investigating the nature of any contact between Mr Lumb and the women. The IPCC is appealing for any women who may have been involved with Mr Lumb to come forward. A spokesman said: "These are clearly serious allegations that require an independent investigation. "Allegations that an officer may have been using his role to form relationships with women will be of concern to the community and it was necessary to take the investigative step of arresting him and conducting searches." He said: "IPCC investigators made a search of the man's workplace and home and have also attempted to contact some of the women concerned. "The IPCC has also launched a witness appeal." Assistant chief constable of Sussex Police, Steve Barry Police, said: "Vulnerable victims must be able to trust those they turn to for help. "We take any report of inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously," Mr Lumb has been released on bail.

A police inspector has been arrested over allegations he had sex with vulnerable women he met through work.

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In July 1981, a ship was trawling off the coast of Lowestoft, Suffolk, when its crew recovered a body. For reasons unknown, the body was put back into the sea but authorities were alerted. The body was never seen again. Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Major Investigation Team are appealing for information over missing persons. They believe the body could have been that of a missing person who disappeared in Norfolk earlier that year. The cold case is being reviewed as part of Operation Mouldsworth, which is looking into all missing people from Norfolk and Suffolk. The ship, Boston Sea Stallion, was owned by a deep sea fishing company. Det Con Gary Fisher said: "There is no suggestion that the crew had, in any way, behaved inappropriately. "However, I would still like to speak to anyone who may remember the incident and may be able to help with the identification of the body."

An incident in which a body was found at sea by fishermen more than 30 years ago and immediately returned to the water is being investigated by police.

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The couple became stranded in a cove near the Barrowfields in Newquay, Cornwall, on Saturday evening. The woman was rescued unhurt by the RNLI's Newquay inshore lifeboat, with the help of the local coastguard team. A surfer, who had gone to the woman's aid before emergency services arrived, was also rescued. An RNLI spokesperson said the lifeboat crew had to use the boat's emergency oars to gauge the depth of water and negotiate large submerged rocks in a one-metre swell to rescue the woman.

A pregnant woman who became trapped at the foot of steep cliffs by a rising tide was rescued when her husband swam to shore to raise the alarm.

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Images published in a newspaper in the Maldives show several small objects it said had been found on one atoll. But Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said it was too soon to say if they were connected to flight MH370. The Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 239 people veered off its course from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. The plane is long believed to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean - though no evidence was initially found despite a massive search operation. The reports in the Maldives come just days after debris found on the remote French Indian Ocean island of Reunion were confirmed to be from the missing plane. "We will be dispatching a team to the Maldives to view the debris as well as conduct preliminary verification of the debris," Mr Liow said in a statement on Monday. "Undue speculation will only stress the families and loved ones, anxiously awaiting news on this matter," he added. Experts have already cast doubt on the find, and a report in the Haveeru newspaper said the captain of a barge that capsized in February believed the debris was from his vessel. "From the pictures of the debris found on most of the islands, I can almost certainly say that they are from the cargo we were carrying," Capt Abdulla Rasheed told the paper. Meanwhile, the French authorities are continuing their search for debris around Reunion Island after part of the wing of the Malaysia Airlines jet was found last month. Tests are still being carried out on that debris but Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said last week that experts had "conclusively confirmed" it was from MH370. "We now have physical evidence that [...] flight MH370 tragically ended in the southern Indian Ocean," Mr Najib told reporters. Australia has been leading the search for the plane in the area it is believed to have gone down, some 4,000km (2,500 miles) east of Reunion.

Malaysia says it is sending a team of experts to the Maldives to investigate reports that debris from the missing Flight MH370 has washed up there.

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Ethel Irene Ditcher, 82, was walking home from the supermarket when she was hit by a lorry on Leigh Road in Leigh, Greater Manchester, on 4 February. A man was spotted stealing her purse before running away. Police called it a "truly disgusting and callous act". The Crimestoppers reward is for information which leads to the man's arrest and conviction. He is described as white, about 6ft (1.8m) tall, between 30 and 40, and of medium build with a brown beard.

A reward of £2,000 has been offered to help find a thief who stole a woman's handbag as she lay dying in the road.

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Janice De'Botte, 57, died in hospital six days after she was hit by a van at a pedestrian crossing in West Didsbury. Her friend, aged 70, who was also hit remains in a serious but stable condition. Mrs De'Botte's family described her as a "loving mum, partner, nana, sister, auntie and cousin" with many friends. They added: "Janice, known to some of her work colleagues as Angela, has lived and worked in and around the West Didsbury area all of her life. "She held two jobs as a cleaner at Wythenshawe Hospital and also at a local care home. "Everything Janice did was for her family and she was extremely proud of them all and everything they had achieved. "Our thoughts remain with Patricia, Janice's friend who was with her at the time. "We wish her well and pray that she makes a full recovery from her injuries." The family also thanked the staff at Wythenshawe Hospital, and expressed gratitude for the support they had received from friends and the wider community. Witnesses reported seeing a white Vauxhall Vivaro hit the women, before stopping briefly and driving away. Two men were later arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision, and have been released on bail.

The family of a woman who died in a suspected hit-and-run crash have paid tribute to the "proud and loving" grandmother.

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Three cars were damaged in the incident in Ravenhurst Street, Highgate, at about 18:45 BST on Sunday. A man aged 25 was arrested on suspicion of wounding and is in custody. "Police received multiple 999 calls reporting a collision and people being injured," a West Midlands Police spokesman said. Police said the man who suffered life-threatening injuries sustained them "from a collision with one of the cars". "A number of other people have been taken to hospital with injuries," the spokesman added. For more on this and other Birmingham news Sean Phillips, force incident manager, said: "We've got officers at the scene trying to establish what has happened. We've also got officers at the hospital assisting those who have been injured." Ravenhurst Street and Moseley Street are closed while police examine the scene. Anyone with information is urged to contact the force on 101.

A man suffered life-threatening injuries and others were hurt in a suspected gang-related incident in Birmingham.

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Louis van Gaal's side failed to record a single shot on target as their 10-match unbeaten league run was ended. Dusan Tadic scored the only goal of the game when he tapped in calmly from 12 yards after Graziano Pelle's effort had come back off the near post. Media playback is not supported on this device The Reds improved after the goal but Juan Mata missed two good chances. It is the first time United have been beaten at home since their opening day reverse against Swansea and reaffirms Southampton's top-four credentials, as Ronald Koeman's side backed up their home win against Arsenal with another three points. The visitors had not won at Old Trafford in the top tier since January 1988 - a run stretching back 19 games - and this result was built on a 10th clean sheet in 21 games. Even after centre-half Toby Alderweireld left the pitch injured in the first half, Southampton remained well-drilled and limited United's array of attacking talent to very few chances. United's front four, plus wing-backs Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia, cost the club almost £200m in transfer fees but the best they managed in a poor first half was Angel Di Maria's shot which was dragged past an upright. Media playback is not supported on this device Nathaniel Clyne also shot wide for the visitors, while some smart defending from Jose Fonte blocked Robin van Persie's effort. The game was being played at a sedate pace and only burst into life when Tadic completed a fine move after good work from James Ward-Prowse and Pelle. United took off former Southampton full-back Luke Shaw and switched Daley Blind to the left, and the Dutchman's dangerous deliveries presented the Reds with two good chances to level. First, he whipped in a dangerous ball which goalkeeper Fraser Forster failed to deal with and Mata's shot went just wide. Minutes later, Blind drove a low ball into the box and Mata stabbed over from six yards out. However Saints held on for arguably their most impressive victory of the season and one which puts them three points clear in the Champions League places.

Southampton picked up their first league victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in 27 years to move up to third in the Premier League.

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Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Conservative MP for North East Somerset, said the two parties could merge. Mr Rees-Mogg also wants UKIP leader Nigel Farage to replace Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister. "I think that would be a better bet for Conservatism and the right wing in British politics," he said. His comments come after Conservative calls for the party to change course to win back voters who switched to UKIP in England's local elections.

