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Chiribiquete National Park currently covers an area of 2.8 million hectares in the Amazon region. The lowlands of Chiribiquete have one of the highest rates of plant diversity in the northern Amazon. The park is also famous for its table-top rock formations known as tepuis, which rise out of the forest. Chiribiquete was first declared a national park in 1989. It is located on one of the world's oldest rock formations, the Guiana Shield. Because it is extremely hard to access, only a small part of the park has been surveyed. Not only is it rich in wildlife, some of which is unique to the area, but it also bears traces of ancient human life. In 2014, photographer Francisco Forero Bonell documented ancient paintings on the sheer rock faces depicting animals and humans which are thought to have been made by one of the indigenous groups which inhabited the area long before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors. The Colombian government hopes that Chiribiquete will be added to Unesco's list of World Heritage sites this year. The park is currently on Unesco's tentative list after Colombian Foreign Minister María Ángela Holguín put it forward for inclusion last year. The World Heritage Committee is due to study the application in June.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has announced plans to extend the country's largest national park by 1.5 million hectares.

By Michael Sheils McNameeBBC News NI The money is part of a £15.5m package given to the sector by the Department for Communities, coming from funds allocated by the Treasury. It was left over after £8.8m was allocated in the funding's first round. It is understood the next round could be made available for applications before Christmas. Since the start of the pandemic, many charities have faced financial difficulties due to not being able to fundraise. This week, Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín met representatives in the sector. Seamus McAleavey, chief executive of charities representative body Nicva, said the minister had been "very keen to provide more financial support". "It is going to be very important - fundraising and loss of income is still going to be a big problem for the rest of this financial year, right into the spring of 2021," he said. "Even then a lot of organisations are worrying that things might not pick up quickly in the new financial year so there are still a lot of concerns about funding." 'Urgently reopen' Ulster Unionist MLA Andy Allen had called for the minister to "urgently reopen the charities fund". Mr Allen said the minister and department should offer "a support package that is very much needed by many organisations throughout Northern Ireland". As part of the first round of the Covid-19 Charities Fund, money was given to 500 charities, in amounts of up to £75,000. The department has not yet confirmed when or how the additional funding will be made available. "The minister has asked officials to identify ongoing financial challenges within the sector and bring forward options so that she can consider how to best address these," it said. "The minister and officials have been engaging with sectoral representatives to discuss how best to continue to support charities."

An additional £6.2m in funding for Northern Ireland charities will be made available before the end of the year, BBC News NI understands.

Martin Haigh was teaching at Ashdown House School, in East Sussex, in the 1970s, when he committed the crimes. The 67-year-old, of Lavender Street, Brighton, was convicted of four offences against two boys, following a trial at Lewes Crown Court. At a previous hearing he admitted seven other offences against two other boys. Haigh was sentenced to a total of 11 years for the sexual offences and an additional one year for the possession of indecent images, which he also admitted. Live: more news from Sussex The pupils were aged between seven and 12 when the offences were committed between 1973 and 1975 at the school, near Forest Row. Haigh was convicted of one charge of indecent assault and three of gross indecency, and admitted three charges of gross indecency and four of indecent assault. Sussex Police said the indecent images were taken from the internet and there was no evidence they were of children known to him. Haigh will be a registered sex offender for life and was served with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), severely restricting his access to children and computers.

A former teacher has been jailed for 12 years for 11 sex offences against boys at a boarding school and possession of indecent images of children.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva on Sunday accused both Sri Lankan and Indian governments of exploiting the island's national question for their own benefit. Addressing journalists in Colombo, he said Sri Lanka has undermined the country's sovereignty by inviting the Indian foreign minister for a fact finding mission in Sri Lanka. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has on Saturday telephoned Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh as protests increased in Tamil Nadu against the military offensives in the north. Telephone conversation Mr. Rajapaksa has informed Dr. Singh that Sri Lanka "is mindful and appreciative of the concerns of India regarding the situation in the North, and aware of the context in which these matters have been raised". "Consequent to this discussion, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has invited the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Pranab Mukherjee to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka at an early date," a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Saturday said. The JVP accuses India of trying to "gain political or economic advantage", by raising concern over Sri Lanka's internal affairs. When questioned as to why the JVP requested Indian help during the Norwegian brokered peace process, Tilvin Silva said the party was requesting the help of the region, not only from India. "And Mr. Narayanan has admitted that the cease fire agreement was written in India," he added. The JVP pledged that it will "keep protesting against India's role through democratic means". JVP parliamentary group leader, Anura Kumara Dissananyake, MP, and propaganda secretary, Vijitha Herath, MP, also attended the press briefing.

Indian authorities are trying to take ransom from Sri Lanka alleging human rights violations in the north, says Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

For three days over Easter, 3-5 April, there will be a total shutdown. Italy, which one year ago imposed one of the first national lockdowns, is once again struggling to contain the rapid spread of infections. The country has reported more than 100,000 Covid-related deaths, Europe's second-highest tally after the UK. Italy's vaccination campaign has been hit by delays, as has been seen elsewhere in the European Union. Anglo-Swedish drug company AstraZeneca has announced a further shortfall in the amount of its vaccine it can supply to the European Union, blaming export restrictions imposed by some countries. It did not elaborate. In January, it announced a large cut in the 100m doses it had originally expected to deliver to the EU by March, sparking a public spat with European Commission. Last week the government in Rome blocked the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia to address shortfalls of vaccines. Elsewhere, Bulgaria, Denmark and Norway have all paused the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine over fears it causes blood clots. The World Health Organization said on Friday there was no indication this was true, stressing that countries should not stop using the vaccine. What are the new rules in Italy? From Monday, schools, shops and restaurants will shut in more than half of Italy, including the two most populous regions containing Rome and Milan. Residents will be required to stay at home except for work, health or other essential reasons. The extra restrictions would last until Easter, Mr Draghi's office said, and over the Easter weekend the whole country would be turned into the high-risk "red zone". "I'm aware that today's restrictions will have consequences on the education of your children, on the economy and on everyone's mental health," Mr Draghi said. "But they're necessary to avoid a worsening of the situation that would require even stricter measures." Cases have been rising across Italy for the past six weeks, exceeding 25,000 a day. In a majority of the country's regions "hospitals and above all intensive care units are already overloaded", the GIMBE health think-tank warned this week, the AFP news agency reported. The island of Sardinia is the only region where infection rates are low. Italy has had nearly 3.2 million confirmed infections since the outbreak began last year. How are other European countries faring?

Shops, restaurants and schools will be closed across most of Italy on Monday, with PM Mario Draghi warning of a "new wave" of the coronavirus outbreak.

The victim was walking her dog in a wooded walkway dividing Henge Way and Spinney Road in Luton when she was attacked. A man approached her on a bike, punched her and pushed her to the ground, before stealing her handbag. Bedfordshire Police called the incident "terrifying". The incident took place on Wednesday 1 July at about 19:50 BST. The man is described as black, of medium build and about 5ft 6ins tall. He was wearing a navy blue hoodie with the hood up and tied around his face.

A woman in her 70s was robbed while out walking for the first time in three months after spending time shielding herself from the coronavirus.

Families and friends of the victims were among those who gathered on Shoreham Toll Bridge at 13:22 BST. It marked the moment the Hawker Hunter jet crashed nearby, on the A27 in West Sussex. Sussex Chief Constable Giles York joined the families on the bridge. Live updates on Shoreham air disaster anniversary Mr York said police remained committed to "finding answers as to how and why this dreadful thing happened". Balloons and doves "The tragedy of the Shoreham air crash still has significant impact for the families who lost loved ones, as well as their friends and across many communities in Sussex," he said. The Rev Canon Ann Waizeneker read out the names of those who died ahead of the silence. Civic leaders and members of the emergency services then laid flowers on the bridge, which became the focus of the community's grief in the weeks following the disaster. Balloons and 11 white doves were also released in memory of the victims. The father of Jacob Schilt, who died with his friend Matt Grimstone as they were on their way to play in a Worthing United football game, said the anniversary was difficult, but in a good way. "It is very important to mark this occasion for our family and friends and Jacob's friends," Bob Schilt said. "The community have given so much to us and to the other families and it is very important that we are able to mark the occasion with them as a sort of token of thanks." The skies above Shoreham's Brighton City Airport, which staged the air show, also fell silent for one hour as a mark of respect. The aerodrome was closed for all aviation activities between 13:00 BST and 14:00. Flags are also being flown at half-mast at civic buildings in West Sussex to mark the anniversary. It follows a service of remembrance on Saturday at St Mary de Haura church. Pilot of the Hawker Hunter Andy Hill, 52, is at the centre of a manslaughter investigation. He has been questioned under caution but not arrested. Sussex Police is awaiting a ruling from the High Court over whether it can have access to Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) material relating to the crash as part of their inquiries. The final AAIB report is not expected to be published before the autumn. West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield said a full inquest into the deaths, due to take place in March 2017, is likely to be delayed by the High Court action. "Everything depends on the High Court hearing due in October - that has to come first," she said. "Sussex Police then need their experts to look at any evidence that emerges and the CPS need to make a decision on whether any prosecution is appropriate." The owners of the Hawker Hunter, Canfield Hunter Ltd, have admitted responsibility for the crash and settled two compensation claims from victims' families. The victims

Hundreds of people have joined in a minute's silence one year after a vintage jet crashed at Shoreham air show, killing 11 men.

By Steve HoldenNewsbeat reporter in Southampton Sales fell 25% from 20.5 million in the first three months of 2011, to 15.3 million this year. Digital sales continue to rise with almost a third of all albums now being bought digitally. The Entertainment Retailers Association says more needs to be done to make the CD more appealing. Outdated? "It's a worry the products we're selling are perceived as possibly outdated," said Director General Kim Bayley. "So we do need to update the product." The organisation represents stores like HMV and online sites such as Amazon. She denies the CD is dying out and points out that they're still the market leader in terms of album sales. "We're quite happy for people to buy digital but the vast majority of consumers want to do a bit of both," said Kim. "We'd like to possibly merge the two so when people buy CD formats they're also being delivered the digital functionality they're craving." One idea being suggested is a system whereby the music transfers automatically to your MP3 player, tablet or computer as soon as the CD is scanned at the till. CD interest? Kezia Buckham, a student in Southampton, says she hasn't bought a CD "for a long time". "I play everything on my computer so I don't really need CDs," the 22-year-old says. "If I want to listen to something in my car then I download it and put it on my own CD." She says the idea of updating the CD sounds "more appealing" but jokingly admits it would still mean "having to leave the house to get to it (the CD)". Adele dominates The latest figures come from the BPI, which represents the music industry, and the Official Charts Company. They show that digital now accounts for 33.1% of all UK albums sales, up from 23.6% in the first three months of 2011. Singles are doing well too with 46.7 million being sold this year so far, an increase of 4.4% on last year. Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye featuring Kimbra is the biggest selling single of the year so far. The last CD bought by Southampton twins Conor and Rhys Reid was Adele's 21, which they got for their mum for her birthday. Aside from that they no longer buy CDs. Adele's album remains the year's best selling album this year with sales of 21 now exceeding four million in the UK.

CD sales have seen a significant year-on-year drop in the first three months of 2012, according to figures from the BPI and the Official Charts Company.

She told the party's Glasgow conference that an Independence Referendum Bill would be published next week. It marks the first step to holding a second vote. Ms Sturgeon said Scotland had the right to choose a different path if it was not allowed to protect its interests "within the UK". The first Scottish independence referendum, which took place on 18 September, 2014, resulted in 55% of voters saying "no". Ms Sturgeon told delegates that Scotland had the right to seek something better if there were prospects of an unstable future as part of the UK. She said: "I am determined that Scotland will have the ability to reconsider the question of independence and to do so before the UK leaves the EU - if that is necessary to protect our country's interests. "So, I can confirm today that the Independence Referendum Bill will be published for consultation next week." On 24 June, the day after the UK voted to leave the EU, Ms Sturgeon said a second independence referendum was "highly likely". Those who voted in Scotland backed remaining in Europe by 62% to 38% while the UK as a whole backed leave, by a margin of 52% to 48%. However, Scottish Secretary David Mundell called on Ms Sturgeon to "commit her government to working constructively with the UK government to seize the opportunities that will bring, not taking Scotland back to the divisive constitutional debates of the past". He said: "Constant talk of another independence referendum is creating uncertainty and damaging the Scottish economy at a time when our growth is lagging behind the UK as a whole." Will a second independence referendum happen? By BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor Consultation does not mean decision. It does not mean a date for the ballot. It does not mean action. It does not mean a referendum will definitely happen. It means next to nothing. However, there was in the speech a far more significant announcement which, shorn of rhetoric, drew relatively little applause. That was when the FM said her government would put forward proposals - which they are already crafting - to maintain as much of Scotland's links with the EU as may be thought feasible, post Brexit. Crucially, this would be within the UK. It would not require indyref2. It would not require independence. It would, however, require new powers for the Scottish Parliament - including the power to reach transnational agreements. It would require, therefore, a flexible UK: perhaps on the lines of the relationship between Flanders and Belgium as a whole. Perhaps maintaining connections to the single market, Norway style. Perhaps also driven by the need to accord special status to Northern Ireland. In essence, Ms Sturgeon is making that the core of her pitch. She is challenging Theresa May to smile upon this prospect, to take it seriously and, ultimately, to advance it as part of the UK Brexit pitch if it is judged worthwhile. Read more from Brian Ms Sturgeon's opening address also saw her issue a warning that the right wing of the Tory party was seeking to "hijack" the EU referendum result. She told the 3,000 delegates gathered that the Tories were using the result as a "licence for xenophobia". Ms Sturgeon insisted that the Prime Minister Theresa May needed to respect the 62% who voted to remain in the EU. She also confirmed that SNP MPs would oppose Brexit legislation when it comes before the House of Commons in 2017. The MSP said: "I can confirm today that SNP MPs will vote against the Brexit Bill when it comes before the House of Commons next year. "That bill will repeal the legislation that enacted our EU membership. Scotland didn't vote for that and so neither will our MPs. "But we will also work to persuade others - Labour, Liberals and moderate Tories - to join us in a coalition against a hard Brexit: not just for Scotland, but for the whole UK. "The Conservative Party manifesto, on which Theresa May and all other Tory MPs were elected said this: 'We are clear about what we want from Europe. We say: yes to the Single Market'. "The prime minister may have a mandate to take England and Wales out of the EU but she has no mandate whatsoever to remove any part of the UK from the single market." Responding to Ms Sturgeon's address, the prime minister's spokeswoman said she was "absolutely committed to engaging with the people of Scotland, with understanding their interests and making sure that as we go through the process of negotiating the UK's exit, we do what's in the interest of the UK". What message is Nicola Sturgeon sending to Theresa May? By BBC Scotland editor Sarah Smith Nicola Sturgeon told the SNP conference that not a day passes without someone telling her to "hurry up" with a second referendum on Scottish independence. And every day someone tells her to "slow down". It is certainly true that every day since the EU referendum the question is asked when, or if, the SNP's call for Indyref2 - as it's known - might happen. With many commentators (myself included) concluding that the cautious, canny Sturgeon will not rush into a vote she knows she might lose. Today Ms Sturgeon made very clear that she is prepared to trigger a second referendum if she feels that is the only way to protect Scotland from what she calls a "hard Brexit imposed by the hard right of the Tory party". She was angered by what she heard from the prime minister at the Tory conference last week. Read more from Sarah At the beginning of the three-day conference, if was announced that SNP MP Angus Robertson had been voted the new deputy of the party. Mr Robertson defeated Edinburgh East MP Tommy Sheppard, Alyn Smith MEP and Inverclyde councillor Chris McEleny to take 52.5% of the votes cast. About 120,000 SNP members were entitled to vote in the contest.

A consultation gets under way next week on plans for a second Scottish independence referendum, the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

Cyrenians Cymru says abandoned horses and heroin addict numbers have risen dramatically over the last three years. The Community Horse and Pony Scheme (Chaps) hopes drug addicts will engage with animals to aid their recovery. It is said to be the first in Wales but will be modelled on similar projects in Ireland and Sweden, the charity says. Cyrenians Cymru has been involved in social projects for 40 years but the equine centre is a new development, says Polly Stone, the charity's marketing and partnerships co-ordinator. Firstly, she said it is a response to the number of abandoned horses in Swansea, which has almost trebled from 58 taken into pounds in 2010, to 150 in 2012. "The animals can be brought so cheaply now - a horse can fetch under £5 as people exchange them for drug money," she said. "We want to change people's ideas about horse ownership and this will be an innovative way of educating and engaging people." It is also seen as a way of using the animals to help drug abusers engage with them and address some of their emotional problems. The charity claims studies suggest being around horses changes behaviour patterns and addicts become more focussed and less likely to drop out of rehabilitation programmes. The equine centre will particularly help heroin addicts, whose numbers Ms Stone said had increased about 180% in Swansea in the last three years - to around 6,000. "Chaps is an innovative way of engaging with people who may not currently access vital services," Ms Stone explained. She said long-term goals included setting up a community-led stables and riding centre, on a site still to be decided in Swansea, which would also provide training and other activities. People on rehabilitation programmes will help at the stables as part of their recovery process. The first stage of Chaps will open within a year.

A charity plans to use a lottery grant of nearly £795,000 for a centre to tackle the dual problems of horse abandonment and drug abuse in Swansea.

