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Religious leaders from three faiths gathered in Cardiff for the first time on Thursday to "show solidarity of faith". | The Muslim Council of Wales said leaders from Judaism, Christianity and Islam visited Dar Ul-Isra mosque.
It aimed to show extremism and religious hatred have "no place" in the city.
More than 100 guests from the Jewish and Christian faiths visited the mosque.
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The Shipwrecked Mariners' Society charity has announced the winners of its seventh annual photography competition.
| The competition encourages amateur and professional photographers to enter pictures that capture the essence of Britain's long maritime heritage, with its merchant ships, fishermen, coasts, ports and harbours.
Here is a selection of the winning entries.
All photographs copyright of the contributors, courtesy of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society and PA Media
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The public will be able to veto council tax increases in England above an agreed limit, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said. | This is a full table of council tax levels for Band D properties in English local authorities since 2000. The two final columns show the percentage change for the past financial year and since 2000-01.
Local authority restructuring in 2008-09 means that some areas do not have consistent data all the way through from 2000-2010. When this is the case, the column has a dash (-).
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The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has warned of an increase in people jumping off piers and cliffs into shallow waters in Sussex over the weekend. | They fear the warm weather will seen a rise in so-called "tombstoning".
The RNLI said that taking part could lead to serious injury or death if a person misjudged the water depth.
In July 2011 a man suffered spinal injuries after jumping off Brighton Pier.
Mark Bell, from RNLI Brighton, said: "It's very difficult to judge the depth of the water beneath you.
"It's also surprisingly cold in the water, it's only around 10-11C at the moment and that can do all sorts of shocking things to your body when you jump in."
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Being overweight puts you at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, experts say - and now new anti-obesity strategies have been launched around the UK. In Bradford, community schemes to promote healthy lifestyles offers a novel approach to the problem. Dr John Wright of the city's Royal Infirmary explains why radical thinking is necessary. | Our complete concentration on Covid-19 has concealed another global pandemic that has been more insidious but much more harmful: obesity. Early in the pandemic, we spotted common patterns in our sickest Covid-19 patients - they were more likely to have diabetes and heart disease and, in particular, to be obese. As the novel coronavirus makes a temporary retreat in the UK, obesity has become a focus of attention not just for the NHS but also the prime minister as he role-models weight loss for the nation.
The Covid-19 treatments that we are discovering through our research trials are making important, though small, improvements in survival. However, prevention is far better than cure, and if we are going to protect our citizens then we need to not only strengthen our public health prevention measures to stop transmission in the short term, but also reduce their risk from harm from infection by tackling obesity in the longer term.
Front line diary
Prof John Wright, a doctor and epidemiologist, is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research, and a veteran of cholera, HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. He is writing this diary for BBC News and recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio.
At the hospital, we have been tracking the lives of 16,000 children from birth as part of the Born in Bradford project to understand how the complex interplay between our genes, lifestyles and environment affects our later risk of physical and mental ill health. It is like a huge Child of Our Time study, but with the best scientists from across the world working together to unravel the clues. The project has shown that our risk of obesity starts very early in life and is particularly high for children of South Asian heritage. The trail of breadcrumbs as to why South Asians have twice to four times the risk of diabetes and heart disease leads back to birth.
As these Bradford children grow up, they face very different futures if they live in Ilkley, one of the richest places in the country, or Manningham, one of the poorest. If they are growing up in inner-city Manningham then they will be surrounded by food swamps of fast-food outlets, and food deserts of healthy options. Poor-quality houses lack proper kitchens to prepare healthy meals. The roads are too busy and dangerous to cycle or even walk to school. Lack of parks and gardens hinder active play. Junk food advertising infects young minds and poor-quality food is all that some families can afford.
Our efforts to tackle obesity are depressingly futile and the girth of the world's population continues to expand. We focus too often on blaming people for bad choices rather than addressing the wider, interacting and complex conditions that lead to obesity. There is no simple behaviour change advice comparable to hand-washing or social distancing, no simple drugs such as dexamethasone or remdesivir to dispense.
Dr Mathew Mathai has worked in the paediatric diabetes clinic at St Luke's Hospital in Bradford for over a decade. When he first started, he says, children with type 2 diabetes were unheard of at the clinic - now there are 18 at any one time.
His clinic has been held virtually during the pandemic and he will soon be seeing his patients again, with a proper opportunity to weigh them and find out how social distancing restrictions have affected them.
"It will be really interesting to see what lockdown has done: for some it's been a useful period to think about exercise. And others have gone the other way and they've been in all the time, watching TV and eating more," he says.
Much of the work his clinic does is about motivation - and Dr Matai is keen to enlist people in the community who can help with that.
One such person is Tahira Amin, a registered dietitian, who was on maternity leave when she realised more could be done locally to help improve fitness, health and the whole feel of the inner-city area around Lister Mill in Bradford.
"I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy but still needed a challenge and investigated what I could do in the local community," she says. She'd already been involved in a programme to teach fencing to Muslim young women and girls and now she had an idea for another project - to promote good health by taking over allotments and turning derelict land into a community garden.
Amin believes that meeting others in an outdoor, active setting is a better way to learn about healthy lifestyles than sitting around in a classroom. "We can grow food, learn about diet and nutrition and get exercise that really helps in the fight against obesity," she says,
Sofia Rashid lives nearby and is pleased with the changes, particularly since it's made it so much easier for her seven-year-old disabled daughter to navigate her walker through the greener spaces.
"We have all looked after the allotment and helped grow things. All the women here are helping and we've been out walking through lockdown - it was encouraging to have someone thinking about health," she says.
Rashid says the response to Amin's project has been amazing. "She's also teaching us about healthy eating and she's set up a cycling group so some of us are planning to ride bikes for the first time," Rashid says. "Last weekend we had a street clean-up where all the ladies of the area got together, it was people of all ages."
Dr Mathai is convinced it's local schemes like this which will make a real difference, particularly for children who need help navigating the array of takeaway options on offer in the city.
"This isn't a medical problem, it's a social and community issue that needs to be addressed," he says. "It needs to be local parks, government and services taking the lead, with doctors there to support that community-driven approach."
In Bradford we are building on our work in Born in Bradford to establish the world's first "City Collaboratory" that recognises that we need a radically different approach to preventing obesity. It brings together policy makers, communities, schools, urban planners, transport experts, and researchers to help develop and test whole system approaches that will act across every aspect of the city to save lives.
Our local and national response to Covid-19 has shown what is possible with common purpose and collective endeavour. Let us put the same vigour and commitment to tackling the other pandemic.
Follow @docjohnwright and radio producer @SueM1tchell on Twitter
You may also be interested in...
As a side-effect of the rise in childhood obesity, an increasing number of children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes - particularly, in some UK cities, in the Asian community. Will the NHS consider an approach now being tried in the US, and offer these children bariatric surgery?
Should children with type 2 diabetes be offered a gastric op?
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Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has decided to auction his pre-Tardis vehicle - a Vauxhall Corsa he has owned since he was 18 - to help a charity which grants wishes to terminally ill children. | Smith, from Northampton, has donated his car to the Starlight Children's Foundation to auction on eBay.
University of East Anglia graduate Smith, 30, who is an ambassador for the charity, nicknamed the car "The Shed".
The silver-coloured car is parked at his parents' home in Northampton.
'Great little car'
The eBay auction of the car, first registered on 30 November 2000 and with about 60,000 miles on the clock, runs until 18 July.
Smith said: "While I have been travelling the universe in my Tardis, my much-loved Vauxhall Corsa, also known as The Shed, has been parked outside my parents' house. As my first ever car, it has seen lots of adventures, not to mention a fair few mishaps - hence the dents.
"I got the car and then got into the National Youth Theatre - both life changers. I'll be very sad to see it go but I understand my parents want their driveway back.
"I'd love to find a new owner for this great little car, particularly as all the profits will go to Starlight, which is an amazing charity that brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children."
Smith, who has announced he is stepping down from his role of Doctor Who, will appear alongside Norfolk actor John Hurt - introduced as The Doctor at the end of the last series - in November's 50th anniversary episode.
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Northern Ireland has the highest suicide rate in the UK. | By Niall McCrackenBBC News NI
Successive Stormont governments have grappled with concerns about mental health provision.
Health Minister Robin Swann announced last month he would appoint a mental health champion, to act as both a "government advocate" and "challenger of decisions".
Some groups support the creation of the new post; others questioned whether its holder will have sufficient powers and be independent.
What is the background to this?
Northern Ireland's mental health problem has been well-documented in recent years.
One Ulster University study said that almost 30% of the NI population suffer mental health problems, nearly half of which are directly related to the Troubles.
Statistics suggest that proportionally more people take their own lives in Northern Ireland than elsewhere in the UK: The suicide rate for men is about twice the level of that in England.
In January, dozens of high-profile figures signed a letter calling for Stormont to declare a public mental health emergency.
Speaking before the coronavirus crisis, Health Minister Robin Swann said suicide prevention was his top priority.
He says a mental health champion would be "a strong, effective and independent voice to advocate for mental health".
The champion will also have a role to play in highlighting the importance of emotional wellbeing and mental health in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, says the health minister.
On Wednesday, he published a Mental Health Action Plan for Northern Ireland.
It contains 38 actions, including a commitment to produce a mental health strategy with which Mr Swann said the the mental health champion would play "an integral part".
What powers will the champion have?
The mental health champion will not be a formal public appointment, so will not have any powers based in legislation, instead making recommendations or lobbying for change.
"We didn't get the full extent of going to a commissioner for the post and that's because of the time it would take to get to legislation to create that post," said Mr Swann this week.
"What I wanted to do was move very quickly to get someone in post that would sit outside government, but could still hold us to account while we were still developing and working to a strategy."
How have people reacted?
Some local mental health groups have welcomed the creation of the post.
David Babington from Action Mental Health said that while details about the role were unclear, its creation was a positive step.
"There are acute, mental health needs in our communities requiring a unique solution and a champion with a dedicated focus will help achieve this," he said.
"The announcement heralds a much needed and long overdue investment to drive change and achieve parity with physical services."
Dr Gerry Lynch, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists NI, said: "We welcome with caution, the plans released for the appointment of a mental health champion.
"Such a champion could play a valuable role in ensuring that all areas of public life recognise the importance of taking effective steps to promote better mental health and inclusivity for those with mental illness."
But others have voiced concerns.
Sara Boyce, of the community group Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR), said the role's creation was "misguided and a misdirection of previous public resources".
"PPR works with families bereaved by suicide and with people who struggle with their mental health," she said.
"Our society already has mental health champions in all of these people.
"Listening to their ideas to ensure timely and effective access to services - and urgently implementing these - should be the first port of call for the minister during this period."
Michael and Marjorie Cawdery, from County Armagh, were killed in their home in April 2017 by a man with severe mental health issues.
Their son-in-law, Charles Little, was the first person to arrive at the scene of their deaths.
He said: "There are days you just wanted to sit down and cry because it had a tremendous impact on my family's mental health.
"But we had to fight to get help and so, if there is going to be a mental health champion they need to be given powers and most importantly be independent, but that doesn't seem to be what the health minister is proposing."
Mr Little added: "The minister has said the champion will be a public advocate for mental health and government advocate to support the department, how can you be both? It's a conflict of interest."
Philip McTaggart's son died in 2003 and he has spent years working with bereaved families, through the organisation Prevention of Suicide and Self-Harm (PIPS).
He said: "I understand the pressure the department of health and the minister is under at the minute, but my concern is that this role of mental health champion is more about the optics than actually making changes.
"On the face of it, this champion will be able to offer advice without any real powers to change policy.
"The money would be better spent in bolstering mental health services already in place."
What about similar roles?
In recent weeks, there have been announcements about a recruitment campaign for a Northern Ireland Veterans' Commissioner as well as a walking and cycling champion.
But the creation of these roles are still in the early stages.
Examples of positions in Northern Ireland that are public appointments and have statutory powers include the Children's Commissioner and the Northern Ireland Public Service Ombudsman.
The Children's Commissioner has voiced concerns about the mental health champion role.
"I'm not convinced we need a mental health champion, goodness knows there have been countless reports outlining where the gaps in our mental health services are," Koulla Yiasouma told BBC News NI,
"I'm not sure what more that role could add to the conversation right now."
She added: "I don't feel this is me being protectionist about the work of my office, but I think there is the danger of crossover and duplication with a mental champion role and there are already areas identified where we could be investing that money to make a difference."
What happens now?
The Department of Health says further details on the scope of the role and the appointment process will be made available within weeks.
The department estimates it will cost up to £500,000 a year to run the champion's office, with the cost being share by all Stormont departments.
The champion is expected to be in post by February.
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A survey has suggested that many people believe the children need to learn about Christianity to understand English history. But which bits of religious education do people need to brush up on to make sense of English, and indeed British, history, asks Stephen Tomkins. | Here is a brief revision guide for the uninitiated.
1. The Papacy
The differences between Catholics and Protestants are many and complex, but the vital one for British history is that the Pope has absolute authority over the Catholic Church, while Protestant churches are free to work things out for themselves.
Before the Reformation, the church was a central part of British society governed by a foreign ruler, so many conflicts revolved around papal authority, including the one which culminated in the murder of Thomas Becket.
Come the Reformation, it was the chance to increase his own power at the expense of the Pope's that persuaded the ardently Catholic Henry VIII to break with Rome.
After this break with papal absolutism, civil liberties such as freedom of speech were developed and marketed as "protestant freedoms".
Opponents of Catholics regarded them as answerable to a foreign ruler, which led to ingrained hostility in the UK for centuries. They were viewed by some as being politically as well as spiritually suspect.
Extra tip: Impress the examiners by mentioning that for two centuries it was the Pope rather than Guy Fawkes who was burned on Bonfire Night.
2. Divine rule
It seems obvious to us today that we should choose our own leaders and laws.
But in the Bible, God chose kings for Israel and wrote the law of the land, and political thinkers throughout much of British history believed their rulers and rules were also given by God.
This helps to explain why it was such a long struggle for parliamentary democracy to develop, and the righteous fervour of defenders of royal power such as Charles I and the cavaliers.
Extra tip: For full marks, note that this was - originally at least - a progressive idea. In the Middle Ages, the belief that the law is from God led to the principle, enshrined in Magna Carta, that the king is subject to it. The king does not impose his law on his people, God imposes his law on his people, which includes the king as much as anyone.
3. Uniformity
Living in today's pluralistic society, it is hard to grasp how obvious it was to most British people until 300 years ago that the country should be united in one religion - as obvious as it is to us that we must all be subject to the same laws.
Religious dissent threatened the whole fabric of society. This accounts for assaults on unsanctioned religions, from state executions of Protestants under Queen Mary, to mob attacks on Quakers and Baptists in the Restoration.
Extra tip: Dazzle the examiners by using the phrase "cuius regio, eius religio" - whoever's realm, his religion.
4. Image of God
Perhaps the most influential passage of the Bible in political history is one which could hardly sound less political - the creation.
Genesis says that man and women were made "in the image of God". Ever since this idea made Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome, outlaw facial branding, it has made the value of every individual a recurrent feature of political debates.
It informed medieval restrictions on royal power, the Peasants' Revolt, the British enlightenment, the anti-slavery movement and the Labour movement.
5. Heaven and hell
Again it's hard to grasp what a solid reality the afterlife was to most British people before the 20th Century. But without this, the sheer amount of time devoted religious debates, conflicts and movements throughout history is baffling and inexplicable. It mattered whether or not your religious pursuits were going to save your soul.
Hence the passion of the debate between puritans and Arminians over such issues as whether vicars should wear robes, which helped feed the flames of the civil war that led to the execution of the King.
Hence also the self-sacrificial drive of British missionaries in Africa, who inadvertently laid the foundation for imperial expansion there.
It explains why Queen Mary was willing to burn 300 people who promoted the wrong faith, and why John Wesley rode over 250,000 miles round Britain in the evangelical revival.
Extra tip: Why not round off your essay with a quote from Charles I - "I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown".
Stephen Tomkins is the author of A Short History of Christianity
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The break-up of the three-year-old coalition government in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is a setback for peace hopes in the region. The so-called "unnatural" alliance between the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the only way forward, writes Sumantra Bose. | How, it was asked, could the PDP, a pro-autonomy party formed in 1999, and the BJP, a Hindu nationalist party which has advocated a disciplinarian approach to Kashmir since the early 1950s, cohabit and co-operate?
Their arrangement prompted puzzlement and derision but this missed a vital point. The constructive potential of the coalition lay precisely in its "unnatural" quality, because it signalled engagement between very different perspectives on the Kashmir conflict.
There is international precedence for this kind of path based on engagement and negotiation between sworn adversaries professing incompatible objectives.
It ended three decades of violence in Northern Ireland after 1998, and eventually induced Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists, both hardline parties, to jointly lead a power-sharing government for almost a decade from 2007 - a once unthinkable scenario.
The great Nelson Mandela justified his engagement with the apartheid regime in order to craft a transition pact in South Africa thus: "You negotiate with your enemies, not your friends."
Five things to know about Kashmir
The coalition in Jammu and Kashmir was formed in March 2015 after elections produced a hung legislature. The two largest parties were the PDP, which won most of the seats from the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, and the BJP, which won most of the seats from the Hindu-majority Jammu region.
The fractured result - the PDP won 28 seats in the 87-member legislature, while the BJP took 25 - threw up the intriguing possibility of partnership. Narendra Modi had led to his party to a parliamentary majority in India's general elections just seven months earlier.
Mr Modi flew over from Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony in Jammu in person, after two months of behind-the-scenes negotiations.
The defining image was of him clasping PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the new head of the state government, in a bear-hug. Behind them was a table adorned with equal-sized versions of India's national tricolour and the state flag of Jammu and Kashmir.
Hindu nationalists object to the state flag, as Indian states do not usually have their own flags.
In an article on this website just after the PDP-BJP government took office, I noted that the coalition offered the prospect of ameliorating two of the three major dimensions of the Kashmir conflict:
The other dimension - the India-Pakistan antagonism which has its focal point in the common fixation on Kashmir - was another matter. India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in its entirety but control only parts of it.
The coalition was based on a detailed written agreement called the "Agenda of Alliance".
This was a joint statement which undertook to preserve the article of India's constitution that nominally grants special autonomous status and to review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Afspa), under which the Indian army has carte blanche power.
The document's ambition went much further. "The purpose of this alliance", it stated, "is to catalyse reconciliation and confidence-building within and across the Line of Control [with Pakistani-administered Kashmir]" and "to [help] normalise the relationship with Pakistan".
In order "to widen the ambit of democracy through inclusive politics", the agenda stated, "the coalition government will facilitate and help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all internal stakeholders irrespective of their ideological views" - a reference to the significant pro-independence and pro-Pakistan groups and their leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Moreover, the agreement promised to work towards "enhancing people-to-people contact across the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed territory, by encouraging civil society exchanges and taking travel, commerce, trade and business across the line of control to the next level".
On paper, the charter of the PDP-BJP coalition government represented both a vision and a roadmap for resolving the Kashmir conflict.
But it remained just that - on paper. When I referred to the document as the political equivalent of toilet paper during interactions with students and youth in the Kashmir valley in mid-2017, no one laughed at the black humour.
In hindsight, any prospect of advancing the vision-cum-roadmap ended with the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at the start of 2016.
Sayeed, a wily veteran of both Kashmiri and Indian politics over six decades, may have tried in due course to hold the BJP to the letter and spirit of the alliance charter, and pulled the plug if it did not.
His daughter Mehbooba Mufti, who succeeded him, proved to be an unmitigated disaster as chief minister.
She passively continued with the paralysed, dysfunctional coalition government after renewed turmoil gripped the valley from July 2016, until the BJP pulled the plug in June 2018.
The timing of the BJP's move may be explained by a decision to project an untrammelled mailed-fist in the restive and recalcitrant valley in the countdown to India's general election in April-May 2019.
But that still leaves the question of why, three years ago, Mr Modi's party made a pact with an "unnatural partner".
The explanation that the BJP simply wanted to get into government in yet another state - and India's only Muslim-majority state, at that - has merit, but is not fully convincing.
What is clear is that Mr Modi decided not to emulate the diplomacy-based and healing-touch strategy that Atal Behari Vajpayee, India's first Hindu nationalist prime minister, doggedly pursued vis-à-vis Kashmir (and Pakistan) in the very difficult period between 1999 and 2004.
In August 2016, a month after mass protests gripped the valley for the first time since the summer of 2010, Mr Modi framed the problem, in an address to an all-party meeting in Delhi convened by his government, as simply one of "cross-border terrorism".
In April 2017, in a speech to a large political rally in the Jammu region, he called on the valley's angry youth to abjure "terrorism" and instead seek "progress through tourism", citing "every Indian's dream of visiting Kashmir [at least] once".
The PDP-BJP coalition government of 2015-2018 is the newest addition to the overflowing dustbin of the Kashmir conflict's 70-year history. But - and this is the irony - the vision and the roadmap articulated in the 2015 Agenda of Alliance represents the only feasible path to a better future.
Such a future will need to bring together many unnatural partners in a pragmatic compromise.
Sumantra Bose is Professor of International and Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His latest book, Secular States, Religious Politics: India, Turkey, and the Future of Secularism has just been published by Cambridge University Press.
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A man on a mobility scooter is in a stand-off with police after he went into a bank in Blackpool and poured petrol inside. | Emergency services were called at about 14:10 BST to the Halifax Bank on Church Street in the resort.
There are no members of staff in the bank building and a negotiator was on scene, Lancashire Police said.
Nearby buildings have been evacuated and people are being asked to avoid the area.
Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]
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A huge leak of documents has lifted the lid on how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth. The files were leaked from one of the world's most secretive companies, a Panamanian law firm called Mossack Fonseca. | What are the Panama Papers?
The files show how Mossack Fonseca clients were able to launder money, dodge sanctions and avoid tax.
In one case, the company offered an American millionaire fake ownership records to hide money from the authorities. This is in direct breach of international regulations designed to stop money laundering and tax evasion.
It is the biggest leak in history, dwarfing the data released by the Wikileaks organisation in 2010. For context, if the amount of data released by Wikileaks was equivalent to the population of San Francisco, the amount of data released in the Panama Papers is the equivalent to that of India.
You can find our special report on the revelations here.
Who is in the papers?
There are links to 12 current or former heads of state and government in the data, including dictators accused of looting their own countries.
More than 60 relatives and associates of heads of state and other politicians are also implicated.
The files also reveal a suspected billion-dollar money laundering ring involving close associates of Russia's President, Vladimir Putin.
Also mentioned are the brother-in-law of China's President Xi Jinping; Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko; Argentina President Mauricio Macri; the late father of UK Prime Minister David Cameron and three of the four children of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The documents show that Iceland's Prime Minister, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, had an undeclared interest linked to his wife's wealth. He has now resigned.
The scandal also touches football's world governing body, Fifa.
Part of the documents suggest that a key member of Fifa's ethics committee, Uruguayan lawyer Juan Pedro Damiani, and his firm provided legal assistance for at least seven offshore companies linked to a former Fifa vice-president arrested last May as part of the US inquiry into football corruption.
The leak has also revealed that more than 500 banks, including their subsidiaries and branches, registered nearly 15,600 shell companies with Mossack Fonseca.
Lenders have denied allegations that they are helping clients to avoid tax by using complicated offshore arrangements.
How do tax havens work?
Although there are legitimate ways of using tax havens, most of what has been going on is about hiding the true owners of money, the origin of the money and avoiding paying tax on the money.
You can read more on how tax havens work here.
Some of the main allegations centre on the creation of shell companies, that have the outward appearance of being legitimate businesses, but are just empty shells. They do nothing but manage money, while hiding who owns it.
One of the media partners involved in the investigation, McClatchy, has more on how shell companies work in this video.
What do those involved have to say?
Mossack Fonseca says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years and never been accused or charged with criminal wrong-doing.
Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reports were down to "journalists and members of other organisations actively trying to discredit Putin and this country's leadership". Publication of the leaks may be down to "former employees of the State Department, the CIA, other security services," he said.
In an interview with a Swedish television channel, Mr Gunnlaugsson said his business affairs were above board and broke off the interview.
Fifa said it is now investigating Mr Damiani, who told Reuters on Sunday that he broke off relations with the Fifa member under investigation as soon as the latter had been accused of corruption.
Who leaked the Panama Papers?
The 11.5m documents were obtained by the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The ICIJ then worked with journalists from 107 media organisations in 76 countries, including UK newspaper the Guardian, to analyse the documents over a year.
The BBC does not know the identity of the source but the firm says it has been the victim of a hack from servers based abroad.
In all, the details of 214,000 entities, including companies, trusts and foundations, were leaked.
The information in the documents dates back to 1977, and goes up to December last year. Emails make up the largest type of document leaked, but images of contracts and passports were also released.
How can I read the papers?
So far, a searchable archive is not available at the moment.
There is a huge amount of data, and much of it reportedly includes personal information (including passport details), and does not necessarily include those suspected of criminal activity.
Having said that, there is plenty of information out there. The ICIJ has put together a comprehensive list of the main figures implicated here - you can also search by country.
You can sign up on the ICIJ's website for any major updates on the Panama Papers here.
Panama Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #PanamaPapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Panama Papers"
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Earlier this year, when we set about to demystify some of the worst business jargon at the World Economic Forum in Davos , we could not have imagined it would hit so many of our readers' raw nerves.
| By Joe MillerBBC News
Hundreds felt compelled to get in touch with their own submissions, some unprintable, but the best of which we have "outlined" below.
There was, of course, plenty of criticism of our selections, with many objecting to the singling out of "benchmarking" - a term that has been in use in many disciplines for several decades - and a passionate debate about the precise meaning of "negative feedback loops", more of which later.
But perhaps the wittiest critique came from Charles Crowe, who maintains that "all these explanations lack granularity and do not contain metrics sufficient to let us know if we need a new paradigm".
We have taken that on board, Charles.
Agile
Alec Finney vented his frustration: "Everything HAS to be AGILE now. Managing projects, building computer systems, having lunch." There was no shortage of agility at Davos, come to think of it. Indeed, shaping the "agile governance of technology" was one of the key themes of 2018's World Economic Forum.
As of yet
Hugo Pettingell emailed: "When I was a lad 'as yet' was considered sufficient to indicate 'until now'. Or am I being picky? Bit like the unnecessary 'per' in 'as per usual'."
We think you are being a tad picky with the last one, Hugo. "As per usual" was used as far back as 1923, by none other than acclaimed writer Katherine Mansfield.
Bafflegab?
Pete S wondered what we should call this jargon: "When my father worked in the Pentagon in the '60s this claptrap was called 'bafflegab'," he emailed. "What is the term now? Perhaps, 'globaloney'?"
Bandwidth
"I don't have the bandwidth for this" - meaning "I don't have the time or capacity". Adrian Watt added: "probably destined to become interchangeable with headspace".
Centre around
This one irked David Burns. It's widely used, but pedants, or "careful writers" as the Routledge Student Guide to English Usage calls us, would do best to avoid the phrase, as strictly speaking, a "central point cannot go around something else".
De-risk
"I think it means to reduce the risk of something happening or to dump risky stuff (it's always stuff) somewhere," said Richard Nash. Your guess is as good as ours, Richard.
Forward planning
Robert Webb joined many in submitting this hideous phrase for consideration. "Planning is always for the future so the addition of "FORWARD" is totally irrelevant," he fumed.
High net worth individuals (or HNWIs)
David Burns again. "Of course," he wrote, "Davos is not for rich people, it is for 'high net worth individuals'." Well, and for low net worth journalists, David.
Learning receptor units
A gem courtesy of Michael Rosenthal, of Warwick University. "Take a look at the language university administrators use," he emailed.
"Some time around 2000 I wrote 'our principal aim must be to maximise the cost-effective throughput of learning receptor units' in a document that went through two or three meetings before someone suggested we might substitute 'students' for 'learning receptor units'."
Negative Feedback Loop - THE BACKLASH
Such was the level of feedback to this entry (irony alert), that it almost took the BBC email servers offline.
"Sorry to have to correct you but your explanation of negative feedback loop is totally the opposite of its true meaning," wrote Airbus spacecraft engineer Ian Walters, joining a chorus of condemnation.
"A negative feedback loop, as used in every control system on the planet, provides stability by feeding back a control signal that is opposite to, or negative, to the measured error."
"You perfectly describe a system having positive feedback from one economy onto others."
Steve D, who works for the UK government, had similar expertise to impart.
"You're incorrect about the negative feedback loop, also known as balancing loop. This is a term from systems dynamics. It happens when an increase in something feeds into a loop of interactions that ultimately tends to dampen down the increase."
Helpfully, he provided an example:
"In predator-prey modelling, suppose the number of rabbits increases because more grass is available. This leads, because of the ready availability in wolf food, i.e. rabbits, to an increase in the number of wolves. However they eat more rabbits, decreasing the overall number of rabbits. Less food is available for wolves so their numbers decrease, which means more rabbits survive. The populations eventually stabilise, based around the new amount of food available for rabbits."
Jim from Warrington joined dozens of others in suggesting "negative feedback loop" - in business jargon - is used to connote what is actually a positive feedback loop.
That, he explained, "is what happens when an output is fed back into the input, making things spiral out of control - for example, bringing a microphone close to a loudspeaker - a small sound picked up by the mic gets amplified, output by the speaker, picked up by the mic - pretty soon your ears are hurting."
Thank you all. You can stop emailing now.
Onboarding
Adrian Watt again: "Variously applied to people (recruiting, signing up or otherwise involving) and things, such as software (acquiring or implementing). All of which still sound like better words than onboarding."
Paradigm shift
How on earth did we miss this one? Clearly by not pivoting quickly enough.
Quarterbacking (as a verb)
This one, according to Oliver Cann, the long-suffering head of media content at the World Economic Forum, is "moving up the rankings". Its origins, of course, are from American Football, in which the quarterback plays a leading role. Hence the transitive verb, meaning, to "direct or organise something". Becomes less offensive (excuse the pun), as the NFL becomes more popular worldwide.
Variable geometry
UK diplomat John Derrick, via Twitter, recalled this being used in Brussels: "GCSE maths was a long time ago but I'm fairly sure geometry wasn't variable," he says. It does, apparently, have an official, and timely, definition. According to an EU glossary, the term is used "to describe a method of differentiated integration in the European Union."
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"It acknowledges that, particularly since the EU's membership almost doubled in under a decade, there may be irreconcilable differences among countries and that there should be a means to resolve such stalemates."
While geometry may or may not be variable, one thing remains stubbornly enduring - business people's abuse of the English language.
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More than 50 years of travelling invisible interplanetary highways around our Solar System, and nearly a decade of orbiting Saturn, have brought us to a keen awareness of the celestial bodies in motion around the Sun, and the series of events responsible for their birth and development. | By Dr Carolyn PorcoCassini Imaging Team Leader
We could hardly claim to know the complexity of the planetary systems that lie beyond the asteroid belt, the chronology of the early Solar System, or the wide range of extraterrestrial environments where biological processes might be at work, were it not for the many exploratory expeditions that we have mounted to these far-flung worlds.
But perhaps, above all, the greatest, most profound legacy of the quest we have undertaken to understand our origins is perspective... that crystalline, uncorrupted view of our cosmic place that erodes all delusion and confronts us with a powerful recognition of ourselves - a recognition that never fails to move us.
It is surely for this reason that of all the millions of images taken of the worlds in our Solar System since the beginning of the space age, those that reach deeper into the human heart than any other, are those of our own home, as it might be seen in the skies of other worlds: small, alone in the blackness of never-ending space and awash in the blue of its blue, blue oceans.
Cassini's first offering to this collection, taken in September 2006 when the spacecraft was placed, for scientific purposes, at significant remove in the shadow of Saturn, has become one of our most beloved images.
This is an image that draws gasps from anyone seeing it for the first time. Small wonder: in it, we behold something human eyes had never before seen - a backlit view of the full resplendent glory of Saturn's rings during an eclipse of the Sun, the smoky blue ring created by the exhalations of the small moon, Enceladus, and - best of all - a sight of our planet, Earth, a billion miles in the distance.
This is an image without peer, an image that can make one weep with joy, love, concern, an abiding sense of fellowship, and unspeakable awe.
As I have contemplated the inevitable and approaching end of our history-making travels through the Saturn system, I have longed to repeat that remarkable image, make it even better, and turn it into something very special.
I imagined making it an opportunity for all of us to appreciate how far we have come in the exploration of our cosmic neighbourhood and to celebrate the uniqueness of our lush, life-sustaining world and the preciousness of the life on it.
I wanted to repeat that image, only this time, tell all the world about it in advance. Proclaim it to everyone everywhere: "On this day, at this time, you, the Earth and everybody on it will have their picture taken ... from a billion miles away!"
This could be a day, I thought, when all the inhabitants of Earth, in unison, could issue a full-throated, cosmic shout-out and smile a big one for the cameras far, far away.
And so it will be.
On 19 July 2013, the Cassini cameras will be turned to image Saturn and its entire ring system during the planet's eclipse of the Sun.
In the lower right, among the outer diffuse rings that encircle Saturn, will be a small speck of blue light with all of us on it.
A mosaic of images covering the rings from one end to the other, some taken in those filters that are used to make a natural colour scene - that looks like what human eyes would see - will be taken at this time.
Also to be recorded: an image of the highest resolution that we are capable of taking, in which we will find Earth and its Moon. One will be a colourless, star-like point of light. The other, of course, will be a pale blue dot.
So, at the appointed time, straighten up, brush your hair, go outside, gather with friends and family, think a thought or two about the starkness of our whereabouts, the beauty of our home planet, the marvel of our existence, and the magnificence of our accomplishments. And then, look up and smile.
For updates on the activities taking place on 19 July, follow @carolynporco on Twitter and visit http://www.ciclops.org/view_event/193/
Carolyn Porco is the leader of the imaging team on the Cassini mission at Saturn and a veteran imaging scientist on the 1980s Voyager mission. She participated in the taking of the famous 1990 Pale Blue Dot image of Earth taken from beyond the orbit of Neptune by Nasa's Voyager 1 spacecraft.
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When a video of an attack on one of the UK's biggest rap stars went viral, three young people were murdered in the London borough of Haringey over the next 10 weeks. Tensions have long existed between rival gangs in Wood Green and Tottenham, but they rapidly escalated two years ago as tit-for-tat attacks were filmed and posted on Snapchat and YouTube. | Ken (youth worker in North London): There's a dispute between Tottenham and Wood Green. This has been going on for a number of years. It's a postcode war - N17 versus N22.
I'm hesitant to call them "gangs" but the violence is specifically around their lifestyle, the music and the disrespect that they've shown to each other - all played out on social media.
Three deaths in 10 weeks
Johnny (young man from Tottenham - not his real name): I don't believe a truce will ever be made between the two sides, cos it's always just tit for tat, d'ya know what I'm saying? They're at war cos they've lost friends, they've lost family members. It's just like the Bloods versus the Crips man!
Nelson (young man from Wood Green - also an alias): They call it a "beef war". Headie One is a rapper from Tottenham. They [attacked him] at a university [in Luton] and they filmed it. If you're from Wood Green it's, "Yeah, we've got one up." They're scoring points. Then there's a chain reaction. The other side is going to retaliate.
Ken: A short space of time after what happened at the university, we're looking at [posts of] another violent incident. A young man has been shot in the neck. This is all done to humiliate, it's done to intimidate. It's to say, "You touch one of us, we'll come back and touch you."
The shooting took place in Wood Green on Saturday 27 January - the day after the video of Headie One being attacked in Luton was put online. The man who was shot in the neck survived, as did a second shooting victim. A video taunting Wood Green was posted immediately.
And the day after that - Sunday 28 January - Headie One uploaded a track, Know Better, to YouTube. It was later released by Sony imprint Relentless Records.
Ken: That song is disturbing to me, because it's quite clear that what he's actually pushing out in the song is what apparently took place: a "loss" in Luton, a "win" in Wood Green. There's such a close connection between what's happening and how they put it into verse. That track now has nearly nine million views on YouTube.
Nelson: Headie One, he's come out of nowhere, he's made this song. Now it's all over Radio One but they're not understanding the lyrics in that song. A loss in Luton, a win in Wood Green. He's referring to that person that got shot in his neck.
What's being said are facts relating to real people, what he is saying is real. That person that got shot in his neck, his parents got to listen to that. Everyone from Wood Green knew exactly what he was referring to. Everyone was upset. Even if you wasn't exactly a gang member but maybe an affiliate or just someone from the area, you was upset.
I don't want to knock anyone's hustle or way of getting legit and bettering their life. Music is a way for a lot of people. But everyone was tense.
On Saturday 3 February, 22-year-old Kwabena "Kobi" Nelson was murdered in Tottenham.
Ama (cousin of Kwabena "Kobi" Nelson): I essentially found out on Snapchat. I started seeing posts - broken heart, broken heart, broken heart. And then people were DM-ing me "Sorry for your loss. Sorry for your loss. Sorry for your loss." And I'm like, "Sorry for what loss?" Then I got the call. I was like, "What do you mean Kobi's been stabbed?"
Kobi was my younger cousin. He was all about bringing communities together. He was a youth worker. He passed away on 3 February 2018.
I know this happened [because] of what's been going on in the community - the knife crime and stabbings. Why it's happened to Kobi is what I don't understand. Kobi wasn't involved in any gangs. But living in Tottenham does make you more susceptible to certain situations, and this is one of them.
Ken: I did know Kobi. He was doing a lot of work with young people who were caught up in that lifestyle, trying to get them to turn their life around. But Kobi became, by association, a high-value target and happened to be in the wrong place. It's unforgivable what was done to Kobi, he was a man of peace. He wasn't involved in violence but you don't have to be involved to get caught up.
Ama: When they told me Kobi was dead, I was just in shock. It was right by our childhood park, so where we had a lot of memories. To know that's also the place where he lost his life, it really cut deep. Every day is still a hard day. It's just that you get better at dealing with it.
Nelson: I honestly don't know but I can say wholeheartedly I kind of feel like if those posts and that song didn't go out, the tension, or the intention, wouldn't have been this situation for Kobi. There is a very strong chance that it might not have happened, because there wouldn't have really been no fuel added to the fire.
Find out more
Listen to Oliver Newlan's File on 4 documentary, Taking the Rap, presented by Livvy Haydock, on BBC Sounds
Ama: Drill has never been my kind of music because I can't really relate. I can't stand listening to songs where people are just saying: "I'm gonna kill this person, I'm gonna kill this person."
When I learned about the Headie One thing I knew there could be retaliation. I don't want to solely say it's because of that song. I believe that it had a huge bearing on the fate of Kobi, but it's not the only factor. The young people in our community are traumatised.
On 8 March 2018, five weeks after the murder of Kobi Nelson in Tottenham, 19-year-old rapper Kelvin Odunuyi was shot dead outside the Vue cinema in Wood Green. Police believe the second murder was a direct response to the first.
Kai (Kelvin's brother): Kelvin was pretty cool - he was calm, peaceful. He was a nice little loving brother of mine. Unfortunately with all the gangs and everything that came in after we moved to Wood Green, it went sideways very quickly and he changed - he changed for the worse, in my personal opinion.
Ken: He put a post on social media outside where he was standing, you know, which also gave the location where he was at. And within 15 minutes of him posting that last post, then the guys ride up on him. They came up on a moped, you know, on to the actual paved area, and they actually did what they did.
Kai: A mate of mine texts me saying that something happened to my brother. I was like, "What do you mean something happened to my brother?" I realised my mum and nobody was in the house. I was like, "What happened?" Then I found out, when they come back, that my brother had passed away.
I couldn't think straight always, I was completely depressed around that time, like completely - especially because of all the people bad-mouthing him on social media. People were cussing him out on his deathbed, all of that, saying, "Come threaten the family. Come do us in." It's just not right.
On 2 April, 17-year-old Tanesha Melbourne-Blake was shot dead in Tottenham. Police believe her death was linked to the gang feud.
Hakeem (Tanesha's brother): I literally just got back from university. I just put my bags down and then I got a phone call from my brother saying that she got shot, but I didn't really believe it.
I went straight down to where she got shot. We ended up pushing past the police, jumping over the walls, and then we realised it was her. She was on the floor. Even just picturing it now, I still don't believe it.
Ken: A young lady with all her future ahead of her lost her life, only because she was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. And she wasn't the intended target, I'm quite convinced of that.
Hakeem: She was spontaneous. She was just a bubble of life, really. She was always singing, always wanted to make something of herself.
Ken: I have been out there for almost 15 years, and that time resonates with me, because of the intensity and the regularity of the violence. It was senseless, it was savage, it was uncalled for, and I really don't want to see a period like that ever again in my lifetime.
I don't believe that social media was the only factor but I believe that social media ignited the actual explosion that was experienced around that time.
Drill artists that make money from producing lyrics that glorify someone losing their life - it inflames the situation. It gives out the wrong impression that this is what we do in the black community. This is not what we do. We're fed up seeing this type of violence in our community.
Hakeem: I'm basically trying to do a [TV drama] series which shows how a person's life can change - and how to break the cycle of violence. It's a matter of who's willing to break the cycle, cos people can't themselves - literally, they need a pioneer.
Ama: I always felt as if, at some point, I was going to give back to my community or work with my community. But when you lose a family member in this kind of way, it creates an urgency, you know, it's not something that can now wait. This is something that needs to be addressed.
I deliver mental health first aid training. I developed a capacity-building programme in schools, in church, in Haringey, to empower young people to have positive aspirations.
When I wake up in the morning and I see the young people on the streets, I see the young people getting on the bus going to school, that is my hope.
The BBC asked Headie One to comment, but he declined. Snapchat says it takes swift action when offenders are reported and that it works closely with the police. YouTube told the BBC it was working with the Met Police and the Home Office to tackle gang-related content.
Neron Quartey from Wood Green is serving a life sentence for the murder of Kobi Nelson - but the investigations into Kobi's death, and the deaths of Kelvin Odunuyi and Tanesha Melbourne-Blake remain active.
Interviews by Livvy Haydock, additional reporting by Alys Harte
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Fresh doubts have been cast on the conviction of the man jailed for the horrific Clydach murders in 1999. | David Morris was found guilty of murdering an entire family of four including two young girls.
But potential new witnesses, along with the views of experts, have given campaigners calling for his release fresh hope.
South Wales Police say Morris was convicted twice at two trials after an "extensive investigation".
Relatives of the victims say they have no doubt Morris was responsible, and say the suffering caused by the deaths still affects them.
Family wiped out
There may be disagreement over the details, but nobody disputes that an almost unspeakable crime was committed at 9 Kelvin Road in Clydach on the night of Saturday 26 into the morning of Sunday 27 June 1999.
Beginning at about midnight on the Saturday, extreme violence was unleashed on Mandy Power, her 80-year-old mother Doris and Mandy's children Katie, aged 10, and Emily, aged eight.
All four were beaten to death with a metal pole and fires were started in different parts of the house.
Neighbours called the fire service and the scene was initially dealt with as a fatal blaze before the full horror of the murders emerged.
It wasn't until August 2006 that David Morris, also known as Dai Morris, was jailed for the final, decisive time for the crimes and sentenced to life, a term that was later reduced to 32 years.
In the years between the killings and his jailing, other suspects - including serving South Wales Police officers - had been investigated and Morris was convicted and jailed only to have that sentence quashed and a fresh trial ordered. He was then found guilty by a second jury.
He has always maintained his innocence and a campaign to free him is gathering pace.
Now, BBC Wales Investigates has spoken to people who were not called to give evidence at either of his trials, along with experts who were either involved in the original investigation or have studied the case extensively.
What they said raises questions about the strength of his conviction.
Lies led to trial
The campaign to quash Morris's conviction has grown in size and volume over the years but while his family remain convinced he was not capable of the crime, his own actions at the time undermined his claims of innocence.
The investigation into the murders was given fresh impetus in 2001 when an off-duty police officer overheard a conversation about Morris having had sex with Mandy.
His name had been mentioned in the weeks immediately after the killings and he had given a statement to police but had been put on the back burner. Now he was front and centre.
Morris initially withheld the fact he had been in a sexual relationship with Mandy. He also told a lie that would come back to haunt him.
In police interview he was asked if a gold chain found at 9 Kelvin Road was his. He swore it wasn't. "On the lives of my children," were his exact words.
But the chain was his, and when he finally admitted that it helped seal his fate.
Morris says he hid his fling with Mandy from police because his then girlfriend Mandy Jewell was her best friend and it would have ended their relationship.
There were also issues with his alibi. Morris had been drinking at the New Inn on the edge of Clydach and said he had wandered the streets for hours, first towards his home then towards Swansea, before eventually getting home about 03:00 when he claimed his girlfriend Mandy Jewell let him in.
Mandy initially told police Morris had arrived home between 22:30 and 23:00 and she didn't let him in, but in court said she didn't know what time he came back, but that she did let him in.
The juries were also told Morris had previous convictions for violence, and at both trials - the first in 2002 and the second in 2006 - he was found guilty of all four murders.
Suspicions over officers
But Morris wasn't the first suspect. The police had originally looked at two of their own.
Stephen Lewis, his wife Alison and his twin brother Stuart were arrested in July 2000, the married couple on suspicion of murder and Stuart on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
Stephen's wife Alison Lewis, a former officer with South Wales Police, had been in a lesbian affair with Mandy, and suspicion had fallen on Stuart because of events on the night.
He was then an Acting Inspector and was not only on duty the night of the murders but was the most senior officer to arrive at the scene.
Stuart stayed at 9 Kelvin Road for less than 10 minutes, failed to preserve the scene and his log book for that night went missing. He also didn't fill in his pocket book until the Monday.
But despite the initial suspicion over the trio, it was decided there was insufficient evidence linking them to the crime and they were not charged, eventually being ruled out as suspects in January 2001.
There is no DNA evidence or fingerprints linking Morris to 9 Kelvin Road, and no witnesses could place him there on the night of the murders.
But speaking for the first time, a potential witness has told the BBC they saw a man or men close to the house that night.
Taxi driver Mike claims he was driving down Vardre Road, a short walk from Kelvin Road, between 02:00 and 02:30 when he noticed two men walking along the pavement.
"What struck me was they were very, very similar," he said. "Both had dark hair, cropped."
When he heard about the murders the next day, he says he called the police to tell them.
"They took my details and said that person dealing with it, or that team, would be in touch," the driver said. But nobody called him back.
Two weeks later the driver says he called police again to say not only had he seen the men but he could now identify them - as Stephen and Stuart Lewis.
"When their pictures appeared in the press I realised that it was them that I'd seen that morning," said the man, who maintains he is "100% convinced" it was the Lewis brothers he saw.
The taxi driver was never called to give evidence at either trial.
On the night of the murders, Nicola Williams was driving on Gellionnen Road in the early hours of Sunday 27 June 1999, and also thinks she saw Stephen Lewis near Kelvin Road around 02:30.
Not only did Ms Williams pick Stephen out of a video identity parade, she also provided police with an e-fit. But it was never released to the public and in court the prosecution dismissed her account.
Her evidence also doesn't appear to have affected the jury's decision about David Morris' guilt.
Ms Williams says the man she saw was wearing a bomber jacket and carrying a rolled-up bundle under his arm - the same description another new potential witness has given the BBC.
John Allen never came forward at the time of the murders, however he now claims that he saw a man in his headlights in a bomber jacket carrying a bundle as he drove down Gellionnen Road into Clydach between 04:00 and 04:30.
He says he is sharing his story now to "get justice for the community and everybody that was involved" and has "no vendetta" against the police despite his own criminal past.
Morris's defence team say this sighting needs further investigation.
In a statement, Stephen Lewis told the BBC he had no part in the murders and that his alibi - that he was at home with his wife Alison - suggests that witnesses who suggested he was in Clydach the night of the killings were mistaken.
Alison has always maintained that she was at home with Stephen and he was beside her in bed all night.
Stuart Lewis, questioned on previous occasions, said he did not see Stephen or Alison that night.
'Impossible' for Morris
Morris may have given a muddled account of his movements the night of the murders, but more than one expert thinks the official timeline undermines his conviction.
Morris admits he drank eight pints at the New Inn, which witnesses say he left about 23:30. The prosecution said he also took amphetamines - something he denied.
From the pub it's a walk of around 15 minutes to 9 Kelvin Road, and Mandy Power and her daughters are believed to have arrived home about 23:48 after they had been babysitting.
University lecturer and journalist Brian Thornton, one of the founders of the Crime and Justice Research Centre at the University of Winchester, has studied the Clydach murders for a decade.