A Somerset MP is calling for an electoral pact between the Conservatives and the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

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Six towns will be hubs for economic growth in surrounding communities, stretching from Neath to Cwmbran. The minister in charge, Alun Davies, said he would also ensure more public sector jobs were relocated to the valleys "where appropriate". He has been leading a taskforce which has undertaken a #TalkValleys series of consultations over the last year. Mr Davies had already called for an "industrial renaissance" and for the valleys to be more than just "shiny new roads". Our Valleys, Our Future is the result, with the priorities being good quality jobs and skills, better public services and stronger communities. The taskforce is aiming to: Analysis: Can the action plan avoid the pitfalls of the past? The six hubs will each have a particular focus and aim to bring opportunities for people living in nearby villages: "From the start, I have been clear this taskforce will not be another case of the government deciding what is right for the valleys," said Mr Davies. "If we are to succeed, local communities and local people must be at the heart of our work." He will now work on a delivery plan to be published in the autumn. There have been previous attempts to regenerate the former coal mining and steel areas of south Wales with initiatives stretching back nearly 30 years. 1988-1993: Then Welsh Secretary Peter Walker's first valleys initiative, launched in June 1988, claimed to have secured £700m in extra investment, involving 24,000 jobs. More than 2,000 acres of derelict land was cleared by the Welsh Development Agency. The final National Garden Festival was held at Ebbw Vale. Victoria Winckler, of the Bevan Foundation think-tank, has called it a "masterpiece of spin and re-packaged monies" whose main legacy was "a derelict garden festival site and a chain of Wetherspoon pubs across the region". 1993-1997: The second £1bn valleys initiative by successor David Hunt promised a shift away from centralised initiatives towards a "dynamic" programme involving communities more. He wanted the valleys to be treated as a special case and be supported by European funding. 2000-2006: By the turn of the century, with devolution, £1.5bn EU funding under the Objective One programme for west Wales and the Valleys was called a "once in a generation opportunity". But it brought criticism that it lacked focus and spread the spending too thinly with the valleys still relatively poorer. The Wales-wide Communities First programme - which had 24 projects in the valleys - was also set up in 2001. 2007-2017: There were another two lots of Objective One funding awarded (worth £2bn, 2007-13 and £1.89bn, 2014-2020). Communities First was dropped in 2016 amid concerns about its effectiveness. Prof Kevin Morgan of Cardiff University, author of A New Agenda for The Valleys back in 1988, said investment in high quality and affordable transport and improved housing was needed to better connect valleys towns. He said that way, young professionals would be encouraged to live in places such as Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taff. Prof Morgan added: "Pontypridd is the gateway to the valleys and it should fulfil the role of being a major employer hub for the central and upper valleys. "Companies like Admiral would, I'm sure, make it an attractive proposition to put some of their back office functions in Pontypridd. "This would help us to see the interdependence of our cities and Valleys. It's a win-win situation to recognise the interdependence of the two." Mr Davies said the plan presented "an exciting opportunity to focus efforts and resources across government to make real and lasting change".

An action plan to create 7,000 jobs and revitalise the south Wales valleys has been published.

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Peter Shickle, 58, was found in a pool of blood in his flat in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in 2016. He later died. His TV was ripped from the wall and wielded in an attack against the father-of-two, Luton Crown Court heard. John Jamieson, 36, of Wigram Way, Stevenage and Graham King, also 36, of Harrow Court, Stevenage, have denied murdering Mr Shickle. Mr Shickle was found by a friend at the flat in Silam Road, Stevenage. Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew said: "His rib cage had been smashed where he had been stamped on. There was also internal bleeding and a bleed on his brain. The cumulative effect was to result in Peter Shickle's death." He told the jury the head injuries had been caused by the TV hitting Mr Shickle's head. Mr Mulgrew said the catalyst for the attack happened about a week earlier on 28 October. He said: "Mr Shickle was out drinking with Christine Jamieson, the mother of the first defendant. "They were in the Old Post Office pub in Stevenage. During the evening, they got into an argument and a physical altercation took place. "The crown say this is the spark of events that would lead to the death of Peter Shickle on 6 November. "The news got back to John Jamieson, Ms Jamieson's son. He set out looking for Peter Shickle." When questioned by police, Mr Jamieson denied visiting Mr Shickle's home that afternoon. He said he and Mr King had been drinking in Monkswood. Mr King refused to answer police questions. The trial continues.

A large flat screen TV was used as a murder weapon in a frenzied revenge attack, a jury has heard.

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A lorry struck a male pedestrian on the southbound carriageway near Bletchingdon shortly after 01:00 GMT. The man, who has not been identified, died at the scene. The carriageway was closed for more than five hours. It reopened by 07:00. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward, including the driver of a dark-coloured Audi who stopped at the scene.

A man has died in a crash on the A34 in Oxfordshire.

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Adam Withers, 20, suffered from an acute psychotic illness and died after gaining access to a chimney at Epsom Hospital in May 2014. Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust admitted health and safety breaches at a previous hearing at Guildford Crown Court. An inquest found the trust had failed to reassess Mr Withers' risk levels. It concluded his death had been "caused or more than minimally contributed to" by the trust's failures. The trust was found to have failed to act on previous warnings that patients could abscond via a low level building in the courtyard. There had been at least nine previous incidents between 2011 and 2014 in which patients had managed to get on to the roof. Mr Withers was admitted to the Langley Unit at the hospital in April 2014 after becoming mentally ill, suffering from paranoia and delusions. In May, while being visited by his mother, he went into the courtyard at Elgar Ward and climbed onto a low rise building. From there, he gained access to a ladder that had been propped up against an industrial chimney, climbing to the top of it and falling to his death. His mother was standing nearby and his twin sister, Carla, had arrived just moments earlier. Fiona Edwards, chief executive of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust "fully accept" the judge's decision and the fine imposed. She said: "I am deeply sorry for Adam's death and continue to offer my most sincere condolences to his family and friends for the devastating impact this has had on them. "This was a tragic accident and we accept responsibility for our contribution to his death. "Sadly the loss of his life has helped drive, and contributed to, all of our safety work and service improvements."

An NHS trust has been fined £300,000 after a patient fell 130ft (39m) to his death from an industrial chimney.

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Matthew Baker, 29, and James Whitlock, 32, went on the run in November after breaking out of HMP Pentonville. Baker's girlfriend Chelsea Gibson, 25, of Bow, east London, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender while his sister Kelly Baker, 22, of Ilford, admitted harbouring an escaped prisoner. They were both sentenced to eight months in jail suspended for 18 months. Baker and Whitlock escaped from prison by sawing through a metal bar to open an external window cover. Two days later, Baker was found hiding under a bed at his sister's home in Ilford. He had dyed his hair and had a fractured leg. Whitlock was found at an address in Homerton, east London, after six days on the run. Gibson was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, while Baker was told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

A prisoner's girlfriend and his sister have been sentenced for helping him to escape.

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Brian McKandie, 67, was found dead at his cottage at Badenscoth, near Rothienorman, on Saturday 12 March last year. Police said a 23-year-old man had been charged. He is due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Monday. Det Ch Insp Iain Smith said: "Our inquiries are ongoing and police activity will continue in the area." He added: "This has been a lengthy and complex investigation. "There has been considerable work carried out in the area over the last 11 months and I know this has impacted greatly on the local community. "I would like to sincerely thank all those who have contacted police or been spoken to by officers while extensive inquiries have been carried out." There has been an increased level of police activity in recent days. Police were in attendance at another property on Friday as part of their investigation. A police pod is situated in Rothienorman where anyone with information can speak to officers. The investigation has featured on the BBC's Crimewatch programme.

A man has been charged in connection with the death of a man in Aberdeenshire almost a year ago.

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That's exactly what happened to a woman in Melbourne this week, when a sinkhole three metres deep opened up beneath her while she was doing chores. A neighbour heard the 45-year-old screaming for help and called rescuers. Firefighters then managed to pull the woman out of the hole, which had partially filled with water. Amazingly she was unharmed by her fall but told medical staff that she had to tread water for 20 minutes while waiting for help. "The issue is the hole in the ground is only 500 (centimetres) wide but it actually opens up very big inside so there was nothing for her to grab onto to try and get herself out," explained local fire official Paul Carrigg. "Every time she put her hands up, the dirt disappeared. So, there was nothing she could do to help herself. "She's extremely lucky person, there's no doubt about that." Local council engineers blamed an old well for the collapse. Sinkholes, or dolines, often take thousands of years to form and vary hugely in size. The deepest is China's Xiaozhai Tienkeng at 2172ft (662m). The Qattara Depression in Egypt is roughly 50 miles (80km) by 75 miles (121km) in surface size. But often sinkholes can be only a few metres in diameter. They are often caused by acidic water dissolving a layer of rock underneath the ground. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Imagine being in your garden, hanging out some washing, when the ground suddenly drops away from under your feet.