The haul at Nairobi's international airport is believed to be the biggest of its kind in Kenya for several years. Two suspects have been arrested over the seizure of the ivory, which was in 317 separate pieces. The Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) says the ivory appears to be from elephants which died naturally. It said the ivory did not have the indelible ink used to mark government-held stocks. The KWS says there has been an increase in elephant poaching in recent years.

Some two tonnes of ivory and five rhino horns have been seized in Kenya's main airport inside boxes labelled as avocados to be exported to Malaysia.

By Anthony BaxterNewsbeat reporter It's after the ticket provider See Tickets posted on twitter to apologise, saying they were having "technical issues". People initially struggled to get through to the ticket website. An update later said "after a difficult half an hour, we've stabilised and are processing orders". The tickets went on sale at 9am 6 October, three days after 15,000 coach and ticket packages sold out within half an hour. Organiser Emily Eavis later thanked people for their patience before announcing that all tickets had sold out in a record time of one hour and 27 minutes. Last month, festival organiser Michael Eavis said they won't beat this year's festival. In a statement today, he and his daughter Emily said they were sorry to all those that missed out on a place. "We have, once again, been blown away by the numbers of people who were hoping to join us at the festival", they said. "We genuinely try to make the ticket system as fair as it can be". Prices for the 2014 event have been increased to £210 plus a booking fee. The Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys and Mumford and Sons headlined the event at Worthy Farm this summer. He added: "[It's] downhill all the way now. I've had 44 years of an incredible career and we're still milking the old cows as well." When asked about who would be headlining Glastonbury in 2014 Michael Eavis said people wouldn't be surprised. "Pretty obvious isn't it?" he said. "There aren't many left. It's the process of elimination isn't it? "I think we've got three or four really good ones lined up for next year and we're sorting out 2015 as well." There is speculation about who will play at Worthy Farm between 26 and 29 June next year. David Bowie is one of the bookies' favourites to headline, an Oasis reunion and a set from Foo Fighters have also been rumoured. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter

Organisers say the sale of the remaining 120,000 tickets for next year's Glastonbury sold out in record time.

Cpl Ian Wilkinson was one of the last people to see Pte Cheryl James alive in November 1995. He told the hearing the 18-year-old from Llangollen, Denbighshire, who was in uniform and holding a rifle "looked down in the dumps". Pte James stopped him at the gates to the Surrey barracks for an identity check as he drove to work. She was later found dead with a bullet wound to the head - one of four recruits to die at the base in seven years. On Tuesday, the inquest heard civilian driver John Rowney was at the gate at 08:00 that day. 'Nothing untoward' He had exchanged a joke with Pte James and found her to be "bubbly" and "happy". But, just 25 minutes later he returned to the gate to be told a soldier had been shot. Cpl Wilkinson had arrived at the gate between 08:15 GMT and 08:30 GMT on 27 November, and noted Pte James's demeanour was very different. "She looked upset, did not seem altogether with it. She seemed miserable," he told the hearing. "I said something to the effect of 'Cheer up, it might never happen'." The inquest heard Cpl Wilkinson was not officially spoken to about the incident until 2003. He said he had never concealed the fact he may have been the last person to see the soldier alive but had not been approached for a statement before that. Cpl Wilkinson also told the inquest he could not remember the standing orders on how to hold weapons and if they should have been loaded - but he would have noticed anything untoward. A colleague, Sgt Phil Wood, arrived on foot a short time after him and found the gate unmanned and unguarded. He told the inquest earlier it was "unusual" for the gate to be unmanned, because someone was normally there to check passes. 'Sheepish civilian' "From what I could see, [the gate] was slightly ajar. The barrier was up," he said. He said he telephoned the guard room about it and was told they were dealing with it. The inquest heard Maj Peter Harris cycled to work and arrived at the base between 08:10 GMT and 08:15 GMT, when he was also checked by Pte James. But Maj Harris said while Pte James was properly dressed for duty and had a weapon strapped across her, there was a "sheepish" young civilian man standing behind her. He said he could not talk about the condition of the weapon and whether it was loaded because he did not see it. But he said the man should not have been there. Who were the Deepcut four? Background to the deaths and timeline of events He said: "I ascertained that he should not have been there and asked him, was he chatting her up? "He was in civilian clothes. It was just unusual. He should not have been there. He said he was just passing, which I took as a bit of a limp excuse." Maj Harris said he told the man - who the inquest then heard was actually Pte Paul Wilkinson, one of Pte James's boyfriends - that he should not be there, he would be interfering with Pte James's duties and he should leave. The man agreed that he would leave. He said he did not look back to see if the man was leaving but having "given him a lawful command he should do as he was told". 'Challenging environment' Alison Foster, for the James family, asked Maj Harris whether it was possible a sentry on guard duty would have a magazine strapped to their weapon. Maj Harris replied: "It is possible." Captain Charles Whatoff told the inquest the environment at Deepcut was "challenging". An adjutant to the commanding officer at Deepcut in 1995, he said there was a welfare register for soldiers who might have been having difficulties and Pte James was not on it. He said recruits who had done their basic training at Pirbright were coming through at "quite a rate" and this was putting considerable strain on staff and resources. Captain Whatoff said effort was being put in to manage the soldiers with the aim of seeing how people who were finding the time difficult could be helped. He said: "I do recall that Cheryl was not on the list, was not the focus. This was a great shock to everyone." The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.

A young soldier who was found dead at Deepcut barracks looked "upset" on the day she died, an inquest has heard.

Four MSPs publicly called on Richard Leonard to quit last week, claiming the party faces "disaster" unless he goes. They now claim that a leadership contest can be triggered with the support of five MSPs - which they say they have. However, Mr Leonard does not believe this is the case. It is understood he and his allies believe that a contest can only be triggered by his resignation - which he has said he has no intention of doing. Mr Leonard said: "Those same people who last week called on me to step down have yet again underestimated my resolve and the mandate I received from Scottish Labour Party members just under three years ago. "Scottish Labour Party members know only too well just what a dereliction of duty it would be for the party to turn in on itself at the very point when the country is facing an unprecedented crisis." His opponents have now formally written to the party to seek clarification of the leadership rules. The letter is signed by Scottish Labour MSPs James Kelly and Daniel Johnson - who called on Mr Leonard to resign last week. They were joined in publicly criticising his leadership by colleagues Jenny Marra and Mark Griffin - although it is understood other MSPs also want Mr Leonard to stand down. The letter argues: "The precedent has been set by the Labour Party that a leader can be challenged with the backing of 20% of the parliamentary party and our understanding of the Scottish Labour Party and Labour Party Rule books confirm that this is the case. "On this basis, our understanding is that five signatures is sufficient to initiate a challenge. We have five Members willing to sign such a challenge. "We therefore request clarification on this matter at the earliest opportunity." However, Scottish Labour general secretary Michael Sharpe said he is "not aware of any such precedent on this issue" for the party. The letter goes on to claim that it would be undemocratic and "against our party's fundamental principles and values" for a leader to be able to continue in the job for as long as they want. It adds: "This action has been driven by sorrow, not anger, after Richard Leonard has failed to command the support of MSPs, Labour activists and most importantly, the Scottish people. "We are pleading with Richard, once again, to put our party first and to stand aside so that we can start the urgent work to regain the trust of the Scottish people ahead of next year's election under a new leader." There have been concerns about Mr Leonard's leadership from some senior party figures since he was elected to succeed Kezia Dugdale as leader three years ago. Opinion polls suggest Scottish Labour is trailing a distant third behind the SNP and Scottish Conservatives ahead of the election next May. The party slumped to fifth in last year's European elections after winning just 9.3% of the votes - down from 26% in the previous election in 2014 - and lost all but one of its seats in last year's general election. But Mr Leonard, who was a close ally of former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, still has the support of many more left-wing party members and MSPs. They include MSP Neil Findlay, who has accused those calling for Mr Leonard to quit of being "pathetic" and guilty of "treachery with a snarl".

A group of Scottish Labour MSPs who are trying to force out the party's leader have said they believe they can trigger a leadership contest.

Samuel Kasumu is known to have been unhappy with the government's stance on racial issues. He has not commented on the report, which said the UK "no longer" had a system rigged against minorities. The PM said the report was "original and stimulating" but he did not agree with "absolutely everything" in it. Equality campaigners have criticised it for downplaying the extent of racism in British society and institutions. Former equality and human rights commissioner Lord Simon Woolley said there was a "crisis at No 10 when it comes to acknowledging and dealing with persistent race inequality". Labour's shadow equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova called the report "divisive," adding it was "no wonder" the government was "losing the expertise from their team". "To have your most senior advisor on ethnic minorities quit as you publish a so-called landmark report on race in the UK is telling of how far removed the Tories are from the everyday lived experiences of Black, Asian and ethnic minority people," she added. A Downing Street spokesman insisted Mr Kasumu had been planning "for several months" to leave government in May. "Any suggestion that this decision has been made this week or that this is linked to the [commission's] report is completely inaccurate," he added. Samuel Kasumu may not be a name you're familiar with; even one minister awkwardly said they'd never heard of him this morning. But his resignation is a difficult moment for the government on the sensitive, divisive topic of race. Downing street has denied any suggestion his departure is linked to Wednesday's report. Without Samuel Kasumu's version of events, it's hard to know why and when he chose to resign - having changed his mind about quitting earlier in the year. But his departure leaves questions about the confidence some in government, let alone the public, have about the prime minister's approach to tackling racial inequality. Last year Boris Johnson said he wanted to "change the narrative" on this subject - but this is unlikely to be what he had in mind. Mr Johnson said he had "worked closely" with Mr Kasumu - who will leave his role next month - and he had "done some great stuff and I thank him very much". The adviser had previously handed in a resignation letter in February, accusing the Conservatives of a "politics steeped in division". He had asked to keep working on a project to combat disinformation on Covid vaccines, with "the view to leaving at the end of May". But Mr Kasumu went on to retract this letter, following talks with vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi. Mr Kasumu has declined to comment, but sources told the BBC there has been an "awkward silence" hanging over Downing Street, with little discussion or movement since he first threatened to resign. 'Structural racism' row The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED) was launched last summer in the wake of anti-racism Black Lives Matter protests last summer. In its report published on Wednesday, it concluded the UK was not yet a "post-racial country," but family structure and social class had a bigger impact than race on people's life chances. It argued that racial discrimination has often been misapplied to "account for every observed disparity" between ethnic groups. And it said references to racism in the UK being "institutional" or "structural" had sometimes been used without sufficient evidence. Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a member of the commission, said the report was not denying institutional racism existed, but said they had not discovered evidence of it in the areas they had looked. The commission made 24 recommendations, including urging more research into school performance and for organisations to ditch unconscious bias training. Speaking on Thursday, Mr Johnson said the commission had suggested several "interesting ideas" and the government would respond in "due course". "I don't say the government is going to agree with absolutely everything in it, but it has some original and stimulating work in it that I think people need to read and to consider," Mr Johnson added. "There are very serious issues that our society faces to do with racism that we need to address. "We've got to do more to fix it, we need to understand the severity of the problem, and we're going to be looking at all the ideas that they have put forward". Slavery comments criticism The commission's chairman Tony Sewell, an education consultant and ex-charity boss, has meanwhile defended himself from criticism over comments he made in the report about how the British Empire should be taught in schools. In his foreword to the report, he wrote: "There is a new story about the Caribbean experience which speaks to the slave period not only being about profit and suffering but how culturally African people transformed themselves into a re-modelled African/Britain". Halima Begum, chief executive of race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust, said his comments were "out of kilter with where British society is" - and Labour's Ms de Cordova accused him of "putting a positive spin on slavery". But in a statement on Thursday, Dr Sewell said it was "absurd to suggest that the commission is trying to downplay the evil of the slave trade". "The report merely says that, in the face of the inhumanity of slavery, African people preserved their humanity and culture," he added.

Boris Johnson's senior adviser on ethnic minorities is to stand down, amid a row over a government-commissioned report on race.

By Ritu PrasadBBC News, Washington In an interview, Mr Trump referred to career diplomat Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine, not by name, but as "the woman". Ms Yovanovitch, who Mr Trump recalled from her post in May, testified in the public phase of the impeachment inquiry on 15 November. She told lawmakers she was removed in a smear campaign by those with "questionable intentions". Justifying his decision to oust her, the president told Fox & Friends last Friday he heard "bad things" about "the ambassador, the woman". "This was not an angel, this woman, okay? And there were a lot of things that she did that I didn't like." Mr Trump added that his staff felt they had to be kind because "she's a woman - we have to be nice." Professor Marianne LaFrance, a psychologist at Yale University, says this remark is a prime example of gendered language. "That referencing says she's not an individual, she's not a professional, she's first and foremost a woman," Prof LaFrance says. "One of the things that's interesting about women and language is that women are 'marked'." Men, she notes, are not usually referred to as a "male person". "But we find it often easy and useful to describe a person first and foremost as a woman. Not a politician - she's a woman politician. You don't often say he's a male politician." And once language is used to "mark" someone, it "taps into a whole universe of stereotypes" that are typically unconscious. "So in saying a female politician - before you've said anything else about her policies, her credentials, her professional standing - you've said a lot." A controversial track record Even before he became president, Mr Trump had a history of controversial comments about women. His comments in a 2005 Access Hollywood tape about grabbing women "by the pussy" are perhaps the most notorious, and made headlines in 2016. Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutger's University, says these latest remarks are part of a pattern. "The kind of things that he said about Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina, Elizabeth Warren, Heidi Cruz - the list goes on - he talks about women, any prominent, powerful woman, in the most demeaning of ways, trivialising them." Even women backing Mr Trump have not been immune to subtly gendered critiques. On Friday, Mr Trump told Fox & Friends his adviser Kellyanne Conway was great, but "must have done some number" on her husband, George, who is a Trump critic. "She must have done some bad things to him because that guy's crazy," the president said. Ms Walsh also notes the women closest to Mr Trump "have the appearance of a kind of hyper-feminised version of women". Ivanka Trump, for example, is a successful businesswoman, but still fits within the typical image of a woman "on the arm of powerful men". Some of Trump's past comments about women: From a psychology perspective, Prof LaFrance says when comments go into the realm of insult, they can be insidiously harmful. A recent study looking at how women are affected by overhearing sexism found that even when a comment was not directed at the listener, it had a negative impact on a woman's self-esteem, measured by how well she evaluated her own performance and abilities following the incident, Prof LaFrance explains. "It sets up an atmosphere in which all women are targeted, not just the one person who was a target [of the sexist comment] - that's what's particularly damaging." With Mr Trump specifically, Prof LaFrance says when he criticises female opponents, he often reduces them to a sexual object or someone unworthy of respect or attention. "Comments about a woman not being strong, a notion that she's frail or weak - those appear to be much milder in comparison to talking about her pussy, but they have as damaging, if not more damaging effects on women," Prof LaFrance says, as it taps into existing notions that women are perceived as less-than men. Trump - champion of women? Despite the controversial ways he describes women - and the distinctly male look of his cabinet - it would be unfair to say that Mr Trump excludes powerful women from his inner circle. In addition to Ivanka, who is a White House adviser, the highest profile members of the administration defending the president on a daily basis are Ms Conway and press secretary Stephanie Grisham. Ms Grisham's predecessor too, was a woman - Sarah Huckabee Sanders. When challenged on his attitude to women, Mr Trump has in the past pointed to his record in recruiting and promoting women in his companies. "I love women," he proclaims. His 2020 campaign is led by Brad Parscale, but according to Politico, the highest levels of the campaign team include over a dozen women as senior advisers and directors. The BBC reached out to Women For Trump, one of the biggest pro-Trump women's political groups, for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The women who love Trump Analysis by Tara McKelvey "I understand some of his quips are not popular," says Virginia Derby Jordan, a lawyer who lives in Orange County, Virginia. But she says she doesn't mind. She and other conservative women in Virginia, Pennsylvania and other states say there are more important issues than the president's remarks. They applaud the way he has helped bring down unemployment among women and appreciates how he has fought against abortion through the appointment of conservative judges. In addition, Jordan and other Republicans like the way he has hired women such as Kellyanne Conway, a counsellor to the president, for high-profile roles: "He has put women in very important places," Jordan says. Jordan attests to the fact that despite the controversial way the president talks about women, many of them still adore him and will vote for him again in 2020. Doesn't he nickname men too? If the president's preferred nicknames for women are nasty, crazy, and low-IQ, his go-tos for men are in a similar vein. "It's always about demeaning men in order to make them less tough, less strong, in many ways, less masculine," says Ms Walsh. "He's also pumping himself up as the uber-masculine figure at the expense of the men who are challenging him in any way." One of his favourites to level at male opponents is "little" - Little Marco Rubio, Little Michael Bloomberg, Little Adam Schiff, Little Rocket Man. Prof LaFrance notes: "Once you've referred to a person's size or standing as small or little, then you're trafficking in the realm of gender terminology." For Ms Walsh, though Mr Trump does not discriminate in criticising men and women who oppose him, the attacks on women are more dangerous. She says the instance where Mr Trump singled out four freshmen Democratic congresswomen of colour and told them to "go home" was particularly "threatening". "We know women are often targeted on the political front, threatened certainly online, and singling them out and using very loaded language about those four women was one of the most egregious things." How might this play out in 2020? An April Pew Research Center study found a stark gender divide for Mr Trump's approval ratings. Just under half of men said they approved of how Mr Trump was handling the presidency, compared to 32% of women. Pew analysis of his first two years in office found his average approval rating to be 44% among men and 31% among women - the widest gap between genders since the George H W Bush presidency. And while Mr Trump found success with white women voters in 2016, he may find it more difficult to win them this time around, according to recent polling. Ms Walsh says Mr Trump could see real challenges in winning over white, college educated, suburban women who are typically Republicans "in part because of this language, this behaviour and the way he treats women". "The gendered language is already out there," says Ms Walsh. "I think that it is likely on the Democratic side, that one way or another, there will be a woman on the ticket [for president or vice-president]. And I'm sure that woman will come under attack...I think we're in for more of the same."