He says those timings, and understanding who was killed first, are critical.
"There are two areas that make us very confident that Doris died first," he said.
"First of all is the murder weapon."
The pole used to murder the family had traces of blood from Mandy and the two girls. However there was no blood from Doris suggesting she was killed first then later use of the bar removed traces of her.
"The second is the sequence. We know that Doris was upstairs in bed and then what the forensic scientists have worked out is that somebody has come in and for whatever reason has killed Doris in her bed.
"But in the process, the killer has smashed a light bulb which has caused at least the top floor of the house to go dark because it's been fused."
Mr Thornton says the evidence indicates the killer went into the children's bedroom, removed a TV from a chair and took that chair downstairs to use it to reach the fuse box in the bathroom, fixed the lights and then waited for Mandy and the two girls to come home.
The sequence of events combined with the timeline of Morris's known movements have led Mr Thornton to conclude it's "nearly impossible" for him to have carried out the murders.
"He left the pub at half past 11, Mandy and the girls came back just before 12," he said.
"It means that he [Morris] will have had to walk to Kelvin Road, kill Doris, change the fuses - he'll have had to have done all those things.
"There simply isn't enough time to do that."
Forensic scientist Clair Galbraith was one of the first people to arrive at 9 Kelvin Road the night of the killings, and it was she who found the murder weapon.
She was one of only a handful of experts to express an opinion on who was killed first - she believes it was Doris.
The timeline of the killings is another angle Morris's defence team want to explore, as it was not something used in his defence at either trial.
Killer's bizarre behaviour
Professor Mike Berry is a consultant forensic psychologist who has helped police forces in high profile killings - including the murder of Geraldine Palk in Cardiff.
He has studied the Clydach files and has raised a number of questions about the killer's behaviour and says he finds it hard to believe Morris was behind what happened afterwards.
When all four residents of the house were dead, the killer did not flee but stayed to perform bizarre acts including taking Mandy's body to the bathroom and apparently washing it.
Small fires were started in various parts of the house, the main one in the kitchen.
"The attack on Mandy shows that she was a target," said Prof Berry. "The girls I think, to use that awful expression, were collateral.
"I think the motive for murder here is anger. The killer clearly is angry with Mandy by the amount of violence used on her."
If Morris had drunk a considerable amount of alcohol and taken drugs, Professor Berry doubts he would have behaved as the killer did after the murders.
Prof Berry concluded there were a number of people who might have carried out the murders - and he couldn't rule out David Morris as a strong contender.
Why was evidence withheld?
The investigation into the Clydach murders was vast. Some 4,500 statements were taken and there were 4,000 exhibits.
But not all of that evidence was made available to the defence due to court orders made under Public Interest Immunity or PII.
It's a method by which the prosecution can justify the non-disclosure of material which assists the defence, and is therefore supposed to be used sparingly.
Barrister and civil liberties expert Simon McKay is concerned about the use of PII in the Clydach trials.
He said there appears to be a "significant volume of material" which was withheld using PII and he cannot see an "obvious reason" to justify it.
"When one looks at the entire context of the case… then it's understandable that one walks away with serious concerns that justice has been done," said Mr McKay.
Investigation was 'extensive'
Morris's defence team are planning to take the potential new evidence to the Criminal Cases Review Commission - the first step in getting any conviction quashed.
South Wales Police says it acknowledges the "significant impact" the case continues to have on the victims' families and the wider community. It says it carried out an extensive investigation into the murders and points out Morris was convicted twice by a jury.
A statement released this week on behalf of Mandy's family said the continued campaign for Morris's release was "very upsetting".
"Every day we live with the heartbreak of the loss of our family," it said.
"Katie and Emily were only 10 and eight when they were murdered they were never given the chance to grow up and have their own families, unlike Morris who has the privilege of seeing his children and grandchildren.
"We have always said we will fight for our family, but we never expected to be fighting 21 years on."
Speaking for the first time since the murders, Michael Power, Mandy's former husband and Katie and Emily's father, said time had not healed his pain.
"I miss my girls every day and not a day goes by that I don't think about them," he said.
"Both trials ended with the same verdict which we believe as a family was the right decision."
BBC Wales Investigates The Clydach Murders: Beyond Reasonable Doubt on Thursday, 22 October at 21:00 GMT on BBC One Wales and afterwards on iPlayer
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Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his first Budget in the House of Commons, announcing the government's tax and spending plans for the year ahead. | Here is a summary of the main points.
Coronavirus and public services
Personal taxation, wages and pensions
Alcohol, tobacco and fuel
Business, digital and science
Environment and energy
Transport, infrastructure and housing
The state of the economy and public finances
Nations and regions
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The Brit Awards have been handed out to the best music acts from the UK and beyond at the O2 Arena in London. The winners and nominees are: | British male solo artist
British female solo artist
British group
British breakthrough act
Critics' choice
British single
British album of the year
British artist video of the year
International male solo artist
International female solo artist
International group
Brits Global Success Award
British producer of the year
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
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The death of George Floyd, a 48-year-old black man, while he was being restrained by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, during an arrest in Minneapolis in May 2020, shocked the world and sparked global protests about racism and police brutality. | Chauvin's three-week trial - on charges of murder and manslaughter - has now resulted in his conviction.
Here are five key moments from the trial which heard from 45 witnesses and saw hours of video footage filmed by bystanders.
1. Impact of arrest on witnesses
Some of the most powerful testimony came in the first days of the trial when witnesses spoke of what they saw that day.
Darnella, who was 17 at the time of Mr Floyd's death, filmed the video that went viral around the world. She told the jury there were nights when she stayed up "apologising to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life".
"When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad. I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles. Because they are all black," she said.
Emotional testimony also came from Charles McMillian, 61, who had been among the first on the scene and had tried to persuade Mr Floyd to get in the police car.
He broke down in tears watching graphic footage of the arrest in court, saying he had felt "helpless" as events unfolded and explained that he had confronted Chauvin after Mr Floyd was taken away in an ambulance because "what I watched was wrong".
The defence has argued that the presence of bystanders influenced Chauvin's actions that day. The court heard from one Minneapolis police officer, Peter Chang, that the crowd had been "very aggressive to the officers", while Nicole McKenzie, who trains the city's police on providing medical care, said the presence of bystanders at an arrest could make it harder for officers to see signs of distress in those they detained.
2. Emotional testimony from girlfriend
Another powerful moment came when Mr Floyd's girlfriend of three years, Courteney Ross, took the stand.
She described their first meeting, in the lobby of a Salvation Army homeless shelter, where Mr Floyd worked as a security guard, and how he had been devastated by his mother's death in 2018.
Ms Ross also told the court they both suffered from chronic pain, which led to an off-and-on struggle with opioid addiction.
"We got addicted and tried really hard to break that addiction many times," she testified.
One of the defence's arguments has been that Mr Floyd died largely because of complications from the opioids and methamphetamine he had in his system at the time of his arrest.
3. Was force justified?
Another key issue at the heart of this trial has been whether Derek Chauvin violated policies on restraint when he kneeled on George Floyd's neck for nine and a half minutes.
The head of Minneapolis police, Chief Medaria Arradondo, was one of the prosecution's most high-profile witnesses and had fired Chauvin a day after the arrest.
He told the court that the police officer should have stopped applying "that level of force" the moment Mr Floyd stopped resisting. "It's not part of our training and it's certainly not part of our ethics or values" to continue with such force, he said.
Defence witness Barry Brodd, a use-of-force expert, said Chauvin had been "justified" and acted "with objective reasonableness" because of the "imminent threat" Mr Floyd posed in resisting arrest.
However, he did concede under cross-examination that the dangers of positional asphyxia - not being able to breathe in a certain position - were well-known among law enforcers.
4. Cause of death
The cause of Mr Floyd's death was arguably central to this trial, with the prosecution maintaining he died from asphyxia while the defence pointed to Mr Floyd's drug use and general poor health.
Dr Martin Tobin, an expert in pulmonary medicine, used video footage to explain what was happening to Mr Floyd's breathing during the nine and a half minutes he lay under Chauvin's knee.
Even "a healthy person, subjected to what Mr Floyd was subjected to, would have died," he said.
A key witness for the defence, forensic pathologist David Fowler, said Mr Floyd's death should have been classified as "undetermined" rather than as a homicide, because there were "so many conflicting different potential mechanisms".
Complicating factors included Mr Floyd's drug use and possible exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning from the police car's exhaust, said Dr Fowler, who was chief medical examiner for the state of Maryland until his retirement in 2019.
However, under cross-examination he agreed that Mr Floyd should have been given immediate medical attention when he went into cardiac arrest, as there still was a chance to save his life.
5. Taking the Fifth Amendment
Just before the defence rested its case, the man on trial - Derek Chauvin - confirmed to the judge that he would not testify.
"I will invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege today," he said, referring to the constitutional right to remain silent in fear of self-incrimination.
Asked by the judge whether this was his decision alone, and whether anyone else had unfairly influenced his decision, Chauvin responded: "No promises or threats, your honour."
Chauvin pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree unintentional murder - for which he could be jailed for up to 40 years - third-degree murder, and manslaughter.
The jury took under a day to return a unanimous verdict convicting him of all charges.
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Five Afghan policemen have been killed by a roadside bomb in central Uruzgan province, officials say. | They say another person - reportedly a civilian - was injured when the bomb hit a police patrol vehicle.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack late on Friday.
Taliban insurgents frequently use roadside bombs against Afghan security forces and also Nato-led troops in the country.
Afghan police are particular targets for the Taliban - as Kabul prepares to take over security responsibilities from the Nato-led coalition in 2014.
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Iran's mainstream media have applauded a recent Supreme Court ruling on equal compensation for men and women in cases such as death or bodily harm. But this ostensibly radical ruling has not impressed everyone in Iran. | By News from Elsewhere......as found by BBC Monitoring
State-run IRINN TV was profuse in its coverage of the new ruling which introduces "uniform practice" and removes the ambiguities of a 2013 law that has been interpreted differently by different courts.
The basis for the ruling is the complex and often controversial Islamic law known as Deyah (or blood money) which awards damages for injury or death in accidents and other circumstances. In murder cases, the family of the murderer pays Deyah to the victim's family.
The amount given to male victims is twice as much as female victims in compliance with Sharia law as practised in the Shia Muslim country.
"All courts are now bound to respect the equality of men and women in Islamic restitution," Massoumeh Ebtekar, the vice-president for women and family affairs, tweeted in praise of the decision.
Sections of the media, including the Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) media, have described it as the final step in ending gender inequality in this area.
Seeking 'genuine equality'
Campaigns against inequality in Deyah have increased over the years as Iranian women have become more vocal about their rights.
When a fire killed two girls and injured 30 at a primary school in Shinabad village in 2012, not only were the girls and their families entitled to only half of what school boys would have received but they also spent years chasing the compensation promised by the government.
"Imagine how different it could have been for the Shinabadi girls" if the ruling had been in place then, Twitter user @amindlv wondered.
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Campaigners want the ruling to cover all aspects of the law relating to gender equality. Activist and journalist, Niloufar Hamedi, likened the ruling to "hush money being paid to keep women from demanding genuine equality". She was speaking in a video published on Twitter and on the website of reformist newspaper, Etemad.
There is also some discontent on social media about taxpayers footing the bill. "If for example a woman is murdered, the murderer still pays half of a man's restitution money and the other half is paid out of the pocket of the rest of the nation," prominent Iranian journalist Saba Azarpeik tweeted.
Interestingly, this legal development was kept under wraps for six weeks. It was reported in state media on 2 July and commented on by President Hassan Rouhani the following day. But the ruling had been made on 21 May.
Reporting by Nel Hodge and Arash Momenianesfahani
Next story: North Korea develops software to teach ideology
Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter.
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On a far-off planet that's very much like Australia, strange creatures engage in a brutal battle for political domination, in this satirical cartoon from illustrator Laurent Sanguinetti.
| Not sure what we're on about? Australia has run through a slew of prime ministers in recent years and is holding a federal election on 2 July. You can read more about Australia's revolving-door of political leadership on these links, but for now, let us journey to Australis Minor.
Are Australians ready to gamble on yet another PM? | Coup capital of the democratic world
Laurent Sanguinetti is a French-Australian illustrator who bases himself between Sydney and Paris. You can see more of his work at his website.
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A 27-year-old man has died in a crash after a car came off a road in Caerphilly county. | Police said a silver Renault Clio left Hengoed Road in Hengoed at about 22:45 GMT on Saturday.
Callum West from the Caerphilly area died at the scene. His family is being supported by specialist officers.
Two other men, who were also in the car, are in a critical condition in hospital. Gwent Police is appealing for witnesses to come forward.
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Mountain biking is worth more than £23m to the Welsh economy, an environment body has estimated. | Natural Resources Wales says facilities attract cyclists from across the world.
BBC Radio Wales' Country Focus programme has been to Bike Park Wales, Merthyr Tydfil, which opened in 2013 at a cost of £1.8m.
The programme airs on Sunday at 07:00 GMT.
Rachel Garside reports.
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Donald Trump campaigned for president as the ultimate outsider, promising to unseat a corrupt and atrophied Washington establishment. Now, after two months in office, has he become the establishment? Are Trump and his team the insiders now? | Anthony ZurcherNorth America reporter@awzurcheron Twitter
One thing the recent collapse of healthcare reform efforts in the House of Representatives has revealed is just how quickly attitudes and alliances can shift in Washington, DC.
Last year Mr Trump and members of the House Freedom Caucus, a collection of 30 or so libertarian-leaning fiscal conservatives in Congress, were singing from the same anti-government hymnal.
Now, however, Mr Trump is the government - and he teamed up with congressional leadership to back a healthcare bill that conservative hard-liners believe didn't go far enough in undoing the 2009 Democratic-designed system.
The effort's failure set off back-and-forth sniping between Mr Trump and the Freedom Caucus that morphed into a classic insider-outsider faceoff, with Mr Trump cast as the new voice of the powers that be.
Freedom Caucus - Do these 29 white men run America?
Congressman Justin Amash said the White House has become part of the hated status quo - the "Trumpstablishment", he called it in a Saturday tweet.
That line drew the ire of Mr Trump's director of social media, Dan Scavino Jr, who tweeted that Mr Amash was a "big liability" and encouraged Michigan voters to unseat him in next year's Republican primary. (The tweet has since been criticised as a possible violation of a federal law preventing executive branch officials from attempting to influence election campaigns.)
If Mr Trump's conservative critics are trying to make the case that the president has become the establishment he campaigned against, their arguments have been buttressed by the financial disclosure documents released by the White House on Friday evening, which revealed exactly how well-heeled and connected many of the top White House staff are. According to the Washington Post, 27 members of Mr Trump's team have combined assets exceeding $2.3bn (£1.84bn).
Presidential daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner - both unpaid presidential advisers - are worth roughly $740m.
Senior White House strategist Steve Bannon earned as much as $2.3 million in 2017. Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who is one of Mr Trump's top economics advisers, has a net worth approaching $611m.
The New York Times points out that many in the inner circle of the putatively anti-establishment Mr Trump drew significant sums from the network of big-money political donors, think tanks and associated political action committees that populate the Washington insider firmament.
"The figures reveal the extent to which private political work has bolstered the financial fortunes of Trump aides, who have made millions of dollars from Republican and other conservative causes in recent years," the paper reported.
Already there are signs that conservative true-believers - some of whom were never fully sold on Mr Trump to begin with - are questioning Mr Trump's anti-establishment bona fides.
"That's the dirty little secret," writes conservative columnist Ben Shapiro. "Trump isn't anti-establishment; he's pro-establishment so long as he's the establishment."
Even conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, an early Trump supporter, is having some doubts.
"I think it is really, really unhelpful to Donald Trump's ultimate agenda to slam the very people who are going to be propping up his border wall, all the things he wants to do on immigration, on trade," she said on Fox News."I don't know where he thinks he's going to get his friends on those issues."
Perhaps of greatest concern to Mr Trump is that the failure to enact promised healthcare reform, along with his recent feud with members of his own party, have been accompanied by a softening of his core support in recent polls.
In a Rasmussen survey, the number of Americans who "strongly approve" of the president has dropped from 44% at shortly after his inauguration to 28% today. While the Republican base is largely sticking with Mr Trump so far, they may be starting to have some doubts.
For much of 2016 Donald Trump was the barbarian at the gate, threatening to rain fire on the comfortable Washington power elite. Even in his January inaugural address, he condemned an establishment that "protected itself" at the cost of average Americans.
"Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land," he said.
Now, however, Mr Trump and his team of formerly angry outsiders meet in the Oval Office. They fly on Air Force One. They host events in the White House rose garden. They issue tweets warning apostates of harsh political consequences.
They walk the halls of power and call the shots.
It doesn't get any more "insider" than that.
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The vast majority of the staff at La Trobada restaurant in the Catalan town of Terrassa are unemployed. They volunteer as waiters, cleaners and assistant cooks at the restaurant, and in return they eat for free. | By Tom BurridgeBBC News, Terrassa
Other than four paid members of staff, including the restaurant's two head chefs, everyone working at La Trobada is working without a wage.
Over a period of four months they will each do 80 hours' work.
Dolores Roelas, 58, lost her job at the town's municipal courts three years ago and suffered severe depression.
"Suddenly I felt excluded from the world I had known for 28 years," she told me. "Being here makes me feel useful."
Diners who help
The waiters serve a three-course set menu, as well as bread, water and wine for just 6.50 euros (£5.60; $8.70).
Alfonso, who runs a business restoring classic cars, says you cannot find such good food at such a reasonable price anywhere else.
"You also help people at the same time," adds the businessman, who is one of several paying customers helping to fill the restaurant on a Monday lunchtime.
The restaurant project has received nearly 100,000 euros in funding from local and national charities and support from Terrassa's town hall.
However, the restaurant calculates that the takings from the paying customers will be 60,000 euros less than the cost of running the not-for-profit venture in its first year.
La Trobada manager Xavier Casas says they are considering increasing the cost of the set menu by one euro and also hoping to attract more sponsorship from local businesses to make the project more sustainable in the longer term.
Short-term culture
Low-paid jobs are in high demand in Spain, where as many as 1,000 people can apply for the same job.
Professor Jose Manuel Campa, a former secretary of state for the economy who now teaches at Spain's IESE business school, estimates that about 15% of the country's population is working in "very short-term conditions".
Short-term contracts provide flexibility, he notes, but "that does not encourage a long-term relationship" between employers and workers.
"In the medium term this is reflected through a very low productivity per worker, and that is not good for future growth or future welfare," he says.
Professor Salvador del Rey, an expert in Spanish labour law from the law firm Cuatrecasas, believes that "hundreds of thousands of jobs" could be cut in the public sector over the next few months.
And of the 6.2m unemployed people in Spain, there is a growing number, which the government and analysts consider to be the long-term unemployed.
The worry is that people spend so long outside of the workforce that they find it much harder getting a job, when the market in Spain finally recovers.
That is a problem which La Trobada hopes to address.
'Bigger person'
Mr Casas says the restaurant scheme is about "recuperating people for society".
"We are giving them additional tools to cope with this huge crisis," he argues.
That is a sentiment shared by Estefania Lao, 26, who has been out of work since she gave birth to her daughter five years ago.
Ms Lao cleaned, set tables and helped serve the food on the day I visited.
"We work in exchange for a meal but it's not just about the food - it is the fact that you get out of the house and you meet people," she says.
"In my case I have done nothing apart from care for my daughter for the past five years. This makes me a bigger person."
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Glee star Matthew Morrison, who plays school teacher Will Schuster, says he is "three quarters" of the way through recording his debut solo album. | Billboard reports that Morrison hopes to bring out the album in February 2011 with the album originally expected to be released this autumn.
He is fitting recording in between filming the second series of Glee.
"It's full-time Glee right now," he said. "I'm trying to do it on the weekends."
Describing the sound of the album Morrison added: "[It will be like] a lot of stuff that you would find on the adult contemporary charts, but stuff that I hope you'll hear in the club and you can dance to."
The second series of Glee premieres in the US on 21 September on Fox.
Britney Spears has already recorded several cameo appearances after filming began in August.
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Six black swans have died after contracting bird flu. | An adult and five cygnets in Dawlish died from the virus on Monday, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) tests confirmed.
Two further adults died overnight on Tuesday and their remains will be examined to establish the cause of death, Dawlish Town Council said.
The town's mayor described the deaths as "devastating", as the birds hold a "special place" within the community.
Dawlish Water's black swans have been a significant tourist attraction for decades and have been the town's emblem for over 40 years.
Recently, a live webcam stream of them has been available online .
Nine swans are still alive, two of which are sick and being monitored by the council's waterfowl wardens, who have asked people to avoid them.
'Heartbreaking'
Tributes have been paid to the "very special and beautiful" birds on social media, with locals and visitors expressing their sadness.
Iris Taylor said: "So very sad and heartbreaking not only for the community of Dawlish, but for those of us who look forward to seeing them when we are on holiday there."
Gillian Dobbs said watching the swans online had brought "relief from these horrible times".
Mayor of Dawlish Alison Foden said: "This is obviously devastating news for us, not just as a council but for the Parish of Dawlish as a whole.
"We are famous for our black swans all over the world, they hold a special place within our communities and their health and wellbeing is really important to us."
Other populations of birds in south-west England have died of the virus in recent days.
The strain of the bird flu is "considered very low risk" of human transmission, Public Health England said.
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A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the sudden death of a 64-year-old woman. | Police were contacted by paramedics who had been called to a house on Cant Crescent in Carlisle at 10:55 BST on Thursday.
Cumbria Police said relatives had been informed but the woman's death was currently unexplained.
A 31-year-old man has been arrested and is in custody being questioned by police.
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Children are still being born with severe birth defects and rare types of cancer in areas near to Chernobyl, according to a British charity, three decades on from the world's worst civil nuclear disaster. | By Tom BurridgeBBC News, Ukraine
The accident on 26 April 1986 contributed to the downfall of the Soviet Union, changed the way the world thinks about nuclear energy and has affected an unquantifiable number of people in the region.
For British paediatrician Dr Rachel Furley, the "desperately sad" reality is that women who have spent their entire lives exposed to high levels of radiation are now having children.
She says that in the most severe cases babies have limbs missing and in one case a baby was born with two heads.
When Dr Furley is not treating children in Bury St Edmunds, she helps 800 youngsters in Gomel, a region of Belarus.
She set up the charity Bridges to Belarus when she was still at medical school.
It now gives families clothing, school materials and accommodation, as well as food during the harsh winter, English lessons and healthcare.
The organisation also provides pain relief, palliative care and potentially lifesaving blood tests for the unusually high number of children with cancer, in a region where state healthcare is often lacking.
The statistics are stark
In more than a decade's work as a paediatrician in Britain, Dr Furley has seen two children with thyroid tumours.
Roughly half of the 800 children her charity assists in the Gomel region have developed thyroid cancer.
"We have an awful lot of palliative cancers and tumours. Types which we don't see anywhere else in the world."
Dr Furley studies the "really strange birth abnormalities and genetic disorders" with medical colleagues in Britain. The diseases are often linked to heart problems and sometimes learning disabilities.
When compared with the mortality rates of the wider population the children helped by Bridges to Belarus stand a better chance of living longer.
But still, according to the charity, many die young.
Deserted city
The desolate concrete graveyard of giant Soviet-era buildings in the deserted city adjacent to Chernobyl is a reminder of how, in the days following the accident, a whole community left their homes in a hurry and never returned.
Pripyat was a city built for Chernobyl's workers and their families.
Before the disaster it had a population of 60,000.
Three decades on and children's shoes and toys are still left in the decaying building that was a kindergarten.
Families separated
But about 180 mainly elderly people still live within the 30km exclusion zone around Chernobyl.
Sixty-two-year-old Valentina remembers the "whispers" and "fear" within the local community in the days after the disaster.
It took the Soviet authorities several days to announce that something had happened at Chernobyl. And it took much longer for the full truth to emerge.
Valentina left the area briefly but soon returned to her home near Chernobyl. Her daughter, sister and parents, however, were relocated to different parts of Ukraine.
"Being separated from my family was hard," she told us. "But I don't worry about my health.
"We don't fear the radiation… for us it doesn't matter where we die."
Workers kept in the dark
Andrei Glukhov worked at Chernobyl and knew those in the control room of reactor four, whose names are part of a permanent memorial to the 31 people killed in the immediate aftermath of the accident.
The body of one man is thought still to be inside.
In the early hours of 26 April, Andrei was at home in Pripyat when he heard loud bangs.
There was a brief power cut. But even employees like Andrei were not told what had happened.
Attempts to cover up the disaster further discredited the Soviet authorities and ultimately contributed to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
Two days later Andrei visited the plant and saw the "glowing" core of the reactor.
"This was the moment that I realised that this was not an accident. It was a disaster," he recalls.
Even after the accident at the nuclear plant at Fukushima, Japan in 2011, Chernobyl retains the unfortunate infamy of being known as the world's worst ever civil nuclear disaster.
Chernobyl disaster
30 years on, 30 to go?
Andrei is now part of an international project to build a shield-like structure, which later this year will be moved over reactor four.
Work will then begin, using robotic machinery, to deconstruct the reactor and the highly radioactive core.
Even now, approximately 97% of the reactor's radioactive contents remain inside.
It could take as long as 30 years to complete the project.
However, the other 3% - which spewed out following the explosion and fire inside the reactor - not only had a devastating health impact on an unquantifiable number of people, it also changed the way the world regards nuclear energy.
'Opened eyes' on nuclear
According to Vince Novak, head of nuclear safety at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the project's main donor, Chernobyl "had a phenomenal influence on public opinion and public and political acceptance" towards nuclear energy.
As well as the negative impact it had on the nuclear industry, Mr Novak argues that it also "opened the eyes of Western politicians" and "paved the way for huge improvements to nuclear safety", particularly within the former Soviet Union.
Chernobyl's last active reactor was shut down in 2000.
Since then eight more Soviet-designed reactors in Eastern European countries have been closed down.
No room for complacency
The question we all have is: could there ever be another Chernobyl?
Before the events in Fukushima, Vince Novak was "absolutely convinced" that a nuclear accident on a similar scale was not possible.
Now he is more cautious.
The risks have "decreased significantly" because of technological and attitudinal changes.
But, he says, there is no room for complacency when it comes to nuclear safety.
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If you use Facebook, the chances are that you have seen the material - videos of Rambo-themed stag parties, mobile discos paraded through supermarket aisles, or a man changing a nappy wearing a gas mask. | By Esther WebberBBC News
They are hosted on a website called the Lad Bible and are being shared in their thousands by its 17 million followers, across Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.
The LAD Bible is a mixture of video and photos, some of it posted by users, the rest harvested from the four corners of the internet.
It has a sister site, the Sport Bible, but should not be confused with Unilad, which has a similar feel but was founded by a separate team.
Web analytics site Alexa reports Lad Bible is the 12th most popular website in the UK, above more established resources such as LinkedIn, PayPal and the Guardian.
But its popularity is not universal.
'Redefines lads'
Features such as Cleavage Thursday or Bumday Monday, now phased out, have attracted accusations of sexism, particularly from student groups.
Laura Bates, of Everyday Sexism, has written the Lad Bible and sites like it represent "a culture of misogyny sickeningly disguised as 'banter'".
Radhika Sanghani, of the Telegraph's Women pages, has said they "encourage male users to rate women and make misogynistic comments".
These charges are rejected by the Lad Bible's marketing director, Mimi Turner, in an interview with BBC Radio 5 live.
She told BBC Radio 5 live: "A quarter of 'lads' reading the site are actually women," and that it "absolutely redefines what lads are".
Her own recruitment was reported by the Telegraph and the Guardian as a sign the website was making an effort to rebrand itself.
Contrasting the site with older household names, she said: "We're two years in, and a lot of my job is about how we scale up what we're doing and stay relevant. What are we doing that's different?"
Asked about the disappearance of some of the less safe-for-work features, she said: "Do you know why? They're just not funny and clever enough to meet the content standards for what we need."
Summarising the Lad Bible's appeal, she said: "We have a huge appetite for relatable content - somebody doing something foolish or crazy or brave or inspiring that you might do too.
"That's a type of content that lends itself to social media, whereas it was never a lever that Loaded or Zoo could pull."
This ability to attract clicks has made the Lad Bible highly sought after by advertisers.
BuzzFeed reported it made more than £1m a year from advertising.
The range of groups advertising on the site - from PlayStation to Oxfam - is testament to its pulling power.
'Cats and cleavage'
BBC Click's social media reporter LJ Rich said: "What the Lad Bible does well is it collates things. It's like a Pinterest."
"It has changed a lot over the past couple of years, which does seem to be a model for a lot of companies - you start off by getting some kind of stranglehold on the market, then you can make yourself acceptable to a wider demographic."
But Ms Turner said: "You can get a small number being nasty and shocking and controversial, but you can't get to 17 million.
"At 17 million you're building a community who know why they're going back.
"You can't do it quickly with cats, you can't do it quickly with cleavage."
She told BBC Radio 5 live the site was growing by 250,000 followers a week and getting 3.5 million "likes", shares and comments on its media every day.
While Ms Turner is happy to spread the word, co-founders Alex Solomou and Arian Kalantari prefer to keep a low profile.
But if their creation continues to grow at such a rapid pace, they may not be able to stay out of the spotlight much longer.
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The government will learn next Tuesday whether it has won its legal battle to get Brexit under way without the need for a vote by MPs. | The Supreme Court's judgement follows an appeal against the High Court's rejection of ministers' arguments.
Theresa May says the government already has powers to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - starting Brexit talks - by the end of March.
But campaigners say Parliament must be consulted before she does so.
Labour has already said it will not vote against the government over invoking Article 50.
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The inauguration of George HW Bush as president in January 1989 was the culmination of a career built on privilege: a series of political promotions ending at the White House. | The 41st president of the United States had previously served eight years as vice-president to Ronald Reagan and was the first serving vice-president for more than 150 years to be elected to the highest office.
His term in office was defined by his foreign policy at a time when communism was collapsing in Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the USSR left the US as the world's only superpower.
His policies helped restore the credibility of the US in the rest of the world and lay to rest the ghost of the intervention in Vietnam.
But he was accused of neglecting domestic affairs and, after reneging on a campaign promise not to increase taxes, he was defeated by Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election.
A political life
•1966: Wins seat in House of Representatives
•1971: Nixon installs him as UN ambassador
•1974: Heads newly established mission in Beijing
•1976: Ford makes him CIA director
•1981-1989: Ronald Reagan's vice-president
•1989-1993: President of the US; leads US into first Gulf War; copes with collapse of communism in Eastern Bloc
George Herbert Walker Bush was born on 12 June 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts, the son of an investment banker who later became a US senator.
He volunteered for the US Navy after Pearl Harbor. He trained as an aviator before being assigned duties in the Pacific where he saw action against the Japanese during World War Two.
Just 18, he may well have been America's youngest flying officer, assigned to pilot torpedo bombers off aircraft carriers.
He was shot down in September 1944 while on a bombing raid. His plane filled with smoke and flames swallowed both wings. "My God," he recalled thinking, "This thing's going to blow up."
He continued to pilot the aircraft, dropping his bombs on their target. He ordered his two fellow crew members to parachute out of the plane but neither man survived.
Choking on the smoke, Bush followed his crew - smashing his head on the tail of the plane as the wind propelled him backwards.
He made it into a tiny life-raft and began paddling away from the nearby Japanese island with his hands. Incredibly, a US submarine rose to the surface right next to him and his rescue was even captured on camera.
Following his honourable discharge from the navy in 1945, Bush married 18-year-old Barbara Pierce. Their marriage would last 72 years and they would have six children together.
Their first son, the future president George Walker Bush, was born a year later.
Bush had been offered a place at Yale prior to his enlistment in the navy, and he took it up in 1945, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Bush and his family then moved to Texas where, with the use of his father's business connections, he got a job in the oil industry. By the age of 40, he was a millionaire.
He and Barbara suffered the trauma of losing their first daughter to leukaemia. Robin was taken to the doctor suffering from tiredness and the awful diagnosis was completely unexpected.
The family was shattered by her death a few months later. When Barbara Bush herself died, 65 years later, the family posted a touching note. "Give Robin a hug from us, Mom," it said.
Conservatism
George's professional interest had turned to politics. After serving as the chairman of a local branch of the Republican Party he took a major step, seeking and winning the Republican nomination for the US Senate seat for Texas.
The Democratic incumbent successfully branded Bush as a right-wing extremist, gaining 56% of the vote to Bush's 43%. Undaunted, Bush successfully stood for the House of Representatives in 1966, where he served for two terms.
President Richard Nixon persuaded Bush to try for the Senate again in 1970 but, again, he was defeated by the Democratic candidate. Instead, Nixon appointed him US ambassador to the United Nations in 1971 and then Republican Party chairman.
When Nixon was forced to resign 1974, Bush did his best to heal some of the wounds left by Watergate, touring the country in support of Republican candidates. At the end of the year he went to Beijing as head of the new US mission there.
After just over a year in China, President Gerald Ford brought him home to take charge of the Central Intelligence Agency, which had been rocked by a series of scandals relating to covert operations abroad and unauthorised spying on US citizens.
The posting coincided with a deterioration in Barbara's mental health. She wrote in her biography that she would have to pull her car up on the side of the road for fear of steering into a tree, or on-coming traffic. The dark feelings eventually passed.
Bush left the CIA after Ford left office and, in 1978, began campaigning for the Republican nomination for the 1980 presidential election.
He travelled the country, preaching his brand of moderate conservatism and, by the beginning of 1980, had emerged as the main challenger to Ronald Reagan.
But he entered the presidential fray only to find that his privileged past could be a political liability.
"What's wrong with excellence?" he said at the time. "What's wrong with having a good education? What's wrong with having excelled in my life and business or being a good ambassador in China or the United Nations, or having done an excellent job at the CIA? I have. I know that sounds a little immodest, but that's my record."
Defeated by Reagan there was, once again, a consolation: a ticket to the White House as Reagan's deputy and eight years of training for the top job itself.
Read my lips
In the 1988 race which delivered George HW Bush to the presidency, he made two fundamental misjudgements.
The first was his choice of vice-presidential candidate: Dan Quayle, a little-known senator from Indiana, who gained international fame through a series of gaffes. The second was in a speech Bush made at the 1988 Republican National Convention.
During an attack on the fiscal policy of his Democratic opponent, Michael Dukakis, Bush made a pledge that was to haunt his presidency and ultimately bring about his political downfall.
"Read my lips," he told the assembled delegates. "No new taxes."
After one of the most acrimonious election campaigns in US history, Bush became the first serving vice-president to be elected to the top job since Martin van Buren in 1836.
It was a time of momentous change which saw the the fall of the Iron Curtain and the collapse of the Soviet empire.
"A new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn; for in man's heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over," he declared on the steps of the Capitol.
Don't go wobbly, George
His true test came in August 1990 when the US was caught off-guard by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Bush moved quickly to build an international coalition to end Saddam Hussein's occupation and establish a US military toehold in Saudi Arabia, a valuable strategic dividend.
He delayed military action in order to give time to secure UN approval for the action. The decision led to a famous rebuke from Margaret Thatcher.
'Well, all right, George, but this is no time to go wobbly," said the Iron Lady in a middle-of-the-night phone call from Downing Street.
The subsequent battle proved to be a triumph for American military expertise and a major boost for the nation's morale.
In the defining moment of Bush's presidency, the US and its allies swept across the desert in a ground war lasting just 100 hours.
The victory boosted the president's standing despite the fact that US and allied forces stopped well short of Baghdad, allowing Saddam Hussein to remain in power. It would be left to the president's son to topple the Iraqi dictator.
Despite achieving popularity ratings of 90%, Bush's decision to concentrate on foreign affairs led to accusations that he was ignoring the worsening economic situation at home, most notably, the longest-lasting recession since World War Two.
Hamstrung by a Democratic-controlled Congress, President Bush insisted that the worst was over economically.
"We are going to lift this nation out of hard times," he pledged, "Inch-by-inch and day-by-day and those who would stop us had better step aside."
But the country would not believe him. To make matters worse he did the one thing he had promised he would never do: he raised taxes.
The 1992 election was a disaster. He was let down by a poorly run campaign and had to fight off a strong challenge from the conservative Pat Buchanan for the Republican nomination.
Defeat
Bush could not match the energy of his opponent, the young Democratic governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, who conveyed a new vision for America that Bush admitted he simply could not express.
The image that summed it all up came on a trade trip to Japan that ended in dismal failure when the president fainted after vomiting at a banquet laid on by his hosts. Bush went down to a landslide defeat.
His later years were spent touring the world in his role as elder statesman. Though delighted to see George W Bush enter the White House, relations between the two men were said to be somewhat strained.
Bush celebrated his 90th birthday in June 2014 by making a tandem parachute jump near his summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. But he began to make fewer public appearances and was forced to use a wheelchair after developing a form of Parkinson's which meant he could no longer use his legs.
A series of women accused him of acting inappropriately towards them at various times in the past. A spokesman, Jim McGrath, acknowledged that Mr Bush had "on occasion… patted women's rears in what he intended to be in a good-natured manner". The former president denied groping anyone but let it be known he apologised to anyone he might have offended.
He also lost Barbara - his wartime bride - after more than seven decades of marriage. Her funeral was attended by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama - although President Trump stayed away.
As president, he proved himself an efficient chief executive - more of a manager than inspiring leader. His public image suffered because of his Ivy League background and many voters saw him as lacking a common touch.
His foreign policy was successful in the handling of the invasion of Kuwait and the fall of communism. His domestic agenda will be less well applauded - with critics complaining he came across as a somewhat confused president with a shaky grasp of economics.
And personally, George Herbert Walker Bush will be remembered as, essentially, a cultured family man, uncomfortable with the rough and tumble of politics.
"Because you run against each other that doesn't mean you're enemies," he once said. "Politics doesn't have to be uncivil and nasty."
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A Reddit post by a woman who explained her mixed emotions at receiving an out-of-the-blue apology from her first boyfriend during lockdown prompted dozens of others to share details of their own experiences. The BBC spoke to a man who has sent two unexpected lockdown apologies - and to a woman who has received one. | By Megha MohanGender and identity correspondent
Irina, 26, received a lockdown apology email from her first boyfriend
It was another Friday evening in lockdown, of staring at a computer screen, toggling between news sites and social media, when the email from James arrived.
Irina waited a beat, trying to recall the last time she had thought of her first boyfriend, before clicking it open.
"Irina, I know this is out of the blue and years too late," it began, "but this is a message I need to send."
She had been 16 and ready for a boyfriend when she met James. It seemed like a normal step a girl her age should take.
So much of her life hadn't been typical.
Born in Moscow, Irina had come to the UK on a two-week student exchange and liked the education system here. At the age of 14 she told her parents she wanted to leave Russia and go to a British boarding school.
After initial hesitation, they gave in. Irina's mother had been a railway conductor from a rural part of Russia when she fell in love with Irina's father, a passenger on her train. She was 19, he was 30. Weeks later she packed her bags and knocked on his door, 1,000 miles away, informing him that they should now live together. How could they deny their daughter her own big adventure?
Arriving in England, Irina felt the culture shock immediately. Growing up in Moscow, Irina's inner-city school had been, in her words, "hardcore". There were fights in the toilets and open bullying. Here, she was amused by mandatory chapel visits and the invisible social hierarchies of an English school.
Irina found her way into the ecosystem and made friends. Over time, and after a giggly afternoon in a park, one boy in particular caught her eye.
James fitted the brief for a cool boyfriend. He was cute. He was funny. At 17, he was a year older than Irina. He was tall, too.
They texted over the next few weeks, and soon their relationship became official, though the cracks appeared right away.
"When you're that age, status amongst friends is very important," Irina says. "And it was very important for James to appear cool."
In public there were jokes at Irina's expense among their mutual friends. In private, James was frustrated if she appeared to be better than him at some things.
"If I was better than him at crosswords he would be insulted and say, 'But you're Russian, your English shouldn't be as good as mine,'" Irina says. "And I would reassure him by saying, 'It's not, I'm just good at crosswords.'"
Eventually, two years later, Irina was told by mutual friends that James had confessed he'd cheated on her.
Irina ended the relationship abruptly, distancing herself as best she could, telling him she didn't want contact.
She moved to a different city for university and a fresh start.
James texted sporadically over the next couple of years - always on her birthday, and to wish her happy new year. Eventually, after one exchange, Irina suggested to James that for them to successfully move on it would be better if they cut contact altogether.
James' response was swift and icy. He wasn't trying to get back together with Irina, he wrote. Then he told her to never message him again.
Irina stared at the message and responded, Lol.
That, she decided, would be the end of this chapter of her life.
Years passed and Irina moved again, settling into a tech job. Now at ease making friends, she found her rhythm in a new city.
When coronavirus hit, Irina's work sent her a keyboard and a large monitor so she could work from home.
And then the email from James arrived.
In the 800-word-message, James explained that lockdown had forced him to assess his own past behaviour, and he felt he owed her an apology for his immaturity all those years ago.
He apologised about how he had behaved, saying that he felt mortified when he read the texts he had sent her.
And then he made a stunning confession. He had never actually cheated on Irina - that too had been a lie to impress their friends.
He went on to write that he had been volunteering to help vulnerable communities during lockdown and now was a time for true reflection and for people to be kinder to one another.
Transported back in time, with a mix of emotions she hadn't felt in years, Irina went for a walk to clear her head.
When she got back, she decided to reply. She told him to be kind to himself and said that everyone has made mistakes, especially when they are young. And then she addressed his apology.
I don't have a reaction to your apology. Perhaps I have forgiven you, perhaps I stopped caring. I hope it brings you closure to know I feel no ill feelings towards you.
She thought for a moment, wondering if this was a fair response.
"I think he was looking for redemption from me," Irina says. "But it's not really for me to give it to him. He's the only one who can give it to himself - forgive himself."
Irina sent the email and went back to her computer, her evening and her life.
Chris, 26, has sent apologies to two exes during lockdown
It was 10 days into lockdown when Chris texted Sarah.
The last time he'd seen her she was on the floor of her room, curled up in the foetal position, tears and hiccups breaking up her breathing. He left her that way. She wanted him to.
This was the end result of a long and emotional conversation, and the conclusion of their eight-month relationship.
He thought of her occasionally in the years that followed. They still followed each other on social media. But she had faded into memory, a college girlfriend. Now, seven years later, that image kept popping back into Chris's mind: Sarah on the floor in tears.
Chris began lockdown on 10 March, the day the US National Emergency Commission advised restaurants and bars to close, and a presidential directive asked people to work from home where they could.
The week before, a typical day for him started at 5.30am. He'd work out with his colleagues at the army base in Missouri where he worked as an IT engineer, go home, shower, eat and go back to the base. He lived alone in an apartment nearby.
After finishing work he'd go home again and either go out with friends, or make dinner and hang out online until it was time for bed.
With lockdown came a lot of free time. At first he kept busy. But after 10 days of Zoom calls and YouTube workouts and the whole second season of Succession, his mind kept going back to that image of his first girlfriend.
He'd met Sarah when they were 18, at a military academy.
"It was an intense relationship," Chris, now 26, says. "We spent all of our time together, all our plans were together and so was our identity."
As teenagers at the start of their career with the US Army, they shared all their problems with each other. As the months went by, though, Sarah's troubled relationship with her family began to consume her, according to Chris, and he felt ill-equipped to help.
When he finally told her all this, saying he didn't think they could carry on, Sarah dissolved into tears on the floor. She was devastated. This was too abrupt an end to their relationship, she said.
They avoided each other for the rest of their time at the academy, sometimes awkwardly. Then they graduated and went their separate ways, and that's how it stayed - until, on 19 March, Chris sent Sarah a text.
Sarah, I understand that it's been a long time, but I really feel that the way that we ended things wasn't right, and the way that I treated you at the end of our relationship was a disservice to you.
I know we've both had a lot of time apart from each other and I would really like to make that up to you. I really hope you're doing well.
The response came almost immediately.
I'm doing great!
And the two began to exchange texts.
She brought him up to speed on her new teaching job, which she loved. And, she added excitedly, she had a much better relationship with her parents.
"She said for a while she couldn't see me [because I was] someone who had caused her pain, but that was all over now," Chris says. "She said she now realised that we weren't right for each other."
Emboldened by the warmth of their interaction, Chris decided to text a second ex. Well, ex may be a stretch.
"We were more friends with benefits," he says. "We didn't ever say we were exclusive."
Lisa and Chris had matched on Tinder in 2016. They lived in different cities. She lived in Washington DC, where Chris had family.
The relationship was carried out mostly online.
"We chatted on almost every single social media app and then mostly by text," says Chris.
In the beginning they had video chats but that gradually decreased. They saw each other every few months, hooking up when they were in the same place. Over the next couple of years that petered out too, eventually settling into an online friendship.
Then on New Year's Eve 2018 Lisa and Chris found themselves in the same city and arranged to meet up to ring in the new year, along with a mutual friend. Lisa had a new boyfriend, Sam, by then. She'd told Chris about him, even sharing points of tension she felt in their relationship.
It was the first time Chris and he had met. The night began in a friendly enough tone but soon everyone was drunk.
And in the midst of a blurry conversation Chris brought up something Lisa had told him in confidence about her relationship with Sam. It was so personal that Chris knew as soon as he spoke that he had broken the trust between them. After an argument outside, Lisa, Sam and their friend left Chris to go to another venue. Lisa later texted Chris to say how angry she was that he had shared her confession with Sam.
It was the last time Chris saw Lisa.
So after his message to Sarah, Chris texted Lisa.
You were and are very important to me, and I'm sorry for everything that I did that night. I know that I crossed a bunch of lines and I wish I hadn't. I hope you're doing well and lockdown is OK.
Lisa's reply came the next day.
She said she was well. Lockdown was going OK, and she and Sam were now married.
But it was clear that she didn't wish to continue the conversation. She didn't address or accept Chris's apology.
Chris says that he hopes he would have apologised to both women in time, even if lockdown were not a factor.
"But maybe it would have been a drunk text in the middle of the night."
He says he accepts that apologies may be seen by some as selfish, because they answer the sender's needs, and not necessarily the recipient's. But he says he wasn't expecting either Sarah or Lisa to say anything that would make him feel better.
"I can't say I wasn't doing it in the hope that they would absolve me... I wasn't expecting a reply from either. And if they hadn't forgiven me it would have been fine by me too. I just wanted them to know that I wasn't OK with some of my past behaviour."
Why we apologise
Nastaran Tavakoli-Far is the co-host of The Gender Knot, a podcast that explores cultural issues. She's hosted "loads and loads and loads" of shows on the psychology of an apology and what motivates someone to make one.
Lockdown, she says, adds another dimension.
"There's the obvious reason why we are reflecting on our behaviour, we've all got a lot of time to think. A lot of the things we do to avoid reflection aren't possible right now, like travelling, socialising, commuting.
"At the same time it's an opportunity to become thoughtful about your relationships and ask all these big fundamental questions of the purpose in your life and what your legacy is."
But apologies need to be thought through, she says.
"You should never give an apology to feel better. Making an apology is only the first step to making amends. You need to be ready for the person to respond in any way they need, and not at all if they want.
"While you have time to think about the bad things in the past, so does the person receiving the apology, and you may trigger an emotion in them that they don't necessarily want right now."
All names of those making and receiving apologies have been changed
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With much of England moving into tier three of coronavirus restrictions, pubs and restaurants in these "very high alert" areas can now only offer a takeaway and delivery service. How will hospitality businesses in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire cope with the changes? | By Katy LewisBBC News Online
'You can write off all of next year too'
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans dates back to AD793 and is reputed to be the the oldest pub in England, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
In has survived wars, plagues and economic crises, but the coronavirus pandemic has brought new challenges. After the first lockdown in March, the pub turned into a "supply point", providing fresh produce to the local community.
After November's lockdown, when the city was in tier two, it decided to only open at weekends, but landlord Christo Toffali took the decision to close completely last Saturday.
Tier two regulations meant drink could only be served with a "substantial meal" and, coupled with the lack of footfall past his out-of-the-city-centre pub, that meant he "just couldn't make it work financially".
Mr Toffali says they spent "huge amounts of money, sweat and tears becoming Covid-safe", and now tier three means they cannot let people inside to eat and drink.
"This year has been a nightmare for everyone, but the government has failed our industry completely," he says.
Mr Toffali says it is "making the same mistakes over and over again" and if a third spike hits, the government's "nonsensical restrictions, guidance and advice" will be responsible.