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Tech firm Grability has developed Rappi, a smartphone app that aims to makes shopping as easy as swiping your finger across a screen. Instead of laboriously wading through long written lists of food items, shoppers swipe through images of supermarket shelves and touch pictorial representations of each food item they want to buy. Grability has applied for a patent - pending in the US - for this swiping process, but it also handles the back-end platform that integrates the app with retailers' systems. When the shopping is done and the order placed, a delivery person, which the company calls a "rappitendero", selects the items from the stores and delivers them to the customer. A senior retail industry source in Colombia, who preferred not to be named, described the app as "transformative, revolutionary" and was particularly surprised that the young entrepreneurs - Sebastian Mejia, Simon Borrero and Felipe Villamarin - are complete outsiders. Despite this apparent lack of experience, the company is already working with major retailers, such as Cencosud in South America and El Corte Ingles in Spain. So what attracted a Spanish retail giant to a little Colombian tech start-up? "The main factor was the ease of use we could offer our clients," says an El Corte Ingles spokesman. "The time to make a purchase was reduced from one hour to 20 minutes." The app features products from many local shops, which avoids putting retailers in the uncomfortable position of looking more expensive than a competitor on a single mobile screen. The entire inventory is updated every two hours, the company says. But could the company, whose app is currently only available in Mexico City and Bogota, break into the US market, where there is already a huge player in online grocery deliveries, Instacart, currently valued at about $2bn (£1.37bn)? Grability thinks it can as there is plenty of room for growth in the sector. Around 3% of groceries are bought online in the US, whereas for other products, online accounts for about 20% to 30% of total sales, say Rappi's founders. "Our vision is to change the way people buy all over the world," says co-founder Sebastian Mejia. Rappi does not own shops or warehouses or manage inventories of goods, nor does it employ the rappitenderos directly - they are self-employed, earning money through delivery fees and tips. In this sense, the company says it follows the Uber model. But there are risks with this approach. For example, the rappitenderos wear Rappi-branded uniforms, so if they make mistakes with the order, Rappi takes the rap. To combat this, the firm says it provides help to the rappitenderos on complex orders and constantly monitors the operation. But it will also punish mistakes by suspending the salespeople for a number of hours, reducing their earning potential. "We have a very strict training and background check programme," says Mr Villamarin. The other risk - which is the same one threatening Uber - is that regulators insist rappitenderos are treated as direct employees rather than contractors, resulting in a potentially large tax liability. I tried Rappi's grocery shopping app a couple of times. On the first occasion I got a call from the company saying they could not get some of the items I'd asked for - even thought they were displayed on the app - so I cancelled the order. I got a bit luckier on my second attempt: the order did arrive, but not with the chocolate I wanted. For some reason, the rappitendero had replaced it with another brand without letting me know. But the delivery did get to my place in less than half an hour, and if I had gone to the supermarket myself it would have taken me much longer. In Colombia's capital Bogota, about 200 rappitenderos cover 30% of the city, and the aim is to cover 60% by the end of 2016, says Mr Villamarin. And the app has attracted about 100,000 users in less than a year, the firm says. The plan is to expand into other cities, especially those with under-developed infrastructure, in South America, South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. "Rappi makes more sense in emerging markets," says Mr Mejia. That is because the retail sector is less organised in those places, serviced mostly by small shops rather than huge supermarkets. Neil Saunders, managing director of retail analyst Conlumino, says: "I can see a lot of growth potential because you are going into a market that is not yet saturated. It gives the retailers another channel through which to sell." And Rappi isn't the only tech firm that sees potential in the online grocery buying market - Mercadoni, another Colombian start-up, is also adopting this pictorial approach and giving shoppers the chance to buy from a growing range of supermarkets. Another site, Worbunna, concentrates on Colombian coffee deliveries. So are such apps in competition with the supermarkets? Rappi's Mr Villmarin doesn't believe so: "If we grow a lot, they earn more." And with access to so much data from so many retailers, Rappi and others are in a strong position to sell insights on customer behaviour back to retailers. For example, Rappi is already selling premium spots on its app targeting specific types of customer. Conlumino's Neil Saunders concludes that there's room for plenty of newcomers in such a huge market. Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter.

A start-up founded by Colombians with no former experience in retail is aiming to shake up the way people buy groceries online.

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In a speech broadcast on Iranian television, Mr Rouhani said it was vital that the younger generation had access to the internet. The president, who was elected in 2013, has vowed to support greater media freedom but has faced opposition. Last week, prominent Iranian cleric Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said mobile internet was "immoral and unlawful". Conservative clerics oppose introducing mobile broadband services, saying they allow immoral images to be shared freely and more easily. In recent weeks the government has awarded 3G licences to three mobile broadband companies, but experts say the proportion of Iranians using the service is still low. Speaking on Monday, President Rouhani insisted the internet was crucial to connect with the world of science, saying: "We cannot close the gates of the world to our younger generation". "If we do not move towards the new generation of mobile today and resist it, we will have to do it tomorrow. If not, the day after tomorrow," he said. BBC Middle East analyst Sebastian Usher says President Rouhani's comments will resonate in Iran, but it is unclear if they will carry any real weight. Iranians will be waiting to see if his latest statement of intent produces real change in the face of the usual resistance, our correspondent adds. Iran's government cracked down on media freedom and internet access after widespread protests against the country's leaders in 2009, banning online services like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Since then, many Iranians have grown used to bypassing censorship controls by using proxy servers or other online tools.

President Hassan Rouhani has urged Iran's clerics to be more tolerant of the internet and new technologies.