With a number of women running to take on President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, the president's language about his opponents will undoubtedly be a recurring issue. But is there really a gender difference to his attacks?

By John CampbellBBC News NI Economics & Business Editor The figures from the NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) are the first official indicator of the impact of coronavirus on the NI economy. They show that claimant count unemployment increased from 29,700 to 56,200. That is the highest monthly increase since records began and brings the claimant count back to 2014 levels. Claimant count includes Jobseeker's Allowance Claimants and those claimants of Universal Credit who were claiming principally for the reason of being unemployed. The other, preferred, method of measuring unemployment is the Labour Force Survey (LFS). However, the current survey results only cover the period from January to March so do not capture the impact of the coronavirus lockdown. Across the UK, figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the claimant count in April went up by 856,500 to 2.1 million. Speaking in the assembly on Tuesday, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said new claims for Universal Credit have gone up by nearly 300% since the Covid-19 crisis began. Ms Hargey told MLAs that since 16 March her department was dealing with 71,000 cases and it had seen new claims for the benefit increase by 294%. She also told MLAs there had been a 110% increase in claims for Jobseeker's Allowance. Ms Hargey told the assembly that her department has made 140,000 payments and was dealing with 7,900 claims a week. 'Not surprising' Nisra also record the number of proposed redundancies. In April there were 783 proposed redundancies, the fifth largest monthly figure in the last five years. Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, the director of Ulster University's Economic Policy Centre said it "is not wholly surprising". Gareth Hetherington said: "There are two factors which characterise this crisis: one is the scale of the impact, the second is its immediacy. "What happened in the financial crisis took a long time to play out compared to what we've seen in this Covid-19 crisis." Mr Heatherington said a "big test" will be when the government's furlough scheme ends in October, when "we will be reliant on the level of demand that's in the economy and people's willingness to go out and spend". Millions of workers across the UK are currently furloughed - not at work but with the government paying 80% of their normal wages, up to a limit of £2,500. He added: "Economic recovery starts with the lifting of restrictions and, encouragingly, there seems to be growing recognition that it's not a simple choice between maintaining a lockdown and saving lives on the one hand or lifting restrictions and saving the economy on the other. Mr Heatherington said there is a need for retail, hospitality, construction and manufacturing sectors to return to work at "a viable level in the short term, but long before October".

Unemployment in Northern Ireland rose by almost 90% in April, official figures suggest.

Ms Yates, who had been the council's chief executive since 2009, quit her £160,000-a-year post with immediate effect on Friday. No reason has been given for her departure. Darryl Stephenson will be appointed the authority's interim chief executive at a council meeting on Thursday. He will initially be given a three-month contract. The authority has not ruled out scrapping the chief executive role. 'Excellent job' Councillor Steve Brady, leader of the Labour-controlled council, said: "We will be looking at some groundbreaking new schemes to move ahead on. "The government are actually saying councils need to work together to cut their costs and so the more links we have got with neighbouring authorities, how we can share services, that's the way forward." Mr Stephenson left the Guildhall in 1995 to become the first chief executive of East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Mr Brady said Mr Stephenson was "highly experienced". He said: "He's spent many, many years with the East Riding council, he has massive local knowledge with the business community and very good connections within government. "I certainly think he'll do an excellent job in Hull looking at the many things that are facing Hull and some of the issues we need to resolve. "This is a time when we can take stock, examine the options open to us for the future and determine our path going forward."

Hull City Council is bringing back a former chief executive to take charge of the authority following the resignation of Nicola Yates.

The Sheringham Snorkel Trail, formed on top of a disused Victorian sewage pipe, boasts a "huge array of colourful and interesting sea life". Photographer Chris Taylor said the recent warm weather had created near-perfect conditions for the reef - only 50m (164ft) off the coast - to be seen. Divers can make their way along the trail, which features ropes and buoys. Photos by Chris Taylor Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]

An underwater photographer has caught the beauty of a lesser-seen area of Norfolk, just metres from the shore.

The likes of Stormzy, AJ Tracey, Novelist and Akala have tweeted, instagrammed or snapped their love for the Labour leader ahead of next month's general election. JME talked to his favourite politician earlier this week in a cafe and is releasing the full interview. "One thing that I want to make sure I do say, is that I've never voted before. Ever," he said. "I've grown up making the best out of what I've got. "Sometimes I feel like we don't need to vote - like it doesn't matter." JME has been posting LOTS of tweets about Jeremy Corbyn, as have lots of other grime stars. JME posted a photo of Jeremy Corbyn in a white, fur coat. AJ Tracey showed his support for Jeremy Corbyn. Novelist agrees. Akala says he's not a Labour supporter but is behind Jeremy Corbyn. Toddla T posted a photo of Jeremy Corbyn at the Notting Hill Carnival. The makers of This Is Grime have been photographed with him too. Stormzy did an interview with the Guardian last year, in which he said he was behind the Labour leader because of his anti-apartheid views. "I saw some sick picture of him from back in the day when he was campaigning about anti-apartheid and I thought, 'Yeah, I like your energy…' "I feel like he gets what the ethnic minorities are going through and the homeless and the working class." Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn has briefly appeared as a member of Boy Better Know (BBK) on their Wikipedia page, following the launch of the #Grime4Corbyn campaign. Anyone who signs up to the campaign can win tickets to a secret rave, which will apparently take place the week before the general election. They've also released a track called Corbyn Riddim. The Labour leader was listed as a member of BBK alongside founding members JME and Skepta. The party's manifesto appeared next to the group's discography with Skepta's Konnichiwa, which won the Mercury Prize, and Wiley's Godfather. BBC Three tweeted a screengrab of the tweet. He's now been removed from the page. Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat

A host of grime artists have come out in support of Jeremy Corbyn.

By Kate DaileyBBC News Magazine In 1613, royal records show payment was made to a Shakespearian actor, who starred in a play performed by Shakespeare's theatre company, written during Shakespeare's tenure as playwright. In 1653, the play, The History of Cardenio, appeared in a register of soon-to-be published works. But Cardenio, credited in the register to Shakespeare and his collaborator John Fletcher, never appeared in print. Seventy-four years after that, playwright, editor and Shakespeare imitator Lewis Theobald published a play called Double Falsehood - based, he said, on three original manuscripts of the History of Cardenio. "Increasingly, with the availability of massive databases and more sophisticated attribution tests, the consensus is now that it's partly by Shakespeare and partly by Fletcher," says Gary Taylor, editor of the New Oxford Shakespeare. "But the 18th century text we have is seriously messed with and modified." For the past 20 years, Taylor, a professor of English at Florida State University, has been doing the long and difficult work of extracting Shakespeare's words from a surviving editon of Double Falsehood - using both computer programs and centuries-old documents to chip away anachronistic speech and modern conventions, and to recreate the script as closely as possible to what were Shakespeare's original intentions. After decades of rewrites, readings and revisions, the Indiana University and Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) theatre department staged the first professional, full-scale production of the History or Cardenio, as resurrected by Taylor. It's bold and brash and funny and moving. But is it Shakespeare? Spanish influence The play tells the stories of two sets of lovers - the earnest scholar Cardenio and his fiance, Lucinda, and Cardenio's friend Fernando and the mixed-raced shepherd girl Violenta. The betrayals, forced marriages, missed connections and late-night seductions that appear in the play are familiar Shakespearean themes. But the story itself comes from Miguel de Cervantes, who tells the lovers' tale intermittently throughout his epic novel Don Quixote. About a decade before Cardenio was first performed, King James I made peace with Spain, which led to an influx of Spanish art and culture into England, says James Shapiro, professor of English at Columbia University. The tale of Don Quixote was frequently mined by English artists and writers. That there might be not just a missing Shakespeare play but one based on the works of Cervantes has made The History of Cardenio a topic of fascination for years. "They were two of the greatest imaginative artists of this world, at that point," says Stephen Greenblatt, a professor of English at Harvard University. "They were living in divided world, but its at this moment those wires crossed." 'Archeological exploration' To try to recapture how Shakespeare and Fletcher interpreted the works of Cervantes, Taylor had to deconstruct the Double Falsehood manuscript, with some tasks being easier than others. Sophisticated databases and text recognition software can detect lines that were likely to have been written by Shakespeare. A trained eye can sense those that came later. "The first thing you have to do is identify what bits come from the 18th century and get rid of those," Taylor says, noting that phrases like "brutal violence" that appear in Double Falsehood were unlikely to have been used in Shakespearian times. Then came the larger, more complicated task of evaluating entire scenes. "We're talking about an archaeological exploration on the part of scholars who are trying to find remnants of that Shakespearian text," says Shapiro, author of Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? "You have to dig down, and then you're relying on your ear. It gets subjective." A rape scene in Double Falsehood raised red flags. "All of the dialogue that points to the rape is very 18th century, and that suggests that the play has been changed in a significant way," says Taylor. "You can fit those pieces together, but you still have to fit together some blanks," he says. "To do that, I had to write material that either sounds like Shakespeare or like Fletcher." Taylor's version of the rape scene depicts "what lawyers today would call coerced consent," he says: a hasty, pre-coital marriage vow that he says is more in keeping with 17th century mores. Throughout the process, Taylor has done staged readings and smaller performances of the show, each time revising the script to better reflect Shakespeare's influence. The show at IUPUI was the first entire performance from start to finish, with a professional cast and crew. After the performance, Shakespeare scholars from around the world gave notes and feedback for further improving the script. "It's a very tricky effort, but he has recovered [some original work]," says Roger Chartier, director of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. "Like in the Sistine Chapel, where people are trying to find the the original painting, he makes us able to listen to some of the Shakespeare lines and some of the Fletcher lines." Lingering doubts Taylor's project, however, is predicated on the commonly-accepted belief that Double Falsehood was in some part written by Shakespeare. Not everyone is convinced. Tiffany Stern, a professor of early modern drama at Oxford University, argues that Theobald was both a noted Shakespeare imitator and an editor of Shakespeare. His edition of the Bard's Complete Works did not including Double Falsehood. "When he's editing he tends to tell the truth. As a playwright, he's a bit of a liar," she says. "You find what you look for," she says of the evidence pointing towards Shakespeare's writing in the Theobald play. "If you look for Shakespeare in the work of a famous imitator, you will find Shakespeare whether he's there or not." Other scholars are more generous. Shakespeare's hand is in Double Falsehood, says James Shapiro, but challenges remain. "You have to take into account that you're dealing with an adaptation of an adaptation," he says of the Theobald script. There is original work to be recovered - but much to be imagined. "Gary is someone who knows the drama of the period as well as anyone," he says. "This is an informed act of speculative recreation, but it's also a bit of creative writing on his part, and it has to be understood that way." Evolving tradition Unless an original manuscript is found, the complete recovery of The History of Cardenio is impossible. The 2016 Oxford edition of Shakespeare's Complete Works, of which Taylor is the general editor, will contain fragments of the play identified as Shakespearian, but not the full drama as produced at IUPUI. But the play, complete with Taylor's addition, will continue to evolve. Producers from New York have expressed interest, and Taylor's work continues. That may be the most authentically Shakespearian aspect of the entire project. "It was true in general of Shakespeare's practice. He's not interested in fidelity to his sources. He's interested in what will work on stage," says Greenblatt. "That was the nature of Shakespeare's own relationship to Cervantes. It's not about direct lines of transmission. "It's about mobility and divergences, re-imaginings and transformations."

After 20 years of work, an American Shakespeare scholar is bringing his restoration of what he says is a lost play by the Bard to the stage.

By Louise AndrewBBC Scotland news website Before that their mum Helen Peck had never dressed her identical twins in exactly the same outfits. When the local paper turned up to take photos of the new school entrants, it was Rosie and Mary who were picked out. There is something about twins and the start of the new school year that seems to capture the imagination of the media, and this is not a recent phenomenon. When identical twins Dennis and Mark started primary school back in 1972 they too were selected to appear in the local paper. "That was my first recollection of our photograph being in the paper because of us being twins," Dennis recalls. The number of identical (monozygotic) twins has actually remained fairly constant across time. So teachers are no more likely to "see double" in their classroom today than they were 45 years ago. In the UK, about one in every 250 maternities result in the birth of identical twins. However, classrooms do have a much greater number of non-identical twins than when Dennis and Mark started school. The number of non-identical (dizygotic) twins increased dramatically in the 80s and 90s in UK. During this time the number of maternities resulting in multiple births (ie twins, triplets or more) in Scotland rose from 1.04% in 1985 to a rate of 1.42% in 1995. England and Wales saw a similar rise in the rate of multiple births - 1.01% to 1.41% between 1984 and 1995. Non-identical twins account for two-thirds of all the twins born in the UK. This has been attributed to more older women having children, and also an increase in fertility treatment. Yet this rate of twins is not significantly higher than at previous peaks in the 1920s and 1950s. It's a twin thing Source: Twins UK Data for England and Wales, available from 1938, shows the rate of multiple births was between 1.2% and 1.3% until the mid 1950s when there was a sharp decline. GRO(S) data suggests the rate of twins in Scotland reached 1.39% between 1916-20, and again from 1946-50 and 1951-55. So although there has been an upward trend since the 1980s, certainly in Scotland, there has not been an unusually high number of twins born in recent decades. In England and Wales, there has been a slow increase in the number of multiple births since 1995, rising from 1.41% to a peak of 1.62% in 2009. Since then the rate has plateaued and in 2015 it sat at 1.61%. Records by the National Record of Statistics suggest that since 1995 the rate in Scotland has fluctuated between a low of 1.37% in 1999 and a high of 1.62% in 2008, and sat at 1.51% in 2016. This means there has been no significant change in the number of twins enrolling in Scottish primary schools for almost 20 years, and in England the increase has been relatively small during this time period. 'Are you psychic?' Yet our nation's fascination with twins in their new school uniform seems set to continue. Rosie and Mary's mum Helen, who is now Scottish coordinator for Tamba (Twins and Multiple Births Association), says: "Rosie quite liked the attention to begin with, but Mary found it overwhelming. "I remember her coming home from school and saying 'mum do you ever have one of those days when you want to strip yourself out of your body and shout? I just wish people would leave me alone.'" "They do get asked ridiculous questions. "'Are you psychic', 'can you feel when the other is in a bad mood' and even 'do you ever get confused as to who you are?" Double trouble Dennis recalls the clichéd labels "terrible twins" and "double trouble". He says: "With all the attention we played up quite a bit. "It was just high jinks. It left the teacher with the choice of penalising both of us or neither of us. "It was a card that was easily played." Helen's children and Dennis and Mark both shared a classroom with their sibling. Dennis, who now owns and runs pubs in Fraserburgh with his brother Mark, recalls being split up in the later years of primary school. "We did well at school but with us being twins we did act up a bit," he says. Helen says: "It can be more challenging when twins start school. "You have to think whether it is best for them to be in the same class or separated classes. "It has to be judged on an individual basis. "It's about recognising the relationship that a set of twins may have and how that may affect them." You may also like: While these parents may have more to think about when their children start school, there is more information available than in the past. Organisations like Tamba provide guidance on the additional issues faced by parents of multiples. There is no doubt times have changed and Scottish non-identical twins Angela Russell Taylor and Jacqueline Hall, aged 57, know that better than most. You might want to spare a thought for their parents, as Angela explains: "Back in the day my poor mother didn't even know she was expecting twins. "My mother had to go into hospital to lie for a week before we were born and she was transferred to Aberdeen [from Fraserburgh] on a Friday. "My father was working and and when he turned up on the bus on the Sunday he had two babies. "He had no idea. He must have got an awful shock."

When Rosie and Mary, now aged 13, started school it was the first time they realised other people were unable to tell them apart.

By Greg CochraneNewsbeat music reporter The band will play a string of arena dates beginning in Newcastle on 1 March. They'll then visit Glasgow, Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and London. Kelly Jones and his band celebrated the upcoming release of the band's seventh album Keep Calm And Carry On this past weekend with a 12,000 capacity gig at Cardiff Castle (3 October). Tickets for the shows go on sale at 10am on 9 October. The full dates are: Newcastle Arena - 1 March Glasgow SECC - 3 Nottingham Arena - 5 Birmingham NIA - 6 Manchester MEN - 7 Sheffield Arena - 9 London O2 Arena - 10

Stereophonics have announced details of a new UK tour set for March next year.