"We are running award-winning businesses, loved by local people, providing much-needed respite from the trials and challenges that 2020 has thrown at them - and we have been operating in a safe way, and still we are sacrificed," he said.
"You can write off all of next year too. Lives and livelihoods have been needlessly thrown away."
'Hospitality is closed whilst everyone can still shop till they drop'
Andrei Lussmann owns six restaurants, including five in Hertfordshire, with his latest establishment in Hertford only just opening this month.
He says he has worked to overcome two lockdowns and, when the closure of restaurants was first announced in March, he set up a home delivery service which provided 28,000 items in its first 11 weeks.
Since then, he says his restaurants reopened when they could with all Covid safety measures in place and he was anticipating Christmas as a "morsel of opportunity to keep the lights on and mental resolve alive".
He says the latest announcement means they have been "thrown to the wolves".
"Hospitality - the safest public arena - has once again been closed at the last minute leading to huge amounts of wasted food and lost revenues," he says.
Mr Lussman says the government has a "hopeless grip on the data and lack of understanding about what is and isn't working in society with regard to the transmission of Covid".
"Under the pathetic veil of keeping the NHS safe and reducing the death rate, hospitality is closed whilst everyone can still shop till they drop, brushing shoulders with hundreds of others, and then go back to their homes where three families will be able to enjoy festive cheer galore, all the while helping to spread the virus," he says.
"Consistency, intelligence and a common-sense approach is what is needed."
'A decision a week or a fortnight ago would have been more acceptable'
At the Fox Pub at Darley Hall in Luton, they were fully booked for Christmas and had spent about £4,000 on ordering food and drink, with about £500 alone spent on turkeys.
Owner Linda Layton says moving to tier three will have "an enormous impact".
"As any hospitality [establishment] will tell you, January is going to be really quiet, so this is when we take the money," she says.
"The government has been a bit naughty, because they knew we were going to have a busy week next week, we've ordered everything, including all the beer and everything to do with the bar and now that's all going to waste.
"If they'd made this decision a week or a fortnight ago, I think it would have been more acceptable, because then we wouldn't have put all the orders in."
Eat Out To Help Out 'displayed poor judgement right from the get-go'
Mark Pearse is the owner of the Tabure restaurants in St Albans and Berkhamsted.
He says August's government-backed Eat Out to Help Out scheme and the booking "frenzy" that preceded the November lockdown had contributed to the spike in Covid-19 cases and the move to tier three.
"I thought Eat Out To Help Out displayed poor judgement right from the get-go," he says.
"I hoped for a steady stream of trade after lockdown one that would allow us to build a rhythm and let our business find its groove through winter into 2021."
Instead, he says the government helped to create a "rush of diners" who "clamber to get in before lockdown".
Earlier this week, some parts of south Hertfordshire were moved up to tier three and Mr Pearse says he "sighed with relief" because his two restaurants remained in tier two districts which he was hoping would see them through to Christmas.
"Alas again we find out we will also fall into tier three and instantly emails and phone calls fly in as the latest two-day boom starts to unfold. It's an absolute joke, a disgrace."
Mr Pearse said a 12-month strategy would have been much better than the "stress and damaged caused" by the changes of the last two months.
He says he would have favoured "a path for business, and therefore the economy, from July '20 to a July '21 where they allowed single-bubble dining throughout, instead of Eat Out To Help Out and the November lockdown with weeks of takeaways only".
When the new tier three restrictions were extended across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesman said it made the decision to move all the whole of those two counties to the more serious category because the situation had deteriorated, with case rates increasing by more than 30% in the last seven days in Hertfordshire alone.
It was this, plus the rise in daily Covid hospital admissions, that warranted the counties moving to the "very high alert" status, he adds.
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Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead has called for the EU to stop cuts to the number of days that Scottish fishermen can spend at sea.
| Ahead of annual talks in Brussels, Mr Lochhead criticised a delay in bringing forward proposals for a cuts freeze.
He also called for sanctions on Iceland and the Faroe Islands for over-fishing mackerel.
The talks, to be held later this month, will determine what Scottish fishermen are able to catch in 2013.
Mr Lochhead told MSPs: "The Cod Recovery Plan is supposed to promote conservation but threatens to leave long and winding trails of discarded fish across our seas."
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Nearly a year since the start of the first UK lockdown, I've listened to every LP I've ever bought - and found a diary of my life in the grooves. | By Anna DobleBBC News
I'm sitting, typing. The rain spreads across the window in glossy veins. We can't go out, anyway, but the weather adds to the feeling of being stuck. So here I am inside, listening to music so familiar I can hear the next track as the first starts to fade. I flip over the record and reset the needle. And I'm crying. Happy tears... memory tears… tears of gratitude. Because you may be in lockdown but I'm at the gig of my life and all it took to get here was a song.
A year ago, the nationwide order to stay inside, possibly for months, filled many of us with anxiety. But it presented a strange kind of novelty too. As our worlds suddenly got smaller a domestic and creative mania took hold. Cupboards were cleared and musical instruments dragged down from lofts. We needed something to punctuate the oddly blank, possibly frightening, expanse of time fanning out in front of us. Like everyone in March 2020, I reached around for a meaningful self-care project. What is it that I love but never quite do? Can I finally do that thing? And there in my living room my eyes fell upon four shelves containing about 300 records.
I'm going to play them all.
I began collecting music in the mid-1990s, very much the compact disc era. But growing up in a house full of my dad's records I always aspired to the heavy properness of LPs. Long players: grand and immersive with lyrics, artwork and gatefold adventures. They take up more space for good reason; they ask for commitment. If flicking on a Spotify playlist is a snatched bag of crisps, vinyl is a sit-down dinner.
I don't file my records from A to Z. Instead, they are in rough chronological order to make listening more fun. If you've just played Dionne Warwick, you're probably in the mood for more from the 1960s. Ah look, there's Dusty in Memphis. Madonna and Prince: obviously neighbours. And if it's a Blur night it's all back to Pulp's for the after party, right?
So, on 29 March 2020 I pull the fluff from the needle and begin.
I start by writing an entry for each album: part diary of family life in lockdown, part trip into the past. The music must fit in with home school and work. My partner and daughter climb on board for the journey too. Keep the words short, I say to myself, and so it begins with staccato optimism. The first few records whizz by as we consume whole centuries in greedy gulps. Mozart, Holst, The Shirelles, Eartha Kitt, The Kinks: from the classical period to the swinging sixties in days.
It feels good to give life at home an ever-changing backing track. Listening makes us look with clearer eyes too and we notice more birds in the trees as we gaze up at London skies without planes. The days are warming up and the music is propelling us forwards.
From Beethoven:
Symphony number three. An injection of gothic drama. We find ourselves singing questions to each other as if in a German opera. "Is the soup ready? Yes. It. Is!"
To The Beatles:
The "blue album" - 1967-70. This feels like a big moment in the journey. It was my GCSE soundtrack. I played it over and over as I revised. We turn it over and play it twice.
As the weeks in lockdown unfurl, this ritual gives the days meaning and structure, but also a firm connection to the people from whom we are separated. Music seems to be the most direct path to memory, and, on an April afternoon, the sunlit harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel roll me on to the carpet of my childhood living room.
I am back in early 1980s Leeds and my mum is playing Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. This feels exciting because my dad is the Record Person of the house. The room is sunlit, the curtains are orangey brown in leaf swirls. I am four and my older sister Claire is eight. Kerstin, my younger sister, is a baby.
I am fitting in albums between calls, cartwheeling into the 1970s from Joni Mitchell, who we play during Easter's mirage of summer, to the Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith and Abba. I text my dad about Joni. He says A Case of You is his favourite song. "I love the humour and the way she stretches the notes on 'Oh Canada'…"
I'm excited to keep discovering what's next but also obeying my self-imposed rules: no skipping, both sides must be played. Blondie, Bowie, a whole week of Kraftwerk. Onwards into the 1980s, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Neneh Cherry, De La Soul: a party in my office. And I notice I am writing longer diary entries because the songs are in control.
I am often puzzled by friends and family recalling detailed accounts of things that happened decades ago that I can't remember. Yet here, leaning over the turntable, something's changing. Every record is a door and behind each one is a tunnel to a different time and place. I'm a kid in the living room daring myself to sit beneath my dad's giant booming speakers. I'm a teenager waiting for life to begin. I'm tramping across Glastonbury's shimmering mud plains at 3am. I'm DJ-ing at a party and everyone is dancing.
As I have told everyone all my life, I met The Human League when I was two. Singer Phil Oakey's brother lived next door to my parents in Leeds. My "memory" of seeing his majestic asymmetric fringe up close is now so hard-baked into my brain that I will never know, nor care, about the actual truth. His brother was certainly our neighbour in the early 1980s. In my mind I saw them the night after they were on Top of the Pops, at number one with Don't You Want Me, and they came to our suburban street in a cloud of glitter and hairspray.
The fact I have chosen, since very early in my life, to peddle this story, tells you I was born to love pop music. I grew up surrounded by it. My dad has an encyclopaedic knowledge of record labels and even wrote the lyrics to a (now very rare) Merseybeat single. My older sister, with her Prince tapes blasting through the bedroom walls, got me into Smash Hits and then got me, a young-looking teenager, literally into gigs.
But it was my pre-GCSE English teacher, Mr Robinson, who first spotted my love of music and - amazingly, because I was just 14 - entrusted me with typing up a series of sleeve notes to his favourite songs. I created all these booklets on a typewriter and, listening to compilation cassettes as I went, tumbled through a new and sophisticated world from David Sylvian to Virginia Astley, Roxy Music and David Bowie. I switched from Chesney Hawkes to Brian Eno in a Smash Hits backflip one afternoon in 1993.
As I hungrily play through the decades, some records feel too important to throw on the deck without a sense of ceremony. In early May, I reach Kate Bush.
We are nervous about putting on Hounds of Love because it's too good for any old day. We keep delaying until we are in a suitably reverent mood. Side A - Running up that Hill, The Big Sky, Cloudbusting - is perfect and I have to slap myself to stop its brilliant familiarity from rolling too fast.
And then I'm at that concert:
I'm at Hammersmith Apollo, waiting for Kate. Her first shows in forever. The night already feels like a dream lapping into focus and away again. I'm five metres from the front, in a row of weeping grown men. It's one of the most incredible gigs of my life.
Kate wisely banned cameras so my only furtively snapped phone image from the night is of a painted feather, projected onstage before the show began. That feels right for this memory game.
Before the internet, the feeling of being "not like these people, here" was a strong, addictive drug that others who grew up in provincial towns may recognise. It is why bands come from the suburbs, or so the theory goes, because boredom makes you creative. I was very lucky to grow up in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, a pretty market town full of day trippers. But in my mid-teens I craved friends who played guitar, not golf or PlayStation - and then I found Radiohead.
It's dark, there's condensation on the windscreen and we're listening as The Bends crackles in the tape slot of my friend Yorkie's pale blue Mini Cooper. The light beams pick out the drizzle and we flick ash from the windows. Well, Yorkie does: a proper teenage chain smoker who - yes! - plays guitar and always wears Vans. She's into Nirvana, I'm into Blur. We both love Radiohead. It's 1996 and we spend many nights driving around country lanes with nowhere to go but quite sure where we don't want to go: sticky-floored pubs awash with older men trying to snog us.
A few months later I manage to persuade my school friends to buy tickets to the Manic Street Preachers at Doncaster Dome. I'm the keen one and so I wriggle my way up to the front row. I've got my spot right in front of Nicky Wire's amp and the lights are starting to dip. The opening chords of Australia boom out and we all sweep as one towards Nicky. My feet lift from the floor. Wire is doing scissor kicks and wrapping a black feather boa around his microphone stand.
There's another surge of bodies. And the next thing I know I'm in a muffled underworld. It's all too quick to panic. I'm just... gone. I wake up some time later and I'm propped up against the back wall of the venue, at least 100m from where I'd been. Motorcycle Emptiness is playing, so we must be near the end of the set. And I look down at myself: I'm covered in black feathers.
I hadn't thought about this experience for years. Playing Everything Must Go brought it tumbling back. I passed out in the crush to grab the feather boa, was rescued by venue staff, and subsequently missed at least half the concert. It's 24 years ago, but I'm there again in the sweat and drama of it all. And somewhere I still have my souvenir - a clutch of Nicky's black feathers.
At 18, I took it for granted that I'd spend most summers pressed up against the front rails of a massive concert watching an iconic band, singing until my voice went hoarse with thousands of strangers. That's what we did. In these pandemic times the idea feels alien.
Glastonbury 1998 was a very muddy year but my sister and I didn't let the military camp conditions dampen the party. A local farm boy riding a horse bareback (really) carried in our bags and we were offered acid marmalade before we'd even pitched our tent. It honestly felt like our Woodstock, only I was in Adidas trainers and we'd packed some cheese sandwiches. Friday night: Primal Scream. Saturday night: Blur. Sunday night: Pulp. Some bloke called Bob Dylan played in the afternoon.
It's playing Pulp's Different Class that has sent me spiralling back to the swamp lands of Worthy Farm. I start a late-night WhatsApp chat with my older sister, Claire, and she reminds me that we spent one of our Glasto nights roaming around aimlessly looking for adventure; still buzzing after watching an amazing set from Underworld. It was otherworldly: dotted encampments of firelit raving, as Claire puts it, "floating on vast biblical lands of mud… awesome, epic, a one-off experience and time". I find a clip from that night in 1998 on YouTube and, sitting here at my keyboard in 2021, I fold into an exhilarating happy-cry. And I feel immense gratitude that I was a teenager then.
I was in my "Hell is other people" Manic Street Preachers T-shirt at Leeds University's freshers' week that autumn, but it turned out that the Manics (and Sartre) were wrong. I soon found my people. My new friend Rose, who lived across the block from me in Lupton Flats, also loved Blur. And Suede. And Elastica. My friend Marion had even more albums than I did. Debbie, across the way, was already in a band. We didn't care about the squirrel infestation, the wiry brown carpets or the tumble driers that melted people's pants, because we had music.
I'm listening to Blur, one of the bands I've most often seen live. I first fell for them aged 16 in a screaming Sheffield Arena. Going through my records I find the tickets from that night in one of the sleeves, along with my coach fare. By the time I got to university, Blur were in their sad ballad phase. Here in the future, playing the mournful but beautiful sixth Blur album, 13, a funny memory pops into my head from that first week in Leeds.
After going to various indie discos and generally hanging out with my new friend Rose, I realise with horror that I've forgotten her name. I panic and while she is in the loo, I frantically grab her purse from the kitchen table and rifle through for her student card.
Rose! And then she saunters back in.
At university I had the best job, probably ever, writing reviews for Leeds Student newspaper. This meant free music, free gigs and free pizza. I met lots of musicians I loved too, from the Super Furry Animals to Moby, via Stereolab, Goldfrapp and Saint Etienne, my desert island band. It's June 2000, I've just interviewed them, and I'm in the crowd at a sweaty Leeds Met.
Sarah [lead singer] spots me in the crowd and - like something from a movie where, for once, everything comes together - she points and dedicates Nothing Can Stop Us to me: "This one's for Anna!" I remember it vividly because I was snogging a boy at the exact moment.
Albums from the early noughties plunge me back into that nervous time between college and life. But there were joyful times too as I discovered bands like The Strokes. And then met them. An odd claim to fame, but I played pool with lead singer Julian Casablancas for 10 minutes in 2001. I was writing for the student pub magazine, Yellow, at Leeds Festival, and access to our tent became the hottest backstage ticket, precisely because we had a pool table, plus beer and comfy couches.
In stumble The Strokes. Julian shouts, "Who wants to play?" Excitement and nerves suppressed, a rock 'n' roll game kicks off involving me and a couple of other student writers. A few minutes later, Scottish band Mogwai drift over in their tracksuits, climb on the table and pot all the balls with their hands. Ah well.
That night The Strokes were bumped up to the main stage, such was the buzz around them, as New York once again replaced London as the centre of the music universe. I had to get myself there - and duly did within a couple of years. Here in 2021, I'm listening to Give Up by The Postal Service for the first time in years. And suddenly I'm messing about in deep snow on Fifth Avenue.
There's been a blizzard and all the actual residents are sensibly indoors. We three Brits are, of course, out in it, making snow angels, dodging a telling off from the NYPD and getting ready for another night at the Red Bench, our new favourite bar in Lower Manhattan. I'm there with Ed and Sarah, the breakfast team from my first job in radio. Give Up is my current obsession. I listen to it throughout the flight, and I'll forever associate these songs with the thrill of touching down on the tarmac of JFK.
My journey through music and memory has taken me everywhere during the past 12 months of lockdown. I've been back to school, back to New York. I've spent time with family and friends, despite them being hundreds of miles away. I've danced. I've cried. I've thrown my hands in the air. Even though I haven't seen him for ages, I've felt closer to my dad through WhatsApp chats about Leonard Cohen concerts, the Cavern Club and his love of lyrics. My mum has loyally read every word along the way. And I've been back to the best gigs of my life, felt the heat of the crowd and sung my heart out.
I know it's all in my head. But isn't that the best thing? Listening to music increases blood flow in brain areas involved in generating and controlling emotions. "Emotional music we have heard at specific periods of our life is strongly linked to our autobiographical memory," explains Lutz Jancke, from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Zurich, in the Journal of Biology. Music also activates imagery in the mind. It's why listening to music every day can help stroke patients recover memories as well as other brain functions.
It's people and shared experiences that make listening to music so meaningful and so loaded with memory and emotion. In a year of separation from our loved ones, how great that music is the map: the veins along which memories can flow and pump the heart.
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A suspect so impressed by the police's "tenacity" to find him asked an officer to pose for a selfie during his arrest, captioning it "They finally got me". | South Leicester Police said the suspect - who has not been identified in the photo - was "actually smiling" with the obliging Sgt Joe Gunduz.
The 30-year-old had been wanted since April and was arrested on Sunday.
He was held on suspicion of three counts of criminal damage and two breaches of a restraining order.
Leicestershire Police said one of the incidents of criminal damage was reported to police on 14 April. The other four are alleged to have taken place on 26 April.
"Following his arrest, the man has been released with no further action for two of the reports of criminal damage and one of the breaches of a restraining order," a Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said.
"He has been bailed for the other two offences."
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Kadriye Uncu has left her son's room the way it was: the black and white striped flag of Besiktas FC covering his bed and on the wall the football club's shield and a photo of him in uniform during his military service. | By Mark LowenBBC Turkey correspondent
But the room will forever lie empty. On the evening of 10 December her son, Tunc, was killed by a car bomb.
A lifelong Besiktas fan, he was working at the stadium in Istanbul on the Saturday evening during a match with a local team.
An hour after the game ended, a car bomb hit a riot police vehicle outside the stadium. Moments later, a suicide bomber approached another group of police and detonated his device. At least 44 people were killed and dozens more injured.
"When I got the news, I collapsed," Kadriye recalls. "At the hospital they showed me his body. He smelled beautiful, like a rose. I kissed him. And then we buried him."
She pauses - muttering some words to herself - and is unable to hold back the tears.
"May the terrorists be uprooted. Mothers shouldn't cry anymore. May God spare everyone this pain and may there be peace for Turkey."
Her call comes in vain.
A week after the Besiktas bombing, another in the central city of Kayseri killed more than a dozen people. Both attacks were claimed by Kurdish militants - and there have been many more. Turkey has seen 22 terror attacks this year by Kurdish groups and the so-called Islamic State, killing at least 360 people.
The cycle of violence has marked, perhaps, the most turbulent year in Turkey's modern history.
As Turkey has become ever more embroiled in the Syrian war, launching a ground operation this year, it's extremely vulnerable.
IS struck at Istanbul airport in June, and elsewhere, including a wedding party in Gaziantep, in the south-east of the country. The Kurdish-linked attacks have gone hand-in-hand with a worsening of the insurgency in south-east Turkey.
Since a ceasefire with the PKK Kurdish militant group broke down in 2015, a wave of tit-for-tat violence has followed. The PKK have blown up Turkish soldiers and police; the state has attacked them and imposed curfews in many areas.
According to the International Crisis Group, 2500 people have been killed - including civilians - and 500,000 have been driven from their homes.
Esma Tan fought with the PKK and was killed in the town of Sirnak, which has faced repeated curfews. Her body could only be retrieved after six months.
"She faced discrimination for being a Kurd and for being 'the other'," her sister Melek tells me. "She was a musician and wanted to discover her own culture. And she saw the massacres, especially of the past year - so that environment made her into a fighter."
Turkey, the EU and the US label the PKK terrorists. But Melek rejects this.
"We don't give importance to what a regime says, which is only after its own interests and the leadership of one man," she explains, referring to President Erdogan. "If there's terrorism in Turkey, it's state terrorism against the people. We've found people burned alive in basements and bodies abandoned on the streets. Isn't that terrorism? The regime has blood on its hands."
Turkey's climate of insecurity was fertile ground for the defining moment of this year.
On 15 July, rebel soldiers bombed parliament and drove tanks into civilians in an attempted coup. It failed. But at least 265 people were killed resisting it.
The government blamed the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers for arguably the gravest ever attack on the Turkish state. He denies involvement - but tens of thousands have been arrested or dismissed from their jobs, charged with links to his movement.
Lawyer Fatih Canbay was one of those who answered President Erdogan's call to take to the streets that night to stop the tanks. He shows me the spot where coup-plotting soldiers stopped him, ordering him to lie down for hours on the street. From there, he could see the jets overhead and hear the tanks on the Bosphorus bridge.
"We couldn't have tolerated the coup attempt," he says. "It was like something precious was being forcefully taken away from us at gunpoint."
But since then, he's represented some of the civil servants caught up in the purge - and is worried by what he sees.
"If the coup had succeeded it would have been far worse. But I have friends in prison who have no links to Gulen. There was an attempt to steal our lives that night. But on a smaller scale, we're facing a similar attempt now, as the rule of law is eroded."
So what of the mood in Turkey after a harrowing year?
This is a defiant nation, but an anxious and divided one too.
In 2017, President Erdogan will try to enhance his powers through constitutional change. He argues it'll bring stability, but many fear it'll deepen polarisation and conflict.
2016 has exhausted Turkey. And optimism for next year is painfully hard to find.
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Somalia's militant Islamists remain relatively undiminished, despite a 12-year UN-backed campaign against them, largely thanks to its sophisticated web of spies, writes the BBC's Mary Harper. | Often, when I return to the UK from Somalia, I get a phone call from al-Shabab. It usually happens even before I talk to my family, while I am waiting for my luggage or in a taxi on the way home.
Once, after a trip to the south-western Somali town of Baidoa, I was given a detailed account of what I had done and where I had been.
"You walked to a bank but it was shut. You knocked on the doors and tried to open them. You took some photos," said the man from al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda.
"Your bodyguards were not at all professional. They were wandering about, chatting amongst themselves with their guns slung around their shoulders, instead of keeping watch over you."
When I ask members of al-Shabab how they know all these things, how they can be so accurate, my contacts simply tell me they have friends everywhere.
I tell them I am scared they know my itinerary so intimately, but they tell me not to worry as they have far more important targets than me. However, they do say I could be in "the wrong place at the wrong time" and suffer the consequences.
'They are everywhere'
I presume some of the people who track my movements in Somalia are part of the militant group's ruthless intelligence wing, the Amniyat. Others might be people who work on a "pay-as-you-go" basis, receiving small sums for imparting information.
Even more terrifying is the way the militants track people they want to recruit, threaten or kill.
"Al-Shabab are like djinns [spirits]. They are everywhere," said one young man the militants wanted to punish because he sold fridges and air conditioners to members of the UN-backed Somali government and the African Union intervention force [Amisom], both considered enemies by al-Shabab.
Another man who had defected from al-Shabab explained how, one day, a member of the group called him to tell him the colour of the shirt he was wearing and which street he was walking down on a particular day at a particular time.
Others have spoken about how militants come to their houses and places of work inside Mogadishu to threaten or try to recruit them. All this, despite the fact that the group "withdrew" from the capital in August 2011.
Al-Shabab at a glance:
Who are Somalia's al-Shabab?
"The Amniyat is the veins of the organisation. It is all-powerful. If the Amniyat was destroyed, there would be no al-Shabab," says Hussein Sheikh Ali, a former security adviser to the Somali president and director of the Hiraal Institute, a Mogadishu-based think tank.
He says the Amniyat is more than an intelligence unit.
"It literally controls al-Shabab. As well as its core purpose which is intelligence gathering, it deals with sensitive areas of security. If a senior member of al-Shabab is sick or injured, the Amniyat will deal with it. It manages finances of a secret and delicate nature, and plans the big terror attacks inside and outside the country."
People in the Amniyat are better paid than other members of the movement. They have spread their tentacles far and wide, including in place considered to be safe.
'At home in enemy territory'
One time, when I didn't leave the heavily protected international airport, and stayed in accommodation on the base, a militant called to say it knew I had been in Somalia.
Mohamed Mubarak, a researcher based in Mogadishu, estimates that the number of people in the Amniyat ranges from between 500 and 1,000.
"They are designed to live in enemy territory. They spend most of their time in government territory," he says.
According to Mr Mubarak, women play a crucial role in helping members of the Amniyat.
"Women support the Amniyat. They are part of its infrastructure. Al-Shabab wives have to help them by providing a bed for the night, feeding them, transporting things for them and passing on messages."
The Amniyat is highly secretive. Its members hide their identities from each other. Mr Mubarak explains how Amniyat cells do not know the details of other cells. Members cover their faces when they meet amongst themselves, even within the same cell.
"Only their leaders know their faces," he says.
'Like Stalinist secret police'
The Amniyat has a number of different departments. The main one focuses on intelligence and counter-intelligence, while others deal with bombings and assassinations.
People who defect from al-Shabab are terrified the Amniyat will track them down.
Defectors in a rehabilitation centre said the only way they could be safe from al-Shabab would be to flee Somalia.
"Al-Shabab calls me on the phone," said one man who had fought with the group for six years. "I will try to melt away in a big city like Mogadishu or Baidoa, but I am scared they will find me there. I will only be safe if I go to Europe or the Gulf."
More on life amid Somalia's conflict:
Although the US has increased airstrikes in Somalia in recent months, it is facing great difficulty in destroying al-Shabab. This is partly because so many members of the Amniyat hide in plain sight in government territory, making them impossible to target.
According to Richard Barrett, a former director of British global counter-terrorism operations who now works in Somalia, the Amniyat is "the elite of al-Shabab, with a reputation both inside and outside the movement as efficient, ruthless and disciplined".
"There is no doubt that much of al-Shabab's success in government-held areas can be ascribed to the Amniyat," he says. "It is a Stalinist secret police with extensive powers and operational latitude."
Mary Harper is the BBC World Service's Africa editor and author of Everything You Have Told Me Is True
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The Daily and Sunday Politics are on-air six days a week for much of the year reporting the political news from Westminster and beyond. | Here are some of the clips from our interviews hosted by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn, with films from our reporting team.
Follow us on twitter or 'like' us on Facebook where we look forward to your comments and you can hear more news about upcoming guests and films.
When Parliament is sitting, the Daily Politics is on BBC2 from 1200-1300 on weekdays, with an 1130 start on Wednesdays for PMQs, and the Sunday Politics is on BBC1 from 1100-1215, occasionally moving for live sport and news events.
Both have a repeat on BBC Parliament at midnight, and are on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
More clips on our Facebook site
DP and SP Facebook site with more interviews and pictures
Friday 19 December
Mark Reckless on Tory court action over election costs
Most read stories on BBC News political pages in 2014
EU week: New EU budget set and German road tolls
EU neighbours: Lithuania changes from litas to euros
Europe immigration: Germans views on migration
Thursday 18 December
Tory MP on acupuncture, herbal medicine and homeopathy
Advice for London mayor candidates from Stephen Norris
Photographer Stefan Rousseau's political images of 2014
Ken Livingstone on 2016 London mayoral election
Local government funding for English councils
Wednesday 17 December
2104 highlights: Political and Parliamentary moments
Dame Wendy Hall on MPs scrutinising online privacy
Greens working on 12 seats at 2015 general election
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on BBC-OBR conspiracy claims
PMQs: PM and Miliband on Christmas and economic claims
PMQs: Cameron and Blenkinsopp on numbers of NHS nurses
PMQs: Clarke and Cameron on Labour economic plans
Robinson and MPs review Cameron and Miliband at PMQs
Tuesday 16 December
Conservative archive on UK, Common Market, EEC and EU
Gemma Arterton and Isla Blair back equal pay calls
UK will join the euro, says former deputy PM Heseltine
House of Parliament repair work and costs: John Ware
Heseltine and Tyler on Jenkin House of Lords retirement
Monday 15 December
Political book gifts on Tory, Labour, UKIP and Lib Dems
UKIP's Suzanne Evans on candidate Kerry Smith comments
Leanne Wood on Plaid, SNP and Green election talks
Cheap food at social supermarket for people on welfare
Sunday 14 December
UKIP defends candidate in offensive phone call row
Iain Duncan Smith and jobseekers on Universal Credit
Iain Duncan Smith on Universal Credit introduction
Food bank use tiny compared with Germany, says minister
Sunday Politics Scotland: Review of 2014
Friday 12 December
Political week: Salmond, Sturgeon, Clegg, Candy Crush
Protest against pornography laws outside Parliament
Skills shortage: Derby firms on finding trained staff
Andy Burnham on NHS waiting times and trolley waits
Burnham on Clegg NHS Hinchingbrooke privatisation claim
Royal College of Nurses on NHS pressures
Thursday 11 December
Westminster Christmas parties: Nick Clegg's drinks
Pledges and vows: Scottish independence and tuition fees
Philip Davies MP on book ban for prisoners court case
FULL VERSION: Author and MP on book 'ban' for prisoners
Leslie on Miliband speech and Labour's spending plans
Jolyon Rubinstein: 100,000 sign petition against lying MPs
Wednesday 10 December
Benefits Street's Dee Kelly on MPs and welfare payments
Liberal Democrat government role question in Twickenham
Robinson and MPs review Clegg and Harman at PMQs
PMQs: Clegg and Harman on NHS hospital privatisation
PMQs: Clegg and Harman on women and equality
PMQs: Reynolds asks Clegg on Autumn Statement absence
PMQs: Bradshaw and Clegg on NHS operations for smokers
Tuesday 9 December
General election 2015: Conservative hopes in Scotland
Davidson on Scottish Conservatives, polls and elections
RSPB and Wildlife Trust call on MPs to look at nature
General election 2015: Whig bid to return to Parliament
Immigrants' role in traffic congestion: Charlene Rohr
EVEL debate: Tory, Labour and Lib Dems
Swinney and Davidson on Scottish stamp duty
UKIP suspends general secretary
Monday 8 December
Nuisance phone call numbers 'out of control' says Which
Royal Mail on threat to 'universal service' deliveries
What is Vladimir Putin and Russia up to?
Sunday 7 December
Student vote warning for 2015 general election
Why fewer students could vote in 2015 general election. (with minister interview)
Autumn Statement reaction: Gauke and Leslie
UKIP policies: Breast-feeding, sex education and Trumpton
Friday 5 December
Political week: Clegg, Osborne, Farage, Cable and Brown
Tebbit on Tories, Thatcher, Scargill and immigration
Lord Steel on the death of Jeremy Thorpe
Matthew Hancock on the Autumn StatementDaily Politics highlights of 2014
Cochrane on referendum campaign
Thursday 4 December
International aid: Michael Moore and Peter Bone
Estate agent on Autumn Statement stamp duty change
Cameron pledges to modernise Conservative Party image
Can Captain Euro change how UK thinks of EU?
Wednesday 3 December
BBC live page for Autumn Statement
BBC Autumn Statement index
Autumn Statement: UK economy in graphics with Jo Coburn
Tuesday 2 December
Autumn Statement 2014: Christmas present spending
Ken Clarke: Archive of Tory MP's political highlights
Ken Clarke rules out return to front line Tory politics
TTIP and NHS: Ken Clarke and Dr Bob Gill on trade deal
Veil debate: Yasmin Alibhai-Brow and Myriam Francois-Cerrah
Monday 1 December
Penny Mordaunt talks hens and cockerels in Parliament
Isabel Hardman on hoaxed web images of MPs in Commons
Why more political parties are being set up
MPs' views on Gordon Brown standing down
How many seats could Lib Dems lose in 2015 over student votes?
Sunday 30 November
Lincoln immigrants on Cameron welfare change plans
Migration Watch's Lord Green on UK population rise
Immigration debate: Brady and Hanson
Autumn Statement preview with IFS's Johnson
Friday 28 November
MEP censure motion: Vote over Juncker on Luxembourg tax
EU week: TTIP, Google, euro economy and Pope visit
EU neighbours: cycles, oysters and rubbish in Denmark
BNP conference: Immigration and integration policies
Simon Darby: BNP immigration message and rise of UKIP
Reaction to David Cameron immigration speech
Thursday 27 November
Broadcasting rules: John O'Farrell on TV clips of MPs
By-election candidates who only expect to lose the seat
Monster Raving Loony's Howling Laud Hope's political career
Immigration debate: Farage and Pritchard
SNP reaction to Smith Commission
Can you tell a mosque from a cathedral?
Wednesday 26 November
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on English NHS figures
Main tells Cameron about mother's death under Welsh NHS
PM praises Berry and McCartney Movember moustaches
PMQs: Reckless heckled in his first question as UKIP MP
PMQs: Zahawi quotes Shakespeare in Thornberry van question
PMQs review: Nick Robinson with MPs Shapps and Smith
Shapps woke from coma in US and was asked about health bill
Sol Campbell on Labour mansion tax for £2m properties
Tuesday 25 November
Clark, Goldsmith, Docherty, Field, Fuller in recall debate
David Mellor 'idiot' cabbie comments says ex-Sun editor
Hazel Blears on Lee Rigby and security report
National editor Richard Walker on new Scottish paper
Nigel Farage: Voters' views on UKIP leader as future PM
Monday 24 November
Owen Paterson on UK leaving European 'super country'
Open Europe's Mats Persson: UK benefits and EU migrants
Right to be forgotten censorship fears: Mosley and Ginsberg
Right to be forgotten online: Mosley and Ginsberg
Sunday 23 November
Rochester and Strood by-election night scenes
Grant Shapps: Rochester, Reckless and general election
Lord Tebbit on Rochester result and Cameron leadership
Rachel Reeves: Immigration, welfare and Thornberry tweet
Friday 21 November
David Steel: Rapping, Spitting Image and Boy David tag
Political week: Economic red lights, Klass and benefits
UKIP's O'Flynn on Rochester and Strood result
Health and Social Care Act: Liz Kendall on Labour bill
Thursday 20 November
Straw on Iran nuclear programme talks and inspections
Full sequence: Straw and Phillips debate Iran's nuclear programme
Resignations: Major, Thatcher, Aitken, Cook, Short, Purnell
Stewart Hosie: SNP under First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
Barnett Formula and West Lothian Question: Raab and Stuart
Wednesday 19 November
UKIP immigration policy: Woolfe on Reckless comments
Angus Robertson on Alex Salmond standing to be SNP MP
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on mansion and 'bedroom' taxes
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on NHS and Nessie poll claim
PMQs: Cameron and Jones on Tory MPs defecting to UKIP
PMQs: Cameron and Champion on child sex abuse help
NHS: Cameron and Efford on NHS private members' bill
Robinson, Leadsom and Reynolds review PMQs questions
Tuesday 18 November
Rochester and Strood by-election campaign candidates
Immigration vote: Good or bad mood box question
First Minister Alex Salmond's career in archive footage
Alex Salmond legacy: David Torrance and Kevin Schofield
Profiling a typical Daily Politics viewer
Should American dating coach Julien Blanc be banned from UK?
Immigration debate: Hanson and Green
Pollster asked: Who will win the general election?
Monday 17 November
David Lammy on Ken Livingstone Tower Hamlets comments
UKIP v Labour policy debate: Tim Aker and Vernon Coaker
Elected mayors: powers for leaders in big cities
12-16 November
No programmes: Parliament in recess
Tuesday 11 November
BBC FOI request: 1992 civil servants plans for Kinnock
Jeremy Browne on working with Theresa May
Fashion advice for politicians from Caryn Franklin
European Arrest Warrant vote and debate: Hanson and Green
Kwarteng and Browne in airport expansion debate
Remembrance Day commemorations around the UK
Monday 10 November
TV election debates: Greens, SNP and Plaid demands
Jacob Rees-Mogg on European Arrest Warrant vote
Politics and #WeBackEd hashtag in social media campaign
Fredrik Reinfeldt: Swedish view of UK EU membership
TV election leaders debate: Lucas, Barker and Bradshaw
Sunday 9 November
Tory MEP Daniel Hannan on European Arrest Warrant
Matthew Hancock on revised EU demand to UK
Miliband leadership: Powell, McBride and New Statesman
Caroline Flint on Ed Miliband and Labour party polling
Friday 7 November
Berlin Wall: Thomas Kielinger and Gisela Stuart's memories
Political week: Baker, Osborne, Cameron and May
Looking into Luxembourg's tax affairs
Thursday 6 November
2014 news images of best newspapers political cartoons
Cabbies, MP, and TUC talk political correctness
Doyle: Labour bid for aggravated offence against forces
Ed Davey on UK energy security (full interview)
Strengths and weaknesses of Cameron, Miliband and Clegg
Wednesday 5 November
Gay blood donor rules need changing - Michael Fabricant
Margaret Curran on Johann Lamont rift press reports
Tim Farron and Amber Rudd on coalition relations
John Bird on Miliband giving money to Manchester beggar
PMQs: Cameron on Tower of London poppy display
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on EU reform and referendum
PMQs: Cameron asked possible VAT rise by Greenwood
PMQs review: Nick Robinson, Amber Rudd, Margaret Curran
Tuesday 4 November
Justin Tomlinson on Sadiq Khan mobile phone car claims
Equal pay day: Wage rates for men and women
Malcolm Bruce on Norman Baker Home Office resignation
Kerry McCarthy on vegan food loyalty card offer to MPs
Nicky Morgan on equal pay and gender gap
Monday 3 November
Cities Growth Commission on Great Manchester mayor plan
Annual Tax Summary: TUC and MPs on spending information
Woodland Trust: England Tree of the Year entries
Sunday 2 November
Police and Tory views on European Arrest Warrant powers
Hilary Benn on Labour Lords reform and devolution plans
Ken Clarke on UK role in EU, and immigration figures
Friday 31 October
Steve Webb on family-friendly government policy checks
Family-friendly check for government English policies
Afghanistan images painted by former minister Kim Howells
Immigration week: PMQs, Fallon, Boles and Calais mayor
South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner count
Andy Slaughter reacts to Maureen Lipman comments
Is the Daily Politics studio haunted?
Thursday 30 October
Borgen: Copenhagen legacy of Danish political drama
Jacob Rees-Mogg on May's European Arrest Warrant claims
BBC camera troubles with Coburn, Taylor and Campbell
Halloween: Westminster and Whitehall ghost and ghouls
Wednesday 29 October
Elect leaders by lottery suggests David Van Reybrouck
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband clash on immigration records
PMQs review: Coaker and Neill on Cameron v Miliband
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on European Arrest Warrant
PMQs: Cameron says no separate Scottish EU referendum
PMQs: Devolution call for Essex and East Anglia
PMQs: Plaid's Elfyn Llwyd on fair funding for Wales
MPs wearing political wear slogans on T-shirts
Debate: What happened to the EU referendum bill?
Tuesday 28 October
Political reputations: Can voters trust MPs again
Matt Hancock: Legacy of under investment in UK power
FULL SEQUENCE: Hancock and Smith on UK energy supplies
Lord McConnell on Scottish Labour 'too angry at SNP'
FULL SEQUENCE: Jack McConnell on search for a new Scottish leader
Fracking in the UK debate: Smith and Corre
Reaction to EU demand for £1.7bn from the UK
Monday 27 October
Scottish Labour needs rebrand says ex-MP Dennis Canavan
Bookmaker odds on Russell Brand for London mayor
SNP, UKIP and Green parties see membership increases
FILM AND DEBATE: Why are people turning to smaller political parties?
Europe debate with Con/Lab/UKIP/Lib Dem
Sunday 26 October
Elizabeth Truss at French food expo selling UK food
Elizabeth Truss on Tory environment and power policies
Welsh NHS has 'nothing to hide', says health minister
Friday 24 October
Farage defends deal with Polish MEP in EU grouping
European Union priorities for Juncker administration
EU neighbours: Politics Europe on Germans and the EU
Plaid conference: Leanne Wood on NHS and assembly powers
Plaid Cymru conference: Comparisons with SNP fortunes
European week: Juncker, budget, immigration and UKIP
What is TTIP and why are some opposed to it?
Farage and Kamall on UK to pay more into EU budget?
Thursday 23 October
Westminster dog of the year contest: Rob Flello and Diesel
Johnson, Gove and Cameron celebrate Guido Fawkes site
Political reporting: Michael White and Paul Staines
NHS England's Simon Stevens on health care in England
Wednesday 22 October
Loyd Grossman: Cut 20% VAT on older building repairs
PMQs: Reed and Cameron on girl's hospital letter to PM
PMQs: MacNeil and Cameron on Scottish referendum pledge
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on English and Welsh NHS
PMQs: Nic Dakin asks David Cameron about VAT rise
PMQs review: Robinson on Cameron and Miliband health clashes
Labour MP Simon Danczuk on Fiona Woolf inquiry role
Alp Mehmet on UK migration and European treaty
Tuesday 21 October
Westminster wonks, think tanks and political ideas
Gibraltar chief minister Fabian Picardo on its future
Political hits: Clegg, Thatcher, D:Ream and Mike Read
Paul Nuttall on UKIP European Parliament EFDD grouping
UKIP's Paul Nuttall on Rochester and Strood phone calls
Recall bill powers: Zac Goldsmith and Tom Brake
15 stand in House of Lords by-election
Monday 20 October
Warning to Labour on union funding from Assem Allam
UK reaction to Jose Manuel Barroso speech
Are these the worst political adverts?
Sunday 19 October
New tech catching unguarded comments from politicians
Rochester and Strood by-election campaign phone call claims
Grant Shapps on Rochester and Strood by-election
New homes: Emma Reynolds on Labour house building plans
Ebola threat to UK and Africa: Pollock and Solomon
Friday 17 October
Roy Hattersley: Birmingham MP and Labour deputy leader
Coburn and Cato on UKIP's grouping in the EU
Can MPs really do anything about how football clubs are run?
MPs debate Bob Neill's bill for EU membership referendum
Political week: Scotland, Ebola, Carswell and Freud
Reg Empey on Northern Ireland Assembly finance gridlock
Thursday 16 October
Advice on jobs for people with disabilities
Anne Begg and Mark Harper on disability payments
Halfon calls for Hunt apology over Daily Politics comments
Labour plans for first-time buyers homes in England
Lord Smith on Scottish devolution commission deadlines
Wednesday 15 October
Lord Freud: Disabled people 'not worth full wage'
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband and Freud wage comments
Esther McVey on Freud comments about disabled people
Cameron on Alan Henning: 'We have lost a local hero'
PM on Ebola: 'We will do everything we can to keep this country safe'
PMQs: UKIP MP Douglas Carswell on Cameron and recall
Tuesday 14 October
SNP's Pete Wishart on Scottish and English devolution
English and Scottish devolution: Redwood and Danczuk
Mansion tax: Labour and Lib Dem plans to collect money
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas on TV election debates
Paul Lewis - What's going on with pension changes?
Monday 13 October
Grahame Morris on MPs recognising state of Palestine
BBC's Ric Bailey on 2015 general election TV debates
TV election debates: Tory, Labour, Lib Dem and UKIP reaction
NHS strike action in England and N Ireland
Sunday 12 October
Nigel Farage on NHS, UKIP manifesto and coalition talks
Labour Party: MPs' views of Ed Miliband leadership
Friday 10 October
British Chambers of Commerce members on Europe trading
2015 general election polling with Peter Kellner
2015 general election prediction and electoral maths
FB: Is there an Ebola threat to the UK?
Thursday 9 October
Top 10 party conference speeches from political leaders
Madeleine Moon on UK military action in Iraq and Syria
Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst talks peace with MEPs
FB: Top ten party conference speeches of all time? (full version)
Simon Hughes on Lib Dem conference
FB: Keeping ebola out of the UK?
FB: Lib Dem policy on drugs arrests
Wednesday 8 October
Liberal Democrat conference: Clegg party images of 2014
Lib Dem conference: Letts reviews Nick Clegg's week
Lib Dem conference: Clegg attacks Miliband and Cameron
Nick Clegg: Mental health 'a great liberal cause'
Lib Dem conference: Clegg on Farage and Europe debates
Lib Dem conference: Nick Clegg vows opportunity for all
Liberal Democrat conference: Nick Cleg speech in full
FB: Norman Lamb on Lib Dem health plans
FB: Danny Alexander on mansion tax
FB: Andrew Neil's questions for Lib Dems
Tuesday 7 October
Lib Dem conference: Airport expansion around London
Lib Dem president: Lynne, Cooper, Jack and Brinton
Pauline Pearce's bid to be Liberal Democrat MP
Green Darren Johnson on winning over Lib Dem voters
Liberal Democrat conference: Jo Swinson on airport vote
Swinson on airports and mansion tax (full interview)
Monday 6 October
Lib Dem conference: Cameron or Miliband coalition vote
Lib Dems conference: Protest votes and by-elections
Lib Dem conference: Ashdown hate for Tories and Labour
Lib Dem conference: Steve Bradley on football club tax
Paddy Ashdown on Lib Dem polling and future coalitions (full interview)
Susan Kramer on Lib Dem economic plans
Tory Brandon Lewis on Lib Dem relations
Sunday 5 October
Liberal Democrat conference: Clegg and coalition survey
Liberal Democrat conference: David Laws on Clegg survey
Sunday Politics: By election polls and reaction
Friday 3 October
Political week: UKIP defections and Tory conference
Party leaders rally support ahead of by-elections
Heywood and Middleton by-election candidates
Bruce: Cameron owes Clegg an apology
Malcolm Bruce on Lib Dem conference (full interview)
Thursday 2 October
One week to go in Clacton by-election campaign
Adam Fleming meets the Clacton by-election candidates
Nick Griffin expelled from the BNP
Best Yorkshire man or woman: Dench or Wilberforce
Dominic Raab and Shami Chakrabarti on Human Rights Act
Wednesday 1 October
Tory conference: Cameron and party key moments of 2014
Tory conference: Letts reviews David Cameron's week
David Cameron's conference speech in full
Tory conference: Cameron impersonates teenage Hague speech
Tory conference: David Cameron on NHS and health plans
Cameron on spending cuts and tax free allowances
Tory conference: Cameron says he will 'sort out' Europe
Tory conference: Cameron pledge on English votes
Tory chief whip Michael Gove on Mark Reckless defection
FB: Michael Gove on tax and cuts figures
FB: Priti Patel on Universal Credit
Tuesday 30 September
Conservative conference: Delegates' EU in or out choice
Tory conference: Johnson jokes on Salmond and UKIP
Tory conference: Boris Johnson gives permission to purr
Islamic State: Philip Hammond on UK military action
Jeremy Hunt on NHS funding in England
Stanley Johnson on Boris' ambitions
Monday 29 September
Tory conference: Ruth Davidson on Scottish target seats
Dan Hannan MEP on Tory defectors Carswell and Reckless
George Osborne on benefit cap and youth unemployment
George Osborne: 'Working age benefits to be frozen'
Tory conference: Osborne speech on economy and welfare
Tory conference: Javid on TV licence and public money
Mirror's Kevin Maguire on Brooks Newmark photograph story
Conservative conference: UKIP or Lib Dem coalition
Labour reaction to Osborne Speech: Chris Leslie
Sunday 28 September
Mark Reckless on leaving Cameron and Tories for UKIP
Tory views: UKIP pact, EU, immigration and gay marriage
Tory conference: Hague on EU vote and UKIP defections
David Davis predicts Clacton and Rochester by-elections
Friday 26 September
Political week: Indyref, air strikes, Labour conference
UKIP conference: Party plan for general election seats
Nuttall: UKIP election hopes and green taxes pledge
Abbott and Howarth on air strikes vote
Thursday 25 September
Labour conference: Letts reviews Ed Miliband week
Suzanne Evans on Parliament recall and UKIP tax rate
Scottish independence: Sheridan on 2020 Indyref vote
Shapps and Ashworth on Labour's economic plans
Airstrikes debate: Tory MP and Stop the War coalition
Wednesday 24 September
Labour conference: Burnham attacks NHS coalition plans
Labour conference: Angela Eagle reads Miliband speech
Labour conference: Socialism or socialising for delegates
Labour conference archive: Blair, Kinnock and Harman
Jones and Ferguson asked: Why go to a conference?