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He confirmed BBC Three would be moved to the iPlayer in autumn 2015, with its budget slashed from £85m to £25m. Lord Hall said moving the channel online was "the right thing to do" and also "financially necessary". The proposal will create space for a BBC One +1 service and a one-hour evening extension of CBBC to 2000 GMT. "I want younger and less affluent audiences to be better served by the BBC. Younger audiences are increasingly moving online and on demand. The challenge is to take the brilliance of BBC Three into that world," he said. The director general said "tough decisions" needed to be made to face up to the fiscal challenges of the BBC, but said the plan was "strategically right and financially right too". He stressed that cuts were necessary because the licence fee had not increased, while the BBC was "absorbing extra costs" for running the World Service and S4C. Lord Hall said he was "not prepared to compromise on the quality of what I think is at the heart of the BBC, and that is drama", adding he had noticed BBC One's drama budget was in need of a boost. Meanwhile, director of television Danny Cohen said he could not guarantee the future of BBC Four. He told Radio 5 live: "The honest answer to that is 'no, we can't say for certain what will happen to BBC Four in the future'. "If future funding for the BBC comes under more threat, we will have to take more services along a similar route." 13m viewers per week 29% of all 16 to 34-year-olds £85m on programmes 6.6p per hour for each viewer The proposals for BBC Three have been endorsed by the corporation's executive board but the BBC Trust, which represents the interests of licence fee payers, will carry out a full consultation before giving its stamp of approval. A Trust spokesman said: "In this case, we expect to conduct a public value test, including a public consultation, so licence fee payers will have the opportunity to have their say in the process." By David SillitoMedia correspondent In essence there's less money for experimental comedy in order to protect drama on BBC One. Last year BBC Three spent nearly £90m on programmes and broadcast more comedy than the whole of the rest of BBC TV. When it goes online its programme budget will have shrunk by two thirds. Secondly, it's a clear message cutting BBC funding will cut programmes and services people watch. The problem for the BBC is choosing which channel to close. Older critics may loathe F*** Off, I'm Ginger and Snog Marry Avoid?, but BBC Three reaches 16 million people a week and the audience is younger, less affluent and more diverse than other BBC channels. Comedy producer Ash Atalla said the BBC had at a stroke made itself "whiter, older and more middle class". That will sting. BBC Three branding will remain on its offerings on the iPlayer, Lord Hall added, while some shows will eventually be shown on BBC One or Two. He admitted this was the first time the BBC had ever proposed closing a TV channel - and warned he could not "rule out it being the last change to our programmes or services". Former BBC Three controller Mr Cohen said in an ideal world "we would not be making this move for a few more years". He added: "Given an entirely free hand, I would make this change in about four or five years' time, using the years between now and then to slowly shift the balance between linear and on-demand BBC Three content. "That would be a safer, less risky strategy. But we don't have the choice to wait and do that due to the investments we need to make." The BBC's media correspondent David Sillito said: "The detail is yet to be worked out. They're going to hang onto the brand, but it won't be a channel. "It's going to be a much, much smaller output than people are used to. In essence there's less money for experimental comedy in order to protect drama on BBC One. " Celebrity supporters of the channel, which has been the test bed for many successful comedy shows, have expressed their dismay at plans. Matt Lucas, who launched Little Britain on BBC Three said the move would be "really bad for new comedy". Gavin and Stacey's Ruth Jones said she was "really shocked", saying the station had "a special place in her heart." She added: "However, I'm not an accountant and, I don't know, there's obviously reasons for it. People aren't just doing it for the benefit of their health, are they?" Viewers have already started online petitions to save the channel in its current form, with one mustering the support of more than 60,000 people by Thursday lunchtime. Some of them took part in a special Radio 1 programme, where listeners expressed their anger to Cohen. "I'm completely gutted, I think you're completely ignoring our views," said BBC Three fan Alice. "We're not going to sit by and take it - we're going to make a stand and try to save the channel." Another viewer, Michael, added: "Me and my fiance are not very techy people. We live busy lifestyles and BBC Three is on at a convenient time - if it goes online we just simply won't watch it." But a third audience member, Lewis, said he thought moving the channel online made sense. "We know how to use things online. I think it's the older generations who are going to struggle if, say, BBC Four or a radio channel was cut. "This the best of the worst situation," he added. Cohen said he found the cut "painful" and as a former BBC Three controller, was "very focused" on its target audience. "All those shows you love and like on BBC Three - once they've been online we're going to repeat them," he said. "We'll put them on around 22:35 on BBC One when more people watch [that channel] than BBC Three. We'll make sure all those great comedies appear on BBC One and Two as well."

BBC One drama is to receive a £30m boost from the closure of BBC Three as a TV channel, director general Tony Hall has announced.

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The move, announced in a decree, came as pro-Russia militants seized the regional prosecutor's office in the eastern city of Donetsk. Ukraine blames Russia for organising the seizures of a number of offices in the east, a claim Moscow denies. Some 40,000 Russian troops are stationed near the Ukrainian border. By David SternBBC News, Kiev The questions that immediately arise after Mr Turchynov's announcement are how many people will be called up and how quickly will they be deployed? Also, how will this contribute to Ukraine's ability to fight what has up to now been a losing battle? Russia may not invade. If President Putin's final goal is, as many people here believe, to dismember Ukraine and render what remains of the country forever impotent in the face of Russian power - then he is currently accomplishing this without the need for a single soldier to cross the border. The coming days will indicate whether restoring conscription is a serious move or just the latest attempt by Ukrainian officials to be seen doing something, when in fact nothing can be done. Mr Turchynov admitted on Wednesday that his forces were "helpless" to quell the unrest in some parts of the east, saying the goal was now to prevent it from spreading. He also said Ukraine was on "full combat alert", amid fears that Russian troops could invade. On Thursday, his office said in a statement that conscription was being introduced "given the deteriorating situation in the east and the south... the rising force of armed pro-Russian units and the taking of public administration buildings... which threaten territorial integrity". BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says Kiev's decision is, in the short-term at least, a symbolic step as the Ukrainian military has been starved of cash for years and is no match for what Russia has on its borders. The real battle for control of Ukrainian territory is already under way and Kiev is losing ground, he adds. Analysts say Ukraine has 130,000 personnel in its armed forces that could be boosted to about one million with reservists. Kiev scrapped compulsory military service for young men in late 2013 under a law introduced by then President Viktor Yanukovych. At the time, Mr Yanukovych said Ukraine would introduce military reforms to create "a professional army". In Donetsk on Thursday, pro-Russian militants attacked the prosecutor's office, accusing those inside of siding with the government in Kiev. The crowd later forced its way into the building, stripping weapons and shields from police officers and raising the flag of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. Many attackers chanted "Fascists! Fascists!". There were reports of injuries on both sides. One policeman running away from the prosecutor's office told the BBC's Steve Rosenberg: "How on earth can we deal with this kind of thing?" Donetsk, an industrial hub, has seen a number of government offices seized in recent weeks. Eastern Ukraine has a large Russian-speaking population and was a stronghold for Mr Yanukovych before he was overthrown by protesters in February. Russia then annexed the Crimean peninsula - part of Ukraine but with a Russian-speaking majority - in a move that provoked international outrage. The crisis has plunged East-West relations to their lowest point since the Cold War. On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russia in a phone call to President Vladimir Putin to help free foreign monitors held in eastern Ukraine. The military observers were seized by pro-Russia separatists at a checkpoint in the flashpoint town of Sloviansk last Friday. For his part, Mr Putin reiterated his call for Kiev to withdraw troops from the south-east to open the way for a national dialogue. Mrs Merkel is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington on Friday to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.

Ukraine's acting President Olexander Turchynov has reinstated military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in the east of the country.

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Beck suffered a serious knee injury on the opening weekend of the 2015-16 season and played no further part in the campaign. The 26-year-old was a second half replacement for Josh Matavesi. Matavesi, Sam Parry, Dafydd Howells and Ben John crossed for the home side's tries.

Wales centre Ashley Beck made his comeback as Ospreys began their pre-season with victory over Leicester Tigers at the Liberty Stadium.

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The charge of aiding the enemy - one of 22 charges he faces - carries a life sentence in prison. Col Denise Lind ruled against a defence argument that the government had not properly alleged that Pte Manning intended to help al-Qaeda. Pte Manning's court martial is set to begin on 21 September in Maryland. In arguing the case for keeping the charge in place, prosecutors said Pte Manning knew the information would be seen by al-Qaeda, regardless of whether that was his main intention. Col Lind eventually ruled that the charge must be proven during the court martial. If prosecutors fail to prove Pte Manning knew he was giving information to the enemy, Col Lind said she would consider further motions from the defence. While the court martial date has been set, Pte Manning has not yet entered a plea, or decided whether he will be tried by a judge or a jury. During pre-trial hearings, Col Lind also heard arguments about whether or not the leaked material actually harmed US interests - and whether this mattered. Defence lawyer David Coombs said he believed the reports would show the leaks did little harm. If Wikileaks had created significant harm to the US, the prosecution would be eager to discuss them, Mr Coombs said. Prosecutor Maj Ashden Fein called the reports "completely irrelevant", arguing the government did not have to prove if damages actually occurred, only that Pte Manning knew they could. Pte Manning is alleged to have been the source of a series of high-profile security breaches that saw Wikileaks rise to global fame. After a video showing US troops firing on Iraqis from a helicopter came caches of documents from both the Iraq and Afghan wars, and a huge haul of classified state department cables.

A US military judge has refused to dismiss the most serious charge against Private Bradley Manning, the alleged source of Wikileaks revelations.

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Sobhia Tabasim Khan, 37, was found dead inside her home in Pear Tree Crescent, Normanton, at 21:50 BST on Saturday. Ataul Mustafa, 35, of the same address, was arrested and is accused of her murder. Mr Mustafa appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court on Monday and is due at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday.

A man has been charged with murdering a woman whose body was found at a house in Derby.