It could mean the pylons being sited against the wishes of local people, he said. He was speaking as campaigners opposed to turbines in mid Wales protested to the Senedd. Decisions on large developments rest with the UK government but campaigners said they wanted to remind AMs of their opposition to more turbines. It was the latest in a series of protests staged by campaigners against wind turbines in Wales. Seven areas of mid and south Wales were chosen for the development of windfarms under a Welsh government policy known as Tan 8 in 2005. There have been calls for Welsh ministers to look again at where windfarms can be sited. Grid connections Mr Hendry told BBC Wales: "The reason why this is a national decision is that yes, the local views are important and that's an absolute statutory part of the process, but at the end of the day we are making decisions on a national interest. "Sometimes we do have to have the investment in the infrastructure. "We can't have invisible electricity - we have to have physical plant. We have to have grid connections to get it where it needs to be." Seven vehicles with trailers and banners were driven by the group Montgomeryshire Against Pylons to the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. Spokesman Jonathan Wilkinson said they wanted to remind AMs of the strong opposition to proposed turbines and pylons in their area. "Necessary or not, the first thing they need to do is engage with the local communities which is something they've completely failed to do," he said. "We have brought a report to the assembly today for all the AMs to see. "We are putting forward our views as to why we think it's totally unsuitable for where we live and not only that - a very inefficient way for generating the much needed power we need in this country." In June, First Minister Carwyn Jones said Welsh government planning guidelines on the number of windfarms should in future be regarded as an upper limit. But in a written statement issued on Wednesday he said he wanted to "maximise" electricity generation from renewable sources on land and offshore. Wales was "open for business" and was working with the industry, he said. 'Limits' A more detailed energy policy is expected in the new year. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Jones said: "Do we want to see more wind? That's right. "There are limits to that. We have made our view clear with the limits we have expresses in Tan 8. "The UK government has of course said that they will ignore Tan 8 - that's the difficulty." He said the country had to "make sure we are not over-reliant on expensive sources of energy that come from abroad". Energy companies warned a committee of AMs last month that they could shun Wales because the planning process was so complicated. They also said recent announcements by the Welsh government as "left the industry confused". A source close to the first minister said: "When Mr Hendry talks about the 'national interest' he is course talking about England's interest, not that of Wales."

More windfarms and pylons may be built in Wales in the national interest, says UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry.

He said only parties which took part in Sunday's mayoral polls would be able to contest the presidency. Leaders from the Justice First, Popular Will and Democratic Action parties boycotted the vote because they said the electoral system was biased. President Maduro insists the Venezuelan system is entirely trustworthy. In a speech on Sunday, he said the opposition parties had "disappeared from the political map". "A party that has not participated today and has called for the boycott of the elections can't participate anymore," he said. In October, the three main opposition parties announced they would be boycotting Sunday's vote, saying it only served what they called President Maduro's dictatorship. President Maduro says his party won more than 300 of the 335 mayoral races being contested. The election board put turn out at 47%. Venezuela has been mired in a worsening economic crisis characterised by shortages of basic goods and soaring inflation. Maduro divides and conquers Katy Watson, BBC Latin America correspondent - Barquisimeto, Venezuela Mr Maduro's pronouncement is designed to provoke the opposition. Especially since he justified the move saying it was a condition set out by the National Constituent Assembly - a body that the opposition refuses to recognise because they say it is undemocratic. Mr Maduro has lost popularity because of the worsening economic crisis. In the face of criticism, his strategy has been one of "divide and conquer" - find ways of weakening the opposition to make them less of a threat. And he hs succeeded - he has imprisoned some of the most popular opposition leaders like Leopoldo López. He has prevented others like Henrique Capriles from running for office. And now this threat - banning the most influential parties from taking part in future elections. The opposition is in crisis and Mr Maduro is gloating. Mr Maduro said he was following the criteria set by the National Constituent Assembly in banning opposition parties from contesting next year's election. But the assembly, which came into force in August and has the ability to rewrite the constitution, is made up exclusively of government loyalists. Opposition parties see it as a way for the president to cling to power. The presidential vote had been scheduled for December 2018, but analysts say it could now be brought forward. Venezuela, in the north of South America, is home to more than 30 million people. It has some of the world's largest oil deposits as well as huge quantities of coal and iron ore. Despite its rich natural resources many Venezuelans live in poverty. This led President Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chávez, to style himself as a champion of the poor during his 14 years in office. Now the country is starkly divided between supporters of President Maduro and those who want an end to the Socialist Party's 18 years in government. Supporters of Mr Maduro say his party has lifted many people out of poverty, but critics say it has eroded Venezuela's democratic institutions and mismanaged its economy.

Venezuela's President, Nicolás Maduro, says the country's main opposition parties are banned from taking part in next year's presidential election.

Danish national Jacob Sporon-Fiedler ran an Indian pharmaceutical company that supplied four tonnes of anabolic steroids per month to Europe. His gang in the UK included former bodybuilding champion Nathan Selcon who had a £1m home in Milton Keynes. Sporon-Fiedler and Selcon admitted conspiring to import steroids at the Old Bailey. Sporon-Fiedler, 38, was jailed for five years and four months. Selcon, 45, was also found guilty of conspiring to manufacture steroids and was sentenced to six years in prison. Three other men were also convicted for their roles: The steroids - which were similar to those used by the London Bridge and Westminster terrorists - were said to have been sold to bodybuilders, gym users and possibly professional athletes, the court heard. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it had evidence of at least £65m worth of drugs connected to the gang but the true figure could run into the hundreds of millions. An investigation began when 600kg of anabolic steroids were seized at Heathrow in 2014. The NCA raided a laboratory on an industrial estate near Heathrow Airport in March 2015 and discovered packaging for £43m worth of steroids. The group was also connected to another lab in Slough which produced about £10m worth of steroids before it was raided by Thames Valley Police in 2009. Sentencing the men, Judge Angela Rafferty QC said: "I am satisfied this was a long-running, sophisticated and well managed operation and no [previous steroid case] is comparable to the scale of this particular conspiracy. This was exceptionally large." Senior investigator at the NCA David Cunningham said afterwards: "If Sporon-Fiedler thought he could trade class C illicit anabolic steroids and be beyond the reach of law enforcement, he was wrong."

A group of men who ran an operation worth more than £65m distributing illegal steroids have been jailed.

A deficit of £27.6m has been forecast, compared to £15m previously, a report presented to a Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust board meeting said. The report said the position had worsened partly due to "operational pressures" affecting staffing costs. The trust runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and Alexandra Hospital in Redditch It blamed an increase in elderly patients, increased attendance at A&E and bed-blocking.

The predicted budget deficit has nearly doubled for this financial year at a trust running Worcestershire hospitals.

House of Commons authorities are now investigating the message sent to Dan O'Hagan, who has worked for BBC, Eurosport and ESPN. The email, sent by someone called David on Tuesday, said he was working "very, very hard" to get Mr O'Hagan's address. The commentator said: "I was shaking, taken aback and frightened." It was sent after Mr O'Hagan, who lives in Norfolk, criticised the radio station LBC on Twitter for employing Nigel Farage. The email said: "You cannot be allowed to belittle, mock and intimidate working class white men, whilst peddling your bourgeoisie, privileged leftism in your highly-paid career. "Football is not for white elites like you, it belongs to working class men of all colours. "Send me your address now and we can discuss this further in person. It is important that we do so." Mr O'Hagan said: "The email came through a website so it had the IP address, I ran that through a scanner and lo and behold it was from the House of Commons." "My jaw hit the floor. Extraordinary" 'Abuse coming back' An IP address is a unique number that every computer or device on the internet has, and includes location information. Mr O'Hagan said he had spoken to the police about the email, but felt there was "no direct threat" against him. "I just want the person who's done this to found and outed," he added. Although he said the email came "immediately" after his Tweet about LBC, the 42-year-old said it could be linked to posts critical of the government. He said: "To speak against the government on Twitter, you get, it appears from inside the House of Commons, abuse coming back at you." A House of Commons spokesman said: "We are aware of an threatening email received by a television presenter. "We take threats of this nature very seriously and are investigating the matter." Norfolk Police said in a statement its inquiries into the email "found that no criminal offences had been committed and the investigation has therefore been closed". Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]

A football commentator said his "jaw hit the floor" when he received a threatening email that appeared to have been sent from Parliament.

By Hannah RichardsonBBC News education and social affairs reporter Lord Freud defended the system to MPs holding an urgent session over fresh concerns many claimants were being pushed into rent arrears and eviction. UC collapses all benefits into one and is being rolled out in Britain. Work and Pensions Committee chairman Frank Field said some claimants were having their lives wrecked by UC. He challenged Lord Freud over his claim that many UC claimants who were in rent arrears after being transferred from old-style benefits had brought their arrears with them. 'Wrecking lives' Mr Field said: "People are waiting an extremely long time to get their first payments, and really bad things are happening to people. "I do see people who have always been managers being reduced to tears. "These are people who are have never been in this situation before and have found universal credit is wrecking their lives." Lord Freud, who stepped down from his post in December, said the Department of Work and Pensions had spent the past nine months tackling these issues with housing payments. And he acknowledged that previously tight deadlines had already slipped by several years. Work began on the programme in 2010. But Lord Freud said the system had to be introduced in order to tackle the fact that the benefit system was an "over-comfortable safety net" that kept families trapped on benefits and those who were working "wondering why they were bothering". He said once the "machinery" of UC was in place, it would be possible to "play with the parameters" and get more people working. But he added:: "I think it will take some decades to optimise what we are building. "We have once in a generation chance to do something like this, and if you do, you have to try to do it, because I think we have an impossible legacy system." Payment delays A letter to Employment Minister Damian Hinds from the committee said evidence suggests "there remains much to be done before universal credit is working well for claimants and those organisations working with them". "We were concerned to hear that universal credit claimants living in rented accommodation are more likely to be in rent arrears than other tenants," it added. "Croydon Council told us that rent collection for council tenants in receipt of universal credit has declined from 98% to 72%. "Whereas under 10% of tenants are claiming universal credit, they account for 38% of Croydon's total rent arrears. "Similarly, Halton Housing Trust reported that 920 of its 1,058 tenants claiming universal credit were in arrears. "And while 9% of tenants claimed universal credit, they account for 37% of Halton's rent arrears." Vulnerable The letter also expressed concern about delays in payments being made, with the average wait in Croydon being 12 weeks. The committee said the slow pace of change was highlighted by the fact 430,000 people were claiming UC as of December 2016, despite the government originally forecasting it would be six million. Full rollout of the benefit is now forecast in March 2022 - 11 years after it was first announced. Shadow Employment Minister Margaret Greenwood said people struggling to make ends meet could not afford to wait for the Conservatives to get UC right. "Universal Credit is failing to make work pay, pushing people further into rent arrears and leaving them vulnerable to eviction from private landlords. "Ministers must get a grip on this failing project as a matter of urgency. They should start should by reversing cuts to in-work support that will see some working families worse off by £2,600 a year."

The architect of the troubled universal credit (UC) system says it could take "decades" to get it working at its most effective level.

They were put on the market in March and bought by the Sedgwick family, who bought the town's North Pier in 2011. Present owners Crown Entertainment Centres sold the pair of piers to Peter Sedgwick, who currently operates rides on both piers. Central Pier - which is 341m (1,118ft) long - houses a distinctive 33m high (108ft) Ferris wheel. The Central Pier and Blackpool South Pier, which is 150m (492ft) long, do not benefit from listed status, despite opening in 1864 and 1892 respectively. At the time the sale was announced, a spokesman for the National Piers Society - which promotes the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers in the UK - described them as "in good order and trading successfully". 'Extremely exciting' Richard Baldwin, director at Bilfinger GVA Retail, Hotels and Leisure, which completed the sale on behalf of the leisure operator, said: "After considerable interest in both piers, we are delighted to have completed these two sales in such a short timescale. "The conclusion of these sales... is a clear illustration of a strengthening in the alternative leisure markets, which is extremely encouraging." St John Stott, director at Crown Entertainment Centres, said: "Peter Sedgwick is an experienced, longstanding leisure operator and we are delighted to have sold both the Central and South Piers to him." The North Pier was badly damaged in storms in 2013 which cost about £1m to repair. Mr Sedgwick said: "To add these two iconic piers to our portfolio is extremely exciting and we hope to capitalise on a group ownership of all three Blackpool Piers to ensure that many thousands of visitors continue to enjoy these wonderful attractions for years to come."

Blackpool's Central and South piers have been sold for about £8m to a family with close ties to the town.

Regulators will look at safety, security, environmental and waste implications of the new reactor designs. If everything goes to plan, Wylfa Newydd will be built on land near the current Wylfa nuclear power station. Both the secretary of state for Wales and the local MP said it was a significant step. Hitachi bought the site in 2012 for around £700m, and the power station will be built by a subsidiary, Horizon Nuclear Power. Last year Horizon named the new development Wylfa Newydd, which is Welsh for New Wylfa, in recognition of the "opportunities" it would bring. Up to 6,000 jobs are expected to be created while the new reactors are built and around 1,000 when the plant is operating. 'Suitable for use' Hitachi has opted to build a smaller plant, deciding to construct two reactors - called Advanced Boiling Water Reactors (ABWR) - instead of three. The latest round of assessment by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and Natural Resources Wales is known as "generic design assessment" and is carried out before site-specific proposals are put forward. In addition Hitachi will be launching its own design comments process which enables anyone to submit their views or ask questions. The ONR said the assessment allowed it to check aspects of a reactor's design to see if it was suitable for use in the UK. The process is expected to take around four years to complete due to the complexity and level of scrutiny required. Secretary of State for Wales David Jones said his backing for a new nuclear plant was "steadfast". "However, it is absolutely right that the proposed design of any reactor to be constructed in this country is subjected to stringent safety assessments led by the independent regulators," he said. He added that Anglesey had much to offer in terms of the skills of the existing Wylfa workforce and the enthusiasm of young apprentices at Coleg Menai's Energy Centre at Llangefni. "The benefits which local businesses, and businesses across Wales, can derive from the investment that Hitachi-GE is making in the UK are limitless," he said. Ynys Mon MP Albert Owen said: "This is another very positive step during the most difficult stage of the process. "This is already proven technology and I'm delighted they have been able to dot the i's and cross the t's so that Wylfa gets on to the next stage. "I was at the Japanese Embassy recently and they said that they are very happy with progress."

The next stage in the development of a proposed £8bn nuclear power station on Anglesey has been announced.

Media chief Tom Baldwin has accused chairman Roland Rudd of putting "a wrecking ball" through the campaign. Mr Baldwin said he had been fired by Mr Rudd - but would be going in to work as normal. Mr Rudd denied firing Mr Baldwin, saying "he has an opportunity for a different type of role". He also denied reports of strategic differences within the organisation over his desire to openly campaign for Remain. On Sunday, the Observer reported others within the group want to concentrate on winning support for another vote among Leave voters and wavering Labour and Tory MPs. But Mr Rudd told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There's no row about the Remain side and PV [People's Vote]. Everyone knows where we stand on this". "This is an absurd argument. Everybody knows perfectly well that we're made up of people who want to vote to Remain. There isn't a problem". The campaign is supported by five groups - the European Movement UK, the Joint Media Unit, Our Future Our Choice, For our Future's Sake and Wales for Europe and Open Britain - of which Mr Rudd is chair. Over the weekend, the Financial Times reported that two senior figures of the campaign - Mr Baldwin, the former top adviser to Ed Miliband when he was Labour leader, and James McGrory, ex-deputy PM Nick Clegg's former top adviser - had been asked to leave by Mr Rudd. Mr Baldwin told the Today programme that although Mr Rudd "technically controls my contract, he didn't appoint me, he doesn't pay me" and added he was still planning to go into work. He added it was "extraordinary that Roland Rudd is acting like this is his campaign". "He is making the mistake a lot of businessmen do when they dabble in politics, which is to think, because they have a certain title and board they own the campaign," he said. He also accused the Liberal Democrats of "playing some strange games" with the campaign, referring to their bid to have an election on 9 December. Mr Rudd, who made his fortune as the founder of a financial PR firm, said "there is a problem when someone comes on this show and says the Lib Dems are no longer part of the People's Vote". "The key thing now is that we have to keep our eyes set on the prize. "We have every chance of getting that prize which is to get it back to the people - the more people see this deal the more they see its flaws." Asked if he had fired Mr Baldwin, Mr Rudd responded that "he has an opportunity for a different type of role". The BBC has been told that both Mr Baldwin and Mr McGrory were at the People's Vote offices on Monday morning, as their 40 staff gathered for a meeting. Tweeting in support of Mr Baldwin, People's Vote campaigner and ex-adviser to Tony Blair Alastair Campbell said "after his [Mr Rudd's] rare visit to the building today it is to be hoped those actually working for a second referendum rather than talking about it to their business pals (none of whom have made donations for months) can get on with their jobs and put this silly episode behind us".

A public row has broken out at the top of the People's Vote campaign for another EU referendum.

The £11.3m station would be served by a local service between Leamington Spa and Coventry. The government has set aside a total of £20m to pay for 75% of the cost of either building or renovating stations in England and Wales. The rest of the money for the scheme would come from the county council. It is hoped work would begin on the site by autumn next year if the authority is successful with its New Stations Fund bid. Councillor Peter Butlin, the Conservative-run council's portfolio holder for transport and highways, said: "With the introduction of the new train service, the benefits are going to be felt over a much wider area as it will help relieve overcrowding on existing services. "It is also going to provide better access to employment opportunities in the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region and support economic growth."

Warwickshire County Council has bid for £5m of government money to go towards the construction of a new railway station in Kenilworth.