Recalling Parliament: Holloway and Zahawi
Tuesday 23 September
Labour conference: Miliband and party images of 2014
Labour conference delegates on Gordon Brown future
UKIP threat to Labour in general election campaign
MPs on UK military action against Islamic State (IS)
Caroline Flint on Gordon Brown future and mansion tax money
Andy Burnham on air strikes and mansion tax
Labour conference: Miliband on Scotland referendum
Labour conference: Miliband with apprentice Elizabeth
Labour conference: Miliband on Syria and Islamic State
Labour conference: Ed Miliband on NHS staff and money
Monday 22 September
Ed Balls draws blood in clash with reporter in charity match
im Murphy - Scottish votes on English issues
Labour conference: Ban Scottish MPs on English votes?
Labour conference: MPs and delegates at New Statesman reception
Labour conference: Rachel Reeves on cutting deficit
Vince Cable on the West Lothian question
Labour conference: Ed Balls on economy, benefit and tax
Ed Balls' Labour conference speech in full
Sunday 21 September
Alex Salmond on future plans for SNP and Scotland
Scottish independence: referendum night behind the scenes
Tory MP Dominic Raab on devolved powers across the UK
Chuka Umunna on unions, Trident and immigration
Labour election candidates 'back tax rises' after 2015
Labour conference: Prescott reaction to leader survey
John Prescott and Andrew Neil at Labour conference
Friday 19 September
Michael Fallon on Scottish funding and Barnett Formula
Bernard Jenkin and Diane Abbott on English devolution
Scottish independence: Indyref images and highlights
Norman Smith on fallout from #indyref result
Thursday 18 September
Open House London: How to visit 10 Downing Street
Australian PM Abbott moves office to didgeridoo home
Riot Club: Bullingdon Club film follows Wade Posh play
Tory MP David Amess: Labour and Lib Dems more 'posh'
Wednesday 17 September
Scottish independence: Vine tracks polls and results
Scottish independence: Andrew Neil with Barrhead voters
Scottish independence: Indyref campaign highlights
What will UK do about Islamic State?
Employment and unemployment figures: Mark Harper and Richard Davies
Tuesday 16 September
Scottish independence: Andrew Neil with Hamilton voters
Will #indyref speed up an English Parliament: Bone and Powell
Could Parliament be recalled after #indyref vote?
Sam West and Mark Wallace on politics and the arts
Cole and Winterson: Do we love or loathe nasty politics?
Monday 15 September
Scottish independence: New powers fair or unfair to rest of UK?
UK reaction to Islamic State: Air strikes or boots on ground?
Clip: Tory Zac Goldsmith on recall bill to force by-elections
Full sequence Clip: Zac Goldsmith and MPs on recall powers
Jenkins: Biggest grassroots moment Scotland has ever seen
Reid: More you decentralise the state, the better it is
Sunday 14 September
Scottish independence: Tapestry tells nation's history
Clip: Sheridan dismisses oil resource fears
Tommy Sheridan with Andrew Neil (full interview)
Clip: Galloway claims 'working people damaged by Yes vote'
George Gallowway with Andrew Neil (full interview)
Friday 12 September
English and Welsh devolution: Wood and Redwood
Jo Coburn on the Scottish independence polls
Scottish independence: Referendum views from Glasgow
English Democrats' Robin Tilbrook on party conference
Scottish independence: Andrew Neil with Alistair Darling
Scottish independence: Andrew Neil with Fiona Hyslop
Thursday 11 September
Rotherham child abuse and race claims: Cryer and Evans
Referendum debate: Kennedy and Canavan
Scottish independence: Quebec lessons for Scotland?
Jesse Norman on choosing new House of Commons clerk
Social media and twitter abuse: MacKenzie and Aaronovitch
Polly Toynbee told in tweet abuse: Hope you get cancer
Wednesday 10 September
How would Scotland leaving affect rest of UK
State funding for political parties, says Alice Thomson
PMQs: Hague and Harman on Scottish independence vote
PMQs: Redwood and Hague on English devolution call
PMQs: Wishart and Hague on Scottish independence
PMQs: Caroline Lucas told off for climate change poster
PMQs: Landale, Crabb and Reynolds on independence referendum
Tuesday 9 September
University Technical Colleges - how schools are funded
Schools debate: Baker and Millar
Rotherham abuse: Mann and Green on PCC Shaun Wright
Scottish independence: Cameron and Miliband will miss PMQs
Is there such a thing as 'over-saving'?
Monday 8 September
New political alliances: Thatcher and Guevara images
Scottish independence: Blair Jenkins and panel of three MPs
David Laws on Lib Dem plans for 2015 general election
TUC's Frances O'Grady on minimum wage and pay rises
What do MPs thinks of a pay rise for MPs?
Friday 5 September
March for NHS: Darlo Mums protest against privatisation
Health privatisation claims: Irvine and Manning
Green leader Natalie Bennett: minimum and living wages
Candidates aiming for new European commissioner posts
European week: Nato, vacuum cleaners and German polls
EU neighbours: Politics Europe on Croatians and the EU
Thursday 4 September
Fox calls for military action against Islamic State
Getting a straight answer?
Miliband and Freeman on Scottish independence
Politicians talking about the fight against crime
Ross and Davies on official crime statistics
Wednesday 3 September
Bryan Appleyard: Factory farming, food and eating meat
PMQs: Cameron on Sotloff killing and Islamic State
PMQs: Miliband and Cameron on Middle East terror threat
PMQS: Cameron and Roy on Scotland currency and debt
PMQs: Robertson and Cameron on Scottish independence
PMQs: Clacton by-election birthday present for Cameron
PMQs: Cameron and Abbott on sacking council directors
PMQs review with Landale, Neil, Thornberry and Hancock
Tuesday 2 September
Diana Johnson on Labour reaction to Rotherham claims
John Woodcock on Syria and Iraq 'humanitarian crisis'
Energy and green pledges from David Cameron
George Monbiot and Ed Davey on government energy plans
Parris and Wallace on Europe and UKIP threat to Tories
Has Boris Island airport run out of runway?
Can you clean up with lower power vaccuum?
Monday 1 September
Voter registration changes for new electoral register
Ice bucket challenge for MPs Brake, Malhotra and Bone
Row over appointing new Commons clerk
Reaction to Carswell defection prompting Clacton by-election
Should Parliament have been recalled?
Monday quiz: What is the EU about to ban?
Tuesday 22 July
Recess political reading tips from Keith Simpson MP
Wooing BME ethnic vote and winning Croydon voters
Ethnic minority voters: Paul Uppal and Seema Malhotra
Costs of students fees system: NUS v Social Market Foundation
Trojan Horse plot claims in some Birmingham schools
Rushanara Ali and Douglas Murray on Gaza/Israel violence
Monday 21 July
Sir Robert Rogers on Clerk of the House of Commons role
Corporation of London and City role in UK finances
Fiona Woolf on City of London and banks' reputation
Europe debate: Fiona Woolf and Steven Woolfe
Reshuffle reaction with James, Abbott and Burt
Thursday 17 and Friday 18 July
No Daily Politics due to live golf coverage
Wednesday 16 July
Fracking discussion: Vivienne Westwood and MPs
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on the cabinet reshuffle
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband clash on the economy
PMQs: Robinson and MPs on Cameron v Miliband
Tuesday 15 July
James Landale on David Cameron Tory cabinet reshuffle
Juncker voted in as European Commission president
More couples getting married in Britain, says ONS
Cabinet reshuffles: Gillan and Loughton
Assisted dying debate: Falconer and Nathanson
Monday 14 July
Royal Mail competition for postal delivery services
Baroness Butler-Sloss quits child abuse inquiry chair
Mary Macleod on women in Parliament
UK to get a spaceport?
Sunday 13 July
Positive discrimination: Appointment by merit or sex?
positive discrimination: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Munira Mirza
Sunday Politics interview: Nicola Sturgeon
Friday 11 July
Scottish independence: Celebrities on yes and no
Scottish independence: Largs on referendum campaign
Royal Mail sell-off: Billy Hayes and Adam Memon
Rachel Reeves: Serious questions on Universal Credit
Scottish independence interview: Johann Lamont
Scottish independence interview: Blair Jenkins
Thursday 10 July
Norman Baker on emergency powers for data laws
Tom Watson MP on data laws 'hasty legislation'
UK football team: Laurence Robertson and Pete Wishart
Which parts of the UK are feeling a recovery?
Happy birthday Magna Carta!
Wednesday 9 July
Celebrities trivialise politics says journalist Tanya Gold
PMQs: Cameron and Miller on 'revenge porn' offences
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on child abuse claims
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on health waiting times
PMQs: Cameron and Raab on strike ballot legislation
PMQs: Campbell and Cameron on Christian gay cake row
PMQs: Robinson and MPs on Cameron v Miliband
Images of Hancock, Brown, Cameron, Farage, Miliband
Tuesday 8 July
Victim and witnesses commissioner Newlove's first report
Hospital parking charges: Views of Nottingham motorists
Hospital parking fees debate: Halfon and Haldenby
Political parties' focus groups and polling research
Pollster Frank Luntz predicts 2015 hung parliament
Could a US news-style work in Britain?
Monday 7 July
Chris Hopson NHS funding and service levels in England
Croatia and European Union: One year of membership
Bryant and Jackson on the UK and EU
Coburn and Brant on Westminster sex abuse allegations
Sunday 6 July
Lib Dems: Harvey, Huhne and Pugh advice for Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg on Lib Dem role in UK economic recovery
Darling: 'No way EU will let Scotland keep UK rebate'
Austerity debate: Hancock and O'Grady
Friday 4 July
Hardeep Singh Kohli on Mahatma Gandhi and London visit
Austerity protests: Francesca Martinez and Harry Cole
MEPs' views on Eurosceptic UK leaving European Union
European Union - and the jobs for British in Brussels
European week: Juncker, Beethoven and child benefit
Britain's biggest-ever warship at Rosyth
Thursday 3 July
UKIP's Nigel Farage on leaving the European Parliament
Tim Loughton on families, children and marriages
Newspaper political cartoons from World War One
Cameron biography: Anthony Seldon and Isabel Oakeshott
NHS metrics: Are waiting times getting better or worse?
NHS in England statistics: Andy Burnham and Dan Poulter
Wednesday 2 July
Relax Sunday trading rules says Tory MP Philip Davies
Dog Awareness Week: MPs on dog bites while canvassing
Is Lord Howard up for a job in the EU?
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on NHS waiting times
PMQs: Cameron and Halfon on teenage murders in Israel
PMQs: Cameron and Baldry taunt Miliband over referendum
PMQs: Skinner and Cameron on NHS pay and waiting times
PMQs review: Landale and MPs on Cameron v Miliband
Tuesday 1 July
MPs at PMQs behaviour: Justine Roberts and Nigel Evans
Clegg, Miliband and Cameron's image problems for voters
Reaction to Labour 'economic powerhouses' to rival London pledge
Monday 30 June
Green peer Jenny Jones: Build homes on golf courses
Golf courses: Green Jenny Jones v Tory Cheryl Gillan
Reaction to Prince Charles speaking out
Shapps and Mahmood on Ed Balls business speech
Sunday 29 June
Europe debate: Kennedy and Hannan
Could/should smoking be banned completely?
Will the post-2015 Parliament be full of white men?
Friday 27 June
Political week: hacking, HS3 rail and mortgage lending
Nick Robinson on David Cameron stance over Juncker
Charities and politics - Oxfam's Perfect Storm poster
Thursday 26 June
Europe: London's European machinery and anti-EU offices
Hacking trial: Watson wrong on Brooks, but no apology
Watson and Garnier on phone hacking (full version)
Who is Jean Claude Juncker? And can Cameron stop him?
Wednesday 25 June
Myriam Francois-Cerrah on extremists and conservatism
PMQs: David Cameron quizzed over Andy Coulson vetting
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on phone hacking and Coulson
PMQs: Cameron and Bryant on phone hacking and Coulson
Hacking: Tory MP Philip Davies on MPs contacting police
Nick Robinson's PMQs Coulson hacking exchanges review
Tuesday 24 June
Eating and heating: How to measure poverty levels
Poverty debate: Jack Monroe and Mark Hoban
Al Jazeera journalist Sue Turton on jailed journalists
Interest rates to rise: Ann Pettifor and Fraser Nelson
Monday 23 June
Meacher: Labour MPs and shadow cabinet Miliband critics
Party policies and business help needed from government
CBI's Katja Hall's views on political business policies
Europe debate: Business for Britain and British Influence
Sunday 22 June
Liberal Democrats: Clegg and Liverpool on party future
Sir Menzies Campbell on rebuilding Liberal Democrats
Rachel Reeves on Labour's Universal Credit plans
Friday 20 June
Political week: Clegg, Sturgeon, Miliband and Mandelson
County flags chosen by residents across England
Flag debate with vexillologist and town crier
Philosopher John Locke promoted by Labour MP Lisa Nandy
Iraq debate: Oborne, Ashley and Nawaz
Thursday 19 June
House of Lords reform and pledges for change
Helene Hayman 'gimmick' candidate in Enoch Powell seat
Labour welfare proposals: Timms and McVey
Baghdad-born MP on violence in Iraq - and western reaction
Wednesday 18 June
TV vet Marc Abraham: Time to stop puppy farming
Vet Marc Abraham and MP on puppy farm and dog welfare
PMQs: Tapsell and Cameron on Blair Iraq impeachment bid
PMQs: Cameron quizzed on passport application delays
PMQs: Cameron on bid to stop Juncker EC president bid
PMQs Cameron and Miliband on Iraq and Middle East
PMQs: Cameron and Fabricant on Stephen Sutton legacy
PMQs review with Robinson, Eagle and Harper
Tuesday 17 June
Trumpington told Thatcher 'exactly what I thought'
Baroness Trumpington on Lord King V-sign in Parliament
Winter floods report: Dan Rogerson and Anne McIntosh
Scottish Independence campaign: Polls and campaigning
Scotland #indyref debate: Forsyth and Robertson
What makes someone British?
Monday 16 June
China PM Li Keqiang visit to UK for business talks
Party manifesto plans for 2015 general election
Scottish independence: Labour leader on devolved powers
Scottish independence: Green leader on constitution bid
Sunday 15 June
Westminster transfer: MPs stickers to keep to swap
Indy ref abuse on social media - Yes and No reaction
Friday 13 June
Sun photo: Former Liverpool mayor on Miliband and Clegg
European week: Boat, taxis and stop Juncker campaign
European Union symbols: How to hang the EU flag
European Parliament: MEPs try to form new groupings
Thursday 12 June
World Cup: MPs on England and football predictions
Godfrey Bloom: UKIP must change or get no MPs in 2015
Godfrey Bloom: political highlights of former UKIP MEP
Lindsay Hoyle names MPs in private member's bill ballot
British Social Attitudes Survey - do we change with age?
Mike Penning on benefit backlog and welfare changes
Economy debate: Chris Leslie and Jesse Norman
Wednesday 11 June
Mood box question: Cameron or Juncker vision for Europe
Chris Bryant confused on Croatia joining European Union
Reviewing Cameron and Miliband at PMQs: Bryant and Fox
David Cameron: 'Turnout in elections is depressing'
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on Trojan Horse school row
Speaker Bercow warns MPs over PMQs noise
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on passport backlog claims
Daily Politics survey of the UK's 73 MEPs
Tuesday 10 June
Official Monster Raving Loony Party election campaigns
Loony Party leader Alan Howling Laud Hope on finances
Francis Maude on civil service spending and cuts
Difficult problems: Social care, Lords reform and drugs
Schools debate with Quilliam and Muslim Council of Britain.
Charles Clarke on future role for 'tragic' Tony Blair
Passports: Keith Vaz on application backlog warning
Monday 9 June
Life as a councillor: Luke Akehurst and Graham Snell
Matthew Doyle: Fiona Cunningham and special adviser role
David Blunkett on Birmingham schools extremism claims
Dominic Raab and Owen Jones on meritocracy
Sunday 8 June
Will Jean-Claude Juncker get the top EC job?
Did party labels on ballots affect European election results?
Election debate: Green Molly Scott Cato and UKIP's Gawain Towler
Friday 6 June
Political week: Queen's Speech, tug-of-war, Gove and May
Trojan Horse: Myriam Francois-Cerrah and Toby Young
Scottish independence and English border businesses
Newark by-election result reaction: Shapps, Helmer and Tall
By-election archive: Orpington to Hamilton, Crosby, and Eastleigh
Thursday 5 June
2015 general election and second political coalition?
Twitter awards: Pete Wishart is most tweeted-about MP
James singer Tim Booth on religion and Christian upbringing
Andrew Lansley suggested for UK EU commissioner role
Labour reaction to Queen's Speech
Wednesday 4 June
State Opening of Parliament programme (no DP)
Tuesday 3 June
MPs and peers battle in Parliamentary tug of war contest
David Willetts on student fees and teaching standards
Lib Dems Nick Clegg and Vince Cable share pint in pub
Online news v newspapers and magazines you can hold
UK property market: London v rest of the UK
Monday 2 June
Newark by-election candidates tested on favourite PM
Newark by-election brings MPs to Nottinghamshire seat
Socialist Equality Party's Chris Marsden on BBC bias
Scottish Tory tax plans: Marco Biagi and Adam Tomkins
Sunday 25 May
Elections: Lord Ashdown on threat to Clegg leadership
Election review: Patrick O'Flynn and Diane Abbott
Election: Pickles on Tory immigration target and polls
Elections: Lib Dem MP John Hemming on Nick Clegg future
Giles: Dilnot film: How do things stand after election night?
Friday 23 May
Vote 2014 site (with news and video)
Thursday 22 May
Caroline Criado Perez: Put mothers' names on wedding certificates
Polling: Compulsory voting on UK election days
Dogs, selfies, topless and rosettes in polling stations
Role of UK ambassadors around the world in modern era
Election day: Does rain and sun affect voter turnout?
Wednesday 21 May
Local and European election numbers with Jeremy Vine
European elections: Voters on leaflets and door knocking
Astrologer's election prediction for political leaders
Northern Ireland campaign for local and European seats
Dr Yussef Anwar on National Liberal Party policies
Elections: Chris Marsden of the Socialist Equality Party
John Morris on Peace Party European election policies
Dr Louise Irvine of National Health Action Party
Pollster on the local and European polls
Does it matter where candidates are on ballot paper?
Eve of election gaffes
Tuesday 20 May
Council elections: Voters on local and national issues
We Demand a Referendum Now's Nikki Sinclaire on Europe
EU is 'undermining democracy' says Brian Denny of No2EU
Nigel Farage should be prosecuted, says Tommy Tomescu
Which beer matches our leading politicians?
Labour policies debate: Hancock and Timms
Sally Morgan stepping down from Ofsted role
Monday 19 May
Role of GPs in Lansley and Hunt's new NHS England
Danny Lambert on Socialist Party of Great Britain politics
Off-message Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and Green councillors
Charging to see a GP: Maureen Baker and Thomas Cawston
Voter segmentation: Views of the political parties
Sunday 18 May
12-hour challenge on the election trail with candidates
Polls for the local, European and general elections
Friday 16 May
Iraq: Jenkin and Howell on Chilcot Inquiry report delay
Political week: AstraZeneca, UKIP and election polls
Elections: Christian People's Alliance on gay marriage
How BBC decides election coverage for political parties
Voters on local and European election knowledge
John Gaunt on MPs' report into Police Federation
Thursday 15 May
Britain First's leader Paul Golding on BNP breakaway
Scottish independence: Sturgeon on currency and defence
Leanne Wood on Plaid Cymru bid for Welsh votes in EU elections
Pension and annuity change to buy a Lamborghini?
Interest rate and housing debate: Hopkins and Reynolds
Wednesday 14 May
UKIP: Patrick O'Flynn on Sanya-Jeet Thandi 'racism' comments
An Independence from Europe's Mike Nattrass on elections
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on Pfizer AstraZeneca bid (clip)_
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on Pfizer AstraZeneca jobs (full exchanges)
PMQs review: Nick Robinson on Cameron Miliband session
LED streetlights stop people sleeping, says campaigner
Tuesday 13 May
Labour business record attacked by Lord Digby Jones
Gatwick and Heathrow airport bosses on expansion bids
Bosses on expanding London airports (full sequence)
European elections: 4 Freedoms Party on EPP allies
Pfizer boss Ian Read questioned by MPs on AstraZeneca bid
Boss on Digby Jones: The New Troubleshooter documentary
Opera quiz on arias performed by baritone Morgan Pearse
Tories take poll lead for first time in two years
Monday 12 May
Where R is greater than G (and plans for an 80% tax rate)
Politicians with charisma: Boris, Thatcher, Blair, Salmond, Farage
Matt Forde and Peter Hitchens on Blair and Boris images
Farage bodyguards debate: UAF's Bennett and UKIP's Evans
Coalition tensions over education: free schools and free meals?
Sunday 11 May
Elections: UKIP campaign with leader Nigel Farage
Farage on need for bodyguards: 'I can't stand it'
Labour denies election broadcast is negative and a smear
Friday 9 May
Political week: AstraZeneca, mangoes and fracking
Anarchist Peter Kropotkin championed by Tom Hodgkinson
Online news: Breitbart, Political Scrapbook and vice.com
TUSC's Dave Nellist on election launch
Nick Griffin on BNP election campaign
Party political broadcasts: Delingpole, Jones and Grender
Thursday 8 May
Newspaper regulation: Leveson and freedom of the press
Press regulation debate: Tony Gallagher and Evan Harris
Nuttall on UKIP's female, black and ethnic-minority candidates
The top five political restaurants?
Violent criminals and open prisons: Nick Gibb and Tony Gallagher
Lord MacGregor on shale and fracking 'huge benefits'
Fracking and shale: Marcus Adams and Tony Gallagher
Wednesday 7 May
Ex-teacher: 'You can't teach skills without facts'
Natalie Bennett on Green Party local election launch
One year to general election: view from Con/Lab/LD/UKIP
PMQs: Speaker John Bercow with noisy MPs in Commons
PMQs: Cameron and Vaz on Indian mango import ban
PMQs: Miliband accuses Cameron of rent plan U-Turn
David Cameron: Nigeria girls abduction 'act of pure evil'
Cameron and Miliband on Pfizer bid for AstraZeneca
PMQs review: Robinson on Pfizer bid for AstraZeneca
Tuesday 6 May
Election: May 6 deadline day for voting registration
Political party 'machine' role in election campaigns
McConnell on Live Below the Line and international aid
Local election campaigns: Farron, Shapps and Benn
Population prediction: 1-in-3 to be from ethnic minority?
Sunday 4 May
Elections: Liberal Democrat campaign with Nick Clegg
Sunday Politics interview: Andrew Neil and Malcolm Bruce
Sunday Politics interview: Andrew Neil and Grant Shapps
Friday 2 May
Political week: Speaker v Cameron and election launches
Bob Neill at Conservative local council election launch
Trimble: McGuinness playing to gallery over Adams arrest
Niccolo Machiavelli 'has jumped cultures' says McTernan
Which strikes do (and don't) the public back?
Chuka Umunna on AstraZeneca and takeovers of UK firms
Thursday 1 May
Sadiq Khan: Labour plans for rent and tenancy controls
Religion and state: Parliament and Church of England
May Day, St George's Day and new bank holidays
UK and Europe: Benn, Jenkins, Farage and Clegg debates
The arrest of Gerry Adams: Henderson and Long
Wednesday 30 April
Peter Tatchell on civil partnerships and marriage laws
Political parties' foreign gurus for election campaigns
Cameron and Miliband on Royal Mail shares and sell-off
PMQs: Speaker reminds MP of Ladies' College education
PMQs: Speaker interrupts Cameron on Axelrod comments
PMQs: Cameron on Shakespeare birthday and national day
Robinson PMQs review: Cameron, Miliband and Royal Mail
English Democrats launch local and European election campaign
Election debate: Duncan, Murphy and Aker
Tuesday 29 April
Daily Politics mood box: Ed Miliband as prime minister?
Vladimir Putin: Why some admire Russian leader's image
EU debate: Evans and Buckland
What has the EU ever done for women?
Some of the pros and cons of electric cars
Monday 28 April
European relations: Thatcher, Cameron, Farage and Brown
Sir Menzies Campbell on Cyril Smith sex abuse claims
European and local election political campaign launches
Elections debate: O'Flynn, Gillan, Jowell and Campbell
HS2 vote in Common on Monday night
Natalie Bennett on Green Party election launch
Sunday 13 April
EU election: Tory, Labour, UKIP and Lib Dem on Europe
EU referendum: Tory, Labour, UKIP and Lib Dem policy
What's up for grabs on 22 May in EU elections?
Friday 11 April
MEPs and political groupings in the European Parliament
European week: Greek economy and Catalonia independence
Daily Politics mood box: Are voters fixed or floaters?
Thursday 10 April
Does choice work when it comes to public services?
2014 election: Dave Nellist on TUSC socialist policies
Handbagged: Thatcher and Queen on the West End stage
MPs Dan Jarvis and Alun Cairns to run London marathon
Nadine Dorries on cost of milk and shopping
Wednesday 9 April
Clegg, Ford, Fox, Smith, Mitchell, Davies, Dorries and Clinton say sorry
Jo Coburn on the downfall of Maria Miller
Maria Miller: "I wish I could have stayed"
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on Miller resignation
PMQs; Miliband on Cameron 'terrible error of judgment'
Maria Miller was becoming the story, says Grant Shapps
Basingstoke councillors on Maria Miller resignation
Nick Robinson reviews PMQs and Miller resignation
Billy Bragg on access to books and guitars in prisons
Tuesday 8 April
School meals: FoI requests on Clegg hot meal pledge
Miller expenses 'damaging' Conservatives says Davies
Government SpAds: Special Advisers in the news
Labour to devolve Whitehall power to 'generate jobs'
Jeremy Browne: Globalisation and cutting top tax rate
Switching power company to save money?
Monday 7 April
Pauline Pearce: London riot footage and political role
Pauline Pearce on fame and politics after Hackney riot
Maria Miller expenses: Coffey and Mann
Talking EU and Europe with Tim Aker and David Lidington
Sunday 6 April
Labour Party: Neil Kinnock-era lessons for Ed Miliband?
Caroline Flint on Labour general election strategy
Friday 4 April
Ex-Telegraph editor on Craig Oliver and Maria Miller
Political week: Royal Mail, with PMQs Muppets and dunce
Anna Lo on lack of Chinese people in UK politics
Scottish independence: lessons from 1995 Quebec vote
Scottish independence: Cochrane and McMillan
What does the public think about the EU?
Thursday 3 April
Conspiracy theories: Tony Gosling and David Aaronovitch
Clegg-Farage Europe debate: In the press 'spin' room
Wind farm arguments: David Aaronovitch and Peter Bone
Wednesday 2 April
Nick Ross on TV licence fee and paying for BBC services
Dimbleby previews BBC2 Clegg v Farage debate on Europe
PMQs review: Robinson and Neil on Cameron v Miliband
Political briefings: Letwin, Major, Huhne and Hutton
Speaker on braying and sneering to Siobhain McDonagh
PMQs: Royal Mail sell-off and Labour manifesto claim
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband exchange Muppet and dunce taunts
Tuesday 1 April
Hain and Newmark on British MPs who were born abroad
MPs born abroad: Nadhim Zahawi and Gisela Stuart
Powers of elected mayors: Ken Livingstone and Bob Neill
Is the UK in a retreat from green policies?
Royal Mail sell-off price: Cooper and Murray
The importance of image to politicians - can baldies do it?
Monday 31 March
Re-shoring: Bringing jobs back to UK from abroad
MP expenses 'abused 700 years ago' says Chris Bryant
What do MPs know about Westminster and political history?
£10 monthly NHS England charge, says ex Labour minister
Action for Children: Cinderella Law and emotional abuse
Climate change debate: Berry, Mahmood and Brook
Sunday 30 March
Whatever happened to the BNP?
Energy Secretary Ed Davey dismisses 'blackout' fears
Ed Davey on power, investment and mothballed plants (full interview)
Friday 28 March
Political week: Energy, Benn funeral and teachers' strike
Westminster political journalists on lunchtime drinks
Nikki Sinclaire MEP on fraud claims and Nigel Farage
Left Unity targets disaffected Labour voters - Shaheen
Housing benefit and welfare changes: Timms and Elphicke
Who do you trust most to run the economy?
Thursday 27 March
Plain packs for cigarettes and black market claims
Cigarettes plain packs: Diane Abbott and Simon Clark
UKIP voters: Author Matthew Goodwin on party research
Welfare cap debate highlights
Who won the Nick and Nigel EU debate?
Domestic energy costs: Fallon and Greatrex
Diane Abbott on Tony Benn funeral
Wednesday 26 March
Prof Steve Jones: Genetics, education and Boris Johnson
Talking fat and cheese with Anna Soubry
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on energy prices and Budget
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on Budget and bingo
PMQs: Defence cuts 'deep and damaging' says Tory MP
PMQs: Balls briefing against Miliband says Cameron
Teacher strike: NUT's Christine Blower on working hours
Fox hunting with dogs: No change in law says Cameron
PMQs review: Robinson on Cameron, Miliband and economy
Tuesday 25 March
Tory immigration target: Mark Field and Mark Pritchard
Scottish Independence: New powers if Scotland votes no
Scottish independence: Carmichael on devolved powers
Northern Ireland journalist Deric Henderson retires
Deric Henderson recalls politics of Northern Ireland
Debate on the future of the BBC and the licence fee
Russia, Crimea and western reaction: Dannatt and Carmichael
What do the polls say about Scottish independence?
Monday 24 March
Budget 2014: Pub prices after 1p tax cut for beer
LabourList's Mark Ferguson on supporters' calls to party
Caroline Lucas MP appears in court
Ukraine and Russia: Lord West and Tory MP Patrick Jenkin
Inheritance tax and priorities for older voters
Sunday 23 March
Voter segmentation: How Worcester Woman votes today
Budget 2014: Steve Webb on pensions and annuity changes
Bez plans to stand for Parliament on anti-fracking ticket
Friday 21 March
Tory MP Jesse Norman on philosopher Edmund Burke
Political week: Budget, Crimea and Tony Benn tribute
UK Polish ambassador Witold Sobkow on Russian relations
2015 election result: bookmaker vs political sociologist
Thursday 20 March
MP4 band of MPs: Brennan, Knight, Wishart and Cawsey
Budget 2014: Paul Lewis on pension and annuity changes
Budget 2014: Johnson on Tory beer and bingo tax poster
Wednesday 19 March
BBC Budget special index
Tuesday 18 March
Budget 2014: Caroline Flint and 10p income tax rate
Budget day speech memories: Lamont and Ussher
Shetland home rule: Tavish Scott and Lord Lamont
Tories and Europe: Heath, Thatcher, Major and Cameron
Budget 2014: Output gap judging a nation's economy
Monday 17 March
Budget 2014: Shapps on job creation and UK recovery
HS2 construction: Creagh, Anderson, Shapps and Gillan
Sunday 16 March
EU referendum pledges and 2015 general election result
Farage 'to stand down' if Miliband wins 2015 election
Farage: UKIP to target blue collar Labour voters
Budget preview: Lamont, Bruce and Blears
Friday 14 March
European week: Soros, Crimea, referendum, phone and pie
European Union jobs - sitting the test to be a civil servant
EU data rules aim to make online surfing data safer
Remembering Tony Benn: Shirley Williams and Claire Short
Voters may forgive MPs for drug taking and past crimes
Elvis Bus Pass Party's Lord Biro could challenge Clegg
Thursday 13 March
MPs and peers sing, dance, play music on the stage
Johnson family dynasty: Stanley, Boris, Rachel and Jo
Budget 2014: Lib Dem Tim Farron on income tax levels
MPs at the big board: Davey Kelly and Cameron
Badger cull pilot: Simon Hart and Caroline Lucas
John Woodcock on UK role in world conflicts
Wednesday 12 March
Ukraine ambassador Volodymyr Khandogiy on Crimea future
PMQs: Bone and Clegg on EU referendum party policies
PMQs: Clegg and Harman on health policies and Care Bill
PMQs Harman and Clegg on income tax and 'bedroom tax'
PMQs: Elvis jibe at Nick Clegg after by-election result
PMQs: Heckling, finger pointing and a 'death stare'
Make voting compulsory at elections, says Kevin Meagher
PMQs review: Neil, Eagle and Hancock on Clegg v Harman
Tuesday 11 March
Rebranding Tories as Workers Party: Halfon and Lavery
Political books: Jacqui Smith and Menzies Campbell
Postal vote 'fraud': Andrew Stephenson and Tom Hawthorn
Bob Crow tributes: McLoughlin, Watson and McDonnell
Tributes to RMT leader Bob Crow Whelan and Corbyn
Care Bill debate: Andy Burnham and Dr Phillip Lee
Ian Lavery MP wants young people at dog track races
Monday 10 March
TV licence and BBC funding future: Bridgen and Goodman
Life as a minister: Chris Mullin and Tim Loughton
Life as minister: Jeremy Browne and Michael Browne
Labour's plan for a job guarantee: Stephen Timms interview
Montage: Party manifesto pledges
Montage: Do political leaders know when it is time to go?
Sunday 9 March
Universal Credit: Iain Duncan Smith and welfare changes
Iain Duncan Smith answers SP viewers' questions
Friday 7 March
Political week: Ukraine, Russia, and Cameron photo
Voice UK's Jermain Jackman bid to be first black UK PM
I want to be UK's first black PM (longer version)
Lib Dem election results, predictions and UKIP threat
Ed Davey: UKIP 'basically lie to people' on immigration
Europe debate: Ed Davey and Suzanne Evans
Thursday 6 March
Spads: Who or what are government Special Advisers
Nick Clegg on UK immigration figures and policies
Lembit Opik tests Olly Grender on Lib Dem knowledge
Ukraine MP Sergei Sobolev on western help for Crimea
National Audit Office warning on Help to Buy Scheme
Immigration figures: Olly Grender and Nadhim Zahawi
Wednesday 5 March
UK wine duty escalator: Peter Richards on tax cut call
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on Russian troops in Ukraine
PMQs: Cameron on G8 in doubt over Russia and Crimea
PMQs review: Robinson on Cameron, Miliband and Russia
Eric Pickles pledges over parking, bins and council tax
PMQs: Straw heckled over Chiltern and TPE train question
Tuesday 4 March
Parliamentary pancake race with MPs, peers and press
Labour and union links: Kinnock, Smith and Miliband
Matthew Hancock MP on National Apprenticeship Week
Labour's plans for the NHS and health care
Monday 3 March
No programme today (back on Tuesday)
Sunday 2 March
Party political logos: Halfon, Nandy and Oakeshott
Labour education policy for schools in England
Tristram Hunt on sacking or keeping unqualified teachers
Tristram Hunt on Labour education and free schools plan
Mark Field MP on UK reaction to Russia in Ukraine
Friday 28 February
European week: Prostitution, smoking rule and cars
UK could follow Switzerland's European Union relations
European elections: Bid to increase voter turnout
UKIP chances at European elections for EU MEP seats
Thursday 27 February
Spitting Image makers on David Steel satirical puppet
Horse fly-grazing - illegal grazing of animals on farms
Green Party struggle to expand and lose one-issue image
Green Party leader Natalie Bennett interview
Angela Merkel speaks to UK Parliament in English about EU
Europe debate as German chancellor addresses MPs
Child poverty debate: Porter and Garnham
Wednesday 26 February
Grangemouth plant: Ineos boss calls for UK shale gas
Daily Mail's Andrew Pierce on Harriet Harman coverage
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on flood defence spending
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on climate change claims
PMQs: Cameron and Dodds on Hyde Park bomb court case
PMQs review: Robinson, Neil, Curran and Grayling
Tuesday 25 February
Politics in Wales: Carrier bag and prescription charges
Griff Rhys Jones: Welsh 'too sensible' for independence
Localism and planning polices to control developments
Harman claims 'nothing more than absurd' says Leslie
Atos: Anne Begg on disability tests government contract
James Landale on Harriet Harman allegations
Economy debate: Javid, Leslie and Swales
Monday 24 February
PMQs Speaker insults 'hurtful' says Andrea Leadsom MP
Backbench women MPs on PMQs: Leadsom, Blears and Burt
Political appearances and what MPs look like
Race debate: Sadiq Khan and Paul Uppal
UK and Ukraine: Whittingdale and Bryant
Sunday 16 February
Swinney: Scotland will not join ERM or euro currency
Bob Crow: Driverless Tube trains 'not going to happen'
RMT union's Bob Crow on ticket offices and Tube strikes
UKIP threat to Conservatives after Wythenshawe result
Elections: UKIP's Patrick O'Flynn and Tory Vicky Ford
Friday 14 February
More garden cities: Plans for new Letchworth and Welwyn
European elections: polls suggest gains for Eurosceptics
Political week: Floods, Scotland, and smoking in cars
Zac Goldsmith on Cameron dropping recall policy
Wythenshawe and Sale East byelection reaction
Thursday 13 February
Scottish independence: Effect on England, Wales and N Ireland
Primary school start age for summer born children challenged
Scottish independence: Nicola Sturgeon on sterling use
Who is Nicola Sturgeon? Questions for SNP deputy leader
Gordon Brown MP: Mark Ferguson and Harry Cole
Debate: What happens to the UK if Scotland leaves?
Wednesday 12 February
UK floods: Michael Fish on storms and weather history
Somerset Levels flooding: Dr Hannah Cloke on dredging
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on flood money pledges
PMQs review: Robinson and MPs on Cameron v Miliband
PMQs: Cameron says Police Federation in need of reform
PMQs: Cameron and Sawford on minimum wage penalties
Whelan's political meetings in Red Lion and Gay Hussar
Tuesday 11 February
News reporting challenges with web and rolling channels
More bias needed in BBC news says Alain de Botton
Alzheimer's and dementia: Fiona Phillips and Christian Guy
MPs on Westminster cat of the year voting fraud claims
UK floods: Miliband, Hammond, Cameron and Howell
Education debate: Fiona Phillips and Toby Young
Monday 10 February
Former MP Edwina Currie on food banks and benefits
Food banks debate: Edwina Currie and Marc Godwin
Redwood and Eagle on reaction to floods
Sunday 9 February
Chuka Umunna: Labour tax plans and leadership elections
Lib Dem strategy - Get Gove!
Friday 7 February
European week: Floods, EU corruption and Ukraine
European Space Agency: billions spent on high tech jobs
MEPs on eurozone integration and euro currency future
Teacher strike: NUT's Christine Blower on Gove talks
Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election candidates
Scotland debate: Reaction to PM's speech on the Union
Which TV show do Tory, Labour and Lib Dem voters prefer?
Thursday 6 February
Flood defences spending: Cameron and Miliband claims
Eric Pickles on government flood defence and protection
Science news and media reporting of medical reports
Lynne Featherstone on female genital mutilation in UK
Strikes debate: Dominic Raab and Jeremy Corbyn
Women in Parliament: Macleod and Thornberry
Wednesday 5 February
Parliament needs cats to deal with rats and vermin
Prof Alice Roberts: Ban creationism in school science
PMQs review: Robinson on Cameron, Miliband and women MPs
PMQs: Cameron on London Underground Tube strike action
PMQs: Speaker Bercow tells Michael Gove to write lines
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on women on Tory front bench
PMQs Cameron and Miliband on flooding in England
Tuesday 4 February
MPs on Westminster life: Charlotte Leslie and Meg Munn
Tory deselections: Paul Goodman and Anne McIntosh
Mujeeb Bhutto not a Conservative says Shapps
Alan Johnson on Labour leadership vote and union links
Monday 3 February
Ofsted: Zenna Atkins on Michael Gove and Sally Morgan
Immigration facts and figures: People entering the UK
Immigration debate: Alp Mehmet and Diane Abbott MP
Europe debate: Loughton, Jungclaussen and Mehmet
Sunday 2 February
Natalie Bennett gives Greens' travel news
Somerset Levels flooding: 'Government so slow to react'
Paul Kenny on unions' future relations with Labour Party
Friday 31 January
Political week: Floods, tax, immigration and Scotland
Louise Cooper on Austrian economist Friedrich HayekDaily Politics highlights of 2014
Dr Louise Irvine on National Health Action Party policy
National Health Action Party on Cameron NHS policies
Thursday 30 January
Judge treated me like little girl says sex case witness
Search engines and what web users ask about MPs
Michael Dugher on Labour leadership election changes
Immigration debate: Hillier, Baron and Aker
Miners' strike: Call for apologies - Dugher and Rosindell
Wednesday 29 January
Syria: Call for UK military invention from Sunny Hundal
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on UK helping Syrian refugees
PMQs: Speaker Bercow says lion must get back in its den
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on 40p and 50p top tax rates
PMQs: Cameron and Nandy on miners' strike apologies
PMQs: Cameron's backing for Immigration Bill
PMQs review: Robinson and MPs on Cameron v Miliband
Grant Shapps answers Tory party chairman rumours
Tuesday 28 January
Nuclear, wind and renewable debate: Bennett and Dorries
Arnie Graf - Labour MP Chris Leslie on Tory 'mischief'
MPs keep in touch: Twitter, Facebook and reality TV
Lib Dems deputy leader contest to follow Simon Hughes
Royal debate: Conservative MP and Republic group
UK economy debate: Halligan, Anderson and Dorries
Monday 27 January
Somerset floods: MP Ian Liddell-Grainger on dredging
Feminism: Two Ronnies, Ann Leslie and Everyday Sexism Project
50p tax rate: Business trust in Osborne and Balls
House prices and home building stats
Sunday 26 January
Rennard and Hancock: Bad week for Clegg and Lib Dems
Where are the Lib Dem deputy leader candidates?
HS2 bosses salaries defended by transport secretary
Patrick McLoughlin on train, bus and motoring costs
Immigration Bill debate: Mills and Diane Abbott
Nigel Farage gives UKIP weather forecast
Friday 24 January
EU Referendum Bill 'badly drafted' says Lord Foulkes
EU Referendum Bill may be lost in Lords says Browning
Gloria de Piero MP on feminist Mary Wollstonecraft
Political week: Rennard claims, UKIP weather, biscuits
Cartoon row: Deselection call for Lib Dem Maajid Nawaz
Economy debate: Sajid Javid and Chuka Umunna
Thursday 23 January
Nigel Farage on 2010 and 2015 UKIP election manifestos
Sports to politics: Coe, Thompson and Campbell
Euro elections: Tory Olympic rower James Cracknell
Westminster pubs - centres of political press briefings
Maguire on pub where Blair told: UK not joining euro
Women working in financial markets: Farage and Cooper
Wednesday 22 January
Green Belt protection needed says naturalist Ray Mears
Lord Rennard 'is no Jimmy Savile' says Chris Davies MEP
PMQs review: Robinson on Cameron and Miliband
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on UK role in Syria
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on UK employment figures
PMQs: Cameron and Kirby on Brighton weather forecast
PMQs: Cameron and Dodds on Northern Ireland Haass talks
Splash diving MP Penny Mordaunt on Tom Daley show
Tuesday 21 January
Stephen Williams MP on saving pubs and community assets
David Blunkett on Russell Brand, voting and politics
US lessons on funding for UK theatre, museums and arts
Women MPs standing down in Conservative marginal seats
Rennard claims on Lib Dems: Linda Jack and Paddy Ashdown
Monday 20 January
Rennard divide 'could destroy party' says Lord Greaves
Lord Rennard row: Sir Menzies Campbell on Lib Dem row
Brighton and Hove council tax referendum on social care
Noisy MPs: Speaker calls for better behaviour from MPs
UKIP's Peter Reeve on suspended councillor David Silvester
Sunday 19 January
Lib Dems: Glasgow voters on party policies and biscuits
Alexander 'more than tough enough' to take on Ed Balls
Danny Alexander: Lib Dem economic policies and Rennard
Sunday Politics debate: Spying in the UK
Friday 17 January
EU regional funds: Cornwall, Transylvania and Sicily
European week: Maltese passports and Greek presidency
Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin on Bulgarians in UK
European freedom of movement rules: EU reaction to UK plan
MPs told to lose weight by surgeon and peer Ian McColl
Scottish independence: Blair Jenkins and Blair McDougall
Thursday 16 January
MPs on EU laws and freedom of movement across Europe
UK military cuts and spending: Dannatt on Gates claims
Tories: Cameron bid to modernise Conservative Party
Public view on health spending and NHS priorities
Wednesday 15 January
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on housebuilding figures
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on RBS bank bonuses
PMQs: Cameron on 'huge amount of myths' about fracking
PMQs: Cameron and Watson on UK links to Amritsar raid
PMQs: Benefit Street 'in every constituency' says MP
Queen on Robinson tablet computer interrupts TV debate
Ex-offenders and addicts for JP role - Policy Exchange
PMQs review: Robinson Flint and Vara on bank bonuses
Tuesday 14 January
David Winnick on MPs and the good old days of politics
MP paintings and art: Blair, Ashdown, Abbott and Clarke
MP paintings and art debate: Mulln, Doran and Isaby
Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke to wear onesie for Commons vote
Monday 13 January
Fallon: Fracking could make huge difference to economy
PPS: MPs and role of Parliamentary Private Secretary
UK supermarkets: prices, suppliers and horse meat
Ex-Tesco boss on changing supermarkets ad High Streets
Sunday 12 January
Conservative MPs call for UK veto over EU laws
Chris Grayling on human rights and UK/European courts
Grayling reforms and HM Liverpool academy with working prisoners
Friday 10 January
UK floods: Climate change or just weather to blame
Charlie Wolf explains Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged book
Political week: Floods, Mordaunt, Johnson and Osborne
Climate change and EU referendum debates on our FB site
Thursday 9 January
Occupy London legacy for church and St Paul's Cathedral
David Lammy MP on Mark Duggan 'peaceful vigil' plan
UK interest rate rise: Andrew Lilico and Nigel Mills
Maude denies Universal Credit rift with Duncan Smith
Maude on digital government and driving licences
Wednesday 8 January
'Move House of Lords and Royal Opera House north'
PMQs: Paul Goggins tributes from Cameron and Miliband
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on floods, storms and power
PMQs: Cameron on climate change and abnormal weather
PMQs: Cameron on Bletchley codebreaker Alan Turing
Scottish independence: Davidson on Cameron 'Tory toff'
PMQs: Cameron and Miliband on fixed odds betting machines
PMQs review: Robinson on Cameron and Miliband exchanges
Tuesday 7 January
Fixed odds betting machines: Tom Watson on regulations
Parliament for hire: weddings, meetings, afternoon teas
Nick Robinson: The Truth About immigration documentary
Immigration debate: Kennedy, Reckless and Aker
Lib Dem secret weapon for 2015 general election
Monday 6 January
Legal aid budget cuts: Sarah Forshaw on lawyer protests
UKIP role in TV 2015 general election leader debates
Scottish independence: Teenagers's views on referendum
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It's no secret that the internet age has been bad for the print media business in general and newspapers in particular. But what has it meant for the world of opinion? Has the ease with which the average person can share their views with the public been an unmitigated good? Or have we paid a price in the quality of debate? | By Anthony ZurcherEditor, Echo Chambers
I put these questions to Kate Riley, the editorial page editor of the Seattle Times, one of the more forward-thinking newspaper newsrooms in the US. Here's what she had to say:
I think the Internet age is good for the business of opinion, especially newspaper editorial pages - um, make that media opinion enterprises. We all, after all, are in transition and are figuring out how the business model transforms.
There are the trolls, of course, who throw mud in the comment sections of every published article - not so useful.
But where I really think that opinion pages are making a difference is in modelling that old-school civil discourse. Disagree but don't be disagreeable. Be tart and clever without name-calling. Especially because of the mission of newspapers serving a general community's readership, not just those of a certain ideology, readers can stretch their own thinking on issues by reading pro and con columns side-by-side.
People often call me to complain about running too many conservative columnists or too many liberal, and I explain that is the role of our opinion section and part of its mission statement: to be a forum for community dialogue and learning. I promise each caller that they will find things they agree with on our pages and things they don't agree with. And that's the point.
Readers/viewers/users - or whatever you want to call them - have an appetite for opinion. Editorial pages can cater to that and provide opinion content in many different ways. We do chats often, and we recently ran our second Google Hangout around campaign finance issues during the lunch hour. Last year, we enlisted readers through social media to advance the same-sex marriage issue - and received 315 photos, representing more than 1,000 people.