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Photos, uniform and craftwork have been found showing how St Fagans Castle, near Cardiff, was used as a hospital for soldiers. Staff at the National History Museum, which is now based there, say they show another side to the Great War. But they are keen to find out more about the people in the pictures. The team at St Fagans are going back through old archives and collections, looking for items that could shed light on what life would have been like in Wales during the World War I years from 1914 to 1918. They will use the information they find for events planned to mark the centenary of the start of the war in 2014, along with a permanent exhibition for 2016 when the museum is renovated. Because items at the museum have not been catalogued together under a specific war category, curators are having to painstakingly sort through all the collections and items in storage looking with "fresh eyes" to see if anything is relevant to the conflict. Mary Ann Dodd, a house maid for the Plymouth family, gave details of her life at St Fagans to her carer when she was elderly. "In 1914 came the war and the banqueting hall was given over for 40 soldiers. "The war went on so a room was added on for 30 more men. "I used to cook and clean and one day a week I did the washing. "Those soldiers' socks were in a state, many had no heels in them at all. "The soldiers only laughed and teased us and when they got better they tried to help us." The museum has always known that St Fagans Castle - an Elizabethan manor house which was the summer residence of the wealthy Plymouth family - had been used as a convalescence hospital during World War I. There had been about 40 beds in the banqueting hall - which has since burnt down - and staff from the estate would help nurses tend to the men. But until now, very few details were known about what happened at the V.A.D. (Voluntary Aid Detachment) Hospital and who was there. Sioned Hughes, the museum's curator of politics, trade and religion, said they had found items that had been forgotten about or wrongly categorized. "We have uncovered lots of things that tell the human stories there," she said. "For example, we have an intricate butterfly-shaped belt buckle made from beads. I initially didn't think it was linked to the world war but it was in fact made by a soldier - a Cpl W. Stinson - in the hospital. "Lady Plymouth was quite active within the Red Cross and, like a lot of landed gentry in the war, they opened up their home to help. "The butterfly - and an accompanying necklace - shows that the soldiers were doing very intricate and delicate art during their time at the hospital. "It might have been a form of therapy. We think - but can't be sure - that they were there because they had post-traumatic stress disorder, or shellshock as it was known then. "I think it shows another side to the war." However, despite having photographs and a nurse's uniform from the time - along with the crafts - museum staff desperately want to find out more about the people behind them. Elen Phillips, curator of costumes and textiles, said they hoped members of the public could help fill in gaps in their knowledge. "The research is still in its infancy," she said. "There are a number of personalities we know about but we don't know much about them or what happened to them after the war. "You do become quite attached to these people because you spend so much time researching them." Curators have also found a communion book and prayer books, along with a box of communion drinking glasses and silverware that appear to have been used on the battlefields of France. "They were in our religious collections but we believe they are related to World War I," said Ms Hughes. "I think they would have been used on the battlefield for the soldiers. They probably took communion and you can only imagine the circumstances of that." The finds also show how the local community continued to support soldiers after the war, with photographs from the 1930s suggesting that the Plymouth family, who themselves lost a son in the conflict, hosted reunion dinners for veterans. Ms Hughes has also uncovered a box full of lapel pins - similar to charity badges received today for donating money to good causes. "Some of the charities are very revealing, such as Cardiff Wounded Soldiers Extra Comfort for Christmas, Prisoners of War Fund and the Welsh National Hospital," she added. "They were quite a find. My heart beat quite fast when I saw them."

Museum curators trawling through archives for an exhibition on World War I have uncovered hidden gems about Welsh life during the conflict.

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The 34-year-old former Nigeria international left Wanderers last month as they were unable to offer him a new deal due to their financial problems. Former Newcastle man Ameobi spent time at Turkish side Gaziantep BB and Crystal Palace before he joined Bolton. He is available for Fleetwood's game at Port Vale on Saturday at 15:00 GMT. "In January we signed a number of younger players and it was vital to the group that we brought in a player with experience," boss Steven Pressley told the club website. "We certainly couldn't get any more experience than Shola and we are absolutely delighted with that." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

League One side Fleetwood Town have signed striker Shola Ameobi on a contract to the end of the season following his release by Bolton.

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It is the latest prison recording by Tanveer Ahmed, 32, who stabbed Asad Shah to death at his shop in the south of the city in March last year. He claimed Mr Shah was a "false prophet" who had "disrespected Islam." In the message, he urges listeners to attend a conference in Karachi. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said it could not comment on individuals. Ahmed, a taxi driver from Bradford, says in the recording: "I have great restrictions imposed on me in prison but I am not failing to extend this invitation to you." He also suggests that he has been asked to end his religious connections with Pakistan and talks of being warned by what he calls "agents of infidels". He adds: "They threatened me and asked me to sever all contacts with these people", before alleging that he has been asked to persuade preachers in Pakistan to stop making provocative speeches about his crime. His previous prison recordings have contained statements of defiance at his life sentence for the murder and derogatory and sectarian references to the minority Ahmadi Muslim community, of which Mr Shah was a member. In one he suggested he had no remorse over his killing of the 40-year-old, saying: "I stood guard on the honour of Prophet Muhammad and I shall do it again if I shall get a chance." In another he says: "The penalty for those who insult the prophet: cut their heads from their bodies." Youtube removed one recording after it violated the video sharing site's policy on hate speech. Ahmed killed Mr Shah after seeing videos the shopkeeper posted online discussing his faith, believing he was falsely claiming to be a prophet. He pleaded guilty to the murder last year and is currently appealing to reduce his minimum 27-year jail term. His messages from prison have been posted on social media platforms and websites based in Pakistan, where many people have expressed support for his killing of Mr Shah, whom they believed to be a blasphemer. The new audio emerged after an unnamed prison source told the Daily Record that the religious murderer had "turned over a new leaf" and converted to a more peaceful brand of Islam. The same source said that any new messages from Ahmed were likely to be old. But the latest recording is an invitation to a rally attended by thousands of people at the weekend, where large crowds were addressed by the hardline preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi. Rizvi paid glowing tribute to Tanveer Ahmed, saying he "has surprised the whole of Europe." He went on to say: "They are still at loss to understand why he did it. They were worried to see him totally unmoved about life imprisonment." Ahmed's new audio message - posted on 27 January 2017 as a video on a Facebook page for Khadim Hussain Rizvi, whom he describes as his "mentor" - has been viewed 53,000 times and shared more than 4,000. Video of the weekend's rally in Karachi shows large crowds chanting "Labaik Ya Rasool Ullah" or "Here I am present, O Prophet". The same words were shouted by Ahmed and his supporters at the High Court in Glasgow as he was sentenced to life for the murder of Mr Shah. And they have become a slogan for the extremist anti-blasphemy movement in Pakistan, where being judged to have insulted the majority religion of Islam or the Prophet Muhammad can receive the death penalty. Also addressing the rally in Karachi were family members of Mumtaz Qadri, an Islamist extremist who was hanged last year for the 2011 murder of Punjab governor Salman Taseer. Qadri shot Taseer dead after judging his support for Christians and other minority religious groups in Pakistan to be blasphemous and against Islam. Thousands attended Qadri's funeral, and many in Pakistan seek to draw parallels between his actions and Ahmed's killing of Mr Shah. The SPS said it could not comment on individuals but the BBC understands it is collaborating with other agencies to establish exactly what Tanveer Ahmed has been saying from prison and to whom. Ahmed Owusu Konadu, external affairs secretary of the Ahmadi Muslim Community, questioned why Ahmed was able to get his messages out of the prison. "We wouldn't expect such a thing to be happening in the United Kingdom," he said. "If it's been done a few times it's quite bizarre that the authorities haven't taken steps in stopping the messages from coming from the prison. "Any hate preachers or provocations should be stopped. If it's definitely Tanveer Ahmed and it's definitely from the prison, the prison needs to do more."

An extremist who murdered a Glasgow shopkeeper has released an audio message from jail publicising a controversial religious event in Pakistan.