It also invited cities to compete to host one of three trials of the tech, which would start at the same time. In addition, ministers ordered a review of the UK's road regulations to provide appropriate guidelines. The Department for Transport had originally pledged to let self-driving cars be trialled on public roads by the end of 2013. Business Secretary Vince Cable revealed the details of the new plan at a research facility belonging to Mira, an automotive engineering firm based in the Midlands. "Today's announcement will see driverless cars take to our streets in less than six months, putting us at the forefront of this transformational technology and opening up new opportunities for our economy and society," he said. UK engineers, including a group at the University of Oxford, have been experimenting with driverless cars. But, concerns about legal and insurance issues have so far restricted the machines to private roads. Other countries have, however, been swifter to provide access to public routes. The US States of California, Nevada and Florida have all approved tests of the vehicles. In California alone, Google's driverless car has done more than 300,000 miles on the open road. In 2013, Nissan carried out Japan's first public road test of an autonomous vehicle on a highway. And in Europe, the Swedish city of Gothenburg has given Volvo permission to test 100 driverless cars - although that trial is not scheduled to occur until 2017. Competition cash UK cities wanting to host one of the trials have until the start of October to declare their interest. The tests are then intended to run for between 18 to 36 months. A £10m fund has been created to cover their costs, with the sum to be divided between the three winners. Meanwhile, civil servants have been given until the end of this year to publish a review of road regulations. This will cover the need for self-drive vehicles to comply with safety and traffic laws, and involve changes to the Highway Code, which applies to England, Scotland and Wales. Two area will be examined by the review: how the rules should apply to vehicles in which the driver can take back control at short notice, and how they should apply to vehicles in which there is no driver. How do driverless cars work? The label "driverless vehicle" actually covers a lot of different premises. Indeed, the cruise control, automatic braking, anti-lane drift and self-parking functions already built into many vehicles offer a certain degree of autonomy. But the term is generally used to refer to vehicles that take charge of steering, accelerating, indicating and braking during most if not all of a journey between two points, much in the same way aeroplanes can be set to autopilot. Unlike the skies, however, the roads are much more crowded, and a range of technologies are being developed to tackle the problem. One of the leading innovations is Lidar (light detection and ranging), a system that measures how lasers bounce off reflective surfaces to capture capture information about millions of small points surrounding the vehicle every second. The technology is already used to create the online maps used by Google and Nokia. Another complimentary technique is "computer vision" - the use of software to make sense of 360-degree images captured by cameras attached to the vehicle, which can warn of pedestrians, cyclists, roadworks and other objects that might be in the vehicle's path. Autonomous vehicles can also make use of global-positioning system (GPS) location data from satellites; radar; ultrasonic sensors to detect objects close to the car; and further sensors to accurately measure the vehicle's orientation and the rotation of its wheels, to help it understand its exact location. The debate now is whether to allow cars, like the prototype unveiled by Google in May, to abandon controls including a steering wheel and pedals and rely on the vehicle's computer. Or whether, instead, to allow the machine to drive, but insist a passenger be ready to wrest back control at a moment's notice. International rivals In May, Google unveiled plans to manufacture 100 self-driving vehicles. The search-giant exhibited a prototype which has no steering wheel or pedals - just a stop-go button. Google has also put its autonomous driving technology in cars built by other companies, including Toyota, Audi and Lexus. Other major manufacturers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and General Motors, are developing their own models. Most recently, the Chinese search engine Baidu also declared an interest, saying its research labs were at an "early stage of development" on a driverless car project. But concerns about the safety of driverless cars have been raised by politicians in the US and elsewhere. Earlier this month, the FBI warned that driverless cars could be used as lethal weapons, predicting that the vehicles "will have a high impact on transforming what both law enforcement and its adversaries can operationally do with a car".

The UK government has announced that driverless cars will be allowed on public roads from January next year.

By Leo KelionTechnology reporter The engineers sent two dogs fitted with harnesses containing the robot into a simulated collapsed building. The dogs then released the equipment, allowing the robot to wriggle free. The researchers hope the technology will one day be used to locate people trapped in places inaccessible to dogs. They are working to make the robot faster over rubble and other debris. A video of the experiment has been posted online by Carnegie Mellon University's biorobotics lab. Undulating joints The test used the latest in a series of "modular snake robots" developed at the Pittsburgh-based research centre over the past decade. The machines are designed to move through their surrounding environment by altering the angles of the links that chain together the different segments of their bodies. This is designed to mirror the way their natural counterparts move through "lateral undulation", the synchronised muscle contractions used by snakes that allow them to appear to be gliding over the ground. "Snake robots can use their many internal degrees of freedom to thread through tightly packed volumes, accessing locations that people and machinery otherwise cannot use," the researchers wrote. "Moreover, these highly articulated devices can co-ordinate their internal degrees of freedom to perform a variety of locomotion capabilities that go beyond the capabilities of conventional wheeled and the recently developed legged robots." The search-and-rescue test involved sending the dogs through a concrete pipe into the "collapsed building" at the Teex Disaster City emergency-response training centre in Texas. They had been trained to bark when they found a point of interest. When they did so, the harnessed unlocked and deployed the robots, which then sent back a video feed via an attached wire linking the machine to its operators. One of the problems faced by the researchers was that as the robot twisted itself about, the video also rotated, making it difficult to navigate the machine. However, the researchers told the BBC they had since come up with a software-based fix that ensured the video would always appear the right way up, whatever way the robot's camera was angled. Previous tests by the team have involved launching one of its snake robots up a tree, which it gripped onto. The machine was able to do this thanks to accelerometers built into its segments, which detected when it hit the tree's bark. This then triggered a coiling action, wrapping the robot's body around a branch to prevent it falling off. Earlier robots have successfully navigated their way through the inside of pipes, crawled into storm drains and swum through water while protected by a "waterproof skin". Sniff and search Carnegie Mellon University is not the only organisation seeking to equip search-and-rescue dogs with the latest technology. Berkshire-based firm Wood & Douglas has developed a video camera designed to be strapped onto a rescue dog's head to stream live footage back to base. "Anything that can help an earthquake or disaster situation should be welcomed," said Chris Bignell, a spokesman for the company. "We saw such a situation in Bangladesh last week where a building collapsed and a number of levels fell on top of each other. "Whatever would speed up the process of being able to search everywhere in such an emergency is going to be helpful. "But the advantage of still using rescue dogs is that they are trained to sniff out victims and locate them even if they can't see them, which you wouldn't get just by using a robot."

US researchers working on a snake-like robot have tested pairing it with a search-and-rescue dog.

John Cowdall is the second major figure from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) to resign this month. George Nasmyth's resignation as medical director was announced on Friday. Reports by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expressed "serious" concerns over maternity and emergency care at the trust in the past. MP Tim Farron said he was concerned the latest CQC report, due to be published later this month, will also be highly critical, without recognising the trust's progress. Mr Cowdall was appointed chair of the trust at the beginning of last year. Report 'worries' In January, the CQC found the trust had failed to act on two warning notices about "unacceptable" staff shortages on a ward at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. The trust has also been the subject of investigations and inspections over the deaths of a number of babies at Furness General Hospital in Barrow. Mr Cowdall said that by the end of June, the trust would have finalised its plans to improve hospital services. "I believe that this is now the right time for me to hand over to a new person to lead the board and Council of Governors in the delivery phase of this work programme," he said. He believes that in his time as chair the hospitals have already been through "a significant period of improvement". South Lakes MP Tim Farron, whose constituency is covered by the trust, praised the work Mr Cowdall has done to try to turn the organisation around. "I am worried about the CQC report as I've heard that it does not show or acknowledge the progress that the trust has made," the Liberal Democrat MP said. The latest CPC report was based on inspections carried out over three days in February, and will include feedback from patients.

The chair of a troubled NHS trust running four hospitals in Lancashire and Cumbria is stepping down.

The porcine tribute - dubbed Ed Sheer-ham - fetched £6,200 at a charity auction last week. Some suspected the Thinking Out Loud singer, who described the design as "awesome" before it went under the hammer, was the winning bidder. Staff at St Elizabeth Hospice, in Ipswich, confirmed an "excited" Sheeran had porked out the cash. Rachel Backshall, from the hospice, said it was "a question everyone has been asking" since the auction. "Did Ed buy his pig?" she said. "We were wondering if he would want to buy it, but then he said he would sign the pig for the winner - he was very good at keeping everyone guessing. "Ed has said that he is really excited about winning the pig and helping the hospice and that it will have pride of place." The sculpture was one of 39 which formed the Pigs Gone Wild art trail in Ipswich. About 300 people attended the auction at Trinity Park in Ipswich last week, which raised £152,550 for the hospice. A pig's gallery

A pig-shaped statue of Ed Sheeran was bought by the singer himself, it has emerged.

It spent £326,306 in the year up to the 8 June 2017 poll, compared with UKIP's £273,104 and the Greens' £285,662. It said its campaign opposing school funding cuts had "delivered results" by forcing ministers to find more money. The Conservatives outspent Labour by £18.5m to £11m during the recorded period while the Lib Dems spent £6.78m. The 2017 election resulted in a Hung Parliament and the Conservatives having to ditch a number of manifesto proposals including scrapping free school lunches for infant children from better-off families. The NUT, which has since merged with the ATL to form the National Education Union, said its spending had been justified in forcing changes to education priorities. "Our election spending was on the successful school cuts campaign which made school funding a high profile election issue, changed 750,000 votes at the election, and resulted in the government stumping up another £1.3bn for schools in July," Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the NUT section of the NEU, said. The Electoral Commission figures outline recorded spending of more than £250,000 by political parties and non-party campaigners during the regulated period, between 9 June 2016 and 8 June 2017. They show that the anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, founded by campaigner Gina Miller, spent £353,118. Both the NUT and Best for Britain are under investigation by the watchdog for submitting an incomplete spending return while Best for Britain is also facing questions for not returning a £25,000 donation from an impermissible donor within the 30 days required by electoral law. Who spent what during the 2017 general election period The watchdog is also investigating potential breaches by the Conservatives, Labour, and Green Party relating to statements of payments made and by the Conservatives and Lib Dems for late payments to suppliers. The Women's Equality Party - which spent £285,662 - is under investigation for registering a spending return that was inconsistent with its reported donations. In all these cases, the Electoral Commission said it would determine whether electoral law had been broken and impose sanctions if necessary. But the watchdog said the major political parties "may wish to consider the robustness of their internal governance and level of resourcing to ensure they can deliver what the law requires". Prime Minister Theresa May's decision in April last year to call a snap election caught many people unawares. Nevertheless, total spending in 2017 - including by parties and campaigners which spent less than £250,000 - totalled £41,587,450, more than £2m higher than at the 2015 election. Labour, UKIP and the Green Party all spent less than during the 2015 campaign but the Conservatives' expenditure increased by 19% while the Lib Dems spent 83% more than two years earlier. The SNP spent £1.62m during the recorded period, about 10% more than during the 2015 poll.

The National Union of Teachers spent more on campaigning in the run-up to last year's general election than either UKIP or the Green Party.

A mother of four alleges she was raped by a group of men because she voted for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party in last week's poll. The election night attack has triggered protests and anger on social media. The men have denied the accusations, and the Awami League leader has been expelled from the party. The Awami League won a landslide victory in last Sunday's election, which was marred by violence, intimidation and vote rigging claims. At least 17 people died in clashes between ruling party and opposition supporters. On Friday, the UN expressed concern over what it described as reprisals against the political opposition by ruling party activists after the elections. What happened? The woman's husband lodged a complaint last week saying that a group of men forced their way into the family home in Noakhali district, tied him and their four children up, and sexually assaulted her in the middle of the night. Neighbours helped the family after the attackers left, and the woman, 35, was taken to hospital. According to reports, she was allegedly warned by the men earlier that day, while at a polling centre, not to vote for the opposition candidate. She told local media she particularly angered Ruhul Amin, the Awami League's former local leader, and he later sent his accomplices to attack her. What is the reaction? Opposition groups have held protests in the capital Dhaka and in Noakhali since news of the gang rape broke. They are now calling on the ruling party to apologise on behalf of its men. "Countless leaders and activists were injured in attacks before and after the poll, and even a mother of four children was not spared the brutality of gang-raping," Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party told journalists after meeting the woman on Saturday. Local Awami League leaders had denied the allegations against them and their supporters, but decided on Friday to expel Mr Amin after his arrest. Why was this election important? Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured her third consecutive term in the December election, with her party and its allies winning almost all of the 300 parliamentary seats contested. The opposition alliance, which won just seven seats, condemned the disputed vote as "farcical" and demanded a fresh vote. There were claims of vote-rigging, and a BBC correspondent saw filled ballot boxes at a polling centre before polls opened. The lead-up to the election saw violence between rival supporters and a crackdown on dissent by a government that critics say has only grown more authoritarian during its 10 years in power.

A court in Bangladesh has remanded seven men in custody, including a local leader of the governing Awami League party, over a suspected gang rape.

Ringleader Radu Dogaru and accomplice Eugen Darie had already admitted stealing seven paintings from the Kunsthal Museum in Rotterdam last year. They told the Bucharest court that security at the museum was very lax. The paintings, including works by Picasso, Gauguin and Matisse, have not been found and may have been burnt. Dogaru and Darie, who were not in court to hear the sentencing, were convicted of aggravated theft and "taking part in a criminal organisation". They were ordered to pay 6,000 lei (£1,130) in court costs. It was in October 2012 that thieves broke in through a rear emergency exit of the museum, grabbed the paintings off the wall and fled within minutes. Dogaru told the court that security had been "practically non-existent" and he had "entered... just with a screwdriver". Darie took the paintings to Romania hidden in pillowcases, the court heard, and they tried to sell them on several occasions but without success. Eventually, an art expert alerted the police leading to a series of arrests. The trial of three others resumes next month. One of them has already pleaded guilty. Dogaru's mother, Olga, also faces trial accused of destroying the works. She originally told investigators she burned the paintings but later denied it. However, experts from Romania's National History Museum said ashes retrieved from her stove included the remains of three oil paintings and nails from frames used before the end of the 19th Century.

Two Romanian men involved in one of the most spectacular art thefts in recent years have each been jailed for six years and eight months.

Tony Tyler called for drone regulations to be put in place before any serious accidents occur. He said the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles is still evolving. "I am as excited as you are about the prospect of having pizza delivered by a drone," he told a conference in Singapore. "But we cannot allow [drones] to be a hindrance or safety threat to commercial aviation," said Mr Tyler, director-general of the International Air Transport Association. "The issue is real. We have plenty of pilot reports of drones where they were not expected, particularly at low altitudes around airports," he added. "There is no denying that there is a real and growing threat to the safety of civilian aircraft [coming from drones]. "We need a sensible approach to regulation and a pragmatic method of enforcement for those who disregard rules and regulations and put others in danger." Drones were recently involved in four serious near-misses at UK airports, the UK Air Proximity Board said in January. The board, which investigates near-miss incidents in UK airspace, said a drone had come very close to colliding with a Boeing 737 that had taken off from Stansted airport. IATA's primary concern is drones flying at low altitudes near airports that could threaten planes taking off or landing, Rob Eagles of Iata said. US register Aviation regulators also want to make sure that the radio spectrum used to control the drones does not interfere with air traffic control systems, he said. In December the US government set up a registration system for Americans who own drones. Anyone who has a drone must register with the Federal Aviation Administration before the device takes its first flight. Owners have until Friday to register their details or face being fined. The move comes after several reported incidents of drones hindering emergency services' efforts in fighting fires and other dangers.

Drones flown by the general public are "a real and growing threat" to civilian aircraft, the head of aviation trade body Iata has warned.

A suspicious object was discovered in the Racecourse Road area at about 02:00 GMT on Monday morning. Army bomb experts examined the object before it was declared a hoax. It has been taken away for further examination. Police believe the alert may be linked to an earlier hijacking in the Cornshell Fields area of Derry. A silver Mitsubishi Outlander was hijacked by four masked men on Ballyarnett Road at about 21:30 on Sunday. The vehicle was later found burnt out in the Racecourse Road area. Det Inspt Finlay said: "I am appealing to anyone who was in the Cornshell Fields area at around 9:30pm and witnessed the incident or, who saw the vehicle being driven away, to get in touch with us. "I would also appeal to anyone who may have been on Racecourse Road and saw the vehicle there, where it was located burnt out, to call our detectives at Strand Road on 101, quoting reference number 1379 of 10/01/21."

A security alert in Londonderry has ended and been declared an "elaborate hoax" by police.

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) agreed changes, including the closure of Poole's A&E, in October. The county council's health scrutiny committee said it had concerns about the loss of beds and services, and recommended a review. However, the authority's joint committee said it would not be referred to the secretary of state for health. Under the plans, Poole Hospital will lose its A&E, maternity and paediatric services to Bournemouth, which will become the main emergency hospital, with Poole becoming a centre for planned treatment and operations. 'Suffer massively' The CCG also agreed Dorset County Hospital should find ways to share its paediatric and maternity departments with Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset. Changes to mental health acute care include the closure and relocation of beds at the Linden unit in Weymouth and the creation of extra inpatient beds at St Ann's Hospital in Poole and Forston Clinic near Dorchester. The decision not to have a review was made at a meeting on Tuesday at county hall in Dorchester, where a protest by opponents to the scheme was also held. Campaigner Naomi Patterson said: "People from the west side of the county will suffer massively if we've got to travel to the east of the county. "We've got a lot of mums on Portland who have had a lot of premature labours and they say that they just would never have made it if they'd have had to travel to Bournemouth." The changes are aimed at avoiding a projected funding shortfall of £158m by 2021. Opponents now hope to launch an application for a judicial review at the High Court within weeks.