A popular feature, Civil Disagreement, between one of our most liberal writers and our most conservative, thoughtfully, respectfully hashes out issues of the day.
First rule? No ideological talking points.
At The Seattle Times, we have much more opinion content online than in print, and I've come to view the printed page as the best of our online content, whether it's a letter worth highlighting or a blog post to be excerpted.
Around the US, newspapers and purveyors of opinion are grappling with the challenges of the internet and social media. Establish writers are having to adapt, and new voices are being revealed. I'll ask them what they think the futures holds and share their take with Echo Chambers readers.
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India's central bank will have to destroy, by one estimate, some 20 billion "expired" banknotes after it scrapped two high-value denominations - the 500 ($7.60) and 1,000 rupee notes - this month to crack down on "black money" or illegal cash holdings. | Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent
To give some idea of the amount of the currency that represents - there were more than 90 billion banknotes in circulation in India last March.
Most central banks destroy soiled and mutilated banknotes on a regular basis and replace them with new, crisp ones.
The Reserve Bank of India, similarly, shreds such notes and makes briquettes of them. But they are not your usual briquettes.
Briquettes - usually made of farm waste in India - are used for cooking, lighting and heating. They are cheaper than coal, have lower ash content, are less polluting, and easier to store and pack. They are mostly used as fuel in factory boilers.
But briquettes made out of shredded cash are brittle and serve no such purpose, a senior central bank official told me.
So the bank's 27 shredding and briquetting machines in 19 offices across India will now snip the expired banknotes into the smallest of pieces and the resulting briquettes will be then dumped in India's vast landfills.
Sometimes the shredded currency is also recycled to make files, calendars and paper weights and ballpoint pen shells, tea coasters, cups and small trays as souvenirs for guests.
The practice is similar in the US: counterfeit banknotes are sent to the Secret Service, while unfit notes are shredded and sent to landfills or given away as souvenirs to the public touring the Federal Reserve Bank.
Central bank officials believe shredding 20 billion banknotes will not be a huge challenge. In 2015-16 the Reserve Bank of India destroyed more than 16 billion soiled notes. More than 14 billion were removed in 2012-2013 after nearly 500,000 fake notes were found in the system.
"Destroying so much cash is not a challenge because we have enough shredding and briquetting machines with very high capacities. These are automatic machines which shred the cash into the finest of pieces," says an official. So, India's mountain of expired currency will soon become rubbish, literally.
Cash in India
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A parade and service has been held to honour a soldier who won the Victoria Cross in the legendary defence of Rorke's Drift in the Anglo-Zulu wars. | John Williams VC, from Cwmbran, was one of 11 decorated for bravery after the battle on 23 January 1879.
Roads were closed for a short time for Saturday's annual parade in Llantarnam where a new gravestone to the soldier was erected in 2013.
About 150 British soldiers defended the mission station against 4,000 Zulus.
The events were immortalised in the 1964 film Zulu starring Michael Caine.
The Anglo-Zulu war saw Britain fight against the Zulu kingdom in South Africa and brought an end to Zulu independence.
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Conflict over much of the past three decades in Iraq has caused the number of widowed women to pass the one million mark. Here, Iraqi widows tell the BBC Arabic Service about their experiences, and hopes and fears for the future.
| Nahla al-Nadawi, 44, Lecturer at Baghdad University
The day I had to bury my husband was the hardest day in my life. I was not able to grieve properly as I had to look after my son who suffers from autism.
My husband, Mohammad, was a surgeon and a refugee in Germany, but after the regime change in 2003, he returned to Iraq immediately. In mid-April 2007, an explosion occurred at al-Jadiriyah Bridge in Baghdad causing many deaths. There were 10 bodies that were completely charred. One of those was my husband.
Aseed, my son, who used to sleep every day on his father's chest to the sound of his heartbeat, felt the loss of his father immediately. For many days, he sat in the wardrobe wearing the same clothes. If any good has come out of his father's death, it made him more determined to face life.
I feel that my husband is still with us. He was a writer, a thinker and a painter and for that reason, I feel he has only died in physical form, and his works remain with us.
To get out of my crisis, I challenged myself to carry on. With the help of friends, I managed to get a second job, as well as training other widows on the art of living life after a crisis.
In fact, I was helping myself because I still could not overcome my own crisis.
Elham Mahdi, 42, Housewife in Baghdad
I have become the mother and father of four children ever since my husband was killed in a bus explosion on his way to work.
He left the house at eight that morning to get to the Shorja market in Baghdad where he worked as seller. But his life was over within half an hour.
We received compensation from the government, but it will never compensate for losing a loving father to four children.
Although we also get help from a local organisation which provides a monthly salary for my children, clothing for Eid [festival], and help at the start of the academic year, our living conditions are difficult, and I need more money to meet the needs of four growing children.
Razan Othman Mohammed, 29, Worker in Baghdad
After a love story that lasted 10 years, one minute was all it took to lose my husband.
Back in 2008, my husband, his orphaned relative - who was only five years old - and I were caught up in a bomb explosion at the market. When the medics came to our rescue, a suicide bomber strapped with explosives set off another bomb. I lost consciousness at that moment and my body was full of shrapnel.
My husband died of his injuries on his way to the hospital and the orphaned child was badly injured. He is now disabled and no longer able to walk.
I have undergone five surgeries in the aftermath of the explosions. My condition was so serious that I didn't know my husband had died for three months, as the doctors advised my family to keep the news from me.
I have since moved back in with my parents and I look after myself using my own income.
I see myself in a better position compared to other widowed women since I do not have any children. But what about all the other young widowed women who have children? Who will support them?
Adawyia Mutar Hussein, 40, Najaf
I lost my husband while I was pregnant with our daughter, who is now six years old. She became fatherless even before she was born.
My husband was killed in 2004 in a family dispute and left me with two daughters to take care of, alone. I have tried to get my husband's entitlements but no-one seemed to help, neither the government nor my family.
My first source of income is from my neighbours and well-wishers who collect money for me every now and again. My second source is from working as a cleaner at party and wedding venues.
More than half of my income goes on rent for the house that I live in at the moment, which consists of one room. I currently live with my two daughters and my 35-year-old orphaned nephew who is completely disabled.
We want only one thing from the government, and that is a small piece of land to build the simplest house just to keep the family all together under one roof.
Huda Abd al-Hafith, 37, Baghdad
I am a mother of four children whose father used to work as a taxi driver. He left the house one day for work and never came back. After four days of absence, I found his tortured body in the local hospital.
The criminal report into his death concluded that he died in a car-jacking attempt that went wrong and the case was closed. But I think the sectarian extremism that was prevalent at the time led to his torture and killing in 2007.
I now live alone with my four children in a rented one-bedroom house after I was kicked out of my old house. I receive a small amount of income support from the government, 150,000 dinars ($125; £80) per month, which does not even cover the rent of 200,000 dinars per month.
I work from home because I cannot leave my children alone at such a young age. I make and sell bread and food to the neighbours.
I'm not thinking of getting married again, I have tried my luck once and the children now are my main concern.
Majda al-Basrah, 60
The shock of his failed attempt to migrate to Germany back in 1995 led to my husband's death. We lost everything - our jobs, our house and money.
That year, the situation in Iraq was very difficult. I had problems at work mainly because I refused to become a member of the [then ruling] Baath Party.
We decided to travel to Jordan and move on from there to Germany, but we were not able to obtain a visa. Because of harsh conditions that we were facing in Jordan, we decided to return to Iraq and start our life from the beginning.
We bought a simple house and basic furniture with the money we had left. But after a year, my husband passed away, partly because he couldn't cope with the stress and pressures of life.
At the moment, I live alone in my house and I work as a tailor every now and then, and my family helps too with the finances.
I started receiving the widows' income support recently after help from my local council.
All the widows and divorced women in my area are receiving their income support because of the help of a kind man that works in the council.
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More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from so-called Islamic State. This is the story of the civil war so far, in eight short chapters. | 1. Uprising turns violent
Pro-democracy protests erupted in March 2011 in the southern city of Deraa after the arrest and torture of some teenagers who painted revolutionary slogans on a school wall. After security forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing several, more took to the streets.
The unrest triggered nationwide protests demanding President Assad's resignation. The government's use of force to crush the dissent merely hardened the protesters' resolve. By July 2011, hundreds of thousands were taking to the streets across the country.
Opposition supporters eventually began to take up arms, first to defend themselves and later to expel security forces from their local areas.
2. Descent into civil war
Violence escalated and the country descended into civil war as rebel brigades were formed to battle government forces for control of cities, towns and the countryside. Fighting reached the capital Damascus and second city of Aleppo in 2012.
By June 2013, the UN said 90,000 people had been killed in the conflict. By August 2015, that figure had climbed to 250,000, according to activists and the UN.
The conflict is now more than just a battle between those for or against Mr Assad. It has acquired sectarian overtones, pitching the country's Sunni majority against the president's Shia Alawite sect, and drawn in regional and world powers. The rise of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) has added a further dimension.
3. War crimes
A UN commission of inquiry has evidence that all parties to the conflict have committed war crimes - including murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearances. They have also been accused of using civilian suffering - such as blocking access to food, water and health services through sieges - as a method of war.
The UN Security Council has demanded all parties end the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas, but civilians continue to die in their thousands. Many have been killed by barrel bombs dropped by government aircraft on gatherings in rebel-held areas - attacks which the UN says may constitute massacres.
IS has also been accused by the UN of waging a campaign of terror. It has inflicted severe punishments on those who transgress or refuse to accept its rules, including hundreds of public executions and amputations. Its fighters have also carried out mass killings of rival armed groups, members of the security forces and religious minorities, and beheaded hostages, including several Westerners.
We're just living on the edge of life. We're always nervous, we're always afraid
4. Chemical weapons
Hundreds of people were killed in August 2013 after rockets filled with the nerve agent sarin were fired at several suburbs of Damascus. Western powers said it could only have been carried out by Syria's government, but the government blamed rebel forces.
Facing the prospect of US military intervention, President Assad agreed to the complete removal and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.
The operation was completed the following year, but the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has continued to document the use of toxic chemicals in the conflict. Investigators found chlorine was used "systematically and repeatedly" in deadly attacks on rebel-held areas between April and July 2014.
IS has also been accused of using homemade chemical weapons, including sulphur mustard. The OPCW said the blister agent was used in an attack on the northern town of Marea in August 2015 that killed a baby.
5. Humanitarian crisis
More than 4.5 million people have fled Syria since the start of the conflict, most of them women and children. Neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey have struggled to cope with one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history. About 10% of Syrian refugees have sought safety in Europe, sowing political divisions as countries argue over sharing the burden.
A further 6.5 million people are internally displaced inside Syria, 1.2 million were driven from their homes in 2015 alone.
The UN says it will need $3.2bn to help the 13.5 million people, including 6 million children, who will require some form of humanitarian assistance inside Syria in 2016. About 70% of the population is without access to adequate drinking water, one in three people are unable to meet their basic food needs, and more than 2 million children are out of school, and four out of five people live in poverty.
The warring parties have compounded the problems by refusing humanitarian agencies access to civilians in need. Up to 4.5 million people in Syria live in hard-to-reach areas, including nearly 400,000 people in 15 besieged locations who do not have access to life-saving aid.
6. Rebels and the rise of the jihadists
The armed rebellion has evolved significantly since its inception. Secular moderates are now outnumbered by Islamists and jihadists, whose brutal tactics have caused global outrage.
So-called Islamic State has capitalised on the chaos and taken control of large swathes of Syria and Iraq, where it proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate" in June 2014. Its many foreign fighters are involved in a "war within a war" in Syria, battling rebels and rival jihadists from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, as well as government and Kurdish forces.
In September 2014, a US-led coalition launched air strikes inside Syria in an effort to "degrade and ultimately destroy" IS. But the coalition has avoided attacks that might benefit Mr Assad's forces. Russia began an air campaign targeting "terrorists" in Syria a year later, but opposition activists say its strikes have mostly killed Western-backed rebels and civilians.
In the political arena, opposition groups are also deeply divided, with rival alliances battling for supremacy. The most prominent is the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, backed by several Western and Gulf Arab states. However, the exile group has little influence on the ground in Syria and its primacy is rejected by many opponents of Mr Assad.
7. Peace efforts
With neither side able to inflict a decisive defeat on the other, the international community long ago concluded that only a political solution could end the conflict in Syria. The UN Security Council has called for the implementation of the 2012 Geneva Communique, which envisages a transitional governing body with full executive powers "formed on the basis of mutual consent".
Talks in early 2014, known as Geneva II, broke down after only two rounds, with then-UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi blaming the Syrian government's refusal to discuss opposition demands.
Mr Brahimi's successor, Staffan de Mistura, focused on establishing a series of local ceasefires. His plan for a "freeze zone" in Aleppo was rejected, but a three-year siege of the Homs suburb of al-Wair was successfully brought to an end in December 2015.
At the same time, the conflict with IS lent fresh impetus to the search for a political solution in Syria. The US and Russia led efforts to get representatives of the government and the opposition to attend "proximity talks" in Geneva in January 2016 to discuss a Security Council-endorsed road map for peace, including a ceasefire and a transitional period ending with elections.
8. Proxy war
What began as another Arab Spring uprising against an autocratic ruler has mushroomed into a brutal proxy war that has drawn in regional and world powers.
Iran and Russia have propped up the Alawite-led government of President Assad and gradually increased their support. Tehran is believed to be spending billions of dollars a year to bolster Mr Assad, providing military advisers and subsidised weapons, as well as lines of credit and oil transfers. Russia has meanwhile launched an air campaign against Mr Assad's opponents.
The Syrian government has also enjoyed the support of Lebanon's Shia Islamist Hezbollah movement, whose fighters have provided important battlefield support since 2013.
The Sunni-dominated opposition has, meanwhile, attracted varying degrees of support from its international backers - Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan, along with the US, UK and France.
Until late 2015, rebel appeals for anti-aircraft weapons to stop devastating government air strikes were rejected by the US and its allies, amid concern that they might end up in the hands of jihadist militants. A US programme to train and arm 5,000 rebels to take the fight to IS on the ground also suffered a series of setbacks before being abandoned.
Produced by Lucy Rodgers, David Gritten, James Offer and Patrick Asare
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By the end of this year, HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire will be the largest prison in the UK, with more than 2,000 inmates. Run by private firm G4S, Oakwood's reputation was dented in 2014 when a wing in the prison was taken over by inmates. Sima Kotecha has been inside. | By Sima KotechaReporter, BBC Radio 4 Today programme
This jail is big. From a distance, it looks like a warehouse. But close up, the high fences and barbed wire project an image of incarceration.
The site covers 50 acres and has two workshops, one the size of a football pitch.
Through security and the first set of large iron gates, we are presented with five housing blocks, or wings, as they are referred to in jail-speak. The three largest wings house more than 400 prisoners.
By the end of this year, this jail will be the largest in the country with more than 2,100 prisoners. Currently there are just over 1,600.
As the inmates make their way around the estate, they stop to talk. Many are quick to tell us how much they like the prison, including one who is inside for supplying class A drugs.
He said: "In my cell I have a toilet and a sink, a TV, somewhere to put my pictures. It's fantastic for a prison, it's really up to date."
HMP Oakwood is one of five prisons in the UK managed by G4S and the company has been battling reputational damage since a part of this prison was taken over by inmates a couple of years ago.
This resulted in the jail being branded by its critics as Jokewood, a name that stuck with the media.
So what is the team doing differently, if anything, to move away from that image?
The staff who work here say its unique approach is based on prisoners helping prisoners to rehabilitate, and that is done through an enhanced mentoring scheme.
There is also a health and legal service on site run by inmates who have relevant qualifications so that they are able to help and advise prisoners with any problems.
The prison has a no surname policy here: both staff and inmates use first names only to create an informal environment.
But not everybody agrees with a friend-like relationship between officers and inmates.
A middle aged man who is doing time for sex offences told us such an attitude was bound to lead to more violence.
"Personally I don't find it helpful to call them by their first names because I think that's almost too familiar, there is a potential breakdown in the barrier between authority and prisoner and I've seen where it's got out of control because of that." he said.
In his 2015 report into HMP Oakwood, the chief inspector of prisons said levels of violence had reduced and that the use of mentoring was impressive.
But he also said incidents of self-harm were high and that illicit drugs were easily available.
Profit worries
Violence behind bars has been an ongoing problem on a national scale with more than 20,000 assaults recorded over the last year in England and Wales.
Across the lawn from Ash wing, which houses mostly sex offenders and those deemed vulnerable, a prisoner collects rubbish.
He was on what is known as a basic regime, when privileges such as TVs in your cell and family visits are taken away as a form of punishment for bad behaviour.
He rushed up to me to complain about life at Oakwood.
"It's all about profit here. Private prisons benefit prisons more and don't help the prisoners because it's about making money," he said.
"In a public prison, there is more of a routine and staff who are experienced. Here everyone is young and they don't know what they're doing."
I put that question to the G4S management team, is profit the main objective here?
Managing Director Jerry Petherick replied: "I never put profit before taking care of the prisoners."
It is arguably an easy answer to give but some of the prisoners we spoke to were worried that a desire to make cash was driving the management to take more inmates.
"We're already seeing resources being stretched because more prisoners are coming in," one prisoner told us.
"And it's only going to get worse as the numbers go up. And that could lead to more disorder."
A prisoner serving a life sentence for murder disagreed. He believe that larger prisons like this one give the inmates more independence to take part in the various projects and workshops on offer.
He said: "I think we've been given a bit more freedom in here and trust to start the projects.
"The project we run is a basic intervention group which is not running anywhere else in the country, but in fact all the prison governors are visiting us now to try and copy what we're doing here up and down the country in every other prison."
Of course incarceration is not supposed to be a five star experience.
But campaigners argue most prisoners will be released and that some form of affective rehabilitation in jail could prevent them from reoffending once they get out.
As the number of prisoners increases here at HMP Oakwood, there is a concern among some prisoners the housing blocks will become overcrowded, which could lead to more violence and disorder.
Overcrowding is a problem facing many jails in the country, and the management here tell me they are determined to bring in more staff so that the system does not crash as a result of more inmates.
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Did the government set out to cause controversy with an investigation into racial disparity in the UK? Or was the report's release, on Wednesday, mishandled? | By Iain Watson and Jennifer ScottBBC News
We spoke to former and current Conservative insiders, on condition of anonymity, to find out how the report had come together - and the way in which it was communicated to the media.
It's fair to say that the report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, prompted by last year's Black Lives Matter protests, was not universally welcomed.
Among the critics were the race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust, the TUC, an NHS employers' group, a range of politicians and some of those involved in last year's protests.
Oh, and by implication, Sam Kasumu, too.
Those close to Mr Kasumu say he resigned as Boris Johnson's adviser for civil society and communities - with a remit to reach out to ethnic minority communities - in anticipation of the report hitting the media.
He was already known to be unhappy with the direction the government was going in on race.
He had tried to resign in February - but was persuaded to stay on so that he could help vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi in the campaign to encourage more people from ethnic minority backgrounds to get a Covid jab.
In his original resignation letter, that was later rescinded, he talked of his fears for "what may become of the (Conservative) party in the future by choosing to pursue a "politics steeped in division".
And sources inside Downing Street say that in the time between that letter being retracted, and his actual resignation, an "awkward silence" had descended - with little discussion or engagement on the issues that he raised.
So did the government get its messaging wrong when it published the report this week or was the backlash in some quarters the result of a deliberate strategy?
'Uncomfortable debate'
The commission's report runs to 258 pages, but some conclusions had been briefed to the media in advance of its publication on Wednesday.
These included a call to ditch the commonly-used acronym BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) and data on the improving educational attainment of people from most ethnic minority backgrounds.
But perhaps the most controversial finding, and the one that grabbed the most headlines, was that the UK was not institutionally racist.
One source we spoke to praised the handling of the report "from a comms perspective".
He said No 10 knew that a row was going to be inevitable so by briefing key elements of a contentious report in advance, it had allowed that row to take place on the government's terms.
"The government knows how uncomfortable it is for Labour to have those debates," said the source. "Some people feel their history and culture is being trashed by the Left."
Is Britain a racist country?
There were many non-contentious recommendations in the report, and a lot of nuance, he added.
But the initial communications strategy had not focused so much on what needed to change, rather on posing the question - is Britain a racist country?
The report found that while there was racism, the answer to that question was "no", and that that would make people feel proud not ashamed of progress that had been made.
The commission's chairman Tony Sewell put it like this: "We no longer see a Britain where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities.
"The impediments and disparities do exist, they are varied, and ironically very few of them are directly to do with racism.
"Too often 'racism' is the catch-all explanation, and can be simply implicitly accepted rather than explicitly examined."
Labour politicians, our source suggested, were being tempted to disagree - and trapped into denouncing "structural racism".
'Moths around the flame'
This, in turn, could allow the Conservatives to suggest the opposition was "talking the country down" and had not moved as far away from the Corbyn era as the new leadership, under Sir Keir Starmer, claimed.
Many of the commissioners, who had helped put the report together over the past 10 months, urged people to see it in the round - and to take on board its 24 recommendations.
These included beefing up the Equality and Human Rights Commission to challenge policies or practices that cause significant and unjust racial disadvantage, or arise from racial discrimination.
The report also called on the government to tackle online abuse as a matter of urgency.
One of the 11 commissioners, Keith Fraser - a former police superintendent, and chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales describes the reaction to some aspects of the report as "like a torch" being lit.
"There were moths around the flame, running towards it. They (the critics) didn't look either side of the light. They need to turn on the fluorescent light and illuminate the whole room."
But the initial terms of the debate, via the very focused beams of light in briefings to the press, were set by government in advance - a technique known in politics as "getting your retaliation in first".
Expectation of success
But what of the substance of the report? As one insider put it: "It isn't just a press release."
The plan of a commission had been announced by the prime minister last June, after the Black Lives Matter protests and the "statue wars".
At the time, Boris Johnson had said: "We have to look at discrimination but what has slightly been lost in this is the story of success.
"What I want to do as prime minister is change the narrative so we stop the sense of victimhood and discrimination, we stamp out racism... and we start to have a real expectation of success."
Statements like this had led critics inside Mr Johnson's own party - and inside government - to suggest that some of the conclusions of the report were, in effect, determined in advance - particularly the claim that the system is not deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities.
The commission was set up by Munira Mirza, Mr Johnson's policy chief, who had been deputy mayor for education and culture when he was mayor of London.
She had previously questioned the notion of institutional racism.
When Theresa May, as prime minister, set up a racial disparities audit, Ms Mirza was quoted as saying: "It reinforces this idea that ethnic minorities are being systematically oppressed, that there's a sort of institutional problem, when in fact what we've seen in the last 20 years is a liberalisation, an opening up for many people."
An independent report?
She suggested the educationalist - and former teacher - Tony Sewell should chair the commission, and the prime minister formally asked him to do so.
Mr Sewell, too, had questioned the existence of systemic racism in the UK.
In a 2010 article for Prospect magazine, he suggested that "much of the supposed evidence of institutional racism is flimsy".
One source told us: "This was not an independent report as such. It was very much driven by Munira."
Another said: "This isn't even the 'Downing Street' view. There are different views across No 10.
"These views are those of a faction - Munira and her husband Dougie Smith in particular. They wanted to turn the assumption of Theresa May's disparities audit on its head.
"Don't get me wrong - Theresa's audit wasn't totally without cynicism. She wanted to portray herself as a One Nation Tory.
"But this report was really a reaction to BLM with a foregone conclusion.
"Boris was dealing with a political problem, reacting to BLM - he hasn't really deeply considered this."
Others, though, disagree.
One source said that Boris Johnson was attracted to Munira Mirza's way of thinking because he is an "optimistic, sunlit upland guy" and wanted, for example, the successes of those from ethnic backgrounds to be celebrated.
'Fatalistic narrative'
But it also goes much deeper than that, they suggested.
While the Left "emoted" on race, the prime minister wanted a data-driven report.
And if there was success for some groups in the education system, for example, that should be set out, not buried.
The thinking was that to improve the life chances of people from ethnic minority backgrounds, they had to be told what they could achieve.
Otherwise, if they were led to believe that the odds were completely stacked against them from the start, and that there was little they could do about it, they may not have the incentive to try.
It's what Tony Sewell described as a "fatalistic narrative".
But Boris Johnson also wanted the complex nature of disadvantage to be recognised and practical proposals to deal with problems where they were actually occurring.
The report's foreword says: "The evidence shows that geography, family influence, socio-economic background, culture and religion have more significant impact on life chances than the existence of racism."
'Not a stitch-up'
And one of the commissioners, Keith Fraser, is annoyed at the suggestion the findings were a foregone conclusion.
He told the BBC: "It irritates me when people call it a stitch-up.
"It was really challenging and we challenged each other. If it is was a stitch-up, I wouldn't have been involved in it. That is absolute rubbish - and you can underline that.
"The commission came to this amongst an awful lot of debate, around the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, but it was a journey, not just about that, but about the decades before.
"I don't think there is anybody out there who can say the UK hasn't changed and changed for the better, but we mustn't think that the job is done.
"We are not saying we are in utopia, running around the garden, but the point is to capitalise and leap forward."
Conservative critics
Nonetheless, there are critics of the commission's report within senior ranks of the Conservative Party.
One veteran of Theresa May's audit of disparities welcomed the report's embrace of the complexity of disadvantage.
But his concerns were that the report tipped over into suggesting that some people's experience of racism was being seen as not true, or exaggerated.
He argued that some of the most disadvantaged people do believe, rightly or wrongly, that they live in a racist country.
That is their "lived experience", he added, and to take them on a "journey" you need to realise where they are starting from.
Another Conservative source said "we know inequality is complicated", but the report was "tone deaf" on issues such as slavery - described in a paragraph about the "Caribbean experience".
And this would not help tap a potential reservoir of support from people from ethnic minority backgrounds who may broadly share conservative values, but don't yet trust the Conservative Party.
In his rescinded resignation letter, the now former adviser Sam Kasumu seemed to share those views.
White working class
But with Boris Johnson hoping to continue to retain support in the seats he won from Labour in the 2019 election, some of those advising him say it is essential that he is seen to address the disadvantage suffered by those from white working class backgrounds.
People in this group might be struggling in education - and in getting into the jobs market - every bit as much as counterparts from ethnic backgrounds.
In this respect the report is helpful to the PM, with chairman Tony Sewell writing in the foreword: "Another revelation from our dive into the data was just how stuck some groups from the white majority are.
"As a result, we came to the view that recommendations should, wherever possible, be designed to remove obstacles for everyone, rather than specific groups."
And one source told us: "The government is quite happy having these culture debates.
"Getting a discussion around this report is what the government was trying to do."
Well, whatever else it has achieved, it has certainly generated that.
'Misrepresentation'
Following the backlash against the report, the commission has sought to "set the record straight".
In a statement released late on Friday, it said: "The facts and analysis we presented challenge a number of strongly held beliefs about the nature and extent of racism in Britain today.
"Sadly, however, in some cases fair and robust disagreement with the commission's work has tipped into misrepresentation."
The commission said it had "never said that racism does not exist in society or in institutions".
"We say the contrary: racism is real and we must do more to tackle it," the statement said.
"Robust debate we welcome. But to depict us as racism deniers, slavery apologists or worse is unacceptable."
The commission did not "find conclusive evidence" that institutional racism exists in the areas it examined, the statement added, but the report stresses that "both the reality and the perception of unfairness matter".
The commission said it hoped the report would be "read carefully and considered in the round".
Correction 19th April 2021: A line in this story wrongly described the acronym BAME as referring to black and ethnic minority and has been amended to explain that it refers to black, Asian and minority ethnic.
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When a business-friendly conservative was elected president of Argentina in October 2015, hopes were high he would put the South American country's economy on a stable path.
Mauricio Macri promised to revive Argentina's economy and achieve "zero poverty". But less than three years later, he has unexpectedly asked for the early release of a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). What has gone wrong? | By Daniel GallasBBC South America Business correspondent
What's the latest?
The Argentine peso has lost more than 40% of its value against the US dollar this year and inflation is rampant. Everyday life is getting more expensive for Argentines, as the prices of many goods and services still bear a close relation to the US dollar.
The government of President Macri has not been able to lower inflation, which is the highest amongst G20 nations. It is failing to enact the economic reforms it promised the IMF, most of them aimed at curbing public spending and borrowing.
And the combination of spiralling inflation and public spending cuts means wages are not keeping pace with prices, making most people poorer.
How did the crisis start?
Argentina has been plagued by economic problems for years but the commodities boom of the past decades helped the country repay the money it owed the IMF. It cleared its entire debt to the multilateral organisation in 2007.
Argentina's economy began to stabilise under President Néstor Kirchner, who governed from 2003 to 2007, but became more shaky again under his wife and successor in office, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
Her government, which was in power from 2007 until 2015, raised public spending, nationalised companies and heavily subsidised many items of daily life ranging from utilities to football transmissions on television.
Most importantly it controlled the exchange rate, which created all sorts of practical problems, such as giving rise to a black market for dollars and heavily distorting prices.
What did President Macri promise to do?
Mr Macri was elected on a promise of ending all distortions and returning Argentina to a market-oriented economy where supply and demand, not the state, would define prices.
In his first hours in office he put an end to capital controls and began a global campaign to repair Argentina's reputation with foreign investors.
He also promised to bring down inflation, which was hovering around 40% per year, by curbing public spending.
Can the IMF help?
Argentina's government insists its problem lies with liquidity (a lack of cash) and not with solvency (its ability to meet its financial obligations).
In May, it turned to the IMF for help, arguing that the Washington-based fund was the cheapest source of financing available.
The argument went that with a loan from the IMF, Argentina would be able to intervene in currency markets for longer and also pay off bonds coming up for payment.
At the time, President Macri said he did not plan to use the $50bn (£37.2bn) loan from the IMF except to boost the country's reserves.
But with the peso sliding further and hit by a poor soybean and maize harvest, the economy continued to deteriorate. In June, the economy fell by 6.7%, its worst downturn since 2009.
With confidence in Argentina's recovery eroded, President Macri on 29 August unexpectedly asked for the early release of the IMF loan.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde said the fund was ready to help Argentina but news of the request for early assistance caused the peso to drop more than 7%, its biggest one-day decline since the currency was floated.
What do Argentines think of all this?
Going to the IMF is the most unpopular move a president could make in Argentina, where the organisation is widely loathed and blamed for the 2001 economic collapse.
In general, Argentines are not quick to panic, having been through so much economic turmoil in the past.
But there are people expressing serious concern, especially those from the older generation which lived through Argentina's 2001 economic crisis when the government defaulted on its debt and the banking system was largely paralysed.
The effect on Argentines was devastating with many seeing their hard-won prosperity quickly disappearing.
Those who experienced it fear a return of the corralito (ring fence), the Spanish name given to government restrictions imposed in 2001 to prevent a bank run.
Under the corralito's constraints, which lasted for a year, people could not freely withdraw money from their accounts, making life very difficult for ordinary Argentines.
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A fire at a 21-storey tower block in south-east London has been brought under control by firefighters. | London Fire Brigade (LFB) crews were called to Lupin Point on Abbey Street in Bermondsey at about 1400 BST.
A spokesman for LFB said the fire on the 17th floor was brought under control by 1545 BST and the cause was being investigated.
London Ambulance Service said a woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
About 40 people had been evacuated from the building by the time fire crews arrived.
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The subject of an Oscar-nominated short film about a boy from Peckham who took drastic measures to fit in on an Essex estate blighted by racism said making it was "the hardest thing he's done". | "I didn't want to sit in front of that camera and be vulnerable," Cornelius Walker told the BBC's Will Gompertz.
Black Sheep sees Walker talking openly about his childhood experiences.
"I wanted to help people who've been through what I've been through," said the 27-year-old writer and director.
After schoolboy Damilola Taylor was murdered in November 2000, Walker's mother decided to move her family out of London to a town in Essex.
There her son faced verbal and physical abuse that led him to wear blue contact lenses and bleach his skin in an effort to be accepted and befriended by his persecutors.
"I felt insecure, like I wasn't good enough for anyone, and the colour of my skin was the reason for it," he told the BBC.
The film, shot in the same locations where the real events took place, re-enacts the harrowing moments Walker talks about in a candid, direct-to-camera interview.
Produced by Lightbox and The Guardian newspaper, Ed Perkins's film is one of five shortlisted for this year's Oscar for best documentary short subject.
Walker will attend the ceremony on 24 February in Los Angeles to see if it wins the award.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
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What has Russian TV been saying about the nerve agent attack and how much of it is true? | By Olga KuzmenkovaBBC Russian
On 4 March, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found collapsed on a bench in Salisbury and it was later confirmed by British authorities that the pair had been poisoned by Novichok, a type of nerve agent.
Mr Skripal is a retired Russian military intelligence colonel who came to the UK after being convicted and gaoled in Russia for spying for the UK.
The findings about his poisoning by Novichok have been verified by an independent investigation carried out by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Britain, and many other foreign governments, have blamed the Russian state for the attack.
However the events in Salisbury have been labelled a hoax by some presenters and journalists on Russian TV, and several other rumours about how the incident unfolded have been discussed since it took place.
Despite the fact that British authorities have given updates about the investigation, Russian talk shows complain about an information vacuum.
The Russian government has denied any involvement in the attack.
BBC Russian spent a few days watching episodes from the two talk shows, Let Them Talk on Russia's First Channel and 60 Minutes on Russia 1, and decided to answer some of their guests' frequently asked questions.
Claim: The nerve agent attack was a hoax.
Verdict: The nerve agent in Salisbury has been verified by the OPCW.
TV presenters, including Russia Today journalist Alexander Gurnov, claimed that the entire incident in Salisbury was a hoax.
Mr Gurnov asked: "[Was] there really an assassination attempt? Are they really in a London hospital? Are they really close to death?"
The BBC has reported on eyewitnesses who saw the Skripals and paramedics who were called to the scene.
There were also statements released by the New Scotland Yard police headquarters, and the hospital that treated the pair, that described what happened to them.
The OPCW has said it confirmed "the findings of the United Kingdom relating to the identity of the toxic chemical that was used in Salisbury and severely injured three people".
It was noted on Russian TV that there are no photos of the victims in hospital.
And this is despite the fact that back in 2006 Alexander Litvinenko, who was also poisoned, was photographed ill in bed after being poisoned.
NHS England issued a statement that said Yulia Skripal has asked for privacy from the media.
Mr Litvinenko, a former officer in the Russian FSB (the main Russian security service) was poisoned in London with radioactive polonium in 2006 and photographed in hospital.
The circumstances surrounding the publication of the photograph are well known, and were written about in the results of the public enquiry into the Litvinenko affair.
The photograph was taken at University Hospital in London, and two days before his death.
He had, by that point, already lost his hair and it was clear that he would not survive; on the same day he dictated a statement to be published after his death.
The idea of taking this photograph came from a friend of Mr Litvinenko's, Alexander Goldfarb.
Mr Litvinenko supported the idea, wanting to tell journalists about his poisoning.
His wife and lawyer were also aware that the press was to receive the photograph from his hospital bed.
Claim: It is absurd that the police were standing a few yards from the bench without any kind of protective clothing.
Verdict: Only specialist investigators were required to wear protective clothing.
Anton Tsvetkov said on Let Them Talk that it was "clearly just absurd" that police were standing a few yards away from the scene without protective clothing.
It is true that the police stood by the cordon around the bench, pub, and restaurant were not wearing hazmat suits, or gas masks.
However in the images shown while Mr Tsvetkov was speaking they were standing at a relatively long distance away from the potentially harmful areas.
Nerve agents can poison though inhalation, ingestion or skin contact which is why investigators in Salisbury are wearing full protective clothing and gas masks, wrote Alistair Hay, professor emeritus of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds.
(Health officials have said that Salisbury residents are safe despite traces of the poison that could still be present in the city.)
The BBC asked Vil Mirzayanov, the man who revealed the existence of Novichok, if the policemen waiting behind the cordon would be in any danger.
Mr Mirzayanov, on 18 April, said: "If A234 agent was used [against the Skripals], the policemen are not in danger. If it was applied to a door handle, nothing bad could happen to those who are standing behind the cordon. [If it is] 5 metres or 10 metres, nothing could happen.
"They [the British and OPCW] said it was A234. A234 agent comes in a form of a pasty liquid; the concentration of its vapour is too low to affect anyone.
"But it is another matter if it gets inside through skin or though digestion," he added.
Mr Tsvetkov also said there was a feeling "that the police only cordon off the street for the cameras".
We know from eyewitness testimony, including from BBC journalists at the scene and government statements, that there were a number of areas cordoned off by the police.
Nine sites have been identified by Department for Environment, Food, and Rural affairs (Defra) as needing specialist cleaning.
Claim: Yulia Skripal has refused to talk to Russian journalists and the BBC reported that she was planning to give a press conference. She will blame Russia for the poisoning.
Verdict: We do not know who she intends to "blame". The BBC has not reported that she was going to give a press conference.
Olga Skabeeva on the TV show 60 Minutes said the BBC had reported on 10 April that Yulia Skripal was planning to give a press conference.
Ms Skabeeva said she (Yulia) is "unlikely to blame London for anything".
The same journalist also noted that: "Doctors have announced that Yulia Skripal doesn't want to meet with Russian journalists, nor Russian representatives.
"We really hope that she is being pressured, tortured and harassed [into giving these statements] but the press conference is about to start and as soon as it starts everything will fall into place," Ms Skabeeva added.
The claim about the upcoming press conference was repeated by journalist Evgenii Popov on the show 60 Minutes on 11 April.
However the BBC had not reported that Ms Skripal was ever planning to give a press conference.
According to a statement released by the Metropolitan Police on 11 April, Ms Skripal declined to speak with all journalists - Russian and Western.
Ms Skripal said: "For the moment I do not wish to speak to the press or the media".
In the statement she also noted the fact that the Russian Embassy had been in touch, saying: "I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can.
"At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them," she added.
Claim: The Skripals' pets were destroyed in an attempt to conceal evidence.
Verdict: According to a Defra statement the two guinea pigs died of dehydration and the cat, which was found in a distressed state, was put down "in the best interests of the animal" by the vet.
Nikolai Dolgopolov, the deputy editor in chief of Russian Gazette, on Let Them Talk said the disappearance of "innocent rabbits, guinea pigs, and kittens" was part of a concerted effort to destroy evidence.
Viktoria Skripal, Yulia's cousin, mentioned it was only after her intervention that British authorities explained the fate of the cat.
It is true that the British authorities announced the fate of the cat and the guinea pigs only after the Russian embassy contacted the Foreign Office.
Defra announced that when a veterinarian came to Mr Skripal's home, the guinea pigs had already died of dehydration, and the cat was in a poor condition.
A statement read: "A decision was taken by a veterinary surgeon to euthanise the animal to alleviate its suffering".
Claim: The British will demolish the pub, restaurant, and Mr Skripal's house. It is obvious this is an effort to destroy the evidence.
Verdict: There is no official commitment to destroying any of these buildings. Defra has recently announced that it will take months for the sites to reopen.
TV host Evgenii Popov said Russia will be labelled as guilty and it would not be possible to prove otherwise because Mr Skripal's house won't exist anymore.
Others on Russian TV have referred to a Daily Mail article that said the house and other buildings in Salisbury will be destroyed.
The article claimed that sources suggested Mr Skripal's £400,000 house in Salisbury "may be demolished to completely expunge traces of the Russian-made Novichok nerve agent".
However official sources have not publicly announced anything specific about the fate of the buildings.
BBC Russian was unable to confirm these reports with the police or Defra.
These official organisations clarified that currently Mr Skripal's house and other premises are still scenes of investigation; afterwards, when the police finish their investigation, specialists will begin the work of making the buildings safe.
A recent Defra statement did not mention whether the house would be destroyed.
Rather, it said that as part of the investigation "meticulous work is required and we expect it will be a number of months before all sites are fully reopened."
Russian talk shows frequently discuss claims that the British authorities intend to destroy evidence.
However in reality British official sources frequently state that police are actively collecting and preserving all traces of evidence.
For example, it has been reported that the investigation has collected over 1350 pieces of evidence, recorded over 5000 hours of camera footage, identified 500 witnesses and already questioned a few hundred people.
The police have also reported that the bench on which the Skripals were found has been removed from the park specifically to preserve it as a possible source of evidence for the investigation.
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Fewer and fewer Americans are taking up hunting every year, prompting some advocates to express concern for the future of the pastime, as well as the wildlife and nature conservation that hunters' fees support, writes Jonathan Berr. | Hunting has become a curiosity rather than a necessity for many people, says Mike Busch.
When he tells people that for more than a decade he's only eaten meat from animals he's hunted, the New Jersey resident is peppered with questions from people who think that his chosen diet is "cool" and from those who wonder what he has against supermarkets.
"It was a whole different world when I grew up hunting," Busch tells the BBC. The 52-year-old activist has hunted for more than four decades.
"There was a whole lot of camaraderie among hunters. A lot more people ate what they killed."
There is a demographic time bomb facing the US hunting industry as older hunters quit the sport at a faster rate than younger ones can replace them.
It's a problem that is decades in the making and presents challenges for US wildlife conservation, which is funded by licence sales and taxes on hunting gear.
According to a recent analysis of US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) data by OutdoorLife, a magazine geared toward hunters, participation in the sport peaked in 1982 at 17 million. There are roughly 15 million American hunters this year, according to the USFWS.
Michigan Technical University Professor Richelle L Winkler says that men born between 1955 and 1964 participate in hunting at higher rates compared with succeeding generations. Neither younger men - nor the growing numbers of women taking up hunting - are doing so at a fast enough pace to offset the declines in the older demographic.
"I don't see this as something that can be reversed," Winkler says.
Growing urbanisation is also an issue.
According to the Pew Research Center, urban areas where hunting tends to be less popular have grown at a rate of 13% since 2000, while half of US rural counties, where the sport is favoured, have fewer residents than they did in 2000. As a result, fewer people are growing up as hunters and aren't passing down the tradition to their children.
To be sure, hunting continues to be big business in the US. The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation estimates that Americans spend more than $23.7bn (£18bn) annually on hunting-related purchases, including firearms.
Dick's Sporting Goods, one of the largest US sporting goods retailers, is distancing itself from hunting after pulling some firearms off its shelves in the aftermath of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Earlier this year, the chain unloaded eight of its Field & Stream hunting specialty stores to rival Sportsman's Warehouse. Dick's also quit selling hunting gear in 150 of its 858 stores and likely will leave the business entirely, according to CFRA Analyst Camilla Yanushevsky. A spokesperson for Dick's did not respond to a request for comment.
Hunting also has an image problem and is often misunderstood by people who didn't grow up with it, according to enthusiasts.
When Kristen Black took up hunting at the age of 20, her family was "unhappy about it", she says.
"But once I challenged them about eating grocery store meat, they settled into the idea of ethically hunting for meat."
Black, a spokeswoman for the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, tells the BBC that she was personally opposed to hunting until she learned of the benefits that came with controlling animal populations. One problem hunting mitigates, she says, is how often deer cause deadly automobile crashes.
According to Busch, the veteran New Jersey hunter, trophy hunters eager for big game kills give subsistence hunters like himself a bad name.
"I have never been a trophy hunter and never will be," he says.
In an effort to maintain interest in hunting, states are ramping up marketing to attract more hunters even as they cut back spending in other areas as government funding dries up.
According to OutdoorLife, many of these marketing efforts by hunters are ineffective. Other programmes have had some success in attracting new hunters, such as "foodies" - amateur food connoisseurs - eager to find a source of sustainably grown meant.
"We have been able to slow it a little bit, but the truth of the matter is that we are going to have a decline," said Keith Warnke of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "It's a demographic impossibility that we won't."
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Kelly Hepler, Secretary of South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, estimates the numbers of waterfowl hunters have fallen by more than half over the past six years to 12,000 from 25,000.
As a result, the department's budget has been slashed by 12% in recent years. Like most states, South Dakota doesn't fund conservation directly from taxpayers, a system that dates back to the late 19th Century, but instead relies on taxes extracted from hunters.
"I didn't foresee 10 years ago that we'd be losing hunters at the rate that we are losing them now," says Hepler, who also is president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
As a result of the fiscal restraints, fish and wildlife agencies have to make tough choices such as deferring maintenance on facilities in public areas or entering into fewer partnerships with private landowners to preserve environmentally sensitive areas like wetlands, according to Hepler.
"It decreases our ability to provide what I call good conservation," he said.
Animal rights groups such as Peta support finding alternative ways to fund conservation that are unrelated to hunting, which it vehemently opposes.
"It's a problem that we are using a system that is from the 19th Century, and is completely outdated and out-of-step with modern values," said Ashley Byrne, a Peta campaigner.
"Instead of responding to that by rethinking how we are funding these areas, wildlife management agencies are just trying to prop up this old broken system by encouraging younger generations and women to hunt."
Still, according to a National Shooting Sports Foundation survey released earlier this year, 80% of Americans approve of legal hunting. But there's a catch - their support varies widely depending on the reason.
Approval is high when animals are being killed for utilitarian reasons such as to protect humans or property, while less than a third support trophy hunting.
But even so, most Americans increasingly prefer to leave the actual hunting to others, a trend that appears to be here to stay.
"I am not sure that I would call it a crisis," says Hepler. "But it's tremendously troubling".
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A colliery, a crane and a building where the world's first £1m cheque was signed have been listed in a top 10 of the UK's most endangered buildings. | The Victorian Society's annual list of buildings at risk in England and Wales comes from public nominations.
The list pinpoints the 10 in most need of urgent help.
"Victorian and Edwardian architecture makes a huge contribution to the character of places people live in and love," said Chris Costelloe, director.
On the 2014 endangered list
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"My birth is my fatal accident... I always was rushing. Desperate to start a life... I am not sad. I am just empty. Unconcerned about myself. That's pathetic. And that's why I am doing this." | Soutik BiswasDelhi correspondent
These are excerpts from the last letter - "this kind of letter for the first time" - that Rohith Vemula, a PhD student at Hyderabad Central University wrote before he killed himself on Sunday.
It is, at once, an eloquent and chilling suicide note: a young man who loved "science, stars, nature and people", and aspired to become a science writer like Carl Sagan, ended up defeated and crushed by discrimination and apathy.
'Steadily isolated'
Mr Vemula, 26, was one of five Dalit - formerly known as untouchable - students who were protesting against their expulsion from the university's housing facility. India's 180 million Dalits are among its most wretched citizens, because of an unforgiving and cruel caste hierarchy that condemns them to the bottom of the heap.
Mr Vemula and the four other students faced allegations last August that they attacked a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) - the student wing of the governing Hindu nationalist BJP - on the campus. Some reports say an investigation had found no "conclusive evidence" of the assault.
Last year the students had also protested against the execution of Yakub Memon, the man convicted of financing the deadly 1993 Mumbai bombings and the right-wing ABVP's stalling of a documentary film on the Muzaffarnagar riots in Delhi University.
One newspaper said the sequence of events leading to Mr Vemula's death shows how he was "steadily isolated by campus authorities and his appeals went largely unheard".
The university stopped paying his monthly stipend of 25,000 rupees ($369; £258) allegedly because he raised issues under the campus's Dalit-led students union.
It also began an investigation into his - and his friends - conduct. In August federal minister Bandaru Dattatreya, a BJP junior minister, wrote a letter to the federal education ministry complaining that the university had become a "den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics".
In September, Mr Vemula and four other students were suspended - although the minister denies this was linked to his missive, which he says was not about the Dalit students, but a general comment on the restive campus.
Mr Vemula's death has sparked off a firestorm of protest across India.
Poet and writer Meena Kandasamy says the student's suicide was "not just an individual exit strategy, it is a shaming of society that has failed him or her". She wrote "education has now become a disciplining enterprise working against Dalit students: they are constantly under threat of rustication, expulsion, defamation, discontinuation".
Mr Vemula's is not an exceptional story of caste discrimination on India's campuses. One report said eight Dalit students had taken their lives "unable to cope" with caste politics at Hyderabad University in the past decade. Between 2007 and 2011 alone, 18 Dalit students ended their lives in some of India's premier educational institutes, according to another estimate.
Shocking abuse
Some eight years ago, Apoorvanand, who teaches at Delhi University, had gone to Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India's leading medical school, to investigate a case of discrimination against a Dalit student.