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The mother-of-ten, a Protestant, was originally from east Belfast, and converted to Catholicism after marrying Arthur McConville. After being intimidated out of east Belfast, the family moved to west Belfast and set up home in the Divis Flats on the Lower Falls Road. Not long after the move, her husband died in 1971. She was taken from her home by the IRA in December 1972. There had been speculation that she was taken after being seen by neighbours helping an injured British soldier. Others claimed she was an informer, but this was dismissed after an official investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman. In a BBC documentary last year, one of Mrs McConville's daughters, Agnes, spoke for the first time about her mother's abduction. She recalled hearing her mother squealing as she was taken away from her home by a number of men and women and thrown in the back of a van. "That was the last time that we saw her," she said. It is believed the mother-of-ten was held at a number of houses, before she was shot. Her disappearance initially gained extensive media attention in the run-up to Christmas - her children were interviewed and begged for information about their mother. Their pleas came to nothing. Within the community, republicans put out the message that she was merely 'lying low', and her story gradually faded from the headlines. In the intervening years, the IRA always denied any involvement in her disappearance. It wasn't until the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains was established in 1999 that her name resurfaced in the headlines. The body was set up by the British and Irish governments to obtain information in strictest confidence to help locate the remains of a number of people who had disappeared during the Troubles. Those known as the Disappeared had been abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans. The IRA admitted that year that it murdered and buried at secret locations nine of the Disappeared, including Jean McConville. It was several years later that her body was finally found on Shelling Hill Beach in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland in 2003. Irish police confirmed that she had died from a bullet wound to the head. In the days that followed, the IRA issued a statement apologising for the grief it had caused the families of the Disappeared and that their suffering had continued for so long.

Jean McConville was not the only person to be murdered and secretly buried during Northern Ireland's Troubles, but her case has been one of the most high profile.

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They say numerous accounts critical of the Kremlin have been suspended following false reports of abuse filed from Russia. Ukraine's president has urged Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to create a special administrative office to deal with the complaints. Russia has not commented on the claims. Addressing Mr Zuckerberg on Facebook, President Petro Poroshenko said: "We have to use all available channels to get reaction from global companies. "Ukraine does need a Ukrainian Facebook office!" Underneath, he shared Mark Zuckerberg's status inviting questions for his regular "Townhall Q&A" session on 14 May. The top responses to Mr Zuckerberg's invitation were overwhelmingly pro-Ukrainian. "Can you or your team please do something to resolve this problem?" asked the most popular comment, which had attracted more than 41,000 likes at the time of writing. "Create a separate administration for the Ukrainian segment, block abuse reports from Russia, or maybe just monitor more carefully top Ukrainian bloggers, but somehow help us, please!" it said. In recent weeks, several prominent Ukrainian users of Facebook have had their accounts suspended after posting updates critical of Russia or Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. A Ukrainian poet, Andriy Bondar, fell foul of the social network's regulations by publishing a verse mocking the Russian media's fixation with Ukraine and referencing the popular hashtag, "What are Ukrainians up to?". Henadiy Moskal, the plain-speaking governor of the restive Luhansk region, had his Facebook account blocked after sharing a photo of himself standing next to a poster with an obscenity aimed at the separatists. Russians themselves are not immune from the apparent campaign to silence Kremlin critics on Facebook. The account belonging to independent journalist Sergey Parkhomenko was suspended on 6 May after he voiced allegations of Russian involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine. Facebook later said this was done in error. "Our team deals with thousands of reports and complaints on a daily basis, and we make mistakes in rare cases," Russian news agency RBK quoted a Facebook representative as saying. Facebook users targeted by such abuse reports often say they are filed by paid "Kremlin bots" or the "troll army" supposedly run by the Russian government to promote its point of view on social media. The Kremlin has not commented on these claims, while Facebook is yet to respond to the calls for a separate administrative office to deal with comments on Ukraine. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

Campaigners are urging Facebook to act against what they describe as Russian attempts to silence pro-Ukrainian voices.

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The letter was written just six hours before her execution on 8 February 1587. The 430-year-old handwritten letter has not been on display at the library in Edinburgh since 2009. For preservation reasons, the letter will only be on show for six hours between 10:00 and 16:00. Entry is free. Mary is one of the most fascinating figures in Scottish history. She became queen of Scotland when she was six days old but spent most of her childhood in France. On her return her brief reign resulted only in disastrous marriages, murder and war. She gave up the throne at the age of 24 and was a prisoner in England for most of the next 20 years until she executed on the orders of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Her son James became king of Scotland and England. Mary's last letter was written at two o'clock in the morning on Wednesday 8 February 1587 as she prepared to meet her death at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire. Writing in French to Henri III, King of France - the brother of her first husband - she said: "I am to be executed like a criminal at eight in the morning." In the letter she said her "crime" was her loyalty to her Catholic faith which, together with her claim to the English throne, made her a considerable threat to her cousin, Elizabeth. She also expressed concern for the servants she would leave behind who had served her so loyally during her 19-year imprisonment in England. Towards the end of the letter, she beseeched King Henri to have "prayers offered to God for a queen who has borne the title Most Christian, and who dies a Catholic, stripped of all her possessions". National Librarian Dr John Scally said: "The life of Mary Queen of Scots has fascinated people of all ages for generations. "She is one of Scotland's most famous monarchs." "The National Library is pleased to provide this opportunity to see the last letter she ever wrote only hours before her execution. This is a rare chance to see a remarkable piece of Scottish history."

The last letter of Mary, Queen of Scots is being put on public display by the National Library of Scotland next week to mark the anniversary of her death.

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Media playback is not supported on this device A night after American Justin Gatlin shocked Usain Bolt in the men's final, Bowie went one better than a year ago in Rio as her perfect dip on the line nicked the race from Ta Lou by one-hundredth of a second. Am I really the world champion? Jamaican favourite Thompson, who had looked peerless in winning her semi-final earlier in the evening, had a start even worse than Bolt's and appeared to lose her stride twice as she faded into fifth. Ivory Coast's Ta Lou initially thought she had it won, but her personal best of 10.86 was good enough only for silver, the Netherlands' Schippers coming through for bronze in 10.96. Media playback is not supported on this device Having won gold in both the 100m and 200m in Rio, Thompson came to London Stadium as the fastest woman in the world in 2017. Her defeat is thus arguably even a bigger shock than Bolt's, capping a hugely disappointing two days for Jamaica, the dominant force in sprinting over the past nine years. "I feel the hard work has finally paid off," Bowie told BBC Sport. "I couldn't be more happy. It hasn't even sunk in. Am I really the world champion?" And on falling over after dipping at the line, she said: "I'm a bit bit sore but I'm pretty sure it is nothing major. Most championships I've won with dips so why not dip tonight." Bolt's race had been lost with his reaction time from the blocks of 0.183 seconds, the slowest in the field. And Thompson made exactly the same mistake, getting out in a horrible 0.2 seconds, and she would never recover. Ta Lou, streaking away in lane four, left Michelle-Lee Ahye in three and Rosangela Santos on her right behind. Media playback is not supported on this device Had she lent into the line the title would have been hers. But Bowie, coming through late on the outside just as Gatlin had 24 hours, threw herself into the final few metres, and while the effort sent her tumbling to the track it proved critical. Thompson does not even have the consolation of the 200m to aim for, her bemusement afterwards shared by the thousands of Jamaican supporters in the stadium who had come expecting a measure of payback for Bolt's great disappointment. Media playback is not supported on this device The night after the final individual race of Usain Bolt's career, Wayde van Niekerk - the man many hope will replace the retiring Jamaican as a superstar of the sport - eased into Monday night's 400m final. The reigning world champion, Olympic champion and world record holder won his semi-final in 44.22 secs from Baboloki Thebe's 44.33, with Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas taking his in 43.89 to set a new national record and Botswana's Isaac Makwala - who earlier this summer became the first man in history to run a sub-44-second 400m and a sub-20-second 200m (19.77) on the same day - also impressing with 44.30. While talented young American Fred Kerley made it through as a fastest loser, Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith missed out despite a much improved run, his 44.74 only good enough for fourth behind Van Niekerk. His compatriot Andy Pozzi, the third fastest man British sprint hurdler in history, missed out on a place in the 110m hurdles final as Olympic champion Omar McLeod confirmed his position as gold medal favourite in winning his semi-final, Aries Merritt, Balazs Baji and Garfield Darien also impressing. Neither Guy Learmonth nor Elliot Giles could progress from an 800m semi won by Poland's Adam Kszczot from Nijel Amos. But 21-year-old Kyle Langford stepped up in style as he judged the second semi perfectly to come past four rivals in the home straight and take automatic qualification with a fine second place. And New Zealand's Tomas Walsh, bronze medallist at the Olympics a year ago, took shot put gold with 22.03m ahead of USA's Joe Kovacs and Croatia's Stipe Zunic. Media playback is not supported on this device

USA's Tori Bowie stormed to World Championships 100m gold from Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Dafne Schippers as Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was left empty-handed.