An attempt to have a decision to reorganise Dorset NHS hospital services reviewed by the government has failed.

Freya Whiteford was the only female among the four students representing the University of Glasgow when they took on and beat Emmanuel College, Cambridge. But having appeared on the quiz, which aims to find the most intelligent students in the country, physics student Freya was stunned when it was not her brainpower being discussed on social media, but her hair. However, the part-time library worker from Bonnybridge, near Falkirk, refused to be intimidated, meeting critical comments with witty answers. Freya, who studies physics and astrophysics, was excited to see her team's episode aired on TV. Even before the show started she tweeted that she could be identified as "the one that people will tell to get a haircut". But she admits she was surprised by the reaction. Speaking on the BBC's Stephen Jardine Programme, she said: "We were all watching the episode together, the whole team and all our friends in the university union pub. "I thought I might live-tweet it because I heard the captain of the Emmanuel College team might do that so I thought I would join in. "And then I refreshed my Twitter feed to see a huge line of Gifs of Cousin Itt from the Addams Family." One person wrote: "Feel like if you pull on Whiteford's necklace, her hair will slide across and cover her face like curtains." Freya made light of it, answering: "Thank you for the party trick inspiration." Some of the comments she found funny and she responded by joking that she could hide 12 pencils in her hair. But others she said were more offensive. She said: "It started off very jokey. Someone said 'I want to put serum in your hair' and then a whole flood saying to keep it that way, and that's been reassuring. "It is literally most of what people can see in me so I can certainly understand people wanting to talk about it, but the amount of attention it's been getting is bigger than I would have imagined. "It's very strange. I got a message to tell me the the Daily Mail had written a Femail article about the length of my hair and the reactions to it. And then the Independent wrote an article about that article. It's all been very surreal." Because the Glasgow team won their round - by 200 points to 175 - it means the nation will get to see Freya on TV again. So is she tempted to go for a re-style? No way. Freya said: "I think I will grow it longer. "It feels like the time to do it."

A student who appeared on University Challenge has hit back after her hair became a hot topic on social media.

Oxfordshire County Council has joined forces with new operator HourBike Ltd to bring back the OxonBike scheme, which has 30 cycles available to hire from seven locations around Headington. The £150,000 project was originally launched in June last year, but the two-year pilot was cut short five months later when operator Grand Scheme Bike Share went into liquidation. Hourbike will run it for a year. David Nimmo Smith, the county's cabinet member for transport, said: "When the scheme launched last year around 500 people signed up, so I am sure that those people will be very keen to get back in the saddle. "Commuters who use Thornhill Park and Ride and who travel in and around Headington to places like the universities and hospitals will find OXONBIKE particularly useful." The cost of hiring the bikes is free for the first 30 minutes. The scheme has been funded by the government through its Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

A bike hire scheme has been relaunched in Oxford six months after it folded.

Sammy Woodhouse, who was abused by a Rotherham sex gang, said her criminal record prevents her from "moving forward" and wants a change in the law. She also believes fear of prosecution deters people from seeking help. Her campaign has received the backing of South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and chief constable. More stories from across Yorkshire In a letter to Ms Woodhouse, Dr Alan Billings and Stephen Watson said they were "in favour" of her efforts to bring about a change in the law. They said: "We believe that the concept of 'Sammy's Law' would provide vital reassurance to victims and survivors that the abuse they suffered in the past will not continue to impact their future." Dr Billings also told the BBC: "They [victims] were extremely vulnerable and were let down badly by all the authorities at that time and we have to do everything we possibly can to make it possible for them to lead a better life. "Some of them now have families of their own and are determined to make something of their lives, so if we can give them some support then I will back them." Dr Billings added that he has "no idea" if a change in the law is likely, but said a criminal record "weighs [the victims] down". The campaign has also been backed by the chief constable of Bedfordshire Police, Jon Boutcher. 'Victim blaming' Ms Woodhouse, 32, was abused for years by Rotherham grooming gang leader Arshid Hussain from when she was 14 years old. During that time she was groomed to commit crimes and consequently has a criminal record, she said. "Sammy's Law is about having something in place nationally that will stop children from being charged or convicted whilst they are being groomed and forced to commit a crime," she added. "As a child I was mentally, physically and sexually abused and also groomed to commit crimes. "I'm asking for the things that are on my criminal record to be wiped off. It's another way of victim blaming and it prevents us from moving forward. "I've got my justice and now I want to be able to fully move forward, but I can't do that with a criminal record." She said she planned to write to all chief constables and PCCs for their support and hopes to secure a meeting with Home Secretary Amber Rudd. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We will consider Ms Woodhouse's situation and respond to her directly in due course."

Calls for child sex abuse victims to be pardoned for crimes they committed while being groomed have been backed by South Yorkshire Police bosses.

The singer was on the receiving end of more than 4,000 complaints when she started on the show in July. Most were unhappy about the BBC's decision to replace Arlene Phillips, while others criticised Dixon's first appearance, saying she didn't have enough experience to be a judge. Dixon, 31, admitted she was happy the controversy had died down and that viewers now seemed to accept her. "I think with anything in life you have to prove yourself worthy of a position," she said. "I always knew at the beginning that it would never be an easy ride and I knew that I had to show strength and rise above the negativity. Hopefully I've done that." The singer, who won the show in 2007 with dance partner Matthew Cutler, said she felt reasonably confident she'd be back for the next series. "I'm loving it now and I'm genuinely going to be quite sad when the series is over," she admitted. "I'd absolutely love to do Strictly next year. The BBC has been pleased with my performance so hopefully they'll have me back." Whittle arrest The seventh series of the show has been one of the most eventful of recent years. Several contestants have picked up injuries, a romance blossomed between Joe Calzaghe and his dance partner and last week actor Ricky Whittle was arrested on suspicion of attacking a photographer. However, Dixon said she didn't think Whittle's arrest was the reason for his appearance in the bottom two last week. She added: "It's interesting that I started out as the most controversial part of the show and that's actually in the background now. "Injuries and all sorts have taken over, so it has been eventful but that's life." Despite her high profile appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, Dixon said the highlight of 2009 had been her "exhilarating" debut solo tour. The Boy Does Nothing singer said she was planning to stay busy with her pop career in the new year and was heading into the studio in January to record her second album. "I'm very blessed to do what I do", she admitted. "So the busier the better as far as I'm concerned. I'll rest when I'm older!"

Strictly Come Dancing's Alesha Dixon has admitted she's relieved at having "proved herself" as a judge on the show.

Trick or treaters are urged to only knock doors where welcome posters - available from police - are displayed. Officers are contacting shops about the sale of eggs and flour over Halloween, and are also warning about firework dangers. Patrols will be stepped up and Dyfed-Powys Police said it would react quickly to any anti-social behaviour. The force is working with the fire service and local authorities as part of the "Be a Nice Guy" (B.A.N.G.) campaign. Vulnerable Sgt Mark McSweeney said: "We know that instances of anti-social behaviour can increase at this time of year and some communities can suffer more than others. "Also fireworks in the wrong hands can cause misery as they are used to damage property as well as threaten or injure people." He added: "While Halloween can undoubtedly be a great deal of fun, it can also be a particularly distressing time of year for some of the more vulnerable members of our communities - especially the elderly. "Trick or treaters are therefore being urged to only knock on doors where the poster is displayed." Trick or treat posters can be obtained by calling neighbourhood policing teams on 101.

Police have issued a warning against anti-social behaviour over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period.

Irish President Michael D Higgins signed the abortion referendum bill into law on Tuesday. In May, the country voted overwhelmingly to overturn the abortion ban by 66.4% to 33.6%. - a landslide win for the repeal side. The Eighth Amendment had granted an equal right to life to the mother and the unborn child. With the repeal of the Eighth, the Irish government's recommendation is that women will be able to access a termination within the first 12 weeks of their pregnancy. President Higgins signed the 36th Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018. Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar told the Dáil (Irish Parliament) on Tuesday that legislation would be introduced in the first week of October. Mr Varadkar said the timeline would mean services would be in place in the new year. Anti-abortion groups called the May referendum result a ''tragedy of historic proportions''. One group said it was already making plans to protest outside abortion clinics when they eventually open in Ireland. The result in the Republic has shone a light on Northern Ireland's similarly strict abortion laws. There have been calls for UK Prime Minister Theresa May to step in. From October, Northern Ireland will be the only part of the British Isles with an almost blanket ban on terminations.

The Eighth Amendment which effectively banned abortion in the Republic of Ireland has been formally repealed.

He told the BBC he hoped powers being sought by ministers in the Internal Market Bill would never be needed, as a solution could be found with the EU. He said he would resign if the UK ended up breaking international law "in a way I find unacceptable". But he made clear he did "not believe we will get to that stage". The UK has insisted there must be no new checks on goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain when it leaves the EU's single market and customs union on 1 January. The Internal Market Bill, to be debated by MPs on Monday, would give ministers the power to reduce the amount of paperwork that Northern Irish firms have to fill in on goods bound for the mainland, such as export and exit declarations, or to remove the need for them entirely. It would also allow the UK to modify or re-interpret "state aid" rules on subsidies for firms in Northern Ireland, in the event of the two sides not agreeing a future trade deal. It is controversial because it would change the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol, a crucial part of the legally-binding Withdrawal Agreement agreed by both sides prior to the UK's exit from the EU on 31 January. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the EU is interpreting the Protocol in a way that would impose a customs border in the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the EU could not have been "clearer" when the two sides agreed the Brexit withdrawal agreement last year what the implications would be for Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. 'Break the glass in an emergency' Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Buckland said the government would only invoke the powers in the Bill if the two sides could not reach agreement through their dispute resolution process and if the EU then went on to act in an "unreasonable" way. "I believe with our determination to seek an agreement, we will get a position where we don't need to invoke these provisions. This is all about insurance planning, if you like, a break-the-glass-in-an-emergency provision". He acknowledged there was a "dichotomy" between the UK's positions in domestic and international law but insisted he believed these would be resolved. Pressed on whether he would quit if the UK did end up breaking international law, he replied: "If I see the rule of law being broken in a way which I find unacceptable, then of course I will go. We are not at that stage." He added: "I don't believe we will get to that stage. I know in my mind what we have to do... We have to resolve any conflict and that is what we will do." Food exports row But Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said the UK would be "reneging" on legally-binding commitments if the bill passed and rejected as "completely bogus" claims the Withdrawal Agreement was a threat to its territorial integrity and the Northern Irish peace process. A further rift has opened up between the UK and EU over the issue of food exports to the continent from 1 January - when the current post-Brexit transition period ends. Mr Barnier said it was not true the EU was threatening to effectively block products of animal origin from crossing the channel by withholding the "third country" licence granted to nations outside the bloc. However, his British counterpart David Frost said the UK had not been given a guarantee that trade would continue as now. In a series of messages on Twitter, the PM's chief Brexit negotiator suggested under the EU's proposed arrangements, British firms risked not being able to export food from the mainland to Northern Ireland either. Although the government has a comfortable majority of 80 in the House of Commons, it is facing a rebellion from Tory backbenchers over the Internal Market Bill, and its passage through the Lords is far from guaranteed. Pressure is mounting on those Conservative MPs who are sceptical about the legislation to oppose it in the Commons as well, with former prime ministers Tony Blair and Sir John Major calling it "shaming and embarrassing". Labour's Brexit spokeswoman, Rachel Reeves, told the BBC the party could not support the bill "as it stands" because it would be "deliberately and consciously breaking international law". She told the Andrew Marr programme it would be "counter-productive" to the UK trying to achieve a free trade agreement with the EU and others around the world. He added: "I don't believe we will get to that stage. I know in my mind what we have to do... We have to resolve any conflict and that is what we will do." What is third country listing? A 'third country' basically refers to any country outside the EU, and in this case outside its economic structures - the single market and the customs union. Businesses in a third country have to fill in customs declarations, for example, when they import from and export to the EU - whether there is a trade agreement or not. The EU also has a formal list of third countries that are approved for food imports - this is what third country listing means. The UK government says the EU is threatening not to put the UK on that list. And because under the terms of the EU withdrawal agreement Northern Ireland will stay within the rules of the EU single market, but the rest of the UK will not, that could mean no food imports from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The EU says it is not refusing to put the UK on the third country list - it says it is simply waiting to find out what the UK's import rules will be before it makes a decision. The row over third country listing has become linked to the row over the government's Internal Market Bill, even though the proposed legislation doesn't mention third country listing directly.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has defended plans to potentially override the EU Withdrawal Agreement as an emergency Brexit "insurance policy".

The National Trust said the Heritage Lottery Fund money means its plans for Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, can move forward. The funding will go towards the total £4m cost for the project, which is due to be completed in 2021. Sutton Hoo is believed to be the final resting place of the 7th Century King Raedwald of East Anglia. Suffolk Coastal council has given planning permission for a permanent tower to replace a temporary, smaller platform built in 2015. The National Trust has also been given approval to improve the welcome centre and build new experiences in the exhibition hall. As part of the project, called Releasing the Story of Sutton Hoo, there will be a new route around the site which the Trust said will allow visitors to "walk in the steps of the Anglo-Saxons". Tranmer House, the former home of Edith Pretty who instigated the dig that led to the discoveries, will be transformed with a new exhibition exploring a timeline of he finds and the ongoing research at Sutton Hoo and other archaeological sites. Allison Girling, property operations manager at Sutton Hoo, said: "These plans are all about sharing more about the history of this special place, helping visitors delve deeper into the lives of the Anglo-Saxons who settled here, the people who discovered them and to learn more about what it is that makes Sutton Hoo so fascinating." Sutton Hoo's history The discovery was made in 1939 when the landowner Edith Pretty asked archaeologist Basil Brown to investigate the largest of several mounds on her property. Among the many finds were the buried boat which contained the remains of a warrior's helmet, which is kept in the British Museum. It is thought the ship was hauled to the site from the nearby River Deben.

A project to build a 17m (56ft) viewing tower at one of the country's most archaeologically significant finds has been given a £1.8m grant.

A result of a preliminary post mortem exam showed the father-of-three died from a stab wound, the Warwickshire force said. Officers were called to Vernons Lane, Nuneaton, at 09:45 GMT on Tuesday. A 29-year-old man from Nuneaton is under arrest on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. On attending the scene, police learned two people - Mr Darby and another man, 24, both from Nuneaton - had gone to hospital, where Mr Darby later died. Police said the 24-year-old, who was also stabbed, remained in a stable condition in hospital where he was under arrest on suspicion of violent disorder. Mr Darby's family said: "Bradd was a much loved dad, partner, brother, son and friend. "He will be especially missed by his dad; they were best friends and inseparable. "We are broken hearted and will always love him and miss him." Police said the disturbance happened on the corner of Barpool Road and Vernons Lane. Two other men from Nuneaton, aged 52 and 30, are under arrest on suspicion of violent disorder.

A man who died after a street disturbance in which another man was seriously hurt has been named by police as 30-year-old Bradd Darby.

Hosted by CBBC presenter Cel Spellman, the new show will split into two parts, one devoted to new pop music with the other playing number one hits. The 19-year-old called his new posting "a privilege and an honour". The Official Chart will move to Fridays on 10 July to coincide with a new global release day for music. Presenter Greg James will kick off at 16:00 BST every Friday as 45 countries launch New Music Fridays. Spellman made his Radio 1 debut in 2013, standing in for Dan and Phil on Radio 1's Request Show. He presents CBBC's Friday Download and the CBBC Official Chart. Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper said: "Radio 1 and CBBC are changing the way radio and TV work together to create great content for young new music fans on their radio and phone. "Cel has proven how influential he is to young audiences and I can't wait for him to start." Spellman said: "The best station on national radio has been responsible for introducing me to so much incredible and varied music over the years, I just hope I can return the favour and help make those car journeys a little more memorable for the listeners with a mix of fun, top tunes and a little bit of cheeky chat!"

Radio 1 has announced a new Sunday show which will replace the current Official Chart slot when it moves to Fridays next month.