He says he found vile abuses written on the doors and walls of hostel rooms where Dalit students lived. (There was no name calling, because direct abuse would lead to prosecution under tough anti-discrimination laws.) When he went to the director of the institute to lodge a complaint, the latter flatly denied that there was caste discrimination on the campus.
This is a school which produces India's best doctors. This is also the school where a federal investigation into complaints of caste-based harassment and discrimination against Dalit and tribal students uncovered a shocking picture of abuse.
The probe found most of the Dalit and tribal students complaining that they "did not receive the kind of support other students received from their teachers". Examiners asked about their caste backgrounds. The students said teachers did not give them the marks they deserved in exams, and their papers were not evaluated properly. More than 90% of the students said they were routinely humiliated by examiners in practical and oral examinations.
"There is systemic persecution of Dalit students in Indian universities. They are often failed by their teachers deliberately," Apoorvanand told me.
Many Dalit students who get into colleges and universities through affirmative action quotas - restorative justice for centuries of historical wrongs against the community - come to campuses with deficiencies in education, including a feeble command over the English language. Most of them are first generation graduates, come from poor families - like Mr Vemula, born of a father who works as a security guard and a mother who's a tailor - and often struggle to fit in.
Fierce competition
India's colleges and universities are theatres of fierce competition and confrontation: only a privileged few manage to get a limited number of seats through fiercely contested exams.
Upper caste students, say many, have a "natural hatred and antagonism" for the Dalits and tribespeople who take up seats reserved for their communities. "There is a lot of anger against affirmative action and their beneficiaries, but then there is little the upper castes can do about it because the quotas are constitutionally mandated," says Apoorvanand.
So the students are shamed and mocked at as "quota students", and their abilities mocked. In absence of effective student support groups or university structures, warning meltdown signals among suffering students are ignored.
Fed up with the way things were going, Mr Vemula wrote to the university authorities in December to allow him to die and even spoke about how they could help him and his Dalit friends end his life. The authorities apparently did nothing.
Politicians are accused of not confronting this appalling discrimination with the zeal it deserves.
Instead, Dalit and tribals have also become pawns in India's hideous vote bank politics. In modern-day India, the segregation of Dalits begins early: they are separated by markers and coloured wrist bands in classrooms; and forced to clean school toilets. Upper caste school children routinely boycott school lunches cooked by Dalit cooks.
Mr Vemula is just the latest victim of India's scourge of untouchability.
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Police are searching for the owner of a Christmas gnome they believe was "abducted" from a home in Blackpool, according to a fun post on Facebook. | Officers said the constable at the centre of the case had been nicknamed "Sherlock Gnomes" at his station in the Lancashire seaside town.
Facebook user Simon Scarr joked the successful police work could "improve the Gnome Office crime figures".
Lancashire Police have urged the figure's owner to contact the force.
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Modern schools are expected to be open and inclusive environments. | By Jamie McIvorBBC Scotland education correspondent
Many actively seek to celebrate diversity.
Homophobic bullying is openly discussed in many schools in a way which would have been unimaginable a generation ago.
It is not unusual now to see rainbow flags or stickers in schools promoting LGBT rights and equality.
Many gay men or lesbians in their 30s or 40s who either experienced homophobic bullying or hid their sexual orientation at school may almost pinch themselves when they see the efforts some schools now go to.
But the T in LGBT may sometimes be a more tricky issue to explore.
There are no official figures on the number of schoolchildren who identify as transgender.
'Increasing visibility and inclusion'
However the number is believed to be rising as transgender youngsters are becoming more confident about their identity.
Detailed guidance on how to support transgender pupils was drawn up last year by the charity LGBT Youth Scotland - the Scottish government is supportive.
The document is almost 60 pages long and covers a wide range of issues.
The guidance is not statutory but would be seen by supporters as an example of best practice.
It is up to individual councils to decide how they should be put to use or incorporated into their policies.
It is reasonable to suppose that the many schools and teachers will have little experience of supporting a transgender student or may have never knowingly had a transgender child.
In the introduction to the guidance, James Morton of the Scottish Trans Alliance wrote: "Over the last few years, increasing visibility and inclusion of trans people means that more people are feeling confident to come out as trans at younger ages instead of keeping their gender identities hidden for decades in fear.
"Whilst it is great that young trans people are increasingly being accepted and supported by their friends and families, we know that some schools have struggled to keep up with the fast-paced changes in this area."
The guidance deals with a huge range of issues including how to help children who want to come out, beating bullying and the use of gender neutral language.
It also touches on issues such as social dancing, school uniform and PE.
The points made in the guidance include:
Critics have expressed concern about how putting the guidance into practice could affect other pupils - for instance the effect on girls if someone born with a male body starts to use their changing rooms.
A number of councils which are supportive of the guidance say they have not carried out an assessment of its possible impact on other pupils.
The Christian Institute is preparing to launch a legal challenge amid concern about the practical impact of measures to support transgender pupils on others.
A feminist campaigner, Jess Stewart, is quoted in a newspaper as saying councils were "obviously wanting to do the right thing (to support transgender pupils) which is great. But they've done it without considering girls".
A spokesman for LGBT Youth Scotland said the guidance was developed in collaboration with a wide range of organisations and there was consultation with parents, teachers and young people.
He added: "The guidance represents what we believe to be best practice in supporting transgender young people and is not statutory."
Research by LGBT Scotland suggests that between 2012 and 2017, the proportion of young LGBT people who described school as a bad experience fell significantly from 64% to 46%.
Purely amongst transgender youngsters, the trend was similar but a noticeably higher proportion - 53% - still said school was a bad experience.
Some had experienced transphobic attitudes amongst staff.
One young person told the charity: "Teachers in my school were actively transphobic towards an FTM boy. He overheard two teachers talking about how 'freaks' like him shouldn't be 'allowed to mix with normal children'."
A Scottish government spokesman said: "The guidance is not a Scottish government publication, however we are supportive of this work, developed by LGBT Scotland, which we believe will reduce transgender discrimination.
"It is up to individual schools and local authorities to deliver relevant and engaging learning that best suits the needs of pupils."
Supporters of the guidance argue some critics may be distorting it or are simply prejudiced against transgender people.
However, others believe that while the guidance is well-intended, the possible effect of practical measures on other pupils needs to be considered properly.
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Black New Yorkers Ricardo Velasquez and Namel Norris were shot and paralysed when they were teenagers. As rap duo 4 Wheel City they have received global acclaim and raised the prominence of Krip-Hop - a sub-genre of Hip-Hop which puts disabled matters front and centre and lets them express the "double drama" of being in two minority groups | By Beth RoseBBC Ouch
Rick headed home from high school. It was the summer of 1996. The holidays were approaching and his sweetheart was pregnant. But in a single moment everything changed.
A gun was fired nearby and he was hit by a stray bullet.
"I don't know who shot me, but I ended up in a wheelchair," he says.
In the same Bronx neighbourhood was 17-year-old Namel. He was at home with his cousin.
"We grew up in the street so we were involved with guns and one day he was playing around with one," Namel says. "It went off and the bullet struck me in my neck."
Both teenagers, wounded at different times, were paralysed and became wheelchair-users.
They now had to come to terms with being part of TWO minority groups - black and disabled.
"It's like you're doing a double life sentence," Namel says.
"Imagine that, being black and disabled," Rick echoes. "That's a double drama. It's like your voice is not heard in a double way. You've got all these barriers."
In 2020s language, having two 'protected characteristics' like this is referred to as intersectionality and could lead to double celebration - or double the discrimination.
It was Namel's mum who first met Rick. He gave her his number and said Namel could call him.
But after Namel was discharged he simply wanted to get back to what he'd always done. He met up with his old friends, but it wasn't the same and all the dynamics had changed now he couldn't walk.
"One of my friends I used to rap with, wasn't hanging out with me as much," he says.
Namel contacted Rick who said he had experienced the same kind of thing with friends and family who no longer knew how to talk to him because he was in a wheelchair.
He began to hang out at Rick's recording studio because it was a place he felt he would "be understood, be heard".
The pair wrote Hip Hop tracks together as Rickfire and Tapwaterz but the rap market was so saturated that it was difficult to stand out.
At the same time, Namel was getting fed-up with the constant questions people kept asking him about his injury - "questions like, 'Are you going to walk again?' and, 'Does this work?'. I was tired of people asking."
He took his frustrations out on the page and wrote In My Shoes - a track which dealt with those personal questions.
"It felt good to be able to express myself like that," he says.
Getting more political, the duo penned another song - The Movement - about the inaccessibility of shops in New York.
Listen to Namel and Rick rap and chat on the BBC Ouch podcast...
It made an impact. When they returned to the street where they had filmed their music video, the stores had ramps.
"That's the song that really put us on the map," Namel says. "Music has always been a form of protest."
Their music falls within the little-known sub-genre Krip-Hop - a movement which gives disabled hip-hop artists a platform to educate and deal with ableism alongside racism and sexism.
Krip-Hop was founded by Leroy F. Moore Jr. an African American writer and activist with cerebral palsy who wanted to use rap culture as a way to reclaim negative language associated with disability.
The latest album from 4 Wheel City, Quarantine Music Volume 1 - released during lockdown - dives into the double minority identity of being both black and disabled
The track Crazy World and its accompanying video reflects upon the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests which followed.
Namel says: "The song is about how crazy the world is right now and being able to deal with it as a person with a disability."
The video flits between Namel in an ambulance wearing a facemask on his way to hospital, George Floyd's death and the protests.
The pair say the death of Mr Floyd and the subsequent BLM protests has helped them explain to others how they felt when their lives altered through disability.
"When your life gets changed or flipped upside down it makes you think differently," Namel says. "I think that's why a lot of people out there are protesting right now because I feel like they had a wake-up call."
Namel and Rick channelled their wake-up calls through lyrics which often have a political edge as they put into words what being black, disabled and American means to them.
4 Wheel City say there is a lot to be done to reach equality and while they want change on a global scale they also want to affect change in their local community.
Mount Sinai Hospital commissioned them to rap about pressure sores - a serious problem for people with spinal cord injuries who may sit in their wheelchair for long periods of time - and a local organisation, Being First, recruited them to talk about the perils of gun violence to school students.
But there are obstacles within that.
"I don't want to be racist," Rick says, but the fact is "white people run most of the organisations" and yet, "if you come to the black community most of us are in wheelchairs due to injuries like gunshots".
Namel adds: "Our talent could be used to make a difference".
4 Wheel City have previously rapped at the UN and want this month's 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability, to be marked with meaningful movement forward.
Namel says: "I know it can be discouraging and it's easy to say, 'well I'm black and they don't want to listen', but what Rick and I did, we tried to remove that barrier [through music]."
Rick adds: "Don't be afraid to be different and go out there and put your voice out there and embrace the struggle."
The rap duo last performed in the UK in 2012 at the London Paralympics, a unifying and positive event for disabled people around the world. But they say the summer of 2020 with Covid-19 and BLM protests has, in some ways, made them feel the same.
"It was being black and American and disabled," Namel says. "I felt that sense of pride. Just knowing that our music matters on the world stage."
For more Disability News, follow BBC Ouch on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to the weekly podcast on BBC Sounds.
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A new front opens up in the smartphone battle between Google and Apple this week when the search giant's mapping technology is dropped from iPhones and iPads' Maps app when they are upgraded to the latest version of the iOS operating system. | By Leo KelionTechnology reporter
The move is a blow to Google: it is likely to impact advertising sales because it will not be able to show "sponsored links" on iOS's default maps, and it will stop receiving data about how people use the software.
Until now Google has dominated mobile maps. Android and iOS jointly account for about 85% of global smartphone shipments and an even higher percentage of tablets according to research firm IDC.
It was against this backdrop that the man in charge of Google Maps, Brian McClendon, offered a rare one-on-one interview to the BBC.
He promised to lift the lid on how Google Maps worked and, as it emerged, explain why his firm's ownership of its location data could give it the upper hand.
"I would say that any company that is based on licensed data would face the same challenges we did in 2008," Mr McClendon says, referring to the fact that Apple's product will rely on material from Dutch company TomTom.
"The amount of investment we are doing in creating map data as opposed to licensing it is significant, and the difference is measurable in basically every single country in the world."
Ground Truth
Google launched its mapping technology in the UK and US in 2005.
Initially it relied on location data from others.
Within three years it used this to extend the service to 22 countries, but the engineers running the project had become frustrated with its scope.
"What we wanted was a deeper and more comprehensive base map," Mr McClendon says.
"We decided to start a project called Ground Truth, and this was really to build our own maps from scratch. We would start with licensed data and we would find whatever we could where we could get full rights to the data and improve it from there."
This involved mashing together existing third-party mapping data with Google's own analysis of satellite images and information taken from its new Street View service.
Street View is perhaps best known to the public as a way to take a virtual tour of an area.
The firm sent cars fitted with special nine-lens cameras along roads recording panoramic photos as they went.
These are posted online allowing users to spin around a 360 degree view of the area, zoom in and out, and click on the pictures to travel from one spot to another.
But Google's computers also analyse the images to identify street signs, speed limits, addresses, business names, rights of way at road junctions and other information. Human operators then check over each area to correct mistakes before the data is incorporated into the maps.
"The benefits of having Street View can't be undercounted," Mr McClendon says.
"We have over 20 petabytes [21.5 billion megabytes] of imagery and have driven and published over five million miles of Street View roads."
Error correction
Google also takes account of issues flagged by users who click on its "report a problem" link.
Human operators cross-check suggested corrections with Street View images to ensure they are not outlandish before making the amendments.
Finally, the firm analyses data sent back by drivers using its product, for example noting if a road is one-way and making sure this corresponds with its map labels.
"One of the challenges to licensed data is that when the data is being managed by a third-party company it can take months or even a year or more to update the data you get even when you know something is wrong," Mr McClendon adds.
"Reducing the time frame to minutes has been very very useful to us because typically when users see that their input was heard they give more input."
Second phase
So far the Ground Truth project covers 31 nations - places where there was already decent data Google could license to use as the foundations for its process.
Now it is about to embark on what it calls Ground Truth 2.0, extending the system to "more difficult" regions.
Top of its list is the country with the world's fastest growing population.
"There hasn't been a good map that has named all the villages in India to date," says Mr McClendon.
Google is not starting entirely from scratch in India.
Some locals have already used Map Maker - a Google service which allows users to add roads, rivers, local businesses and other information to the data it licenses.
But Mr McClendon acknowledges that his team have a lot more work to do before its maps of the country match those of the UK or US.
"It's a huge challenge - there's many more people, many more villages and the documentation and information is much less," he adds.
Public versus private
Beyond Ground Truth, Google also aims to improve its service by mapping the interiors of more buildings - the current emphasis is on transport hubs, shopping centres, museums and business that pay for an approved photographer to visit them.
However, Mr McClendon draws the line at the idea of adding people's homes.
"I think private is something Google wants to stay out of," he says.
Looking further ahead he adds that his ambition is to go beyond offering a pixel-perfect 3D version of public places.
"It's not just being able to draw it in the virtual reality sense of saying 'here we've reproduced the current world', but to understand the data, to know this is the doorway to a business, this is the path to the stairs... this is a public building, these are private areas," he says.
"The more information we can provide the users about where they are and where they should go, I think that will give everybody the confidence in their ability to travel and their ability to interact as they won't worry am I allowed to do this, or should I go there."
Not everyone will be comfortable with Google extending its reach this way, particularly in light of the fact its Street View cars collected users' emails, passwords and other personal data for more than two years before the practice was put to a stop.
Google later said the action had been "inadvertent", but it was not helped by the fact that it subsequently failed to delete the data gathered as promised. Exactly why the firm let the material be gathered in the first place is still unclear.
"I can't comment on that based on the ongoing discussions," was all Mr McClendon would say on the matter.
Some will also be unhappy by the prospect of more ads. Mr McClendon himself acknowledges "local advertising is going to be a critical part of any mapping or local search experience".
But for many, such issues pale against the idea of a world without "free" mobile maps, and Apple's entry into the sector is seen as a driving force for further innovation.
The move does not mean Google will abandon iOS users. Mr McClendon stresses they will still be able to access Google Maps via their devices' web browsers, although he would not be drawn about the idea of offering a rival Maps app.
"We want to have a presence on every device," he said. "Whether it's a web based map or anything else we will have, the users will be able to decide."
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The UK's top police officer is retiring after five-and-a-half years in charge of the Metropolitan Police. BBC London's Home Affairs correspondent Nick Beake joined him as he policed his last football match on horseback to discuss his highs and lows. | Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is taking me to meet his favourite police horse, Oliver.
"He's a star. A lovely character. Brave," he says.
"Hello mate, you're looking well," he tells him as he strokes his dark brown mane.
"He seems to be loyal, takes everything in his stride and is not too demanding."
How does he compare with politicians?
"I've never ridden a politician, so I wouldn't know," chuckles the outgoing police chief.
Sir Bernard is in his element. After five-and-a-half years of gruelling 14-hour days, he will soon trot off into the grazing pastures of retirement.
More time for holidays with his wife Marion, walking, Game of Thrones and House of Cards, he later enthuses.
It's early Saturday morning in west London and the commissioner's day off. But he can't keep away. He's passionate about horse riding and is volunteering to police the Chelsea-Arsenal match as one of the mounted branch.
He may normally be in charge of 32,000 officers, but here he's one of the troops on the front line. Following this stint at Stamford Bridge, he has patrolled every football stadium in London.
Sir Bernard arguably rode to the rescue of the Met in autumn 2011. Scotland Yard had lost two commissioners in the space of three years - Sir Ian Blair had been ousted by Mayor Boris Johnson while Sir Paul Stephenson resigned amid the phone hacking scandal.
London had been burning - with riots igniting and spreading across 26 of the capital's 32 boroughs. "A terrifying" time, Sir Bernard admits. To try to build trust between the police and London's communities he ordered a reduction in the controversial police tactic of stop and search.
He also had to build a management team, after his predecessors found meetings and disagreements had been leaked. He chose "good people who were honourable" who were interested in "team, not ego".
He championed an approach called Total Policing which aimed to be "as nimble, thorough and ruthless" as the criminals, getting justice for victims.
The highs
Falling crime
The Olympics passing off peacefully
No mass terrorist attack, unlike some European neighbours
The lows
A bungled inquiry into allegations of a VIP Westminster sex ring in the 1970s and 80s
Plebgate
Budget cuts totalling £600m
Crime fell by a fifth during Sir Bernard's time in charge, although he admits he is worried by a recent rise, particularly in knife crime.
He puts this down to some of the 1,500 gang members arrested and jailed around the time he started the job now being released and back on the streets.
The day we meet, the commissioner is on the generally less-than-mean streets of Fulham, leading a dozen police horses through the high street, as fans stream to the stadium.
But it was the policing of a much bigger sporting event - the Olympics in 2012 - that was a high point for him. As the eyes of the world fixed on London, the spectacle passed without trouble.
During Sir Bernard's tenure, the menace from so-called Islamic State emerged, but there has been no mass terrorist attack - unlike in other major European cities such as Paris, Nice, Brussels and Berlin.
However, Sir Bernard has faced sustained and vociferous criticism in the press, particularly over the Met's handling of the bungled inquiry into allegations of a VIP sex ring at Westminster in the 1970s and 80s.
The commissioner had to visit the former head of the Army, Lord Bramall and former Home Secretary Lord Brittan's widow to apologise "for the intrusion into their homes and the impact... on their lives" after both men were accused but subsequently cleared.
Although the commissioner acknowledges the Met failed, he thinks the treatment he got from the press was a consequence of journalists being arrested for phone hacking and inappropriate payments to police and public officials.
He admits some criticism hurts, but how about when he reads in the paper that he's "the man who shames British policing"?
"You know it's untrue and they've got an agenda. They've had a go at a lot of people, but they've not always had a good look at themselves," he says.
"And I think if they looked themselves in the mirror sometimes, they'd know that we've been on the side of right and they haven't."
It's a bold claim, as on his watch in 2014 a public inquiry into undercover policing was launched. Last week, the police watchdog said it was investigating why documents were shredded weeks after the inquiry was announced and despite Sir Bernard ordering no evidence be destroyed.
If his message was ignored it would be an uncomfortable moment for the Yorkshireman who prides himself on a clear idea of what's right and wrong. Something he inherited from his mum Celia, who raised him as a single parent.
"She was my inspiration really. She was the one who got me through everything. She had to fight on my behalf."
He regrets she did not live to see him knighted or become head of the Met.
"Sadly she died in 2002. But I know she'd be looking down and she'd still be looking after me - she'd never let anyone pick on me."
So how about the politicians who have picked a fight with him?
He was once asked by a group of schoolchildren what the worst thing was about his job. He replied: "Have you ever seen anything called the Home Affairs Select Committee? I can get quite angry sometimes because some of the questions seem pretty silly."
If some Westminster MPs have left him exasperated, he's got no criticism for the two London politicians he's worked with most closely, mayors Boris Johnson and Sadiq Khan.
"Boris has been a joy, loyal and very intelligent. Every meeting I've left him and I've felt better. When we've had some difficulties he's always been loyal."
And Mr Khan, the new mayor who only extended Sir Bernard's contract for a year?
"Different type of person. Also a bright guy, a human rights lawyer who took on the police. Affable. Driven by some great passion - social justice. I think it's a great mark that this city has a Muslim mayor. "
How would Sir Bernard describe himself in three words? "Policeman, challenging, caring."
As he guides Oliver his horse back towards Stamford Bridge, a little girl in a tutu runs up to say hello. It turns out she's off to the cinema with her mum.
I ask the commissioner what his favourite film is and he replies: "The Magnificent Seven… the good guys win."
And with that, the man who's tried to protect this largest of British cities from the modern-day bandits of cyber and terror rides off into the west London sunset.
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Alderney's emergency ambulance services could be under threat unless more volunteer workers are found, said the chairwoman of the St John Ambulance.
| Ros Michel said the recent recession had made it harder to recruit and retain volunteer ambulance crews.
She said the St John service in Alderney had no paid staff members.
Ms Michel said staff shortages had left the organisation having to call in support from Guernsey, putting pressure on its limited budget.
She said some local volunteers were reluctant to ask for time off from their jobs, while employers were becoming more reluctant to grant it.
She added that this was largely as a result of the economic downturn, and had left the service operating with two-thirds of the necessary workforce.
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A display of the Aurora Borealis lighting up the night sky above the Black Isle in the Highlands was captured in an image by a Highlands-based photographer. | Martin Macbeath photographed the Northern Lights earlier this week.
The aurora is caused by the interaction of solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.
When weather conditions are favourable, Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland offer some of the best places to observe the aurora, or Northern Lights as the phenomenon is often known.
This week's display came during a geomagnetic storm which BBC Weather Watchers dubbed the start of the new "aurora season".
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In less than four months' time, Britain will go to the polls in what promises to be a tense and highly unpredictable general election. Politicians and campaigners are gearing up and there is already much excitement - in the Westminster village, at least. | By Leala Padmanabhan BBC News
But as with previous UK elections, millions of voters are expected not to turn out and many more will not be registered to vote in the first place. In 2010, a close election, the turnout was 65%; nearly 16 million registered electors did not vote. And recent estimates suggest 7.5 million eligible voters are not able to vote because they are either missing from the electoral register or not correctly entered on it.
The right to vote is the most fundamental tenet of democracy and yet millions do not exercise it. So should that right be made into a duty?
The senior Labour backbencher, David Winnick, MP for Walsall, is one of a number of politicians supporting more radical moves to get people voting.
He has introduced a Commons ten minute rule bill - an opportunity to highlight an issue of concern - suggesting that voting should become a "civic duty".
Mr Winnick pointed out that, at the last general election, "those who did not vote were larger in number than those who voted for any one of the political parties contesting the election".
"If you add that figure to those not correctly registered that adds up to more than the votes for the two main parties in the election," he told MPs.
"I would have thought that should be a matter of much and serious concern to this House whether or not what I am proposing is accepted.
"If we want our democracy to flourish, commonsense dictates we should do what we can to get far more people to participate in elections than do at the moment."
Mr Winnick wants the UK to consider a system similar to that in Australia, where people who do not vote, or at least express their intention to abstain, are fined.
He insists his proposals do not constitute compulsory voting as such. Those who have religious or other objections would be able abstain but they would be required to register their abstention by contacting their electoral office in advance or doing so in person at the polling station.
However, Mr Winnick's vision does represent a radical move from the voluntary principle on which the British system has been based since universal suffrage was introduced nearly a century ago.
Australia's voting system
Registering to vote and going to the polls have been legal duties in Australia for citizens aged 18 and over since 1924.
Failing to vote can result in a fine of 20 Australian dollars - around £11 - and court action if fines are not paid.
Supporters say Australia boasts one of the highest levels of civic participation in the world.
Critics say a high turnout based on a mandatory system does not translate into a politically engaged electorate.
There have been several failed attempts to abolish the system.
Australia is one of only 11 countries which enforce participation in elections. Around a dozen more have adopted some kind of mandatory voting legislation but do not enforce it.
But the idea of enforcing civic duty such as jury or military service is established in democracies around the world.
The US, for example, has written certain civic obligations into the constitution - though it does not have mandatory voting.
Supporters of greater enforcement of voting such as David Winnick ask why participation in elections should not be seen as a similar obligation of the citizen towards the state.
"Don't we all have obligations?," asked Mr Winnick.
"We all have to pay local and national taxes and if we drive we pay road tax...we can't opt out and we don't want anyone to opt out. Is that an infringement of civil liberties?"
"I don't see why it should be argued that if there is a civic obligation to vote and being able to abstain there should be attack on the grounds that our civil liberties are being undermined."
But critics say such an idea is alien to British democracy with its unwritten constitution and its more ad-hoc approach towards the concept of citizenship.
In a report on voter engagement in November, MPs on the cross-party Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee considered both sides of the argument.
The committee cited evidence that a mandatory system "would be politically very difficult to introduce in a country where it has no precedent" but also heard arguments in favour, including claims that inequality would be reduced through re-engaging disenfranchised communities.
The MPs were split but agreed to recommend a government assessment of how compulsory voting could work in the UK - a move hailed by the Labour MP chairing the committee, Graham Allen, a supporter, as a major step forward.
"Our democracy is facing a crisis if we do not take urgent action to make elections more accessible to the public and convince them that it is worth voting," he said.
Mr Allen and fellow campaigners are particularly concerned about young people's disengagement with politics and democracy. Only 44% of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2010 general election and research suggests the gap between younger and older age groups in relation to participation in voting is widening.
The Institute for Public Policy Research, a centre-left think tank, highlighting a "dramatic social class divide in electoral participation", has advocated compelling first-time voters to turn out to try to "kick-start voting as a habit of a life-time", with the proviso that the option of "none of the above" should be available on the ballot paper.
Mathew Lawrence, research fellow at the IPPR ,said: "The state already requires people to do much more onerous things than to turn up at a polling station.
"At the moment, politicians can get away with not addressing issues affecting young people because they know that young people are less likely to vote. Why not reverse that and open up a whole section of the electorate? It would force politicians to have a conversation about the interests of young people."
But Mr Lawrence acknowledges British political culture is resistant to such ideas. "We need to find a way of changing the language and the way we present these thoughts; any suggestion of compulsion is very unpopular in Britain. One way round this would be to wrap up a law about voting and participation into a whole constitutional re-think about what it means to be a citizen of the UK in this globalised world."
Others considering the disengagement problem are highly sceptical of any moves to increase the role of the state.
Daniel Bentley, communications director at the Civitas think tank, says: "The problem with compulsory voting is that it does not promote real democratic engagement but just turns voting into one more thing that the state requires us to do, like filling in a tax form or taking the car for its MOT.
"We need people not simply to tick a box on polling day but to be as engaged as possible with decision-making, because that is the only way of ensuring our representatives work for the common good."
The government remains wary of any form of compulsory voting and none of the main political parties at Westminster has adopted it as a policy.
Registering to vote is slightly different - under a new system introduced by the coalition government, voters are now required to register individually rather than via the head of a household. A "small civil penalty" of £80 may be imposed on those who "refuse repeated invitations to register".
Meanwhile, campaigners for the option of "none of the above" to be included on ballot papers are continuing to make their case that conscious abstention is better than no participation at all in the democratic process.
Historically Britain has a tradition of resistance to radical reforms to the constitution. But campaigners say dramatic solutions may be required to tackle what is often described as a democratic crisis.
Critics question whether changes to mechanics of the voting system will address this crisis.
Some go as far as to reject the whole system of representative democracy, such as the comedian, campaigner and self-styled revolutionary Russell Brand, who says he's never voted and doesn't see any point in doing so in the future.
"It is not that I am not voting out of apathy," he famously said in a Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman.
"I am not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery and deceit of the political class that has been going on for generations."
Daniel Bentley, of Civitas, says society has to find ways to show how voting makes a difference to people's lives.
"The main obstacle to higher turnout is the feeling that there is very little choice on offer - the main parties are fighting over such a narrow strip of territory, and are focusing their efforts on such a small number of swing voters - that voting won't change anything. The rise of parties like UKIP and the Greens, filling some of the space vacated by the three main parties, is a symptom of that.
"The same is true at a local level, where council turnouts are pitiful, but there it is because town halls are not felt to have any real influence over people's day-to-day lives because they don't have enough clout."
Mr Bentley suggests radical devolution to local communities, including of taxation, could be one way of encouraging active citizenship.
There will be a strong interest from all parties in turnout at this year's general election. Another figure seen as worrying low would give fuel to those who say our democracy is broken and to those who recommend radical solutions to fix it.
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A warning for snow on Easter Monday has been lifted, but heavy rain is expected to fall over most of Wales. | The Met Office had said several centimetres of snow was possible in parts of mid and north Wales, and the south Wales valleys.
That warning has been lifted, but a yellow "be aware" alert remains in place from 17:00 BST on Sunday to 16:00 on Monday.
The rain could cause flooding and affect travel and businesses.
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A 24-year-old has been arrested after two people were hurt when a man "fell from a height" on to a woman at a shopping centre in east London. | Emergency services were called to reports a man had fallen on to a woman at Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford at about 16:00 BST on Wednesday.
She suffered life-changing injuries. His condition was not life-threatening.
The man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and reckless endangerment of life.
Inquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing.
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Culture Secretary Maria Miller's brief apology to MPs last week has led to Labour calls for her to return to the Commons for another go. We got our stop watches out to see how it measured up in this Parliament's contrition stakes. | By Pippa Simm & Esther WebberBBC News
1. Nadine Dorries: 22 seconds
Zipping into pole position at 22 seconds, the MP for Mid-Bedfordshire told us her failure to properly register income made from her appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2012 had been "inadvertent" but she still owed MPs a "full and unreserved apology".
2. Maria Miller: 32 seconds
Losing out on first place, Mrs Miller comes in a close second. The Conservative cabinet member took a total of 32 seconds to apologise "unreservedly" for her attitude to a parliamentary inquiry into her mortgage expenses.
3. Jack Dromey: 56 seconds
The first male on the scoreboard clocks in at just short of a minute. Labour's Jack Dromey was up before the House for breaking parliamentary rules about financial interests.
4. Eric Joyce: One minute 30 seconds
A late-night brawl in a Commons bar prompted this member's wide-ranging apology, directed largely at several MPs and councillors who were hit by Mr Joyce.
The Falkirk MP told the House he had tendered his resignation from the Labour Party, after his conduct fell "egregiously below" proper standards.
5. Simon Hughes: One minute 44 seconds
Time for a Liberal Democrat apology now, courtesy of the party's deputy leader, Simon Hughes.
It followed an investigation into his conduct in 2013, which found the MP had failed to properly declare donations in the register of members' interests.
6. David Laws: One minute 52 seconds
David Laws was to have been one of the stars among the fresh-faced Lib Dem ministers thrust into the spotlight in 2010 - until reports he had claimed about £40,000 to pay rent to his partner prompted his resignation from the front bench.
He told the House in 2011 he agreed with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner's finding there had been "a conflict between my personal interest in privacy and the public interest in openness", and summed up the experience as a "difficult year". He has since returned to the frontline.
7. Liam Fox: Four minutes 47 seconds
If Liam Fox's standards are anything to go by, apologies should be almost hitting the five-minute mark.
After his resignation as defence secretary, the Conservative MP took four minutes and 47 seconds to say he was "very sorry" for breaking ministerial rules over his links with close friend and self-styled adviser, Adam Werritty - firmly consigning him to last place on the podium.
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A "highly drunk" intruder was found asleep in an armchair after entering the wrong house, police said. | The man was discovered early on Sunday morning by homeowners, who then called for help from officers.
PC Lizzie Hampson, from Northamptonshire Police, said the drunk man had picked up the home occupants' wallet and put it in his pocket.
"Occupants found him in the morning and he was still sleeping when police arrived," PC Hampson tweeted.
The BBC has approached Northamptonshire Police for further information on the incident.
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It was a wow! moment. The world's biggest berg, a block of ice a quarter the size of Wales, fell off the Antarctic exactly a year ago . But what then? We've gone back to find out. | Jonathan AmosScience correspondent@BBCAmoson Twitter
Weighing a trillion tonnes and covering an area of nearly 6,000 sq km, the colossus dubbed A-68 has kind of spent the past 12 months shuffling on the spot - rather like a driver trying to get themselves out of a tight parking spot at the supermarket.
Occasionally, the berg head-butted the floating shelf of ice from which it calved, but made only limited progress in moving north - its expected path out of the Antarctic's Weddell Sea towards the Atlantic Ocean.
"An iceberg as massive as A-68 is sluggish, and thus needs time to accelerate," explains Thomas Rackow from Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute.
"Compared to much smaller icebergs, A-68 is also less sensitive to offshore winds that could potentially drive the iceberg away from the continent. In fact, since the calving event in early July last year, we could see the iceberg going back and forth due to the prevailing winds."
Dr Rackow says the frozen ocean surface probably also played some role in constraining the berg's movement, and wonders if the underside of the berg was catching on the seafloor.
It's a thought shared by Suzanne Bevan at Swansea University, UK. "We know so little about the bathymetry (depth) in that area of the Weddell Sea," she told BBC News. Given time, though, A-68 should pick up the pace as the currents grab hold of it.
And A-68 hasn't melted?
Nope. It's extremely cold in that part of the world. The berg has knocked off some of its sharp edges, but it remains much as it was - 150km long and 55km wide.
Two largish chunks have detached, one of them sufficiently big to get its own designation (A-68b) in the list of giant bergs kept by the US National Ice Center. The American agency has officially now put A-68 at number six in its all-time ranking.
See more stories and videos like this
If you were wondering - a berg called B15 is the historic champ. It was roughly 11,000 sq km in area when it broke away from Antarctica back in 2000. And it's still going, albeit in pieces.
Astronauts on the space station recently photographed the largest remaining fragment of B15 passing the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia on its way to the equator. A-68 will very probably travel this same "iceberg alley".
What's A-68 like if you go there?
Ella Gilbert from the British Antarctic Survey was the first to make a movie of the berg from close quarters.
The scientist was in a small plane gathering atmospheric data when she made a low pass along its edge.
"It took us an hour and a half to go from one side to the other," she says. "It's scale is mind-boggling, fascinating - it's like another world. It was possibly the most exciting thing I've ever done."
Ella is often asked why the berg broke away. "It's complicated," she explains. "The region is clearly undergoing a lot of change but you can't just say 'it was the climate'. Iceberg calving is a natural process anyway. If you put more snow in at one end, it has to come out the other end as icebergs."
So, why should we be interested?
A-68 broke away from the Larsen C Ice Shelf - the floating extension of glaciers running off the Antarctic Peninsula. The shelf is the subject of intense scrutiny because similar structures to the north have disintegrated.
Climate warming very probably was implicated in some of these losses, and so it is inevitable that people will ask what the future holds for Larsen C.
It is one of the biggest ice shelves in all of Antarctica and its collapse would allow its feeding glaciers to dump more of their ice into the ocean, raising sea-levels.
How likely is that to happen?
The answer to this question will only come with ongoing monitoring. The first thing scientists want to understand is how the shelf will react to calving such a big berg.
The stresses acting on the shelf will almost certainly have changed. "The models tell us we should expect the centre of the Larsen C Ice Shelf to speed up a bit, and the edges, where the berg was attached, to slow down," says Swansea's Adrian Luckman, whose Midas research group was most closely involved in monitoring A-68's break-away.
But this behaviour is very difficult to demonstrate because tidal movements push on the shelf and complicate the satellite measurements.
Tell me about a surprising discovery
Scientists have established that the surface of the Larsen C Ice Shelf can melt even during the deep freeze of permanent night in the Antarctic winter.
Weather station and satellite observations have established that a particular type of warm westerly wind, or Foehn, will flow down off the peninsula mountains to produce ponds on the surface of the shelf.
"You see this in May, which in the Antarctic is equivalent to late November. Forty percent of the melt in 2016 occurred in this winter period - all because of the Foehn effect," says Adrian Luckman.
This is a process scientists will need to watch closely. Some of those northern shelves that collapsed were destabilised by the presence of large numbers of meltwater lakes on their surface.
Larsen C is far from replicating such conditions but that may change in the coming decades if global warming progresses as expected and its effects impinge deeper into the Antarctic.
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Mike Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Mitigating Brexit, has an elegant turn of phrase. For example, instead of simply referring to the Commons and its circumlocutions on Brexit, he summoned up an image of the "crumbling palace" by the Thames. | Brian TaylorPolitical editor, Scotland@tannadiceladon Twitter
But, in these troubled times, one must occasionally revert to the demotic. And thus it was that he characterised the current stance of the prime minister as "self-deluding mince".
He deployed that particular phrase with regard to the prospect that the EU might now crumble and transform the deal it had negotiated with the UK. It was, he said, "arrogance born of ignorance".
Mr Russell was delivering a statement to Holyrood re the aftermath of the PM's Westminster defeat. He began with a little history lesson, reflecting that five years ago the UK Government had published a study paper arguing that Scotland's place in the EU was secured - and could only be secured - through remaining in the UK.
How, he noted, things have changed. Scotland, he said, was now "imminently threatened" with being taken out of the EU against the declared will of her people.
And so, of course, he went on to announce plans for an immediate referendum on Scottish independence, didn't he? What's that?
But if it wasn't in the statement - and it wasn't - perhaps he might seize the opportunity presented by Patrick Harvie of the Greens, a fellow supporter of independence.
Mr Harvie said that one could "hardly wish for a better advertisement" for independence than the "shambolic" events at Westminster of the last few days, weeks and months.
As you might expect, Mr Russell agreed. But still no timetable for indyref2. No declaration, even, of an intent to broach the topic with the prime minister.
There is, of course, a very good reason for this. The SNP's offer of independence is predicated upon confidence, not fear or flight.
It is founded upon the prospectus that the ancient nation of Scotland could, to borrow a phrase, "take back control" of politics as a whole, having demonstrated sufficient governmental capacity during the two decades of devolution.
It is suggested that independence is a natural process, an evolution, in which Scotland would embark upon the glad confident morning of full self-government, while maintaining relations with other European nations, including England.
For modern Nationalists, like Mike Russell and Nicola Sturgeon, it is not about escaping tyranny or despotism. It is not about escape at all.
It is about giving the people of Scotland the assurance that they can govern themselves - and, crucially, do so in cohort with their allies and neighbours.
The Brexit process is not at an end. Not by any means. But it is certainly the case that the current unravelling of that process has created despondency and disquiet among the populace, perhaps regardless of their principled stance on the question.
Folk are upset. Folk are fretful. They are concerned, anxious.
That is why Nicola Sturgeon continues to say that her further thoughts on an independence referendum will only emerge when there is a degree of clarity about Brexit.
Plus there is the small matter of Westminster consent. The PM has repeatedly said that "now is not the time" for an independence ballot. I doubt she has changed her mind on that in the light of recent events.
Now you will hear Conservatives say that the SNP glories in the chaos of the Brexit process, that its leaders perceive an opportunity. Scots Tory MPs were making that case rather forcefully on the wireless this morning.
It is, if you like, the Harvie diagnosis. There is a degree of truth in it. It is arguable that Tory disarray equals an SNP chance. But I do not believe it is anything like the full story.
If that were the case, then Ms Sturgeon would have demanded a referendum already. She would have revived her earlier call for the power to hold indyref2 - a call she shelved after the SNP palpably lost ground in the last UK general election.
She holds off because she suspects that the people of Scotland are already distressed enough over constitutional manoeuvring and might not immediately welcome a further, Scottish-born bout, however much that might be depicted as a solution to the pre-existing problem.
So where are we on Brexit more generally? The scale of the defeat, self-evidently, points to significant opposition to the PM's deal. To put it mildly.
The options now are limited. One is leaving with no agreed deal. Mr Russell excoriated that and suggested it should be excluded from discourse by UK government diktat.
In response, Adam Tomkins said that those who were facilitating no deal were those who voted against the PM. Cue a vigorous bout of Tory finger-jabbing. Mr Russell reminded him that three times as many Tories as SNP MPs voted against the PM.
Still, No Deal may arrive upon us. As things stand, if there is not a settlement, the UK departs the EU on 29 March. Like Yeats' rough beast, some see us slouching towards that eventuality. To be clear, some say it should be seized eagerly as an opportunity.
Or there may be a revised settlement - either under Theresa May or her successor. The EU will be very hard to shift but they are pragmatists.
The scope of the Commons defeat will have appalled EU leaders, but it may cajole them too. Although, as I noted on the wireless this morning, the UK's leverage is limited because we are leaving the club, surrendering any counter-balancing threats which we might have otherwise issued.
There may be a general election, depending on the outcome of tonight's vote. But, to be clear, that would not, in itself, provide a solution to the Brexit dilemma. The new government, of whatever colour, would require to find that separately.
Or there may be a further EU referendum. Alex Neil of the SNP put his finger on a quandary with that. Mr Neil is pro-Brexit and worries about the precedent for independence of a further EU plebiscite - but he is also an exceptionally astute reader of politics.
What, he said, would the question be in such a plebiscite? He has a point.
Would it be Remain v Leave? Arguably, that would take us no further forward, especially if the outcome were Leave. Again. Leave on which terms?
How about Remain v No Deal departure? Snag is that very few in the Commons actually support No Deal, as opposed to warning / anticipating that it might happen.
Should it then be Remain v the PM's deal? Perhaps. Arguably, if the Commons ordered such a vote, then MPs would be mandated to accept the outcome, including the PM's terms which they have just condemned by a large majority.
The ceremony of innocence is drowned.
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The latest inflation figure for the UK revealed record low Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation of 0%, while the US figure expected later on Tuesday is expected to show a negligible increase in prices from a year ago. | Linda YuehChief business correspondent
However, both economies are recovering, and well enough that there's an expectation of interest rate rises on the horizon.
The normal pattern is for prices to rise alongside economic output. So when the economy is growing, so is demand for goods and services and thus their prices.
It's not just GDP, but employment is also expanding. The UK has a record high number of people in work, while US unemployment is falling and expected to recover to the pre-recession rate of 5%, according to the Federal Reserve.
There was one other period that required a new term to describe an unusual time.
In the 1970s, stagflation referred to high inflation while output was falling - precisely the opposite of what is happening today, but similarly goes against normal economic relationships.
The reason then, as now, is oil price shocks.
In the 1970s, two wars in the Middle East caused oil prices to shoot up and raise prices, which remained elevated despite slowing economic activity.
Since the shocks were external, and there was little capacity for economies like the US to respond domestically, the result was the unusual combination of sustained high inflation during a recession.
In the past few years, the UK also saw high inflation despite the worst recession in decades. You may recall that the Bank of England routinely described it as imported price pressure. The governor said that high energy and commodity prices were raising costs and there was zero domestically-generated inflation.
Breathing space
Now we have the opposite - there are price movements, but these stem from cheaper imported energy. Oil prices have plummeted since last summer. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says the UK's record low 0% CPI has been driven by energy prices (motor fuels) falling 16.6% in the past year to February. It's also down to food prices, another sizeable imported commodity, which fell by 3.4%.
This means, though, that when volatile elements like energy and food are stripped out of CPI, core inflation is still positive at 1.2%. So, prices are rising and the economy isn't truly deflationary.
Still, factory gate prices, or the prices of goods sold by UK manufacturers, are seeing deflation, falling by 1.8% from a year earlier. That eventually feeds through to what we pay in stores. But, so many goods are imported, the more important price indicators are most likely to come from abroad. For instance, China is experiencing low price pressures that will be exported.
A little breathing space in terms of the costs of energy, food, and consumer goods is welcome after years of high inflation and below-trend growth.
The big question is how worried we should be about deflation. The Bank of England says that any deflation will be temporary. In other words, it's unlikely to be 15 years of falling prices as in Japan.
In any case, for now, falling prices while the economy is growing well may warrant a new term. Suggestions are welcome!
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A body recovered by divers from a disused quarry in Fife has been confirmed as that of a teenager from Kirkcaldy. | The emergency services were called to Prestonhill Quarry in Inverkeithing at about 21:20 on Thursday following reports of a teenager in the water.
The body of 18-year-old John McKay was recovered the following day.
Police inquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances of his death.
In August 2014, Cameron Lancaster, from Burntisland, Fife, died at the quarry.
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A charity at the centre of a £800,000 fraud probe has said there is no immediate threat to its programmes. | Cyrenians Cymru, in Swansea, which helps the homeless and vulnerable, has received more than £1.1m from the Big Lottery Fund over the last decade.
The charity said it was speaking to all the organisations it works with to devise a plan to keep the projects going.
As part of the investigation, two people have been released on bail.
On Wednesday, trustees of the charity said they had declared it insolvent.
Related Internet Links
Cyrenians Cymru
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Reynhard Sinaga is thought to be the UK's "most prolific rapist" ever. For several years, until he was caught in 2017, he preyed on young men enjoying a night out. | By Daniel De SimoneBBC News
Warning: This piece contains accounts of sexual assaults
Princess Street, in the heart of Manchester's city centre, is rarely quiet.
If you follow it down from the impressive Victorian town hall on Albert Square, past bars, shops, restaurants, and converted textile warehouses, you reach the borders of two of the city's most popular destinations - Chinatown and the Gay Village.
Beyond that, you come to a stretch of road bordered by nightclubs - Factory, Fifth, Joshua Brooks - a big part of the city's vibrant nightlife.
With its close proximity to two of the city's universities, the road is also a popular area for student accommodation.
Reynhard Sinaga, a 36-year-old postgraduate student, had made this his home for more than seven years, living in a rented flat just a few moments' walk from Factory Nightclub.
Sinaga, originally from Indonesia, was a perpetual student. He already had four degrees and was studying for a doctorate. By night he was a serial sex offender.
He has been found guilty of drugging, raping and sexually assaulting 48 men, but police believe they are among at least 190 victims.
They are able to be so precise about these numbers because Sinaga filmed his attacks and collected what detectives call "trophies" - items or information stolen from his victims.
Sinaga typically approached his victims in the street. The rapist operated in a small area surrounding his flat. His targets were men mostly in their late teens or early 20s who had been out drinking, often in the nearby nightclubs.
Some were on their way home, others had become separated from friends.
Many were too drunk to remember their conversation with Sinaga, but for those who did there was no indication of a sexual motive. Sinaga used various pretexts to entice each to his flat.
Some victims could recall being provided with a drink and then blacking out.
Are you affected by this?
BBC Action Line has support and more information on emotional distress
Greater Manchester Police said anyone who believes they might have been attacked by Sinaga can report information online or call its police line on 0800 092 0410 from inside the UK or 0207 158 0124 from abroad.
The force said anyone in need of support from specialist agencies could call 0800 056 0154 from within the UK or 0207 158 0011 from abroad.
Sinaga presented himself as a flamboyant, churchgoing academic who used the nickname "posh spice". A thin man of slight build and short stature, physically he appeared unthreatening. Several victims recall him smiling a lot.
It was this apparent harmlessness that enabled Sinaga to pose as a "good Samaritan", coaxing men he approached back to the flat.
We know about the benign impression Sinaga created because dozens of victims gave testimony to police, with 48 of them appearing in court over the course of four trials.
Of the victims who went to court, the vast majority were heterosexual. Ian Rushton, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said he thought Sinaga took "a particular pleasure in preying on heterosexual men".
Most of his victims were living in Manchester at the time and, in all, 26 were students when they were attacked.
Their accounts explain how Sinaga operated.
One was waiting for his girlfriend outside Fifth Avenue nightclub - since renamed Fifth Manchester - when he was approached by a "small Asian guy" who seemed harmless.