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Scotland has built up a specialism in that, with Edinburgh one of Europe's main asset management centres. It can seem removed from the retail market. Jointly having £660bn of assets under management, the two firms heading towards merger are huge, but not all about the super-rich. Much of the money put aside in small-scale investments, insurance and pensions is placed with such specialist firms. But an increasing share of it is going to funds that are passive, investing across the market so as to track it. Companies such as Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset are under pressure to cut the higher costs of actively managing funds. Standard Life, aged 192, is strongly rooted in the Scottish capital, and has been transformed in 11 years from a mutual to a significant plc, as a fund manager and also as a pensions, savings and life assurance company. It has ventures in the Indian and Chinese household savings and investment markets. Aberdeen Asset Management is closer to a pure-play asset managing firm, which has focused its efforts on emerging markets. That has made its performance more volatile than others, and in the past three years more funds have been withdrawn than placed with it. It is a relative newcomer, founded in 1983, and its growth has been the personal mission of chief executive Martin Gilbert. Much of that is through acquisition, including the investment arm of Scottish Widows, which it bought from Lloyds Banking Group in 2013. Gilbert has a different style to Standard Life's old-schooler Keith Skeoch, and it will be interesting to watch how a chief executive job share works out between them. The logic of putting the firms together is to build investment clout, in competition with US-based giants such as Blackrock. They want to assert that active management of funds can work for clients. With those passive funds growing, this offers "significant synergy potential", which is likely to mean duplicate roles being shed. At present, the companies employ around 9,000 people. That clout as a shareholder can also be applied to shaping the decisions of companies in which the asset managers have stakes. Both Standard Life and Aberdeen have sought to be active and responsible shareholders - with a close interest, for instance, in the incentives behind other firms' boardroom pay.

The quiet but very powerful end of finance sees assets being managed across portfolios of equities, bonds and property.

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An armed ex-policeman hijacked the bus carrying Hong Kong tourists in August. The five-person jury found that the victims were unlawfully killed and the authorities' botched handling of the crisis directly led to their deaths. Police stormed the bus and shot dead gunman Rolando Mendoza, who seized the vehicle in a bid to get his job back. The gunman had spent almost three decades with Manila's police force, but was sacked over claims of extortion. The hostage drama lasted for 11 hours and eight of the 25 people on board were shot dead. The botched rescue attempt by Philippine forces was broadcast live on television and radio, heightening questions about how it was managed. The Hong Kong inquest jury said the Philippine authorities had not met the hostage-taker's demands quickly enough and that they had lied to him. The jury said the bungled rescue had meant potentially life-saving treatment for two of the victims was delayed. "Philippine officials left to dine at a restaurant even after Mendoza fired warning shots, meaning no one was on scene to take command when Mendoza started firing at the hostages," the jury said in its verdict. The inquest heard minute-by-minute details of the crisis from 31 witnesses from Hong Kong and 10 from the Philippines. The inquest's findings do not ascribe criminal or civil liability to anyone involved. The incident has strained ties between Manila, Hong Kong and the Chinese government. Following a Philippine inquest in October, Philippine President Benigno Aquino sought only minor charges, such as "neglect of duty" against four police officers. The Mayor of Manila, Alfredo Lim, escaped criminal prosecution after President Aquino overturned a judge's recommendation; the mayor and a deputy ombudsman were recommended for administrative charges only. The BBC's Hong Kong correspondent, Annemarie Evans, says President Aquino came in for much criticism in what constituted his first international crisis.

A Hong Kong inquest has criticised Philippine officials for their slow response to a Manila bus hijacking that left eight tourists from the city dead.

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The Gower Hotel in Bishopston, Swansea, which employed 23 people, closed without warning on New Year's Eve. Insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor hosted a meeting of creditors to place the company in voluntary liquidation at its Cardiff office on Wednesday. The venue had bookings for 32 events up until September 2018, including 28 weddings. Speaking after the meeting, Claire Phillips, 38, and Simon Evans, 31, from Swansea said the loss of their money and wedding venue had left them "stressed and upset". The couple, who are due to marry in April 2018, lost a £500 deposit they paid in November. Ms Phillips said: "We've almost certainly lost all the money we've paid because we're an unsecured creditor. "It does tarnish it and make you paranoid about planning anything." Jazmine Parry, 30, from Swansea, was due to marry Kurt Tracey, 31, at the venue on 27 April. She told the Jason Mohammad programme earlier this month she was "gutted" and they had paid £5,000 toward the cost. Begbies Traynor said after losing staff and suffering from ill health, the owners were no longer able to run the venue and were "deeply sorry". Consumer law expert Prof Margaret Griffiths said: "Unfortunately, of course, people like Jazmine and the other couples involved will be what's termed unsecured creditors, so they will actually be at the end of the line when it comes to paying out for the insolvency of the firm."

A hotel that shut unexpectedly leaving plans for 28 weddings in tatters has gone into liquidation.

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The 37-year-old was due to board a flight for Turkey on Tuesday evening when he was held on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism. His arrest is not connected to Monday night's suicide bomb attack at Manchester Arena, Scotland Yard said. Two residential addresses in north London are being searched. The UK's terror threat level has been raised in the wake of the arena attack, which killed 22 people and injured 59. It stands at its highest level of "critical", indicating further attacks may be imminent.

A man has been arrested at Stansted Airport in Essex by counter-terror police who suspected he was planning to travel to Syria.

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It runs until Sunday on the Crichton Campus with more than 70 different acts expected to perform. Local headliners are Zoe Bestel and Claire Hastings while musicians from around the world are also involved in the festival. Organisers said ticket sales already achieved would guarantee even bigger audiences than at last year's inaugural event. Festival director Linda Butterworth said: "We are proud to show that Dumfries can represent Scotland with this top quality international event. "News of our success has spread around the world. "We put the success down to lots of factors - brilliant venue, great programme, amazing volunteers, meticulous organisation and carefully selected international, national and local acts of the highest quality." She said they hoped they had created "something special" this year. "You don't have to play the ukulele to enjoy the festival but if you do come be prepared to be won over by the fantastic atmosphere and leave clutching a brand-new ukulele and a list of new friends," she added.

The second Ukulele Festival of Scotland is getting under way in Dumfries.

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Companies and websites are springing up to track and analyse the names, numbers and needs of the mega-wealthy, you can even get a daily update on who today's richest man (it's always a man) is. So what can we tell from all of this analysis about the wealthy and the kind of world their rise is creating? The number of billionaires is forecast to grow by 38% to 2,315 in the decade to 2023, according to Knight Frank's annual Wealth Report which is carried out by the research company Wealth Insight. The crude number of billionaires may not be that high, but the report forecasts growth among those with $30m (£18m) or more, also known as "Ultra High Net Worth Individuals", to reach 215,000 by 2023, a rise of 28%. While the numbers of the super-rich will swell in all regions of the world, the rate of growth in emerging economies is forecast to be much stronger in the coming decade. Asia, according to the study, will have the most billionaires and the growth will be considerably greater than in North America and Europe. However it is also worth noting that this reflects a larger population in general. Another thing worth noting is that with inflation a billion today is not going to be worth the same as a billion in 10 years' time. When you break it down country by country, the US is still expected to have the most billionaires in 2023 but China, Russia and India will be racing to catch up with far higher rates of growth. One surprising result from the research is the number of self-made multi-millionaires far outstrips those who inherited their money or built a fortune on a substantial inheritance, by roughly two to one. The dilemma for those who make their own fortune is whether to pass their wealth on to their children or to give the bulk of it away. Multi-billionaire Edward Zhu, who moved to China from the United States two decades ago, says talented people should start from nothing and that is what he wants for his children. When it comes to gender, almost nine out of 10 of all the individuals worth more than $30m are men. And perhaps less surprisingly, the ultra-rich don't find it too hard to find a partner. Both men and women are almost guaranteed to already be hitched for life.

The extremely wealthy are growing in numbers and entire industries are being created to cater to their desires but where are the individuals who are amassing vast fortunes based and what do we know about them?