By Mai NomanBBC Trending On Saturday, US special forces carried out an operation in central Yemen targeting the house of a suspected leader of the jihadist group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). It was the first such raid authorised by the Trump administration. US officials initially said an estimated 14 al-Qaeda militants were killed, as well as one Navy Seal commando. But on Wednesday, they acknowledged that an investigation team had "concluded regrettably that civilian non-combatants were likely killed" too, adding that children might have been among the casualties. Yemeni medics and officials had earlier said that at least 10 women and children were killed. But it was the locally-reported death of one particular individual - eight-year-old Nawar al-Awlaki - that provoked particular fury among Yemenis. Her grandfather, Nasser al-Awlaki, told several news outlets that Nawar was shot in the neck during the raid. In an interview with the Guardian, he added that he did not believe the US special forces members had meant to kill his granddaughter. Nawar's uncle, Ammar al-Awlaki, also wrote about upsetting details of how he said she had died in a Facebook post that was widely shared in Yemen. The al-Qaeda connection Nawar's father, Anwar al-Awlaki, was a Yemeni-American cleric and suspected senior al-Qaeda leader who was touted as a potential successor to Osama bin Laden before being killed in a US drone strike in 2011. The strike was said to have been personally ordered by President Obama. Two weeks after the strike, his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman - also an American citizen - was killed by another US drone. Some Yemenis on social media denounced the US, accusing it of targeting the Awlaki children because of their father's activities. "Trump killed Nawar six years after Obama killed her brother... who was killed while eating dinner at an outdoor restaurant," read one Facebook post. "Way to go America, keep making America great again." More from BBC Trending Visit the Trending Facebook page The killing of Abdulrahman al-Awlaki drew international criticism, with some journalists claiming that he was not a member of the militant group and had no part of his father's activities - although this has never been verified. Human rights groups, like the American Civil Liberties Union, raised questions as to why Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was killed. A US administration official speaking on condition of anonymity to the Washington Post described Abdulrahman al-Awlaki as a bystander who was "in the wrong place at the wrong time". President Obama was asked by Mother Jones magazine journalist Nick Baumann during a Reddit AMA in 2012 what he had thought about the teen's death. The question received hundreds of votes from Redditors, yet remained unanswered. Now, there similar criticism over the reported killing of eight-year-old Nawar. Photos said to be of her lifeless body have been shared widely online. "Why kill children? This is the new [US] administration - it's very sad, a big crime," her grandfather told local media. War, famine and visa bans Nawar's death comes as a war in Yemen between the government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthi rebel movement enters its third year. The UN says more than 10,000 people have been killed and that 21 million are in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance. While Nawar's death was a leading topic of conversation among Yemenis on social media, the travel ban did not escape notice. "I would rather have a 100 bans then to have this happen again," wrote one Facebook user. Propaganda boost The think tank International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report on Thursday that the US raid may have given AQAP a propaganda boost, playing into the militant group's "narrative of defending Muslims against the West" and potentially increasing "anti-US sentiment". Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis told reporters that the operation "was specifically to enable us to gather the information we needed to be able to map out this group better, and to prevent future foreign terrorist attacks." Western intelligence agencies consider AQAP the most dangerous branch of al-Qaeda because of its technical expertise and global reach. Next story: No... it's not Trump's brother So then who is this a picture of? READ MORE You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

While Donald Trump's decision to restrict entry into the US for 90 days for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries has been the dominant topic of conversation online in Yemen - one of the affected nations - another event involving Americans has also sparked widespread anger.

It follows years of cuts and uncertainty among the firm's workforce in Northern Ireland. BBC News NI looks at the company's background, and what the news could mean. How important is Bombardier to the Northern Ireland economy? Bombardier, and its predecessors Shorts, have been major employers in Northern Ireland for decades. In 2017, it was estimated that the wages of the company's employees put £158m into the local economy annually. How many people work for Bombardier in Northern Ireland? The company employs about 3,600 people in plane-making activities at a number of sites in and around Belfast. When suppliers are included, it is estimated to impact on 12,000 jobs. What does Bombardier do in Northern Ireland? Wings for Bombardier's A220 planes are made at the Belfast plant. The £520m facility was opened by former prime minister David Cameron in 2013. Have there been job losses at Bombardier in recent years? There have been several redundancy programmes at Bombardier in Northern Ireland since 215. In November 2018, the company said it would cut 490 jobs in Belfast. Earlier this year, unions called off an industrial action ballot when the company suspended compulsory redundancies. Timeline: Bombardier job losses May 2015: Firm announced a cut of at least 220 jobs due to a fall in demand for business jets. February 2016: It said it would lose about 20% of its NI workforce, with 580 jobs to go in 2016 and 500 in 2017. April 2016: Job cuts revised - from 580 to 630. September 2017: Another 95 redundancies announced. October 2017: Plan to cut another 280 jobs revealed. November 2018: A further 490 job cuts announced, but then shelved. What happens to Belfast's Bombardier operation now? In May 2019, the company said it was going to sell its Northern Ireland operation as part of a reorganisation of the business. At the time, Bombardier said it was consolidating all aerospace assets into a "single, streamlined and fully integrated business". In October, it was announced that the US firm Spirit AeroSystems had bought its aerostructures business, in a deal worth nearly £1bn. Spirit is paying $500m and taking on $700m of liabilities, including pension commitments. The firm's chief executive Tom Gentile said the Belfast operation brings "world-class engineering expertise to Spirit". "Belfast has developed an impressive position in business jet fuselage production, in addition to the world-acclaimed fully integrated A220 composite wing. "This acquisition is in line with our growth strategy of increasing Airbus content, developing low-cost country footprint, and growing our aftermarket business." The Belfast factory will also remain a major supplier to Bombardier's business jet programmes. The company said: "Spirit will continue to supply structural aircraft components and spare parts to support the production and in-service fleet of Bombardier Aviation's Learjet, Challenger and Global families of aircraft." As part of the deal, Bombardier will sell two aerostructure facilities - the Belfast plant and another in Morocco - along with a smaller repair plant in Dallas. The Belfast firm doesn't just make parts for Bombardier, they also supply external customers such as Airbus. In an interview last year, Bombardier Belfast director Michael Ryan said the Belfast factory would be capable of functioning as an outside supplier to Bombardier's business-jets division. Following news of the sale, Mr Ryan said employees would be updated about the implications of the deal in due course.

Bombardier's Northern Ireland operations have been sold to Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems, in a deal worth nearly £1bn.

He and four others were held as part of an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city. It is understood the Labour Party has suspended Mr Anderson pending the outcome of the case. The year-long police probe, Operation Aloft, has focussed on a number of property developers. Liverpool City Council said it was co-operating with Merseyside Police. A police statement said those arrested include two men, 33 and 62, both from Liverpool, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation. A 46-year-old man from Ainsdale has also been arrested on suspicion of the same offence. The other two arrested men are a 72-year-old man from Liverpool and a 25-year old from Ormskirk, who have been arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation. Developer Elliot Lawless was arrested in January 2019 and denied any wrongdoing. Elliot Lawless is currently released under investigation and was not one of the five arrested earlier on Friday. First elected mayor Councillor Richard Kemp, leader of the opposition Lib Dem group on Liverpool City Council, said Mr Anderson "should follow the precedence set by leaders of the council and other senior figures in such cases." "He should step away from the council and step away from his mayoralty while this goes through due legal process," he said. Mr Anderson joined the Merchant Navy after leaving school aged 16. He later studied for a degree in social work at Liverpool John Moores University and went on to become a social worker for Sefton Council in 1992. The father-of-four was Liverpool's first elected mayor in 2012 having served on the city council since 1998. His national profile been raised by his role in driving forward mass coronavirus testing in the city. Mr Anderson, whose brother Bill died recently of Covid-19, was praised for his response to the virus by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Liverpool's mayor Joe Anderson has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.

Broadcaster NBC confirmed she would be replacing Sharon Osbourne, who quit the NBC series over a decision to drop her son Jack from another reality show. Mel B, known as Scary Spice when she was part of the 1990s five piece British girl band the Spice Girls, will join shock jock Howard Stern and comedian Howie Mandel as a judge. NBC described Mel B as an "exciting addition". In a statement the network said: "Our line-up of judges promises that fans will see a strong, talented and opinionated woman match up against our equally outspoken judges." Mel B, whose real name is Melanie Brown, added in a statement: "It's so exciting to be bringing some Girl Power to the panel." The singer recently finished a stint as a stand-in judge at some auditions on The X Factor. Nationwide auditions for the new season of America's Got Talent will start on 4 March in New Orleans. It's thought the broadcaster wants to turn around audience figures after last year's finale was watched by a record low of under 11 million viewers, according to ratings data. But the show remained the top rated summer series among adults aged 18-49, the age group which is the most profitable for advertising. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter

Mel B is joining the judging panel of the TV show America's Got Talent.

By Natalie JamiesonBBC entertainment reporter Its TV rival The X Factor can silence any critics by simply whispering the words One Direction. The Voice happily shouts about Becky Hill, a semi-finalist from series one who had a number one with Oliver Heldens on the track Gecko (Overdrive). But Hill is not quite in the same league as 1D - yet. "It (The Voice) might not be churning out superstars to bridge the gap until the next series," explains one of the show's coaches, Ricky Wilson, "but I think that's a good thing. "We're building careers, I think," he goes on, "we're not building flash in the pans" before hastily adding "that's not at the detriment of anyone else by the way". Jermain Jackman, 19, won The Voice in 2014 and while he put out an EP last September, his first full album isn't released until March. "It's that whole sense of working hard in silence and letting your success make the noise," Jackman explains. He says he's been surprised at the amount of creative freedom he's been given on his debut, but is he prepared to be criticised if he doesn't get a number one with this first release? "I don't like that," he admits. "People can put a lot of pressure on you," Jackman adds, "but I'm not pressured, Amy Winehouse never had a number one but look how successful she was." Jermain Jackman was mentored on the show by will.i.am and while the pair are still in touch, Jackman doesn't like to bother him too much. "I'm a friend and a confidante," muses will.i.am about his role as a coach on The Voice. He then smiles as he breaks into a chorus of the theme to 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, realising he has echoed its lyrics. So does will.i.am think it's fair to measure the success of a TV talent show on hit singles it produces from its contestants? "Whether or not you have a massive hit after the show, shucks," he shrugs. "As artists we're worried about our hits too! Everybody is worried about a hit." One issue The Voice has had to confront from the outset, is that despite the show's name and its wholesome intentions, creating successful acts has a lot to do with image and branding as well. Coach Tom Jones says that has always been the case: "When I first came to London from Cardiff in 1964, they said curly hair doesn't work anymore," he explains, bemused. "I said, 'Wait a minute you haven't heard me sing yet,' and they said, 'Yeah but the Beatles and the Stones, you know, you're not boyish enough,' even though I was the same age as John Lennon. "So you're told because you don't look right for the time," Sir Tom concludes, "that you won't make it." One Delilah and a Green, Green Grass of Home later and the question of his curly hair no doubt had become irrelevant. Rita Ora is the newcomer to the coaching panel this year, replacing Kylie Minogue, who replaced Jessie J. It wasn't a decision she took lightly. "I had to speak to will (i.am) about it first," Ora says "because I didn't know if I wanted to take that pressure on and be responsible". It means Ora could find herself responsible for mentoring this year's winner, who, with any luck, will be as philosophical about making it in the music industry as Jermain Jackman. "These things take time and care," Jackman considers, "and I'm grateful to understand that, one step at a time." The Voice series four starts on BBC1 at 19:00 on 10 January 2015.

It's not a new question, but it is one to which the BBC's prime time Saturday night offering The Voice has long been subjected: When is the show going to produce a superstar?

Kevin Nolan (47) and Brian McCool (45), both from Londonderry, admitted three charges of theft and attempted theft in June 2014. They were part of a "greedy and disgraceful" gang, the city's Crown Court heard. A judge said the gang had stolen items worth up to £10,000 Judge Philp Babington said the men had been "prepared to take what they wanted". The gang targeted both local shop and national chain stores and the value of goods they had stolen was between £5,000 and £10,000, the court heard. He said their modus operandi was to place stolen items into a tin foil lined bag. The court heard Nolan and McCool had been stopped on Derry's Strand Road on 6 June 2014 and a pair of stolen hair straighteners recovered. Details of other members of the gang were recovered from the men's mobile phones, and police were able to search CCTV for footage of the gang, the court heard. Both men, Judge Babington said, had drug problems at the times of the offences. He was not imposing a custodial sentence, the judge added, because of considerable delays in bringing the case to court. "It would be inappropriate to send them straight to prison," he said. He sentenced both to eight months in prison suspended for two years.

Two members of a shoplifting gang have been given suspended sentences after admitting stealing goods worth thousands of pounds.

Arts Council England (ACE) faces a 30% budget cut following the government's Spending Review. The organisation, which funds the arts across the country, is cutting grants in Shropshire by nearly 7% for 2011-12. Ian Kerry, director of Arts Alive, which organises a range of activities across Shropshire, said the cuts were "not as drastic" as he had expected. Sigh of relief The grant to Arts Alive, which includes Flicks in the Sticks, will be cut next year by £4,331 from £63,089 to £58,442. Mr Kelly said he was breathing a small sigh of relief, while at the same time remaining cautious as he had yet to hear about cuts that may come from the organisation's local authority partner. He added that it would be spring next year before they knew the full impact of cuts from other partners. Shropshire's Pentabus Theatre will lose the most in the county, with a cut in its grant of £13,804 from £201,061 to £186,252. Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company, Dash (Disability Arts in Shropshire), and the Ludlow Assembly Rooms also face cuts in their Arts Council funding next year. Commenting on the announcement, Paula Redway, director of Ludlow Assembly Rooms, said a one-year settlement would make it difficult to plan for the long-term future.

Shropshire arts groups will lose a total of £36,000 in Arts Council grants next year.

The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory is expected to rise 325m from the ground. Its instruments will gather data on greenhouse gases, aerosol particles and the weather in one of the largest continuous rain forests on the planet. Brazilian and German scientists hope to use the data to better understand sources of greenhouse gases and answer questions on climate change. The tower is being constructed out of steel that was brought thousands of kilometres from the south of Brazil to the site, about 160km (100 miles) from the Amazonian city of Manaus. Because of its height, the tower will make it possible to investigate the alteration and movement of air masses through the forest over a distance of several hundred kilometres. "The measurement point is widely without direct human influence, and therefore ideal to investigate the meaning of the forest region for the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere," said Jurgen Kesselmeier, the project coordinator for the German side, quoted on the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz website. The Amazon jungle is one of the world's most sensitive ecosystems, with a powerful influence on the intake and release of carbon into the atmosphere. "The tower will help us answer innumerable questions related to global climate change," said Paulo Artaxo, from the University of Sao Paulo. The tower will be integrated into an existing structure of smaller measuring towers in the region. When finished, it will complement a similar observatory built in 2006 that already stands in Central Siberia.

Construction has begun on a giant observation tower in the heart of the Amazon basin to monitor climate change.

Steve Tulley, who was re-elected to serve South Kirby and South Elmsall, criticised the MP over Brexit. The MP for Pontefract, Normanton and Castleford led an amendment which took a no-deal Brexit off the table. Mr Tulley said the district had voted to leave the EU and her actions had caused Wakefield Council problems. Ms Cooper has been approached for comment. David Jones, chair of the Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford Labour Party, backed her, saying: "Our CLP supports Yvette's work to try to get a workable Brexit deal for jobs and prevent a chaotic no deal. "We have 15,000 jobs in manufacturing and distribution in this constituency - Yvette is standing up for every single one of them and we are behind her." Following Ms Cooper's amendment, a petition was started to deselect her as an MP. 'Take notice Westminster' About 23,000 people signed it, although her office said the majority of those were from outside the constituency. Mr Tulley's comments came in a speech after he was re-elected to the seat that he has held since 2011, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. "There have been some wonderful candidates who've lost tonight," he said. "And it's all because of the MP for Pontefract, Normanton and Castleford, who wouldn't know what democracy was if it scratched her in the eyeballs." He added: "It's time them down in Westminster started to take a bit of notice to what people have said. It's their antics that have cost us tonight." The Liberal Democrats took one of Labour's seats in Knottingley, with independent candidates Alex Kear and Ian Womersley beating the party in Airedale and Ferry Fryston and Hemsworth, respectively. Labour did win some of their under-threat seats with comfort, but were clinging on in some marginal seats. Either search using your postcode or council name or click around the map to show local results.

A Labour councillor has blamed his party's losses on MP Yvette Cooper, saying she "wouldn't know democracy if it scratched her in the eyeballs".