The man was invited back to Sinaga's flat to wait for his girlfriend, but recalled nothing further after being given a shot of clear liquid to drink.
Another man described being "approached by a young Asian gentleman". He said he had a "vague recollection of explaining that my phone was dead and that I was trying to get a taxi but the taxis were passing me".
He added: "I think I can recall a conversation along the lines of, 'Would you like to come inside and charge your phone and have a quick chat,'" he told the court.
To him, Sinaga "didn't seem like an imposing character" and during their conversations in the apartment, he appeared to be "an honest, motivated person" with an interest in academic research.
The man told the court that soon after being offered a drink, he couldn't remember "a single thing until the next morning".
After waking, confused and disoriented, he left within five minutes.
Like almost every victim, he had no idea he had been raped until being approached by police.
Another victim remembered his friends putting him in a cab outside a club. His next recollection was waking up in a strange apartment.
When he asked Sinaga what had happened, he described providing care and shelter after finding him lying in the street.
Another victim believed Sinaga had been "really nice and had looked after him".
One victim, a teenage university student, managed to get Sinaga's mobile number as a precaution after waking up in the flat, and then having concerns that something might have been stolen from him.
When he rang to ask for more information about what happened, Sinaga described himself as a "good Samaritan" who had found him unconscious on the pavement.
Another man remembered waking up on the floor, covered in a blanket, before thanking the flat's occupier for letting him stay over.
He suspected nothing, even though the person "refused to give me personal details" in order to assist with an insurance claim for a lost mobile phone.
The phone, like many others stolen from their owners, was later recovered from Sinaga's home by police.
Some victims felt incredibly unwell after regaining consciousness, sometimes naked and covered in vomit.
Unknown to them at the time, Sinaga had given his victims a drug - almost certainly GHB - which rendered them unconscious before he assaulted them.
What is GHB?
One victim, who woke up naked on Sinaga's floor feeling nauseous and panic-stricken, came to the conclusion he had been drugged, telling his fiancé about that suspicion but not about the condition in which he awoke.
Another man, who was told he could sleep on the floor, recalled waking twice during the night, on one occasion to be sick.
He remembered that on one of the occasions he was unable to move his arms and could feel himself being penetrated, before passing out again.
In the morning, he briefly spoke with Sinaga before leaving. He did not report what happened to police, until being approached by them.
It was the largest rape investigation in UK history.
Police found more than 100 of the men from clues in Sinaga's flat. But the identities of 70 men have not been established and police are now appealing for anyone who believes they may been abused by Sinaga to come forward.
The CPS's Ian Rushton says that Sinaga is probably the most prolific known rapist "anywhere in the world".
One of four children, Sinaga comes from a wealthy Indonesian family who live in Depok, a city within the Jakarta metropolitan area. His father is a banker and also a prominent businessman in the palm oil sector.
After obtaining a degree in architecture at the University of Indonesia in Depok, he moved to the UK in 2007 to study urban planning at the University of Manchester.
He went on to gain three degrees there before embarking on a doctorate in human geography at the University of Leeds - travelling there from Manchester when required.
His family wealth meant that he rarely worked, although he claims to have had stints in employment in hospitality at both Manchester football clubs and in a clothes shop. Manchester United have since said they have no record of him working at the club. He worked for a period at a bar in the city's Gay Village, the area where he spent much of his time socialising. He was also a regular at a local church.
After originally living in student accommodation, Sinaga moved to a rented flat in Montana House on Princess Street in 2011.
While his convictions cover a period of two and a half years, police believe his offences predate 2015. But they say they may never know the true extent of his crimes.
It came to an end in the summer of 2017.
Sinaga was offending with abandon, sometimes night after night. In footage recovered from CCTV cameras covering his block of flats, he is seen leaving one evening only to return with a man 60 seconds later.
It was just after midnight on 2 June 2017, when he approached his final victim.
A teenager, who left The Factory nightclub to get some fresh air after becoming separated from friends, agreed to go to Sinaga's flat after it was suggested he could try to contact them from there.
The man recalled nothing further until waking several hours later being sexually attacked by Sinaga.
He immediately pushed Sinaga away, who responded by screaming "intruder" and "help", before repeatedly biting the teenager.
The man hit Sinaga several times, escaped from the flat, and then called police, who arrived to a chaotic scene.
Sinaga, who was discovered semi-conscious with serious injuries, was at first viewed sympathetically, and the teenager was arrested for assault.
But Sinaga's behaviour in hospital began to arouse suspicion. He kept asking officers to have a mobile phone brought to him from his flat.
Police asked him to confirm the pin number before they would hand it over. However Sinaga gave a series of false numbers, then tried to grab the phone after providing the correct one.
The officer became so suspicious that he seized the phone as potential evidence and, when it was checked, a video recording was found of Sinaga raping the arrested teenager.
It was the start of what the officer overseeing the investigation, Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain, calls "an absolutely unprecedented case".
He says the inquiry has been like "piecing a jigsaw together without the picture".
Another of Sinaga's mobiles had somehow ended up in the pocket of the final victim.
Between them, the two phones had been used to capture about 800 videos of Sinaga raping or sexually assaulting unconscious men.
The victims, usually snoring loudly, were often repeatedly raped over several hours.
In some of the films, Sinaga is seen to forcibly hold men down who, though unconscious, were visibly distressed or made attempts to push him away. In others, victims are seen to vomit while being attacked.
To find the men, detectives used both the films and "trophies" collected by Sinaga - phones, watches, ID cards from their wallets, images that Sinaga had downloaded from their social media profiles, searches about them he conducted online.
When they lacked identifying information, investigators tried facial recognition technology, approached local universities, and asked other police forces around the UK if they knew any of the men.
Officers also considered whether Sinaga might have killed any of his victims with fatal drug overdoses, examining potential links to unsolved deaths or missing people, but there was no evidence to suggest this was the case.
When officers made a positive identification, that person would be approached and told he had been a victim of sexual offences.
Lisa Waters, of the St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, says their crisis workers accompanied detectives on these visits in order to "offer immediate emotional and practical support".
She says that being told what happened "can be quite overwhelming, very confusing".
"What we didn't want to do was to drop the bombshell and then just disappear and leave these men with no support," she says.
A large programme was put in place to provide ongoing support.
Waters says many of the men have chosen not to tell anybody else about what happened to them.
"That might be because they might want to protect their own psychological health; it might be because they're ashamed to tell other people; it might be because they're fearful of other people's responses," she says.
Dozens of those approached did not want to go through the court process.
Sinaga was found to have told unsuspecting friends about some of the rapes, passing them off as consensual sexual conquests.
In messages about the first victim who went to court, Sinaga boasted about the attack on New Year's Eve in 2014.
"I didn't get my new year kiss, but I've had my first sex in 2015 already," he wrote, adding that the man was "straight in 2014. 2015 is his breakthrough to the gay world hahaha".
During another boast about what he presented as his prowess with "straight" men, Sinaga wrote: "Take a sip of my secret poison, I'll make you fall in love."
Police officers have spoken to other men, tracked down as a result of still images discovered in the flat that date from before 2015. These men recall being there, but not what happened. There is no other evidence available to show that they were sexually assaulted.
Only one previous report to police was linked to Sinaga after his arrest, dating from April 2017, when the victim had woken disorientated and unwell in a strange room with an Asian male.
He quickly left, but later that day had flashbacks of being sexually assaulted and - two days afterwards - he called the police.
However, the man was unsure of the property in which he had been assaulted, meaning inquiries focused on two nearby hotels, neither of which had had any guests who matched the suspect's description.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Sinaga pleaded not guilty to all 159 charges, forcing a series of four trials in which his victims had to give evidence and jurors had to watch hours of distressing videos.
Court rules meant that nothing could be reported in the media and each jury was unaware of the wider case against him.
Sinaga gave evidence in the first and last of the trials, running what the judge called a "ludicrous defence" which involved him claiming that each victim had agreed to fulfil his "sexual fantasy" by being penetrated while being filmed and pretending to be asleep.
When this scenario was suggested to one victim in court, he responded by saying it was "absolutely farcical".
Sinaga changed his story during the trials.
In the first trial, he denied that the loud snoring heard in some films was snoring at all, insisting it was just "breathing sounds".
But, by the time of the final trial, he claimed the snoring was actually just "role-play".
It was only halfway through the first trial that he admitted penetrating most of the victims on that indictment.
In the witness box he came across as vain and self-absorbed, telling jurors: "I make myself available all the time… I may look like a 'lady boy' and it seems very popular amongst curious men who are looking for a gay experience."
When entering and exiting court he often appeared cheerful, as if he was enjoying the process.
In the absence of the jury, the judge repeatedly asked defence counsel whether any of the evidence could be agreed, to spare jurors watching every video.
But Sinaga would not agree and, because he insisted each victim was conscious and consenting, the videos had to be played to demonstrate this was a lie.
The prosecution case was that Sinaga used the drug GHB to incapacitate his victims.
No trace of the drug was found in his apartment and - due to the circumstances of Sinaga's arrest - the final victim was not tested quickly enough for its presence to be established.
However, the symptoms shown by the hundreds of videos were all consistent with GHB intoxication, as were the descriptions of him providing clear liquid shots, and each trial heard expert evidence about its effects.
GHB was used by Stephen Port, who murdered four men between June 2014 and September 2015. The men were given fatal overdoses of the drug. Port was also convicted of raping or assaulting several living victims using GHB.
The impact on Sinaga's victims is vast.
Waters says that "some of the men have found it very difficult to function in everyday life".
This has resulted in substance misuse, people unable to go to work, students unable to finish university, and others having to leave home after feeling unable to function any longer within their families.
She adds that "some men have been suicidal and we've had to try to help them come to terms with that and how we can make them safe".
Dr Sam Warner, author of a report about the psychological impact on Sinaga's victims, says a loss of power coupled with an absence of memory can be "extremely frightening, disturbing, upsetting because that goes to the heart of how you make sense of yourself, how you understand your experiences".
"In a situation where people have been incapacitated through drugs they may have no flashback to that particular event," she says.
"What they will have is the flashback to being told, however sensitively done, because suddenly they become a rape victim at that point."
She says the stress and trauma "may continue throughout people's lives".
In a series of statements read in court, the men themselves described the impact.
"I felt numb. I was totally shocked, embarrassed, betrayed and very angry," one said.
"His actions were disgusting, unforgiveable. He has massively abused my trust in humanity."
Another man said: "I want Sinaga to spend the rest of his life in prison. Not only for what he has done to me but for what he has done to the other lads and the misery and stress he has caused them."
A further victim said: "I remember the day the police contacted me, it is a day I will never forget because it changed my life forever."
Another: "I wish the worse for him, I want him to feel the pain and sufferance I have felt. He has destroyed a part of my life."
Throughout all four trials, Sinaga displayed not a glimmer of empathy or contrition.
His persistent smile, so often used to comfort and disarm, was instead revealed to be a mark of his cruelty.
In a message to Sinaga, one victim said: "I'm not going to let you ruin my life."
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Can you really click away a political movement? | BBC Trending What's popular and why
Protests against an anti-immigration movement are spilling from Germany's streets to social media with bloggers calling for people to unfriend Facebook contacts if they "like" the Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) movement.
Blogger Marc Ehrich has promoted a tool that allows you to check whether someone has liked a Facebook page.
"In April I saw some guys sharing these individual links on their timeline so I thought I would write about it," he said.
"I wanted to provoke a little and start some interesting discussions. At first it was just a list with some music bands that I thought would be funny or amusing for people to find out about, and then I added the anti-euro party AfD and the neo-Nazi NPD party.
"Of course I wouldn't say to someone, 'hey unfriend this guy because he likes [the singer] Helene Fischer.' But when it comes to AfD and NPD I wanted people to really think about the likes of their friends."
In December he tweaked the tool to include a Pegida checker because he was annoyed with their supporters.
The blog post immediately went viral. Despite the prominent "unfriend me" title at the top of the page, he says the tool wasn't only meant to be used to drop contacts. But he's unremorseful if that's what people choose to do.
"I heard arguments like, 'Hey, I am following Pegida because I want to be informed.' My answer to that is Facebook 'likes' are a kind of currency. The more likes a site has, the more attention it gets, but you can follow without liking."
The discreet nature of unfriending means it's hard to measure how widespread this trend actually is, but the idea does seem to be taking off.
"The unfriending campaign is pretty big here, I think everybody's aware of it," said Berlin-based social media writer Torsten Muller.
"I'm not sure it will achieve very much beyond stopping people with different views from talking, but maybe it has raised awareness that there are many people who feel strongly against Pegida."
Munster-based politics teacher Marina Weisband saw the unfriending blog appear several times in her newsfeed and clicked the link. It turned out she only had one Pegida-liking friend.
"He was an old school mate, who joined the police force straight from school I think," she said.
"I didn't try to engage him in conversation because he's not a close friend. If he was I might have tried to talk to him, but he wasn't so ..."
Would you unfriend someone for their politics?
She's fully aware of the downsides of unfriending people with alternative viewpoints, namely narrowing the conversation and removing the chance for them to be influenced by more moderate views. But for her, the personal connection wasn't there to justify angsting over.
"Pegida is a sensitive topic, but I do think it's important for people to see they don't come from the centre and their views aren't widely accepted. They probably think, 'hey, we're just normal people with family and friends' but that's not actually the case, and maybe they will see that if they start to lose connections."
Marina wasn't the only one to respond to the unfriending call.
"I have [deleted friends] in self defence, because I caught myself in very unpleasant discussions with him or his 'friends'," one of her friends Ralph Pache said in response to her unfriending thread.
Not everyone is convinced by the strategy though.
Christoph Schott is Germany's head of e-campaigns at Avaaz, a global civic organisation that promotes activism. He says the divisive nature of the unfriending campaign worries him.
"I feel like it's not the right way to go about things. Pegida is making a big split in Germany and at hard times like this, with what is happening with Charlie Hebdo in France, we don't want to be divided here, we need to face these threats together.
"We exist both online and offline, so we can protest on the street and on social media. Unfriending is just one social media campaign but there have been online petitions too.
"At Avaaz we've just started Mit Dir to show how united and colourful we are."
The idea is for Germans to upload pictures and memes and also post photos of themselves in Germany with someone from another country, race or religion.
"Amid this political storm, we're trying to create a love storm," Schott says.
"The question of how you resolve this split appearing in our society is a big issue for us but we can only solve it together," he adds.
Blog by Sitala Peek
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending
All our stories are at bbc.com/trending
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BBC business editor Robert Peston on a payment arms race
| Sooner or later - and it may be sooner - we are likely to see the end of a once great British corporate name, and a still resonant name in the music business, EMI.
Because those close to EMI tell me they expect Citigroup, the giant US bank, to seize control of the business and then quickly sell it off in pieces.
For reasons that aren't entirely clear to me, there is a belief at EMI's current owner, Terra Firma, that Citi may attempt to take control of EMI fairly imminently - although I am not sure how that can happen earlier than March.
The expectation is Citi would then sell EMI's music publishing arm to the private-equity house KKR for about £1.2bn.
And EMI's recorded music business would be expected go for just £400m, probably to Warner Music - though such a takeover would face tough scrutiny by the European competition authority.
In theory, Citi won't have the formal right to take ownership of EMI until at least March, because that's when Terra Firma expects to be in formal breach of the terms of its borrowing agreement with Citi (Terra Firm will probably pass this month's covenant test).
Citi is owed £3bn in respect of Terra Firma's takeover of EMI, which is considerably more than EMI is worth today. So it looks as though Citi will ultimately lose about half its money.
As for Terra Firma, the equity it put into the deal of £1.7bn is currently worthless.
If EMI is worth around £1.6bn today, which - I am told - is what Terra Firma's founder Guy Hands believes, then Terra Firma will end up losing the lot.
You can keep up with the latest from business editor Robert Peston by visiting his blog on the BBC News website.
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An inmate at a prison grabbed keys from an officer and, while he was being restrained, a second prisoner tried to take another set of keys. | An internal prison report seen by the BBC says the the inmate ran down a landing with the keys at HMP Wayland.
"As he was being restrained another prisoner attempted to grab another officer's keys," the report adds.
A Prison Service spokesman said both men had been transferred to a higher security jail.
They also face additional time added to their sentences.
Both men were "quickly apprehended" during the incident on A wing at about 09:00 BST on 27 May, the report states.
Wayland, near Watton in Norfok, is a Category C men's prison with just over 1,000 inmates.
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A road in the Highlands which was shut by a landslide will now remain closed indefinitely after a further rockfall. | More than 100 tonnes of rock came down on a section of the A890 Lochcarron to Kyle road on Thursday 22 December.
The road was due to reopen this weekend however there was a further rockfall at the same location on Friday night.
Information on the condition of roads throughout Scotland can be obtained from Traffic Scotland.
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Large parts of the Somerset Levels spent much of the winter of 2013-14 under water.
Villages were isolated, homes evacuated, the farming community in disarray and the bad weather relentless.
BBC News looks at how the area's flooding crisis unfolded.
| Not-so-happy Christmas (24-31 December)
South West England is battered by storms. High winds and heavy rain cause power outages, road closures and widespread travel disruption, with hundreds of weather-related emergencies, including motorists getting stuck in flood water.
The Environment Agency warns of flooding on the Somerset Levels and alarm bells ring for the Local Government Association which urges people to look online for details of emergency accommodation in case they are forced out of their homes by rising water levels.
New year, same story (3-4 January)
It is not long before rising flood water triggers the first large-scale response, with the RSPCA leading a rescue of cattle and horses from a farm on the Somerset Levels.
Two boats, normally used by the fire service in Norfolk for river rescues, are also sent to Somerset as water cuts off all major roads into Yeovil and submerges thousands of acres of the Levels.
Leaving home (6-7 January)
A fortnight after the storms began, residential properties are now being evacuated. Anne-Marie Simpson was rescued from her North Curry home via a window and into a boat. She said she was "keen to get away" after 13 days living off supplies.
"The scale of the flooding has taken us by surprise," she added.
Nine miles away in Muchelney, the BBC's Andrew Plant reports on residents using a canoe to make a mile-long paddle from their house to nearby Huish Episcopi, to pick up supplies. The village has been cut off since 3 January.
Crisis talks (15-22 January)
A "rallying call" is issued to the government during talks held between Defra Minister Dan Rogerson, the Environment Agency, local council representatives and voluntary groups.
Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger joins the growing campaign, telling parliament the situation is "unacceptable" and accusing the Environment Agency of neglecting the rivers.
Major incident (24-25 January)
Concern locally peaks and a "major incident" is declared by two councils - Somerset County and Sedgemoor District - in a bid to mobilise extra support. This includes a request to the armed forces to consider helping villagers who have been cut off.
Meanwhile, tonnes of equipment have been brought in by the Environment Agency, which says it is carrying out its "biggest pumping operation ever" on the Somerset Levels.
An inspector calls (27 January)
Flood water has covered parts of the Levels for a month when, during the government's first official visit to the area, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is confronted by angry residents lambasting a failure to dredge the rivers.
The National Farmers Union also weighs in describing scenes of "utter despair", with farmers battling the significant cost of having 11,500 hectares (28,420 acres) inundated by about 65 million cubic metres of water.
Military mission (29-31 January)
A few days later and Mr Paterson offers military help and specialist amphibious vehicles to help affected areas. However, the initial offer is refused with Somerset County Council saying the fire service is currently meeting all needs. The military remains on stand-by.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron announces rivers in Somerset will be dredged once all flood water has drained off the Levels and river banks are safe.
A royal show (4 February)
Royalty arrives. The Prince of Wales is escorted through the floods by boat, and tractor and trailer, to meet residents and farmers around Muchelney.
It is a "tragedy", he says, that nothing has happened for so long and he "feels very sorry" for those affected.
Warnings intensify (5-6 February)
The picture is getting worse. Two severe flood warnings are issued for parts of the Somerset Levels, signifying a danger to life, around East Lyng, Burrowbridge, Saltmoor and North Moor. Residents of Fordgate, North Moor and Moorland are advised to evacuate with the council estimating up to 150 properties could be affected.
A call is made to the military, and a number of Royal Marines from 40 Commando are deployed to help reinforce flood defences in Burrowbridge.
Political punches (7-9 February)
Latest flood visitors include the Prime Minister and Environment Agency chairman. David Cameron again states that everything possible would be done, but Lord Smith is the target of residents' calls to resign for "letting everyone down".
The spotlight turns back to Moorland where, in the middle of the night, rescue crews knock on doors urging villagers to evacuate saying temporary flood defences had been breached.
Back in London and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles says the government "made a mistake" by not dredging and may have relied too much on Environment Agency advice. The Environment Secretary is unhappy with this complaining "in the strongest possible terms" to the prime minister who has to step in and urge unity.
Pump up the volume (13-16 Feb)
In an attempt to get more water moving, and more quickly, the Environment Agency imports 13 high-capacity pumps from the Netherlands.
It is hoped they will clear 7.3 million tonnes of water each day from the levels, however after just three days they are turned off because of damage caused to the bank of the River Parrett by the volume of water being discharged.
Talk of the recovery (20-21 Feb)
Is the water finally beginning to go down? The Environment Agency is planning for a recovery and says dredging on "key stretches" of the rivers Tone and Parrett could begin next month.
On the downside though, experts have said it could take up to two years before the farmland fully recovers from the flooding.
According to agronomists, the standing water is making the ground toxic.
The 20-year plan (5-6 March)
Dredging, a tidal barrage and more permanent pumping sites are included in the 20-year draft plan which could cost £100m.
Prime Minster David Cameron has said "money is no object" but only time will tell.
Drying highways (13-14 March)
After almost three months, the water level has receded and the A361 between East Lyng and Burrowbridge has reopened to all traffic.
That meant Hubert Zajaczkowski, a 21-year-old apprentice at AgustaWestland in Yeovil, was able to reclaim his ruined car which he abandoned in floodwater on Christmas Eve.
The submerged vehicle became one of the most familiar sights during the coverage of the flooding.
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The US president's aircraft was spotted by an aviation enthusiast as it flew over the UK on its secret trip to visit troops in Iraq. | Alan Meloy photographed Air Force One in the skies above Sheffield on 26 December.
The plane carrying Donald Trump and the First Lady left Washington in total secrecy in the dead of night.
After Mr Meloy's picture was shared on social media people began to track the flight online.
Mr Meloy said he was "amazed" at the response to his photograph, which has seen him contacted by three US TV networks.
He said he captured the image purely by chance as he photographed aircraft from the front step of his house.
"It was a lovely sunny morning," he said. "I looked up and as soon as I saw it I thought, 'that's shiny'. It was in a clear blue sky and perfectly lit."
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An opt-out plan for phone contracts will protect customers from changes to their contracts, according to the Channel Islands regulator.
| Under the plans customers could break fixed-term contracts if the terms, services or prices change.
Regulator Michael Byrne said it would make mobile, broadband and fixed-line contracts more transparent.
The islands' four phone companies have all asked for the cost of any handset subsidy to be considered.
The proposals, which are subject to a consultation running until 1 May, would see changes to the licence conditions for the four operators - Sure, JT, Newtel and Airtel Vodafone - from 1 June.
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Birds' nests have been deliberately destroyed and seals and dolphins disturbed around Jersey's offshore reefs, the States has said. | Visitors from boats have also built bonfires and cleared vegetation on Les Minquiers - a group of islands and rocks to the south of Jersey.
The States is urging boat owners and visitors to respect Jersey's wildlife laws and the "fragile environment".
Dozens of people from France and Jersey visit the reefs each summer.
Dr Paul Chambers from the Environment Department said the reefs were "ecologically important".
The States said that between March and August the main islands were home to nesting seabirds and it was an offence to disturb them.
Then in autumn large numbers of migrating birds are dependent on the vegetation on the reefs for shelter and food.
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Neil Armstrong will be forever known as the first person to walk on the Moon. But less well known are his early exploits as a test pilot. Armstrong risked life and limb in a variety of experimental vehicles before he became an astronaut - a career that very nearly didn't happen. | By Amy Shira TeitelAuthor, Breaking the Chains of Gravity
In the centre of a large, bright hangar at California's Edwards Air Force Base was a large cross made of two iron girders balanced on a universal truck joint.
Six thrusters on the ends of the cross's limbs shot spurts of compressed nitrogen every time Neil Armstrong, sitting in a makeshift cockpit on the cross's forward end, moved the control stick in his left hand.
It might not have looked it in 1956, but this barebones simulator was the future Moonwalker's first step into space.
Armstrong's love affair with aviation began when he was six years old and skipped Sunday school to take an airplane ride with his father.
Inspired, Armstrong devoured books and magazines about flying, built model airplanes, and eventually earned his private pilot's licence at 16 before he even learned to drive.
In 1947, he began his formal training, enrolling at Purdue University, Indiana, in a four year engineering programme in exchange for three years of service with the US Navy.
It was an interesting time for aviation. Just a month after Armstrong started college, US Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the rocket-powered Bell X-1.
It seemed to Armstrong that he was entering aviation too late; the aircraft he'd fallen in love with growing up were being replaced by rocket-powered designs, and there were no new records to break. But it was exactly the opposite.
The advent of rocket-powered flight opened a new era of flying where aviators had to be both pilots and engineers testing experimental aircraft in real-time in the sky. And the best place for this new breed of pilot-engineer was the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), America's leading body for aviation research.
Degree in hand and three years flying in the Korean war under his belt, Armstrong arrived at the NACA's High Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base in 1955. He joined four other pilots flying anything from bombers to experimental rocket planes to futuristic simulators. The simulators included the Iron Cross.
Traditional airplanes have flight control surfaces; ailerons, rudders, and elevators move a plane by pushing against the air as it flies. But a rocket plane flying above the atmosphere has no air for these surfaces to push against.
Instead, they used reaction controls, small jets of compressed gas that nudge the airplane in a near-void to maintain its orientation. It was a kind of flying Armstrong needed to learn. He was training to reach the fringes of space in the X-15.
The X-15 was a joint NACA-Air Force vehicle incepted not long before Armstrong arrived at Edwards to answer questions about how a man would fare flying hypersonically — faster than Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound — at altitudes so high that landing would be a close comparison to returning from orbit.
Just 15m (50ft) long with a 7m (23ft) wingspan, the X-15 was launched from underneath the wing of a B-52 bomber so it could conserve all its fuel for either a high altitude or a high speed run. Armstrong only flew seven missions in the X-15, reaching a top speed of Mach 5.74 and a peak altitude of 63km (39.2 miles). He didn't reach space — the cutoff of space was set at 80km (50 miles) — but he was already on his way there.
In the early 1960s, the Air Force's next step after the X-15 was to fly in space in a vehicle eventually called Dyna-Soar. Another joint program with the NACA that was transferred to Nasa when it was established in 1958, Dyna-Soar was a flat-bottomed, roughly triangular-shaped glider designed to launch vertically atop a Titan missile.
It would circle the Earth before firing its engines against its direction of travel to start its fall back through the Earth's atmosphere. From there, the pilot would land it like a regular airplane on a runway. And Armstrong was one pilot selected to fly it into space, but first he had to figure out how to save himself and his fellow astronauts from an exploding launch vehicle.
In launch configuration, the Dyna-Soar glider was oriented with its nose up, meaning that if the pilot ejected he would be expelled laterally and his parachute wouldn't have time to open before he hit the ground.
The better option, Armstrong saw, was to use Dyna-Soar's aerodynamics. He reasoned that if the glider's engines could launch it away from an exploding rocket, any skilled pilot would be able to land it safely.
Theory in hand, Armstrong put it to the test. In a Douglas 5FD Skylancer fighter jet modified so that its aerodynamics mimicked the Dyna-Soar's, he flew it low over the desert terrain until he reached a square painted on the ground to represent a launch pad.
At that moment, he pulled the aircraft's nose up to begin a steep climb to about 2,130m (7,000ft), which was roughly the altitude that the Dyna-Soar's engines would carry it to.
From there, he did what any pilot would naturally do: he pulled the plane over in a loop and rolled it upright before making a smooth unpowered landing on a strip drawn on the desert floor to represent a runway. It was a manoeuvre Armstrong later said he was happy he never had to fly in a real Dyna-Soar.
Both the X-15 and the Dyna-Soar dealt with technologies ahead of their times, but neither was the most experimental programme Armstrong was involved in while at Edwards.
In the early 1960s, Nasa was keen to move away from ending orbital spaceflights with splashdowns in the ocean; astronauts were accomplished pilots who didn't need an armada of Navy ships to pull them out of the water.
The space agency was researching using a paraglider wing to land the second-generation Gemini spacecraft on a runway at the end of its missions.
This novel landing system caught the attention of Milt Thompson, another test pilot at Edwards who eventually convinced Armstrong to help him build a homemade test vehicle.
More from Science & Environment
Armstrong's simple yet brilliant refrain about small steps and giant leaps - its intonation betraying such acute awareness of the historic nature of the moment - remains forever etched into the minds of a generation who witnessed the moon landings first hand.
Neil Armstrong: 'Diffident' emissary of humankind
The pilots' self-guided project was eventually approved as an official programme to spare either man dying in their own creation. With input from others at Edwards, the pair eventually built a barebones paraglider research vehicle called the Parasev.
It took to the skies in 1961 with Thompson in the cockpit towed behind Armstrong in a small airplane, and though the Paresev proved paraglider landings were feasible the system was never implemented.
Though Edwards had been Armstrong's ideal workplace when he arrived in 1955, things changed in April 1962 when Nasa announced it would be selecting a second group of astronauts.
The agency received 253 applications by the 1 June deadline, and a week later Armstrong's was quietly added to the list; a simulation expert from Edwards was so convinced of Armstrong's potential as an astronaut that he added the late application to the pile before the Nasa selection committee's first meeting.
After a series of gruelling medical and psychological tests, Armstrong was selected on 17 September.
It was fortuitous timing. Dyna-Soar, Armstrong's previous ticket to space, was fast falling behind schedule and any Air Force space program was looking increasingly unlikely to leave the ground. As one of Nasa's "New Nine" astronauts, Armstrong was firmly on the path to space.
Amy Shira Teitel is the author of "Breaking the Chains of Gravity," which tells the story of America's nascent space programme before Nasa's creation.
Selected Sources:
James Hansen, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong. Simon & Schuster, New York. 2005.
Robert Godwin ed. X-15: The NASA Mission Reports. Apogee, Burlington. 2000.
Robert Godwin ed. Dyna-Soar: Hypersonic Strategic Weapon System. Apogee, Burlington. 2003.
Richard P Hallion. On the Frontier: Flight Research at Dryden, 1946-1981. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington. 1984.
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A man has been charged with murdering his 38-year-old wife who was found dead in their home. | The asphyxiated body of Sarbjit Kaur was discovered in Rookery Lane, Penn in Wolverhampton, on 16 February.
Her businessman husband Gurpreet Singh, 42, was charged on Wednesday evening and is due to appear before magistrates in Birmingham on Thursday.
Det Ch Insp Chris Mallett from West Midlands Police said Mrs Kaur's death "shocked the community".
Related Internet Links
West Midlands Police
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Governance is the establishment and enforcement of norms, rules and decision-making procedures. It is not the "law" as such, but rather a structure by which everyone agrees to abide, which can be captured locally by specific laws. | By Prof Alan WoodwardDepartment of Computing, University of Surrey
One of the most successful examples we have of governance on a global scale is that which affects international waters, where a United Nations agency called the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) handles the treaties and conventions defining how everyone must behave.
For the reason I'll come to shortly, I recently began asking people: "Who do you think should govern the internet?"
Most have replied that the internet should not be governed at all; it's fine as it is, and any suggestion that a UN agency might adopt the role provokes snorts of derision.
I find myself having to explain that the internet is already governed, even though most think it is not.
US control
It's important to realise that without governance the internet could not function.
Consider something as simple as web names and addresses. In order to avoid two different web sites having the same name, there is an organisation called the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), which decides on who may use a name, although this is delegated down to regional organisations.
At present, the governance of the internet is effectively done by multiple stakeholders. What is less well appreciated is that the final approval on much of what is decided by these organisations is formally within the gift of the United States Department of Commerce.
This fact has remained relatively low profile as the Department of Commerce adopted an arms-length relationship with the stakeholder organisations.
However, the formality of the power structure was thrown into stark relief when the US government under George W Bush intervened directly on the subject of .xxx domain names, and then moved responsibility for certain naming from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (Iana) to Icann.
The fact that the US government ultimately "controls" the internet is something that many find an anachronism when the internet is a global phenomenon, and one which many countries' economies are becoming increasingly reliant upon.
UN intervention
Not surprising then that there is a growing movement to transfer governance of the internet to a body that is not under the control of any one nation. Also, not surprisingly, different nations are introducing their own agendas.
During a UN summit in 2003 in Geneva, the subject was hotly debated, but the US refused to relinquish control of the Root Zone file, which is basically the key to governing the internet. So entrenched were the positions that the then UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, formed the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG).
The idea was that WGIG would report on a solution acceptable to all but would move governance to an international body. I doubt anyone will be surprised when I tell you that the debate has continued ever since, and the objective of coming to some conclusion in 2006 looks no more likely six years on.
This has led to a great deal of frustration amongst the non-US political blocs, and 2012 looks like the year when the most powerful intend to bring the mater to a head.
Power struggle
The Russians, closely followed by the Chinese, are pushing for the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), another UN agency, to be given responsibility for internet governance.
It looks increasingly likely that Russia and others will attempt to use an ITU conference in December 2012 to wrest as much control as possible from the US.
I suspect the final outcome will be a classic compromise where the US retains control of some key aspects.
Whilst I agree that governance of the internet should not remain with any one government, I find the idea of a UN agency being responsible daunting.
The UN IMO has been a success in enabling everything from free flow of shipping to providing a focus for fighting piracy, but the speed at which UN organisations converge on an agreement can be described only as glacial.
The internet requires altogether different timescales. A great advantage of the current governance structure is that it supports rapid developments, provided that the US Department of Commerce remains at arm's length.
Innovative internet
The internet has now reached a size where it tends to develop more like a living organism, and whatever governance structure is agreed needs to accommodate this.
Rather like a town planner putting down grass, watching where people chose to walk and then paving the pavements, internet governance needs to help the internet evolve rather than dictate how it must develop.
The one area in which this does not necessarily work is security.
So, all those who spend their time railing against any regulation of the internet should perhaps consider not "if" the internet should be governed, but "who" should govern it.
It's happening, and what we really need to avoid is establishing something that will stifle the innovation that has made the internet such an exciting environment.
Alan Woodward is a visiting professor at the University of Surrey's department of computing. He has worked for the UK government and still provides advice on issues including cybersecurity, covert communications and forensic computing.
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US soul singer Erykah Badu has paid a $500 (£322) fine and will serve six months' probation for stripping naked on a Dallas street for a music video. | The 39-year-old ended filming by re-enacting the moment when President John F Kennedy was shot dead in 1963 in the city.
The Grammy award-winning singer was charged with disorderly conduct when tourists and visitors complained.
A spokeswoman for the singer did not immediately comment.
In March, the star performed a walking striptease as part of the video for Window Seat, before falling to the ground as if she has been shot.
The filming took place at Dealey Plaza, the location where President Kennedy was assassinated.
In April, Sgt Mitchell said that "people calling from all across the country to express their concern" about the making of the video.
A Dallas city spokesman confirmed that Badu had paid the fine.
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Hundreds of thousands of people volunteered to help the NHS in various ways as the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic became clear. One of them was shipping science student Mary Strutt, who never dreamed that signing up to the first aid society during fresher's week would lead to her working at the UK's first emergency field hospital. | By Toby WadeyBBC News Online
"It was a lot to take in when I first entered the ward - there was constant beeping from all the machines, the PPE was strange to wear and you could tell the patients were not very well at all," said Ms Strutt.
"Whilst I was prepared, it was nothing like I had imagined."
The final-year University of Southampton student was already an experienced first aider for St John Ambulance, helping at public events such as football matches, marathons and festivals.
But her previous work was fundamentally different to duties in a hospital environment - especially one where the patients were so sick - and Ms Strutt admitted she felt apprehensive and nervous.
The 22-year-old, from Buxton in Derbyshire, had been eager to help the NHS and applied to volunteer via St John Ambulance, filling out a form detailing her experience and willingness to travel.
She did not hesitate when she was invited to come to the Nightingale hospital in London's newly converted ExCel Centre.
"I got the confirmation late on Friday night that I'd be at the Nightingale on Monday," she said.
Ms Strutt remembered messaging her mum and sister with the news as she began preparing to spend a month away from the house she shared with three other engineering students.
Upon arriving in London, she was put up in a nearby hotel with other volunteers and NHS staff before undergoing two days of intensive training to get her prepared.
Ms Strutt was soon tasked with looking after patients who had just come off ventilators, taking basic observations, restocking equipment trolleys and most importantly, she says, talking to them.
"I would tell them about the weather, the leaves coming out on trees and my daily walks on my days off," she said.
"I absolutely loved it - I wouldn't like it when the new shift would come on because it meant I had to say my goodbyes to the patients."
Most of her shifts ran overnight between 23:30 and 09:30, leaving her feeling exhausted - but she said the support network from other volunteers and staff helped her through.
She said her month at the hospital, which has since been mothballed after a decline in intensive care demand for Covid-19 patients, has helped reaffirm her ambition to explore career opportunities in healthcare rather than in ship engineering.
"The whole experience has taught me a lot and has really changed my perspective on life," Ms Strutt said.
"Whilst before this experience I was questioning if I would retrain as a healthcare professional, I am now certain that this is what I want to do."
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Bill Bratton, the so-called US supercop, will be in the UK this week advising the British government on how he dealt with gangs in LA - advice David Cameron's government sought in the wake of the summer riots. | By Laura TrevelyanBBC News, in New York
Policing legends don't come much bigger than Bill Bratton.
"Finally, We're Winning the War Against Crime," declared Time Magazine in 1996, featuring Bratton on the cover when he was commissioner of the New York Police Department.
When he ran the LAPD, crime and murder rates plummeted.
Now Bill Bratton is coming to Britain - and not as head of the Metropolitan Police Force, despite mid-summer press speculation that he was David Cameron's preferred candidate for the job.
This quietly spoken, anglophile 63-year-old, whose Boston accent hasn't been smothered by years in New York and LA, will be in the UK for a week advising the government on dealing with gangs.
In the aftermath of the summer's riots in England, the home secretary, Theresa May, said more had to be done to tackle gang culture - something Bratton knows a thing or two about after his tenure in LA, where there are 400 gangs.
"I'd like to be able to offer whatever I can to help the British government as they move forward with their efforts to mitigate what could be a growing problem if it's not stopped," Bratton says, sitting in his spacious Manhattan office which displays, among many other awards, the CBE he received for promoting transatlantic police cooperation.
Bratton is now chairman of Kroll, where he advises companies and governments on their security.
The veteran police chief will tour British cities with gang problems and then attend a Home Office conference on the subject on Thursday.
"What we're trying to do is share ideas that have worked here as it relates to gangs and see if they'll work in the British environment. I think many of them would," says Bratton, who has strong views on what doesn't work.
"You cannot arrest your way out of the gang problem," he insists.
"The most significant tool the police have, the most intimidating tool, is the ability to arrest. Gangs in this country are multi-generational - and a focus largely on arrest tactics alone clearly did not work, gangs got larger, violence that gangs committed increased."
So what did work?
Community policing
"The good news is that over the last few years we have identified a lot of things that will reduce gang violence," he says.
"Gang injunctions - that's the use of civil law to prohibit the gathering of gangs and gang members in certain locations and at certain times.
"Gang interventionists have become a very useful tool for the LAPD. These are former gang members trying to turn their lives around, the police have begun to work very closely with them. They are very effective in reducing gang violence, a lot of which is usually retaliation for other gang violence."
Bratton is also a strong believer in community policing.
When he took over the NYPD, the police had lost touch with the public.
"The failed philosophies of the 70s and 80s really believed the police could not do much to prevent crime, our role was to respond to crime that had already occurred," he explains.
"Community policing is the philosophy that saved America in the 1990s, I truly believe it," Bratton expands.
"It's about partnership, the police working with the community, focussing on the problems that are creating fear and disorder and prioritising them."
The mere suggestion of Bratton as head of the Met provoked hostility from some leading British police officials.
Sir Hugh Orde, president of ACPO , said it was "stupid" to reach across the Atlantic since America's policing style and gun culture was so different from Britain's.
Clearly irked, Bratton told the Financial Times this remark diminished Orde's credibility.
On the eve of his visit to Britain, Bratton is in diplomat mode, careful to pay homage to Sir Robert Peel, father of modern British policing.
"The Brits created the idea of preventive policing - Peel was with the idea that the British bobby in his uniform, by his presence in the neighbourhood, his awareness of who's who, would prevent crime."
As he watched the UK riots unfold this summer, Bratton was struck by the timing.
'Sense of belonging'
"The good news for Britain is that this occurred this year rather than next year.
"It was so spontaneous, so unexpected, that if it had occurred during the middle of the Olympics, with the police being focussed on crowd control and terrorism related issues, the ability to respond to something of this magnitude would have been very problematic."
Bratton believes the learning experience of dealing with flashmobs and social media will help Britain's police plan for every eventuality as they prepare to police the Olympics.
As he prepares to cross the Atlantic, the cop who tamed the rotten Apple reflects on how Britain is half a generation behind the US in experience when it comes to dealing with gangs.
In a fragile global economy, he can't see gang membership declining any time soon.
"Kids join gangs to have a sense of belonging, to have a sense of being cared for - things that normally other activities in society provide, school, a job, good family life.
"When those things are not in place kids are going to naturally gravitate to where they can find that and, unfortunately, gangs offer that to them."
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Police in Scotland are examining an allegation of "online criminality" against Harry Potter author JK Rowling. | Rowling was a target of abuse on social media after backing the Scottish independence pro-union campaign Better Together.
Police Scotland confirmed they were considering a report of online crime in relation to the writer.
Scotland's senior prosecutor said those responsible for "grossly offensive" messages would be prosecuted.
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One week she went to school dressed as a boy, the next she returned in a dress. Ellen was one of the first primary school children to transition in the UK. But her story runs far deeper than simply wearing the right clothes. For her, transitioning was a matter of life or death. | By Hannah RichardsonBBC News education and social affairs reporter
"For a young boy, I was always flamboyant, I don't want to use the word camp, but... camp.
I think people around me just thought I was going to grow up a very sensitive and interesting gay young man.
And that's what I thought too, for a really long time.
School was the main point where I really found it hard to deal with life because at home I could be my complete self.
If I wanted to dress up, I just dressed up, and my family didn't have any qualms about it."
Other young people began to notice a difference and were very vocal about it.
"I was branded as the weird, queer, gay boy in my school.
Internally, I think I did know that I wasn't just gay, but at the age of five you don't really know how to express those feelings.
It was constant bullying every day, and it was people telling me I was different from them, and that I should be isolated.
A balance of that, mixed with my own thoughts telling me, 'well if I am not this...
'I definitely don't feel right in my body right now, and there's something in my brain that's not correlating... what do I need to do to find out who I am?'
I realised that dressing up and living a different life was when I was happiest.
It would get to a point when I would come home from school and I would have my whole mini-wardrobe of girl clothes.
I would come back from school and hang out in a dress."
She soon realised dressing in girls' clothes wasn't just child's play. It was the way she wanted and needed to live.
"Inside the house I just got to be me. I could be Ellen.
Outside the house, I was the angry and sad boy who showed almost no positive traits.
I would still have to wake up every day and be tormented walking to school.
I remember saying to my mum, like: 'what can I be when I am older?' And my mum said, 'you can be anything that you want to be.'
My face lit up, apparently, and I said; 'Oh can I be a girl? Full time?'
And my mum said; 'Oh no, no, no don't be silly,' just brushing it off, because that was the unknown at the time, trans wasn't a big thing in the media at the time.
But living my sad version of me definitely took its toll.
I became very depressed, I was refusing to leave the house, I was having scary panic attacks at the tiniest of things, that I couldn't really explain.
I attempted to take my own life at the age of seven, and I came very close to really harming myself.
I was confused, I just wanted everything to end, I wanted everything to be peaceful.
I felt it was easier for me not to be a burden for everyone and have all my problems become everyone else's."
It was at this crisis point that Ellen's parents realised they had to do something to try to help their son. They researched the issue and discovered the condition gender dysphoria.
"They sat me down and they told me what they had read online, and I was like; 'That's everything that I've been feeling inside, but haven't been able to articulate'.
The fact that I wasn't showering or bathing because I didn't ever want to be fully exposed.
My self-esteem issues, and the fact that playing a girl wasn't playing a girl in my head - it was me being my true self.
They started to look into it and they found a charity called Mermaids. This was 10 years ago and they were the biggest lifeline.
I honestly believe that if I had continued going the way I was going, then I wouldn't necessarily be here, because I wouldn't have been able to keep on living the lie I was living.
After a lot of thought and research, my parents decided to have a conversation with me about letting me socially transition.
This is where I would go to school one day as a boy and the next as a girl, and I could change my name, and I could be the child I was inside the house and bring her outside.
This was an incredibly scary decision for me to make, and for my entire family - they were concerned for my safety and my happiness."
The family began preparing for the moment of truth.
"My parents spoke a lot with my school, I was in primary school and I was about 11, and my school was actually quite accepting.
But it was a very new thing - they didn't have any resources or training.
They allowed me to take a week off to get prepared and mentally ready, and then I went in as a girl.
It was the scariest day of my life, my mum said I didn't have to do it, that there was absolutely no pressure.
I was like: 'No I have to do this,' there was no question that I had to do this.
So the last months of primary school I got to go to school as a girl.
I was almost branded the youngest transsexual in Britain because at the time I was the youngest to socially transition - to go to school as a boy and then go to school as a girl.
It sparked media interest because it was more of a novelty.
We'd kind of heard about trans people - what the media thought of trans people you know... grisly men dressed up in dresses and it was a freakish thing - a lot of people thought it was a fetish, you know about sexuality, and people got very confused about the two.
It was very weird to suddenly have a child do this."
Ellen and her family soon became the centre of a media circus and she found herself on tabloid front pages before reaching secondary school.
"At secondary school, I had a few friends.
I had legally changed my name and I was living as a female. It was an OK transition from primary school.
The only downfall was the new pupils, because almost every one from my old primary school went to my secondary school, so they knew that I was trans.
As soon as I went to secondary school I dismissed any rumours. It was like: 'No I am not trans, I am a girl.'
So it sparked loads of rumours and it started me being isolated again.
School became a place where I felt like I had to avoid it again, because people were constantly taunting me again.
It got to a point when I couldn't be in school any more. I was admitted as an inpatient in a psychiatric hospital, I'd had many suicide attempts."
This, and further intrusive and inaccurate media reports, sparked another mental health crisis. Ellen left school and spent a year in a psychiatric ward. But a few weeks ago, aged 20, she came out as transgender on YouTube.
"I had an operation that was incredibly life-changing for me at the age of 18. It was the beginning of me saying: 'I am an adult now.'
I think I am trying to let go of the paranoia. I had always had that fear that someone would find out my secret.
Looking behind my back in case someone's going to out me.
It kind of got to the point where: 'This is who I am, This is what I've been through. But it doesn't define me.'
I am still a human being with interests and creativity. I am more than my story."
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BBC driver Mohammed Nazir was among scores of victims of Wednesday's bombing in Kabul's secure central zone. As Afghanistan mourns those killed, the editor of the BBC's Afghan service Waheed Massoud, remembers a friend and colleague caught up in an all too familiar scenario. | I woke to a phone call telling me that "a BBC minibus" had been caught up in the Kabul truck bomb attack.
But we did not know for sure how bad it was, and how many of our colleagues were hurt.
As things stand at least 90 were killed, but this toll will undoubtedly rise with hundreds injured.
The immediate feeling was so familiar: a racing heart beat and a thousand simultaneous thoughts going through my head.
My heart felt heavier. I felt it was sinking down to my feet.
I desperately made phone calls any way I could - through Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook, and my mobile - but to no avail.
The whole network was down, another indication that something horrendous had happened.
I was torn between hope and fear. Fearing the loss of another dear one and hoping that all would be fine.
It is devastating when fear wins over hope; I soon found out that one dear colleague, Mohammed Nazir, our driver, had been killed and four other colleagues wounded.
The truck bomb exploded close to Kabul's "Green Zone", the most secure place in the heart of the city protected by guards, blast walls and security boom gates. It killed and wounded dozens of people.
I can imagine what Nazir's family, his wife and children, were going through as they were waiting for news from BBC colleagues who were searching hospitals and morgues to find him.