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Environmental activists disrupted the west London airport's M4 spur road as a number of groups demonstrated on Saturday over the government's recent decision to approve a third runway. Fifteen arrests were made for obstructing the highway or public order offences. Traffic was disrupted but there was no reported impact on flights. Protesters from the environmental organisation Rising Up! also locked themselves together as they blocked the East Ramp road near the airport. Other campaigners gathered on the flyover to chant "No ifs, no buts, no third runway" and "No more runways". A Heathrow spokesman warned passengers to allow extra time to travel or to use public transport where possible. A spokesman for Rising Up! said: "The government's decisions to expand Heathrow, despite mass opposition from local residents and the fact that doing so is incompatible with the UK's own laws on climate change, leaves us with no morally acceptable option but to resist." Neil Keveren, a resident of nearby Harmondsworth, said: "Democracy has failed us. "As a direct result, the quality of life and life expectancy of the population here will be shorter. "This is against our human rights and must be defended. Who is left to correct this injustice when our politicians will not? "The answer is us - you and me." A spokeswoman for Heathrow said: "Independent analysis by the Airports Commission has found that building and operating an additional runway at Heathrow is compatible with the UK meeting its long-term climate change reduction targets. "The Independent Committee on Climate Change has also shown that a 60% growth in passenger numbers in the United Kingdom can be achieved within the UK's Climate Change Targets." The @MetPoliceEvents account confirmed the arrests on its Twitter feed.

Heathrow expansion protesters were arrested after they blocked a motorway near the airport.

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The cash was supposed to be collected by other gang members on the ground in eastern Santa Cruz province, said Interior Minister Carlos Romero. But they missed the target and the bag was seized by Bolivian anti-drugs police, who later made several arrests. Bolivia is one of the world's top three cocaine producers. The authorities say the money - in US dollar bills of various denominations - was wrapped with a seal from a bank in neighbouring Paraguay. They believe it was going to be used either to build a cocaine production centre or to set up a fake commercial enterprise in Bolivia. "Three Bolivian citizens have been detained in the operation," said Mr Romero. Guns and vehicles were also seized near the town of Rincon del Tigre. Bolivian police had been monitoring the gang, which is believed to be well organised and with links to several countries. Peru, Bolivia and Colombia are the world's biggest coca leaf and cocaine producers, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Coca leaf production is legal in small amounts in Bolivia, where it is used to alleviate the effects of the high altitude. But the production of cocaine is banned.

Suspected members of a drug trafficking gang in Bolivia have thrown a bag containing more than $1m (£615,000) from a low-flying plane.

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The EC said both passengers and freight services are paying over the odds for using the track through the tunnel, which is operated by Eurotunnel. Eurotunnel is a private company owned by the investors who paid for and now run the Channel Tunnel. Eurotunnel said its charges are "transparent and not excessive." The EC has formally called on the British and French governments to look into the pricing structure and to comply with European Union rules against excessive track access charges. The European Commission said the high prices Eurotunnel charges the train companies get passed onto passengers. The EC also said that freight companies are put off using the Channel Tunnel because of the "excessive" charges, preferring to send their goods by road, which causes traffic congestion and pollution. The Commission claims 43% of the Channel Tunnel's capacity is currently unused. Vice-President of the European Commission Siim Kallas said: "'The Channel Tunnel is not being used to its full capacity because of these excessive charges. "As a result, more freight is being carried on lorries instead of by rail, freight operators and their customers are being over-charged, and passengers are paying over the odds for their tickets. The current regime is also stifling growth in the rail sector," he added. In a statement, Eurotunnel said that it has "always sought the development of cross-Channel traffic and concentrates significant resources on this goal". The European Commission also said that the regulator which oversees the tunnel, the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) is weak and far from independent. The Commission said the IGC "does not have the power to adopt decisions on its own initiative without a complaint". The EC added that the IGC is not an independent body, because it is made up of representatives appointed by the UK and French governments. In a statement, the European Commission said: "Lack of independence of a rail regulator can lead to failure by the regulator to address complaints by operators in an independent manner or to adopt decisions to force compliance with EU rules and thus can lead to distortions of competition". Reacting to the assertions of the Commission, a UK Department for Transport spokesman said that "it is not accepted that the UK has failed to implement the relevant EU rules regarding the Channel Tunnel or that the IGC is not independent".

Passengers travelling through the Channel Tunnel are being overcharged, according to the European Commission.

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The tournament was set to replace the Champions Trophy, a one-day competition that was last held in 2009. "I am disappointed it is not going to take place sooner," said International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) described the announcement as "a setback for Test cricket". The Test Championship, due to involve the top four teams in the ICC rankings, had been planned as a way of reviving international interest in the five-day format. England currently lead the rankings, with South Africa second, India third and Australia in fourth. Lorgat added that the proposed 2017 Championship, also scheduled to be held in England, would be "the first opportunity" to resurrect the tournament. The delay comes because of a lack of "support and consent" from the ICC's broadcast partner. England were originally awarded the 2013 Champions Trophy, which would have made way in the international cricket calendar for the Test Championship. Lord's was set to be the venue for the final of Test Championship, but after missing out on welcoming the touring New Zealand team for a five-day game, the ground may only host one Test in 2013. MCC head of cricket John Stephenson said: "The club's priority, given there will be a gap in the calendar in 2013, will be to secure the best possible major matches it can for Lord's to supplement the Australia Test and the New Zealand one-day international being played that year."

The first Test Championship, expected to take place in England in 2013, will not now be played before 2017.

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The umpires called play off at 16:30 BST without a ball being bowled. The match had been well poised after day three, with Lancashire 178-4 in their second innings, leading by 130. Earlier in the contest, Warwickshire's Andy Umeed (113) had struck the slowest century in County Championship history, reaching his ton in 429 minutes.

Persistent rain on the fourth day at Edgbaston meant Warwickshire's day-night County Championship game against Lancashire ended in a draw.

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Paul Briggs, 43, remains in hospital more than a year after he was hit by Chelsea Rowe in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Liverpool Crown Court heard the 26-year-old had been driving on the wrong side of the road. Rowe, from Bidston, Wirral, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for a year. The court was told she had been driving a Nissan Micra when she collided head-on with Merseyside Police officer Pc Briggs on the Birkenhead flyover. He had been riding his motorcycle to work for a nightshift on 3 July, 2015. The married father-of-one, who is also a Gulf War and North Ireland veteran, suffered serious multiple injuries. Rowe was described as a "novice driver" in court. During the sentencing hearing, Mr Briggs' wife Lindsey said her husband's injuries meant it was "much worse than if he had died at the scene". Their ordeal was "beyond torture", she said. "No words can begin to describe the immense pain. "While Paul remains in a horrific state it is beyond devastating and affects every aspect of all our lives for the worse. "We have had to endure seeing him like this every day, for many long difficult months now." She said her husband was in an "unresponsive state" and has been "kept alive purely by medical intervention for so long, it has shattered all of our lives". "I never knew that states worse than death existed until this happened to Paul." Speaking after the sentencing, Merseyside Police's acting Deputy Chief Constable Nikki Holland said Pc Briggs had joined the police to help others in need and "loved" his job. He was highly regarded by his colleagues due to his military experience, she said. She added: "If ever there was a case that reminded us all of the importance of our responsibilities when we are behind the wheel of a car and of the importance of being aware of other road users it is this one."

A "novice" driver who struck a police motorcyclist, leaving him with serious brain injuries and unable to communicate, has been jailed.

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Molly Evans and Rene Cardin, both 19, were arrested shortly after police issued a CCTV appeal about the raid in Kings Heath, Birmingham on 4 June. They were stopped in a car in the city's Highgate Street and arrested. The women, and Rene's brother Tyrone Cardin, 21, are charged with four robberies, burglary, assault and theft. They have been remanded in custody after appearing at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The are accused of a robbery at Simply Local in Harlech Close, Bartley Green, on 31 May where cash, scratch cards and cigarettes were stolen. They have also been charged with a burglary in Rebecca Drive, Selly Oak, on June 16, and three robberies the following day involving women waiting at bus stops in Church Road and Hob Moor Road, in Yardley, and Coventry Road in Small Heath. Rene Cardin, of Cowles Croft; Tyrone Cardin, of William Booth Lane, Ms Evans, of Larch Walk, Yardley, are due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on 19 July.

Two women have been charged with a series of violent robberies, including one in which Post Office staff were threatened with a meat cleaver.