As they prayed for good news, they too were battling fears and hopes.
And they are not the only ones. The friends and family of the hundreds of victims of today's attack, like those of Mohammed Nazir, will have had the same experience.
Mohammed Nazir was young. He was the father of three children and the only breadwinner in his family. He had a gentle smile and a warm personality.
I knew Nazir for years and I worked with him most days of the week.
BBC journalists, support staff and visitors remember him as an honest and reliable person. Most colleagues deploying from Kabul to dangerous provinces would prefer to go with Nazir.
The irony is he survived decades of war, conflict and hostile environments but was killed by a bomb in the most secure diplomatic enclave in the heart of Kabul.
Many BBC colleagues find it hard to believe that the smiling face that drove them to work this morning will be buried by the end of the same day.
The thought that he is no longer with us is hanging over everyone. We think of his children, his wife and extended family and how they will survive without him in a country that does not have a welfare system.
At least Nazir's family will receive financial support from the BBC. But what will happen to those of the others killed and wounded?
The attack today not only took lives, and caused injury. It also in an instant changed the future for hundreds of families.
Soon, the carnage of today will linger only as another casualty figure from yet another attack. Life will carry on.
But what happened here in Kabul is simply a reflection of what Afghanistan has been experiencing over the past 38 years in various different forms and guises.
The early post-2001 years were a brief period of hope when many believed the country would finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief from constant chaos. But it did not last long.
Today, Afghanistan is as much a battleground for proxy wars and regional arm wrestling as it was decades ago, with ordinary Afghans feeling like victims of an unchosen fate.
Although Nato military boots on the ground are present to provide training and support to the Afghan security forces and the government, the situation has not improved. The insurgents enjoy similar covert support today from regional players.
As Wednesday's devastating events proved, security, even in the most protected areas, is fragile.
Vulnerabilities in the security forces, or the sophistication of the insurgent groups, or both, could be to blame .
But for the public the situation represents one continuous, and lifelong, nightmare.
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Two weeks ago, millions of people watched Pastor Mick Fleming and Father Alex Frost on BBC News, feeding and clothing the poor in Burnley. Many were moved by their work, and since then they have received more than £250,000 in donations. | By Ed ThomasBBC News
But Mick's life wasn't always about love and care. He was once a dangerous, violent drug user and dealer, covering up painful childhood memories. Until a single moment changed everything.
It was 10am, in a rough industrial area, far away from his home county of Lancashire. Mick Fleming, in his late 30s, was waiting outside a gym for someone to emerge. Mick was in a stolen car - a dark blue Vauxhall Cavalier - with the engine running. This was going to have to be quick.
"There was no sun, it was a dull dark day, I knew his routine, everything about him," he says. "He was another drug dealer, just like me."
Mick was a well-established underworld fixer in the North West of England. He was the man others would ring to clear drug debts, and by the time he got the call it meant someone was heavily in debt to equally dangerous people. They were about to get hurt, and badly.
"My gun was in a plastic carrier bag, on the passenger seat, wrapped tight. You could see the shape of the gun, no DNA or prints would be left behind. Six bullets, spring loaded, it never fails."
He didn't have to wait long.
"I watched him walk out of the gym. But this time was different. He had two kids with him, two young children, blonde girls, around five years old.
"I got out of the car, and walked, my hand reaching into the plastic. But then I looked again at the children, again at their faces, their blonde hair, innocent kids.
"Then it happened."
Mick describes in detail seeing a blinding light coming from one of the children's hands.
"It was white, brilliant white. For 15 seconds I couldn't see," he says. "It was like looking into the sun and I was paralysed by it."
Mick doesn't know what really happened to him that day, but one thing he is certain of - this was the moment that changed his life forever.
"I collapsed, then struggled back to the car. I felt sick, I was shaking, sweating, heart beating fast. I could hear my pulse as if it was in my head. I didn't know what was happening to me."
And then, he says, he pleaded with God to help him. But nothing happened.
The only thing piercing the silence, he says, was Johnny Cash randomly playing on the radio. The song was Man in Black.
"I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been," Cash sang.
"I felt like I was the Man in Black. By this point in my life, I had been arrested for attempted murder, kidnapping, firearms offences. I wanted to die, I'd had enough."
Mick took the gun, pressed it to his chin, still wrapped in plastic, and pulled the trigger.
It didn't fire.
"I broke down, the tears would not stop falling, and I started to feel sick again. I was retching and I punched and smashed the car radio, my hand started to bleed.
"In that moment I was seeing myself for who I really was. I hadn't cried for nearly 30 years. The last time I cried like this was when I was 11 years old. Sitting in that car it was like I was crying for him, that child, the boy I was, and the life I could have had."
Mick was suffering a complete breakdown, his violent past catching up with him, the end of decades of pain.
When Ed Thomas met Pastor Mick
Watch: Poverty and the Pandemic: Burnley's Front Line
Producer: Lou Martin
Mick was born during England's 1966 World Cup-winning year into a Burnley working-class family. His Dad was a window cleaner, who had contracts to clean factories around the town, and, as Mick describes him, a "proper Labour-supporting man".
"It wasn't poverty, but it wasn't luxury. It was a strict upbringing. We were forced to go to Church, we couldn't step out of line, it was old-school discipline."
But everything changed over two days at the beginning of February 1977. On the first day of the month, Mick was attacked by a stranger in the park on the way to school. He was just 11 years old.
"I was in turmoil," he says. "I'd been sexually abused, and I couldn't cope."
Mick realised he needed help, but first he had to tell his Mum and Dad.
He walked out of his room where he had been crying, went downstairs, and looked his Mum straight in the eye. But what happened next was both cruel and extraordinary.
"Before I could open my mouth, the front door opened. It was my dad. He shouted, 'Your sister is dead.' It was brutal, just so direct. I remember the moment of pure silence, quickly pierced by the screams from my mother, howling like an animal."
Mick had been very close to his 20-year-old sister Ann. He says she looked out for him, gave him money, and bought him clothes.
Ann, he later discovered, had had a heart attack and died in her father's arms at the doors to Burnley hospital.
"My dad was a tough man, but this must have been horrific for him. He watched the doctors and nurses trying desperately to resuscitate my sister."
Mick told me that this was the moment his childhood ended. A life disfigured in 48 hours.
"Drugs were my solution, and that was my introduction. The next 30 years were hell. Pure hell. I would use any drug, and always alcohol."
But with his dependency came criminality. At just 14 he was dealing drugs. People in Burnley, though, just thought he was self-employed, working out of town. The truth was very different.
"I was a drug runner and debt collector. I was good at my job. I'd hurt people. I wasn't bothered. I was arrested for murder twice, armed robbery three times, countless firearms offences.
"I was making crazy money, but there was nothing glamorous about this. I was lost, trying to keep my pain down, hide it. None of it worked."
In the 90s, there were two serious attempts on Mick's life, one a drive-by at traffic lights, the other a home invasion that went wrong.
"Criminality was my world. I didn't know how to work in a factory - I couldn't be normal. I'd see people going to work with sandwich boxes and I didn't want that. I wanted to stand out.
"Drugs were a constant around me - my best friend died from a drinking session aged 16. He choked on his own vomit, my other friend suffered a methadone overdose at 17.
"I became hardened to death. I always believed in God, but I also believed God didn't think too much of me."
Mick was also leading a double life - he had a wife and three children. But the years of lies took their toll. Mick's mum had to step in to take care of the children, to prevent social services getting involved.
He says that during this "horrendous" time his home was often raided by police looking for drugs and guns.
"All this destroyed my mental health, too. I started taking more drugs. I was now a very dangerous man collecting debts, hurting people. I never expected to live long - genuinely I always believed I'd die young. I didn't want to live, I didn't know how to change."
It was 2009 when Mick found himself outside that gym with a gun wrapped in plastic. What happened in the car, the call to God for help, the attempt to take his own life, triggered an intervention by the authorities.
"Within 24 hours, I was sectioned under The Mental Health Act. My new home was Burnley psychiatric unit. I had nothing but the clothes I arrived in."
Strangely, Mick says, he felt at home in the unit. The patients made him feel loved and cared for. They gave him things - cigarettes, clothes, trainers.
"There were schizophrenic people in there who weren't treated, those who self-harmed, really ill people, the most vulnerable alcoholics. But these people were giving me essentials, because they saw I had nothing. I was overwhelmed."
It was here that Mick met Pastor Tony, who used to visit the unit. Together they prayed and talked, and Mick says he began to feel emotions again. He started helping others. It was the end of a troubled life, and the beginning of a new one of hope.
A chance meeting with a tutor at the University of Manchester led to a degree in theology. It was tough at first - without much of an education Mick struggled to read and write, and was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia. He failed his first year, but with hard work and support from the university, he eventually achieved a 2:1 degree.
"I never drank or touched a drug again. It wasn't easy, it was horrendous. But it was my path to God - and all the way to 2020 and the pandemic. I had no idea of how much I'd be needed and how once again I'd be overwhelmed by suffering and pain."
Today you'll find the man now known as Pastor Mick, with the charity Church on the Street Ministries, in Burnley, with those most in need - the homeless, the drug users, the hungry. During the coronavirus pandemic he's never been needed more.
I met him on a crisp, late November evening in an almost-empty car park in the centre of town. It was only 6pm but it was quiet - a silence we've become used to during lockdowns.
Pastor Mick began to talk about the struggles he's witnessed this year.
"Politicians say that it's a leveller, this coronavirus. It's a lie, because if you're poor you've got no chance," he tells me.
Across a dual carriageway, in the distance, they started to arrive. First the homeless, some carrying their belongings in bin bags. Then the users, from those on heroin to those dependent on alcohol. There were around 20 people here, from their 20s and upwards.
Then more people came - some in cars, most on foot. At least 40 people were here now, of all ages. Many were desperate, huddling around two cars belonging to the volunteers, looking for warmth and food.
"There's no need to push - there's plenty," shouted Kaz, a friend of Pastor Mick's, and a volunteer.
The boots of two cars opened and the waft of the hot food hits you first. It was hard not to notice the hands grabbing what they could, a slight push and a shove. Some were so in need, their freezing fingers burned as they touched the food, but it didn't stop them and not a single tray was dropped.
It didn't take long for the hot food to be snapped up. There was more though - pre-prepared food bags for people to take home. At the back of the queue there was a gentle complaint. "There's no chocolate in mine." "I think they've all got chocolate in brother," said Mick. "Well mine hasn't." "I'm not Asda," Pastor Mick retorted with a smile.
Most here were respectful and thankful, but there was also a sense of community. It's hard to believe this is happening in the UK today.
Burnley is one of the most deprived local authority districts in England. What's more, the local council's spending power was reduced at a greater rate than the English average between 2010/11 and 2018/19.
There's a young couple here who are struggling - she is in a wheelchair, he is her carer. They say they're having difficulties getting food and money to get by. "A couple of day's food makes a massive difference to us," they tell me.
Another car boot opened, this time it was full of clothes. It was now a more frantic scene as people searched through it. One woman in her 30s told me that she suffered from depression and the pandemic had made it worse. "If it hadn't been for all these, I'd basically be dead."
Pastor Mick was approached by a man in tears. "My foot is white, Pastor Mick, I'm in so much pain," he said. "Don't worry brother, we'll get you sorted." Mick guided the man in his 20s to two volunteer nurses, positioned away from the group for privacy.
After 25 minutes, the initial rush had calmed. "The need is absolutely colossal," said Mick. "You've seen people who are working who can't make ends meet tonight. We've got volunteer NHS nurses for those who can't access primary care - some of these guys are sleeping on the concrete."
It was the day after the car park session, and Pastor Mick was in his white van, driving through the hilly mill town's stunning scenery, from the sandstone terraces to the prefab bungalows in the villages on the edge of Burnley. The van was packed with food, bread, biscuits, milk, chocolate.
His phone never stopped. A 10-year old boy was asking for a freezer on behalf of his mum. Mick was on it. A single parent needed a bed for her child. Mick would sort it.
He visited around 10 homes - and he does this every day, seven days a week.
"I go into houses and I sometimes have children ripping the bags open as I am carrying them through the door." Pastor Mick's voice started to falter, the emotion was too much. "And it's not alright that, and it wasn't as bad as that before the virus."
Not far from the centre of Burnley, Mick visited the imposing Gothic-style St Matthew's Anglican Church to see Father Alex Frost. They've worked together since the pandemic hit. The room next to the altar is now a makeshift food bank.
"The level of need here in Burnley at the moment, I think, is unprecedented," said Fr Alex.
"I think the people feel forgotten about. It is about money and numbers, and statistics. We can't rely on a food bank, it doesn't seem right, it doesn't seem modern day Britain. But it is."
Once Mick stocked up his van, he was back on the road.
First up was Pete, his wife, and son. Debt has crippled them. An issue with the family's benefits meant payday loans and financial crisis.
"I had to take loans out, so we could eat and pay us bills," said Pete.
"We were in debt for well over a thousand pound. Thanks to Pastor Mick, we've got it down now to two, three hundred pounds. My son suffers from depression from it, and so does my wife."
Mick was off again. This time to see Viv. She's 55, lives alone and suffered terribly with her mental health during lockdown.
"I stopped eating for about a week, I just ended up collapsing on my bathroom floor and I were there for, I think, a full day," she tells me. "Hyperthermia had kicked in with everything with me."
Viv had only recently got out of hospital, and was painfully thin. Mick had got some high-energy nutrition drinks to drop off.
Living alone during this time has brought back painful memories for Viv - of previous family bereavements.
"It's like losing all my family again, it's just like brought it all back."
As Mick left, he promised to collect her painkillers prescription later in the day. "She was trapped inside her house, imagine being trapped inside your own mind. She stopped living," he said.
Next was a food parcel for Sheila, in her late 50s. Sheila had been diagnosed with stage-four cancer and was worried about the impact coronavirus had had on her care.
"I'm supposed to have blood tests done once a month for my cancer count," she said. "But nobody's been and done it [in] six months. And I've just found out that what I thought was two hernias is not, it's one huge hernia. I can't be operated on, because my lungs won't survive it."
Sheila relies on her 21-year-old granddaughter.
"I don't want to be a drain on the system that's already dying, because I'm already dying, people need the NHS," she said.
This was just a small insight into one day on Pastor Mick's journey in one town.
Across England the death rate from all causes, between April and June this year in the most deprived areas of the country, was nearly double that of the least deprived areas.
"I've never seen anything like this, on this scale,'' said Pastor Mick, "Poverty seems to be hidden, It's underneath the surface that people don't see, they think they do but they don't.
Pastor Mick has travelled his own road to Damascus, from a life of crime to being tested everyday by the impact of coronavirus. I wanted to know what motivates him to keep going.
"What I do today, it's not a penance, it's the complete opposite. It's a privilege to serve the people of Burnley. It's a glorious thing," he said.
But then Mick revealed a staggering story to try and explain why he is at peace with those terrible events of his childhood.
Ten years ago, he befriended a homeless alcoholic outside a take away. Mick listened to him, cared for him, helped him to get sober and reunite with his family. The man died two years later but his family was thankful they'd all been together.
"What I never told him or his family, or the police, was that he was the man who raped me as a child. Why? I knew that I had been forgiven for my past. I didn't do what he had done, but still, terrible things, but I felt forgiven and I didn't want to live in his sin."
"This is why I'm free, I'm not spending my life in torment. It's redemption."
We next found Pastor Mick praying with a woman outside St Matthew's. It was the second week in a row she had been here. She was distressed but finding comfort in Mick's words.
Fr Alex explained what had happened. "She came last Saturday and she broke down and told me her daughter had killed herself."
Afterwards, the woman, Sonia, explained the difference Pastor Mick and Fr Alex have made to her life. She said that without them she, too, would have taken her life.
Inside St Matthew's, Fr Alex, broke down and sobbed. "I'm sorry about getting upset. You carry people's burdens, you try to tell them it's alright. It's so upsetting."
Pastor Mick is proud that it is "the people of faith who are stepping in and making a massive difference".
But Fr Alex wants others to find a longer-term answer to the issues exposed by the coronavirus in places like Burnley.
The government says it is committed to reducing deprivation and has spent £100bn on welfare support this year.
This is the story of Pastor Mick's journey, helping just some of those struggling in Burnley. But the fear is the challenges now facing our poorest communities will remain, long after this pandemic is over.
Photographs: Phill Edwards
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In the light of Ed Balls's speech today, which claims that the Tories would cut public spending by a further £70bn if they were to win the general election, I need to slightly amend my judgement that next week's Budget is bound to be the dullest on record. | Robert PestonEconomics editor
Because Balls's analysis has nudged me to remember that there is one big policy judgement that George Osborne and David Cameron have to make between now and Budget day on March 18 - which is whether to stick to the plan outlined in December's autumn statement to generate an overall budget surplus of £23.1bn in 2019-20.
Colossal sum
This really matters, because it is the Tories' pledge that they will stick to the "fiscal aggregates" of that Autumn Statement, which include that £23.1bn surplus, which means that the cuts they would have to make are so much bigger than a Labour government would have to do.
The point is that Labour has promised only to balance the current budget - ignoring investment - by the end of the next parliament.
That would give Labour £50bn more to spend than the Tories every year from then on - which is a colossal sum, equivalent to half the annual budget of NHS England.
But here is the thing.
The Tories' more general fiscal policy is to generate a budget surplus in all normal years. So in theory they could revise their fiscal plans for the next parliament and simply go for a miniscule surplus by 2019-20.
One consequence would be they would have to find £23bn less in cuts.
'Rule'
Even so, there would be a sizeable difference between the cuts the Tories would have to find and those required by a Labour government.
As a minimum, Labour would have £27bn odd more to spend every year than the Tories - because of its "rule" allowing it to borrow to finance investment.
In practice, given the prime minister's desire for personal tax cuts, a Tory government would probably have to find around £40bn more cuts than Labour.
And although cuts on that magnitude would not be painless or easy, the Institute for Fiscal Studies calculates that the current government has already announced and legislated for tax increases and cuts to welfare spending that should deliver a third of these savings.
Wiggle room?
To be clear, finding a bit less than £30bn of additional spending cuts, as a Tory government would have to do, would be challenging - in that departments have endured years of squeeze already, and welfare savings are notoriously hard to deliver.
But Ed Balls's central argument today that it would be completely impossible for a Tory government to protect health spending is probably not quite as watertight as he implies.
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A man whose body was found in a building in the centre of Brighton has been named as 24-year-old Billy Henham. | Mr Henham, from Henfield in West Sussex, was found in a building in North Street at 16:30 GMT on Thursday.
Police say they particularly want to speak to anyone who saw him after about 18:00 on New Year's Eve.
An 18-year-old man from Greenwich, a 16-year-old boy of no fixed address, and a 26-year-old man from Hove have all been arrested, Sussex Police said.
Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].
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It could be a scene from a science fiction movie. | By Daniel ThomasBusiness reporter
Deep in the Nevada desert, thousands of mirrors arrayed in concentric circles face the sky, lit up by the sun.
All this reflected sunshine is directed to the top of a 640 ft (195m) tower standing in their midst.
It's an innovative power plant generating electricity, but not in a way you might expect. And it can carry on doing so even after the sun goes down.
How?
The concentrated light heats up liquid salt pumped to the top of the tower - the temperature reaches 566C (1,050F) - and this heat is then used to make steam to power an electricity generator in another part of the plant.
"The issue with solar traditionally is it is an intermittent power source - you can only produce electricity when the sun is shining," explains Kevin Smith, whose company Solar Reserve built the Crescent Dunes plant.
"But because we store the energy as heat, we can reliably produce electricity 24 hours a day, just like a conventional gas fired power station."
Growing market
The plant is one of a raft of sustainable energy storage solutions trying to address renewable energy's Achilles heel: its variability - ignoring tidal power's constancy.
If we could store the electricity that sun and wind produce, we could tap into those stores when production dips.
And this is the only way we're going to mount an effective challenge to the dominance of fossil fuels, experts say. Yes, tidal power is renewable and constant, but as yet, we haven't found commercially viable ways of tapping into it.
Storage methods currently being used around the world include batteries, flywheels, geothermal plants, compressed air and hydrogen - even ice. But the the most popular method is hydro power - water pumped to the top of a mountain and then released to power turbines at the bottom.
According to research company Navigant, global energy storage installations are going to rise from about 1,750 megawatts (MW) in 2016 to nearly 11,000 MW by 2020.
"We are moving away from very large conventional power stations that produce electricity which is sent through the grid to consumers, to a system where power is produced in a much more distributed way," says IHS's Sam Wilkinson.
"So storage is obviously a major focus, because it allows you to compensate for and correct for a lot of that fluctuating generation that comes from renewables."
Power to the people
Our homes are increasingly being used for energy storage as well.
Tesla's Powerwall, announced earlier this year, is just one of a crop of new storage batteries designed for domestic use.
The US electric car manufacturer points out that the average household uses more electricity in the morning and evening than during the day, when solar energy is plentiful. So its battery charges during the day from solar roof panels, then powers the home in the evening.
"Without a home battery, excess solar energy is often sold to the power company and purchased back in the evening [at a higher price]," Tesla argues.
"The mismatch adds demand on power plants and increases carbon emissions," it adds.
The same principle is being applied at a new housing development in Hoog Dalem, the Netherlands - part of the Universal Smart Energy Framework project being rolled out by a consortium of companies, including ABB, IBM and Stedin.
Solar-panelled homes are equipped with batteries to store the energy produced during the day for use when the sun goes down.
Used in conjunction with smart meters - which help businesses and domestic users manage electricity use more efficiently - home batteries could revolutionise the way we consume energy, proponents argue.
'Three tennis courts'
Larger battery plants such as Smarter Network Storage (SNS) in Leighton Buzzard, UK, are also likely to play a big role.
The plant comprises 50,000 lithium-ion battery cells, across a site the size of three tennis courts. It can store enough energy to power 1,100 typical UK homes for a day during times of average demand.
Nick Heyward, who manages the UK Power Networks project, explains that our electricity grids need to balance supply and demand at all times, but they are struggling to cope as more wind and solar power comes online.
"One solution could be to add capacity to the existing grid, but that could be very expensive and disruptive," he says. "And then you have the problem of energy curtailment - where wind and solar plants are switched off when there isn't much demand, which is a waste."
Storage systems like SNS offer the ability to export energy to the grid at times of high demand, and keep it in reserve when demand is low.
Mr Heyward believes that if such plants were replicated across the UK, it could unlock more than £600m ($895m) of benefits annually by 2040.
Green but unclean?
But environmentalists are concerned that many of the constituents in the conventional battery, such as cobalt and nickel, are pollutants. So the race is on to find cleaner alternatives.
Aquion's saltwater and manganese oxide battery is made from more sustainable materials than the typical lithium-ion battery, tolerates more charge and discharge cycles, costs less, and doesn't catch fire, the company maintains.
Ambri, meanwhile, has developed a liquid metal battery, which it says is low-cost and emissions free. It also says its liquid electrodes are stronger than the solid ones found in common batteries, and thus less susceptible to failure.
While such innovations may be welcome, the fact remains that the US still derives the vast majority of its electrical storage from pumped hydro - which is not one of the most efficient energy storage technologies.
The number of projects in the pipeline bodes well, says the Energy Storage Association, but we are still a long way from the storage levels we need.
One big impediment is regulation - or lack of it. Governments around the world are only now beginning to respond to this new energy landscape.
Follow Technology of Business editor @matthew_wall on Twitter
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The 1937-built white arrivals building at Jersey Airport has been awarded a Grade Two heritage listing. | But the listing is at odds with the airport authorities who have applied to demolish it.
They have cited a requirement to comply with current safety standards.
The Planning Minister Deputy Rob Duhamel will decide on the application to demolish the building at a meeting on 24 February.
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A coronavirus app that alerts people if they have recently been in contact with someone testing positive for the virus "could play a critical role" in limiting lockdowns, scientists advising the government have said. | By Leo KelionTechnology desk editor
The location-tracking tech would enable a week's worth of manual detective work to be done in an instant, they say.
But the academics say no-one should be forced to enrol - at least initially.
UK health chiefs have confirmed they are exploring the idea.
"NHSX is looking at whether app-based solutions might be helpful in tracking and managing coronavirus, and we have assembled expertise from inside and outside the organisation to do this as rapidly as possible," said the tech-focused division's chief Matthew Gould.
Instant alerts
The study by the team at the University of Oxford's Big Data Institute and Nuffield Department of Medicine was published in the journal Science.
It proposes that an app would record people's GPS location data as they move about their daily lives. This would be supplemented by users scanning QR (quick response) codes posted to public amenities in places where a GPS signal is inadequate, as well as Bluetooth signals.
If a person starts feeling ill, it is suggested they use the app to request a home test. And if it comes back positive for Covid-19, then an instant signal would be sent to everyone they had been in close contact with over recent days.
Those people would be advised to self-isolate for a fortnight, but would not be told who had triggered the warning.
In addition, the test subject's workplace and their transport providers could be told to carry out a decontamination clean-up.
"The constrictions that we're currently under place [many people] under severe strain," said the paper's co-lead Prof Christophe Fraser.
"Therefore if you have the ability with a bit more information and the use of an app to relax a lockdown, that could provide very substantial and direct benefits.
"Also I think a substantial number of lives can be saved."
To encourage take-up, it is suggested the app also acts as a hub for coronavirus-related health services and serves as a means to request food and medicine deliveries.
The academics note that similar smartphone software has already been deployed in China. It was also voluntary there, but users were allowed to go into public spaces or on public transport only if they had installed it.
One of the ethics specialists involved in the Oxford study said he did not think similar arrangements would be appropriate in the UK, but added that private enterprises might still impose restrictions.
"My favourite restaurant might ask me to show that I was low-risk before allowing me into a crowded place, and I think that would be a perfectly reasonable price to pay for this step towards returning to normal life," Prof Michael Parker told the BBC.
He added that employers might also be justified in requiring staff to use the app if they worked "in an old people's home, with vulnerable groups or [were based] in very crowded places".
And while he said that the general public should not be compelled to use the app to begin with, he did not rule this out if the majority failed to do so.
"The key question is - does it require everyone to do it for it to be effective?" Prof Parker explained.
"It's not essential that everyone does... but perhaps a high proportion of the population needs to.
"This is a really unusual situation where lives are at risk, so there is a case to be made to make at least some actions compulsory - but there would need to be a really clear case for that and careful oversight."
Extended range
The paper adds that the app could be updated to tackle the pandemic more aggressively if required.
For example, it says, the stay-at-home alerts could be expanded to second or even third-degree contacts.
And while the paper advocates the app being used in conjunction with home tests, Prof Fraser said his team was currently exploring whether it would still be effective if it relied on people using a questionnaire or 111 helpline advisers to diagnose the condition.
He acknowledged some people might be wary of using the service, but hoped they would do so to "save a lot of lives".
"We already have tracking apps on our phones for more trivial tasks - the reason we have live traffic information is because we allow the people that provide the mapping service to track us," he said.
"What we're suggesting here is essentially sharing anonymised information [to] put to good use."
We know that the UK is preparing to roll out its own contact-tracing app and this paper by scientists who are close to the government reinforces what a vital role it could play.
But it also shows why it may be a while before any app is rolled out. A key part of making the process by which people are informed that they have been in contact with someone infected with Covid-19 is the availability of testing. With only 11,000 tests a day available right now, most people who installed an app might find it of little use if they developed mild symptoms of the virus. Without a confirmed diagnosis, nothing would happen.
The other concern is privacy. With the government wary of being seen as Big Brother, the app would need to convince users it wouldn't allow them to be spied on for ever more.
Singapore's TraceTogether, which has been praised by privacy experts for collecting a bare minimum of data, could provide a template for the NHS app. Rather than constantly tracking people, it uses Bluetooth to record your proximity to other app users so that they can be alerted if you later test positive for the virus.
But while the government will almost certainly make use of the app optional, the concern is that it could become essential for anyone wanting to return to normal life. What, for instance, is to stop pubs and restaurants demanding to see evidence of your Covid status before allowing you in?
When the app does emerge, there will be a major marketing exercise behind it to convince as many people as possible to install it. It will only be effective if a good proportion of the population are persuaded that it will help the UK beat the virus - and let them leave home and get back to work.
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Another landmark today for what must be one of 2012's most successful new technology products, the Raspberry Pi. You've seen Apple's App Store, Google Play and Amazon and Windows online shops for apps? Well, now there is a Pi Store . | Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent@BBCRoryCJon Twitter
The people behind the ultra-cheap computer have decided to harness all that geek enthusiasm sparked since the Raspberry Pi's launch in February and create a one-stop shop where anyone can share games, applications and tools developed for the computer.
Eben Upton, the former Cambridge computing academic who came up with the idea for an affordable device that would encourage a new generation to get coding, has just blogged about the new store. He says he hopes it "will provide young people with a way to share their creations with a wider audience, and maybe to make a little pocket money along the way".
If that does happen, it will also provide useful evidence that the Raspberry Pi is reaching the audience at which it was originally targeted. Interest in the device has far exceeded expectations - the team thought originally that they might get 10,000 out this year, but I'm told more than 750,000 are now in the hands of users around the world. One user has compiled a map charting the Pi's global spread.
But my suspicion is that the main buyers so far have been 40-somethings who look back with nostalgia to their teenage years messing about with a BBC Micro or a ZX Spectrum. When I spoke to Mr Upton this morning, he confirmed that this was pretty accurate - "there's a strong bias towards adults who are computer literate" - but said that was changing a bit.
"Schools that are lucky enough to have an enthusiastic ICT teacher - or even a physics teacher - have been getting them."
But he accepts that the Raspberry Pi foundation, having successfully launched the hardware, now needs to focus on its original educational objective. The uncased device and the lack of much educational support is intimidating for teachers who are not particularly techie.
There are big plans to change that in 2013. "The intent is to have something that can go into a generic classroom environment," he said.
By the time Raspberry Pi celebrates its first anniversary at the end of February, more than a million will have been sold - an amazing achievement for what has been a shoestring operation dependent on voluntary efforts and the enthusiasm of the community. The next step is to build a more professional organisation which can fulfil the original vision - to transform the way children use and understand computers.
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An unprecedented operation by the Italian Navy is under way off the coast of Libya to recover the wreck of a migrant boat that sank in April last year - leading to the deaths of up to 700 migrants, the largest single loss of life in the Mediterranean in decades. | By Julian MiglieriniBBC News, Catania
Only 28 people survived the sinking on the night of 18 April - among them, a 27 year old Tunisian man who is currently facing trial in the Sicilian port town of Catania, accused by prosecutors of being the skipper of the migrant boat and part of a network of Libyan smugglers.
Mohammed Ali Malek faces charges of multiple manslaughter, human trafficking and irresponsible sailing of the boat. Prosecutors have asked for an 18-year jail sentence.
In an exchange of letters with BBC News from his jail in Catania, Mohammed Ali Malek claims that he is innocent, not the captain but just another migrant who paid 2,250 Libyan dinars ($1,600) to get on the boat that would take him to Italy, where he had lived in the past.
But court documents show that all the other survivors - including a Syrian man also under arrest and accused of being second-in-command - told officials that not only was Mohammed Ali Malek captain of the boat, but that his lack of sailing skills had caused the tragic collision with a Portuguese ship that had come to its rescue.
Few concrete details are known about the exact dynamics of the accident - so what do we know now about how this overcrowded migrant boat ended up in the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea?
The boat's journey started, like so many others, on the beaches near Garabulli, in Libya.
The migrants, most of them sub-Saharan Africans fleeing from poverty and conflict in their home countries and further violence in Libya, were being held at an illegal centre near the coast.
From there they were taken in small groups by dinghy to a wooden fishing boat anchored off the coast, where they amassed on the deck and inside the hull.
The 27m-long (90ft) boat is thought to have been carrying more than 800 migrants.
Mohammed Ali Malek was one of those operating the dinghies, survivors told Italian prosecutors. As soon as the fishing boat was packed with migrants, he took the helm and brandished a wooden stick to coerce migrants to follow his orders, they said.
Distress call
The boat set off at the crack of dawn on 18 April.
According to the survivors, it quickly became evident that he had little experience commanding a boat. They claim he did not know how to read a compass and that he asked for help from the migrants huddled on the deck.
Hasan Ksan, a Bangladeshi survivor, said that the captain had used a satellite phone several times to communicate with his colleagues back onshore in Libya - and that he was armed with a gun.
The boat continued its journey for several hours - and by mid-afternoon, the captain of the boat followed what by now is the regular procedure for migrant boats making the long crossing.
Once in international waters, he placed a distress call with the Italian coast guard in Rome and asked for rescue.
Abdullah Ambrousi was the commander of the King Jacob, an enormous Portuguese container ship that was sailing nearby.
He received a call from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Rome, asking him to change course and attend to the fishing boat in distress.
He did, and after around two hours, the radar on his ship detected the presence of a vessel in its vicinity. But it was so small, and it was so dark, that it was impossible to see anything with the naked eye.
The King Jacob started heading towards the signal and Capt Ambrousi ordered his crew to switch on one of boat's headlights.
Now he could see it - a wooden, rickety and extremely overcrowded fishing boat.
Inside the hull of the boat was Ousmane Gano, a 31-year old migrant from Senegal.
The migrants on the upper deck of the vessel told those amassed inside that they could see "a big ship" that had come to their rescue, he explained.
"They asked us not to move to keep the boat stable."
Sank within minutes
Capt Ambrousi told Italian investigators that he steered the King Jacob to avoid collision, but that whoever was sailing the migrant boat continued to do so erratically, as if trying to "follow" the King Jacob's sudden change of route.
He then insists that he ordered his crew to switch off the King Jacob's engines to avoid a collision.
But from the bridge, he saw tragedy unfolding before his eyes.
The fishing boat started to sail at slow speed towards the King Jacob - but then, Capt Ambrousi said, it suddenly increased its pace.
The small vessel's bow rammed the King Jacob's port side, and then its starboard side scratched against the huge merchant ship.
The fishing boat manoeuvred as if sailing backwards - but started to lose balance possibly because of the agitation among the panicked migrants who could see what was happening.
It started to capsize, and in less than five minutes, Capt Ambrousi told investigators, the fishing vessel had sunk.
Mohammed Ali Malek's timeline of the events that night is not entirely different from what other survivors narrate - but in his account, the "role" of captain is played by "an African man" he cannot identify because "he maybe died in the sinking".
He admits in his letters that the two vessels crashed into each other, although in his account it was the King Jacob that hit the small boat.
And he alleges that the migrant boat lost balance because "the big blades of the propeller [of the King Jacob] created big waves that capsized our ship and we all fell into the sea".
Mohammed Ali Malek sent BBC News a drawing showing his version of how events unfolded - but prosecutors in Catania have no doubt that he is to blame for the crash.
His "naive, careless and negligent" sailing of the migrant boat caused the collision, reads his formal accusation, which highlights that the accounts of the crew of the King Jacob and the survivors match almost completely, and that the marks left on the King Jacob's port side also confirm this account.
Mr Malek and his lawyer, Massimo Ferrante, made a formal request to include the recordings of the King Jacob's black box as evidence in the trial - the tribunal refused their request, mainly because the recording had been erased with time.
Survivors, including Mr Malek, describe the complete chaos that followed the capsizing of the ship.
In his letter, he told BBC News how he climbed on to fishing nets and described the scene.
"From there I could see many people at sea, shouting for Allah, who sadly then died", he wrote.
One of Mr Malek's letters to the BBC
"I'm neither a criminal nor a murderer. I thank God that I'm alive after saving myself from death which many people on the boat faced and started reciting the Koran as they were drowning"
Letter from Catania prison, May 2016
Interviewed by UK-based research group Forensic Oceanography, a Sierra Leonean survivor told how, once he was safe on the deck of the King Jacob, he could see his friends swimming for their lives, trying to hold on to ropes that had been thrown to save them.
An Italian Coast Guard vessel and several other commercial ships rerouted to the scene joined the recovery effort - but only 28 people were saved.
The number of dead is still uncertain - so far, 171 bodies have been recovered.
Italian authorities fear that, once the wreck of the boat has been examined at port, the total death toll from the event could reach up to 700.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Ali Malek awaits the next hearing of his trial in Catania.
"To the relatives of the victims I would say that all the accusations against me are influenced by the statements from the other survivors," he wrote in one of his letters.
He insisted that he had been accused because he was the only Tunisian on board, and that his alleged deputy Mahmud Bikhit, who is also on trial, was unfairly accusing him of being the captain.
"I'm neither a criminal nor a murderer," wrote Mohammed Ali Malek. "I thank God that I'm alive after saving myself from death which many people on the boat faced and started reciting the Quran as they were drowning."
Many believe that the criminal charges against him are only a part of the picture when trying to understand how such a massive loss of life could happen in the Mediterranean.
In their report Death by Rescue, researchers Charles Heller and Lorenzo Pezzani claim that the lack of a proper search and rescue operation off the coast of Libya put lives an peril - and was a crucial factor in determining the fate of the migrant boat.
A few months before the accident, Italy had suspended Mare Nostrum, its wide-ranging operation in the stretch of sea between Sicily and North Africa. Operation Triton, managed by the EU's border agency Frontex, replaced it.
Triton's area of coverage was much more limited in scope, which meant that commercial ships travelling in the area - like the King Jacob - were called upon more often to assist migrant boats in trouble.
These merchant ships, the researchers write, were "unfit to carry out the large-scale and particularly dangerous rescue operations involving migrants", and that the burden on them was "excessive".
Migrant shipwrecks Jan 2014 - April 2016
The April 2015 sinking, together with another one a few days earlier which left a smaller number of victims, marked a turning point in the EU's management of the migrant crisis.
The reach of search and rescue operations was extended, while a separate mission was launched to fight smugglers at sea, with mixed results.
Meanwhile, relatives of the hundreds who died that April night will find consolation in the fact that they finally may be able to bury their loved ones, thanks to Italian efforts to identify all bodies.
When announcing the plan last year, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said that these people were pursuing "freedom", and giving them a proper burial was a gesture of "humanity".
Web production by Christine Jeavans
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In the summer of 1968, a group of friends adapted a double-decker bus and took it on a journey to Eastern Europe. Sponsored by two Scotch whisky-makers, they encountered Soviet tanks, a Romanian beer shortage and a perilous Yugoslavian mountain pass. | By Francesca WilliamsBBC News
The bus was an old Reading Transport Corporation AEC Regent MkII - a model that now has its own Wikipedia page and a loyal following. Long past its corporate usefulness, the bus was lined up with an assortment of discarded relics outside a garage in Spittalfield, a small town north of Perth in Scotland.
Ian Jack and his friend Dave Stickland had vague plans for some sort of summer road trip. Driving past the garage one May day in 1968 the students spotted the buses and, on a whim, stopped to price up a single-decker. Single-deckers turned out to be an impossibly expensive £400. But, just as they were leaving, the garage foreman called them back and offered them a less in-demand double-decker for half that.
Buying such a large vehicle was "a ridiculous idea", so they declined and left, Ian says. "But then we got back to the university and the word got around and all of a sudden people wanted to give me some money to buy it."
The trip was on. The Southall-built gem of British engineering was about to meet continental Europe.
Seats were taken out to make way for mattresses donated by their university, St Andrews. Pieces of carpet were procured, and Wendy Scott, one of a dozen or so travelling companions, made curtains for the upper deck - both for the windows and to string across the sleeping quarters, to give the five female students on board some privacy. Sleeping arrangements were something the local press was particularly interested in.
They installed a little cooker and rigged up a makeshift shower using water heated by the engine's cooling system piped along a sunken walkway to the back of the bus.
There was no loo, just a stockpile of toilet roll and an acceptance that any call of nature would have to be answered al fresco.
"We tried to make it comfortable," says Wendy, who now lives in Newcastle. "We tried to make it liveable in, because we knew we were going to have to sleep in it. You know, no hotels or anything. We were going to have to sleep in this bus for 10 weeks."
Sometimes they'd sleep outside if the weather allowed. "You'd wake up in the morning at the top of the pass, climb up, and you'd look down and there would be Ian, playing the pipes - the bagpipes," says Wendy.
"Absolutely wonderful. What else do you want in this life?"
It isn't easy to pin down exactly how many of them there were to start with. Enough for an eightsome reel folk dance on the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk, at least. Wendy remembers 13, Ian thinks about 15.
But it hardly matters since they had a habit of picking people up along the way, so their numbers constantly fluctuated.
An American GI, on holiday in Munich, was so distracted by the bus he cycled into it - and stayed. A couple of Austrians joined them in Vienna and didn't leave for a month. One - Klem - turned out to be a chef and skilful in the "kitchen" at the back of the bus, with its tiny gas cooker.
"We had mussels and we had chickens and we had - oh - we had wonderful meals," says Wendy, looking wistful. They picked the mussels straight from the sea. The chickens, bought live from a market, ran wild on the bus.
They told Klem he couldn't keep live chickens. "Well, they won't be live for long," he'd replied.
Two days before they reached Rome, Klem bought some snails as a present for his mother and housed them in a big bucket. The next morning they were everywhere.
In Cluj, in northern Romania, they were flagged down by a British commercial traveller who turned out to be good at sourcing beer during what was then a national shortage.
When the same problem presented itself further down the country, in Bucharest, they were wise to it. "By that time we knew that the only way to buy beer here was to wait at the gates of the brewery until a truck came out, then follow it to its destination and produce a little hard currency," says Ian.
The group had persuaded the Scotch whisky company Teachers to part with £79 - about £1,400 in today's money - in return for an advert on the side of the bus and a promise to hand out promotional leaflets written in English, French and German. The now defunct whisky-maker Ainslie's also gave them £10.
"I remember going down the autobahn, when we were stuck on the autobahn, handing out leaflets," Wendy says.
"People thought we were nuts."
Some of the traffic hold-ups were self inflicted, however.
In Split they took out a low-hanging overhead power cable, shorting the local transport system. "There was a bright flash and a bang and I noticed that the trolley-buses which had been climbing up the road to the left had ground to a halt," says Ian. "It seemed best not to stop just then."
Driving in Istanbul was also a "nightmare" of narrow streets clustered with people, wheelbarrows, donkey carts and overhanging balconies. One street got narrower and narrower until they could go no further.
"The balconies were right up against the upper deck of the bus," Ian remembers. "We had to back out - uphill - causing huge traffic perturbations."
By this time the bus was already quite battered, having lost a war of attrition against the low-hanging branches and tunnels of a Europe not yet accustomed to vehicles the height of a double-decker.
The bus had stuck fast under a bridge on the road to Nuremberg, having cleared it in the opposite direction by little more than a centimetre. They'd deflated the tyres, backed out and tried again in the middle of the road, with someone walking in front, as "the bus eased its way through", says Ian. He now drives a more manoeuvrable Peugeot saloon around his home city of Cambridge.
Then, one August day half way through their trip, Ian and the bus came very close to falling off the side of a mountain.
The road was far too narrow. Rock protruding from one side forced him so far out the bus wheels skimmed the cliff edge.
"Locals stood in front of the bus trying to persuade us not to proceed," remembers Ian's friend Margaret Hills, another member of this band of St Andrews University students. "The track was unmade, rubble limestone, narrow, with overhangs on one side and a precipitous drop on the other."
But Ian remembers something a little less urgent and clearly it had seemed safe to proceed. Yes, there was some arm-waving, he says. "But this wasn't unusual so we thought nothing of it."
Wendy got off and watched as Ian inched forwards.
"It was so scary," she says. She pauses and says it again, because once clearly doesn't do it justice.
"It was SO scary. We were frightened it would go over the side."
Anyone familiar with the Cakor Pass, a perilous mountain road through Kosovo - then part of Yugoslavia - would be wary of trying to take a bus anywhere near it. Ian, though, did not have the necessary local knowledge. Lulled into a false sense of security by the road's name, E27, which sounded like a major road, he drove on.
The road soon deteriorated into a gravel track with hairpin bends around a steep gorge.
"Some prayers were said even by the atheistic members of the company," Ian says. "If I had known any of this beforehand, there is no way I would have dared to attempt E27."
Survival achieved and driving done for the day, they would park up anywhere and everywhere: beaches, lay-bys and, on one occasion, a forest outside Munich that turned out to be an army rifle range. A bridge near the Danube in Vienna seemed nice until the local drug addicts started to congregate.
They visited so many places that Wendy - now a seasoned traveller - can't remember them all. Pondering clear evidence they went to a concert in Vienna's famous St Stephen's Cathedral, she says she has "no recollection of it at all". Her diary says they went, "so I've definitely been there", she says, not sounding particularly convinced.
Ian - the journey's mastermind - had ridden some of the route the previous year on a motorbike and sidecar with Dave.
He knew all the best places to go, says Margaret, who now lives in Sandhurst in Berkshire. "We would be roasting to death in our metal box when we pulled up at a pier on the most beautiful lake where we could jump in and cool off," she says.
"I remember being driven through a city in similar stifling heat and being dropped off at a swimming pool which was the coldest I had ever experienced. How on earth did he know that was there? No wi-fi or Google then."
Ian will accept no praise, admitting only to having had "some reasonable maps".
They had to be careful with their hard currency, though. In the late 60s, controls aimed at keeping the economy stable meant the maximum sum of money British travellers could take out of the country was £50.
Western jeans and biros turned out to be a good alternative to cash and the friends discovered a hospital in Kavala in Greece which paid for blood donations. At £5 and 10 shillings for half a pint - about a tenth of their allowance - it seemed "an awful lot of money", says Wendy.
Also keen not to spend more than they had to, they came up with a plan to avoid a tax on passengers travelling into Yugoslavia. After the Greek border post, they would get off the bus and walk, pretending to be hitchhikers, only getting back on once past the Yugoslav control point.
"What we did not realise was that there were several kilometres between the two posts, so the hitchhikers got a very rough deal and arrived back at the bus sweaty and in an understandably very bad mood," Ian says.
The border crossings were not always easy.
The group was usually questioned and often searched. In Bulgaria, officials suspected they were transporting contraband. "I was made to drive over an inspection pit which gave me a useful - and the only - opportunity to check out the underside of the bus while the border guards looked for drugs or whatever," Ian remembers.
Crossing the Iron Curtain into Hungary was difficult and slow, but for different reasons that only became apparent later, he says. Seeing large numbers of Russian tank transporters they were "very aware" something was brewing, Wendy says. But they didn't know what and they didn't stay long.
A few weeks later, on the night of 20-21 August, Hungary joined four other Warsaw Pact countries - Poland, Bulgaria, East Germany and the Soviet Union - in invading Czechoslovakia.
The friends had just avoided Operation Danube, a Soviet military clampdown on the Prague Spring - a four-month attempt by Czechs to take back some control of their country from Moscow.
By the time the tanks were preparing to cross the border Ian and the gang were on their way home, crossing the Channel on the Dunkirk-to-Dover ferry.
Wendy was soon back in Dundee with sixpence in her pocket and the first 7,500 miles of what was to become a lifetime of travelling.
Ian's relationship with the bus lasted a little longer. In early September 1968 he drove it one last time, back over to Aalst in Belgium to a man who'd wanted to buy it when they'd first passed through the city two months previously. It ended up as the winning float in the following year's Aalst Carnival.
And, if Cliff Richard fans find this whole story reminiscent of his 1963 film Summer Holiday - with the bus, the group of friends, the singing, the dancing and the occasional perilous Yugoslavian mountain track - Ian doesn't.
The film entirely passed him by and he still hasn't seen it.
7421Miles travelled
40mphBus top speed
£185Cost of buying the bus
£50Currency limit per person
£35Expenditure per person
65Number of days away
Some of Ian Jack's recollections have been taken from a talk given by him in 2017.
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Chris Sims has been reappointed as Chief Constable of West Midlands Police for a further three years. | His re-appointment means that he will the force's top job until the end of May 2017.
The decision was announced by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones.
Mr Sims took up the post in 2009. In 2010 he received the Queen's Policing Medal for distinguished service in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
The 54-year-old, who began his policing career in 1980, said he was "delighted at this great honour".
The force currently has a workforce of around 13,500 staff.
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Islanders have paid tribute to three Jewish women who died at Auschwitz after being deported from Guernsey during World War II. | The Holocaust Memorial Day service at midday marked 66 years since the camp in Poland was liberated.
Held at the holocaust memorial the service remembered Marianne Grunfeld, Theresa Steiner and Auguste Spitz.
Reverend Andrew Sharp, who led the service, said: "It was a sorrowful occasion in Guernsey's history."
All three women were deported to France on 21 April 1942, nearly two years after Guernsey had been occupied by the German military forces.
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