The 21-year-old hanged his daughter, and then himself, at a deserted hotel in Phuket on Monday, reportedly after an argument with his wife. Facebook sent condolences to the family for the "appalling" incident and said that the content had now been removed. The company pledged a review of its processes after footage of a US killing stayed online for hours this month. The footage of the Thai killing had also been available on video sharing website YouTube, but the company took it down after the BBC alerted it to its presence. Social media anger Relatives of the Thai man, Wuttisan Wongtalay, saw the distressing footage and alerted the police - but the authorities arrived too late to save him and his daughter. In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson said: "This is an appalling incident and our hearts go out to the family of the victim. There is absolutely no place for content of this kind on Facebook and it has now been removed." Read more: Reuters said two videos were posted, at 16:50 (09:50 GMT) and 16:57 on Monday, and were taken down at about 17:00 on Tuesday, roughly 24 hours later. Facebook has yet to confirm the times to the BBC. Thailand's ministry of digital economy said it had contacted Facebook on Tuesday afternoon about removing the videos. Ministry spokesman Somsak Khaosuwan told Reuters: "We will not be able to press charges against Facebook, because Facebook is the service provider and they acted according to their protocol when we sent our request. They co-operated very well." YouTube said it had taken down the video within 15 minutes of being told of its presence by the BBC. Its statement read: "YouTube has clear policies that outline what's acceptable to post and we quickly remove videos that break our rules when they're flagged." Shortly before the BBC alerted YouTube, the video was showing 2,351 views. Thai social media users reacted with anger to the footage, while offering condolences to the family of the girl, BBC Thai editor Nopporn Wong-Anan says. Devastated relatives of the child, including the mother, picked up the body of the girl and her father from hospital on Tuesday. Following the US killing, Facebook said it was "constantly exploring ways that new technologies can help us make sure Facebook is a safe environment". "We prioritise reports with serious safety implications for our community, and are working on making that review process go even faster," blogged one of its executives last week. Separately on Tuesday, a court in Sweden jailed three men over the gang-rape of a woman in the city of Uppsala, 80km (50 miles) north of Stockholm, earlier this year and its live-streaming on Facebook. One man was jailed for two years and four months, and another for one year, both for rape. The third was jailed for six months for posting the rape on Facebook and failing to report it. Analysis: Leo Kelion, BBC technology desk editor This latest atrocity comes less than a fortnight after a US man bragged on Facebook Live about his murder of a 74-year-old man in Cleveland, having also posted a video of the killing to the social network. The platform's chief, Mark Zuckerberg, subsequently acknowledged he had "a lot of work" to do after it emerged the murder clip had remained online for more than two hours despite Facebook having received complaints in the meantime. Prior to that, Facebook Live broadcast the death of a Chicago man who was shot in the neck and head last June, and then in July a woman streamed the death of her boyfriend after he was shot by police in Minneapolis. There have also been reports of sexual assaults, animal abuse and teenage suicide having been shown. For its part, Facebook is trying to find ways for its review team - which employs thousands of people - to react to such content more quickly. In addition, the firm has developed software to prevent such footage being reshared in full on its service at a later point. And it is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to automatically flag videos and photos that need to be reviewed rather than waiting for other users to report them. What it hasn't discussed is the idea of scrapping Facebook Live altogether. With Twitter and YouTube, among others, offering rival live-streaming products, doing so could put it at a disadvantage. But as a result, there will inevitably be further outrages and criticism because Facebook Live's popularity makes it all but impossible for the firm to keep a human eye over each broadcast.

A Thai man filmed himself killing his baby daughter on Facebook Live, before taking his own life, Thai police say.

Its author - Nadila Wumaier, a member of China's Uighur Muslim minority - is reportedly under house arrest in China's western Xinjiang region with her two-year-old son. She wanted her message to be known, after a Chinese official went on Australian television and told audiences Ms Wumaier was in China by choice. Her husband, Sadam Abdusalam, had challenged the claim during the same programme - ABC's Q&A news - on Monday evening. Mr Abdusalam has been campaigning for his wife's release for months. Although Ms Wumaier is not an Australian citizen, both her husband and son Lutfy are, and the Australian government has previously formally requested that they be allowed to leave China. "My son is an Australian citizen and holding an Australian passport and I have never met him," said Mr Abdusalam, during the broadcast. "The Australian Government have given my wife a visa so they can come and join me in Australia, but the Chinese Government won't let them leave," he went on to say. "Why have the Communist Party locked up one million Uighurs? Will you release our family members?" Rights groups say China is holding about a million Uighurs and other Muslims in detention. However, China denies any wrongdoing, saying it is combating terrorism and religious extremism. In Ms Wumaier's case, Chinese authorities have been tight-lipped. However, Wang Xining, the deputy head of mission at the Chinese embassy in Australia, made a rare public appearance as a guest on Q&A. He responded to criticism by saying that the couple's marriage was not recognised under Chinese law and that Ms Wumaier had expressed a wish to remain in China. Some hours after the broadcast, Mr Abdusalam shared his wife's handwritten denial via his Twitter account. Amnesty International Australia rejected Mr Wang's statement, saying that both Ms Wumaier and the partner of another Uighur Australian held in Xinjiang were "desperate to [be] reunited in Australia". China is facing growing criticism over its persecution of Uighur Muslims. A document seen recently by the BBC appears to give the most powerful insight yet into how China determined the fate of hundreds of thousands of Muslims held in the camps. China's hidden camps

"I want to leave and be with my husband," read the handwritten sign, held up to the camera and posted on Twitter in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

There had been proposals to increase the current tariffs by 3.2% in 2013/14. Andrew Wallis, chairman of the parking advisory panel said it would give "much needed relief to hard pressed town centres". Councillor for housing and planning Mark Kaczmarek, said money would now have to come out of the highways budget to "cover the inflationary increase". Mr Kaczmarek - who voted to support the inflationary increase - said there were "financial implications" for a decision that has not been budgeted for. "Car parks are a business that the council runs, it has to make sure they are viable and we've got to make sure that the maintenance of those car parks are high spec", he added.

Car parking charges in Cornwall will be frozen next year, councillors have decided.

On Sunday, Defence Minister Stuart Andrew announced the Birkenhead shipyard would receive £620m to support Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers. However, the GMB union said about 40% of jobs could go by March 2019, which was "a kick in the teeth" to workers. Cammell Laird would not confirm the number but said jobs were "at risk". GMB organiser Albie McGuigan said the 291 job losses would cause "devastation to the community". "This decision is outrageous, particularly coming so soon after the shipyard won those lucrative contracts," he said. "[It] is another kick in the teeth for the UK's proud shipbuilding tradition." A spokesman for a second union, Unite, said it was "mystified" by the news of job losses and called on the company to "come clean on the business case". A Cammell Laird spokesman said that with "numerous contracts entering the latter phases" and no certainty of similar deals "in the immediate term", the firm needed to "address its cost base to remain competitive". He said the company would continue to work with the unions, was bidding for new contracts to maintain staffing levels and remained "very optimistic for future growth".

Shipbuilder Cammell Laird could cut up to 300 jobs despite recently being awarded huge Royal Navy contracts, a union has claimed.

Isle of Wight Council tried to fine Jon Platt £120 for taking his daughter to Florida during the school term. But magistrates backed the father, so the council appealed to the High Court, which again ruled in Mr Platt's favour. The Department for Education is meeting the council's legal costs. The legal case rests on what constitutes "regular attendance". Mr Platt has argued that even after the "once-in-a-lifetime" family trip to Disneyland, his daughter had 90% attendance at school and this argument was accepted by the High Court in May last year. At the time Lord Justice Lloyd Jones said the case "raised a point of law of general public importance". After losing the case the council, at the request of Schools Minister Nick Gibb, applied to the Supreme Court for permission to launch a final legal challenge. Toughest rules New guidelines came into force in England in 2013 making the policy on unauthorised term-time absences the toughest in the UK. The change followed concerns that some families had started to see going away in term-time as an entitlement. Under the rules, if a school declares an absence unauthorised, the council can fine each parent £60 per child - and this doubles to £120 if not paid within 21 days. Councils in England have varying policies on term-time holiday fines. Some issue thousands of fines - others barely any. The case is forcing many to look again at the detail. Most parents simply pay the fines to avoid prosecution, but Mr Platt says thousands have contacted him for advice on fighting the fines. Many parents complain that the cost of going away in the school holidays can be four times as much as during term-time - but the government says there is clear evidence "that every extra day of school missed can affect a pupil's chance of gaining good GCSEs, which has a lasting effect on their life chances". A DfE spokeswoman said the government's position remained that children should not be taken out of school "without good reason". "That is why we have tightened the rules and are supporting schools and local authorities to use their powers to tackle unauthorised absence." Ministers are also considering changing the law on term-time absences, depending on the outcome of the case. Judgement is expected during the first part of 2017.

A council which lost a High Court case over fining a father who took his daughter on a term-time holiday has had its appeal heard at the Supreme Court.

By Kevin CoreBBC Radio The positioning of his writing room is a typically disciplined move from the Birmingham-raised author, who in the 1990s faced up to redundancy from Granada TV by writing a novel. Twenty-three years on from Killing Floor - the first Jack Reacher story - his thrillers are a publishing phenomenon, dominating the fiction charts, sparking film adaptations starring Tom Cruise, and enthralling millions of fans. For the BBC World Service In the Studio series, Child allowed access to his writing room to record the first three days' work on his next novel - which he revealed will be titled Yesterday and will fill in some of the intriguing gaps surrounding Reacher's father. Child's latest novel will begin differently from his previous releases. The all-important first paragraphs, he says, will depart from his famously clipped style. He says he will let the words breathe with a longer than usual introductory sentence marking the end of summer, the migration of birds and a list of States charting Reacher's planned diagonal journey across America. Then a five-word hook - "He didn't get very far" - drags the reader back into his dangerous world. The novel will be the 23rd Reacher adventure, after the release of The Midnight Line in November 2017. "Someone like me is never going to win the Nobel prize… this is not admired literature, this is entertainment," says Child. "A novel has a huge number of competitors now - the internet, video games, streaming movies. "I'm trying to visualise a 25-year-old person somewhere in the world. "They have a lot of choices and the book has to earn its place. You've got to suck them into that story." Child's willingness to expose a work in progress is rare among authors. When asked why he's prepared to take questions from a radio journalist while he's concentrating on writing, his answer suggests that, as one of the world's best-selling authors, he feels a little like an ambassador for the popular. "People who do literary fiction well, I know some of them. They are delightful, smart people with absolutely no issues at all about what I'm doing," he says. "It tends to be the kind of third-rate people or some of the second-rate critics that get all sniffy about it. This is a way of saying: 'Yeah - shut up.'" Paternal theme By day two, Child has reworked his opening paragraph enough to provide a launch pad for the rest of the novel. There will be a contemplative tone, he says. But despite the paternal theme he resists the suggestion he's been influenced by the death of his own father in 2016. With his opening paragraph locked, he now begins a free-wheeling descent into the plot, which could seem a terrifying way to work for novelists who are used to story charts and planned character arcs. With little idea where his story is heading, Child says he feels like a movie stuntman on the ledge of a tall building. "What I have to do is fall off, and I'm hoping that the movie crew is going to manoeuvre the safety airbag into position at the side of the landing just in time. "I hope to land softly, but I cannot guarantee that right now." Fittingly for the creator of no-nonsense ex-military cop Reacher, Child is keen to suggest that while he wants to defend his genre, he does not want to sound pretentious. He has an audience, and he wants to give them as fun a ride as possible. As a writer of thrillers, he may never be embraced by some literary critics. But he believes well-crafted popular fiction serves a profound purpose, rooted in our earliest history. "At some point we began telling stories about things that had not happened," he explains. "This made people feel emboldened or empowered and just a little bit more self-confident, which would help them survive. "You are shown the edge of the cliff, but you're told you don't have to fall off." In the Studio with Lee Child can be heard on the BBC World Service at 11:30 GMT on 31 October. Yesterday is due for publication at the end of 2018. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].

In a New York apartment offering spectacular views of Central Park, Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher novels, stares out at a brick wall.

In December, Ms Heard, also an actor, wrote an article for the Washington Post describing the backlash she faced due to speaking out about domestic violence. Mr Depp's lawsuit says he "never abused Ms Heard" and the claims are "part of an elaborate hoax" to advance his ex-wife's career. He is seeking $50m (£38m) in damages. Ms Heard first accused Mr Depp of domestic violence in May 2016, the year after they were married. Mr Depp was ordered to stay away from her and the couple divorced in 2017. In her piece for The Washington Post, Ms Heard does not name Mr Depp but describes her experience of speaking out against domestic violence, stating she "faced our culture's wrath". She said she had lost a role in a film, was dropped by a major fashion brand and witnessed "how institutions protect men accused of abuse". Mr Depp's defamation claim says the article worked on the "central premise that Ms Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her" and states that she was in fact the perpetrator. The lawsuit claims her allegations lost him his lucrative role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean. Ms Heard's attorney Eric George told People magazine that Mr Depp's legal action is an attempt to silence his ex-wife but "she will not be silenced". He said Mr Depp's actions "prove he is unable to accept the truth of his ongoing abusive behaviour", but that Ms Heard's legal team would "prevail in defeating this groundless lawsuit". In response, Mr Depp's attorney Adam Waldman told the magazine "we hardly intend to silence Ms Heard" but "look forward to holding the overwhelming video, photographic and eyewitness evidence we finally possess up against Amber Heard's (so far silent) attempts to explain the inexplicable".

The actor Johnny Depp has launched legal action against his ex-wife Amber Heard, accusing her of defamation.

Thames Valley Police warned motorists to avoid Bicester Village after roads into the market town became completely blocked with cars. Supt James Templer described it as a "one in, one out situation". The force was working with Bicester Village to "try and alleviate the pressure", he added. Bicester Village, which is open until midnight as part of Black Friday, has apologised for the inconvenience and advised shoppers to come in the evening instead. 'One in, one out' It tweeted in the afternoon that access to the site was closed due to congestion, but was later possible after it set up a temporary car park. Shopper Natalie Taylor, 33, travelled from south east London with her 16-year-old son. She said: "It's so packed, there's queues for almost every shop. I've never seen so many security guards in such a small space. "Most people like myself are surprisingly calm, however there's a few who aren't. "The shops are messy, overcrowded and the car park has been permanently full since 11.30GMT at least. "We have literally had to queue for everything, from the shuttle bus, to the shops, and the restaurants. "It's not an easy shopping day." Police, who are working with Oxfordshire County Council and the Highways Agency to solve the situation, said the scene was "very busy". "After this has finished we will need to work with Bicester Village and others to see how we can learn from what happened today," Supt Templer said. "No one sets out to create traffic congestion but it's clearly been far busier than Bicester Village thought it was going to be." He advised residents to approach Bicester from the north or east. The A41 and the A34 northbound from Peartree Roundabout are described as stationary. The M40 is also affected, with very slow moving traffic between junctions 10 and 9 southbound.

A shopping outlet had to temporarily close after roads around an Oxfordshire town became gridlocked by Black Friday shoppers.

The first minister said there had been a "sustained and significant" reduction in cases and deaths from the virus. But she said there was still a risk of people letting down their guard and allowing the virus to spread again. Ms Sturgeon is to announce on Thursday whether the 2m (6ft 6in) physical distancing rule is to be relaxed And she is also expected to decide whether or not to make face coverings compulsory in shops, rather than just recommended. Lockdown is gradually being eased in Scotland, with most non-essential shops re-opening yesterday and the five-mile travel limit to be lifted on Friday. Scotland and the UK have now been in lockdown for 100 days as part of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19. The first minister said there had been nine deaths of coronavirus patients in the past seven days, compared to a weekly total of 23 the previous Tuesday, pointing to an encouraging "overall trend" in figures. She again said Scotland had a "genuine chance" to drive the virus close to elimination, but while this was a "moment of great opportunity" it was also a "time of very real danger". She said the renewed lockdown in Leicester and outbreaks in some US states and the Australian city of Melbourne were a "very loud reminder that the virus has not gone away". Ms Sturgeon said: "We are reopening more public services and businesses and in the coming days will be travelling a bit more and seeing more of our families and friends. "That is absolutely right and justified by the progress we have made, and it is important to get our economy going again. But by opening up a bit more, there is a real risk that people will let down their guard. "For the Scottish government, that means we may still have to take some really tough and unpopular decisions in the weeks ahead, and will have to do so against the grain of what you might like. But we have to do that to protect the progress we have made." The first minister is considering issues including the 2m rule and her government's position on plans for "air bridges" to allow people to go on foreign holidays without going into quarantine. And Scotland's schools are now expected to go back full time without social distancing in August, despite safety concerns from teaching unions. However Ms Sturgeon insisted her warning about tough decisions was not "citing anything particular at the moment", saying there may still be "instances where we will not be able to ease up as quickly as people want". Ms Sturgeon said Scotland was now in a similar position to where it was at the beginning of March, which she said was a reminder of "how quickly it could take off again". She added: "It's definitely not anything I'm seeing in the data - it's just because I understand that it is human nature that we've lived under lockdown for three months, there is a sense of things starting to go back to normal little bit. "So it is almost human nature to subconsciously accelerate the process and stop doing the things we've been advised to do. "If we start doing things that allow [the virus] to spread then before we know where we are it will have started to spread out of control, and none of us want that." The next review of lockdown restrictions in Scotland is due on 9 July, although ministers have already announced indicative dates for a range of changes. These include outdoor hospitality such as beer gardens re-opening on 6 July, groups of three households being allowed to meet up indoors from 10 July, and the re-opening of hairdressers, museums, cinemas, libraries, pubs, restaurants and holiday accommodation from 15 July. The government also hopes to have all schools re-open fully - without physical distancing between pupils - from 11 August.

Tough and unpopular decisions may still need to be taken to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.

By Leo KelionTechnology desk editor The Galaxy Note 9 uses software to identify if the images are blurry or whether the subject is blinking, among other issues. The innovation is one of several artificial intelligence-enhanced abilities the handset offers that do not rely on remote computer servers. Analysts say this should help tackle increasing competition from Huawei. The Chinese rival made much of its own flagship phone's machine learning abilities when it launched in March. The Note 9's other new features include a stylus that wirelessly communicates with the phone to act as a remote control. Its display and battery are also bigger than earlier models. It goes on sale on 24 August. The basic model will cost £899, while a version with more storage and memory will be £1,099. The New York launch comes just over a week after Samsung revealed that sales of its other high-end smartphone - the Galaxy S9 - had disappointed. It acknowledged at the time that the Note 9's release had been brought forward as a consequence. "Samsung will be mindful to criticism that the S9 offered iterative improvements to the S8," commented Shaun Collins, chief executive of the CCS Insight consultancy. "For existing Note users - who are fiercely loyal to the devices - the upgrades will be seen as compelling. "But the jury is still out on whether people considering an alternative product, such as the iPhone or P20 Pro, will feel this is different enough to bring them across." Samsung also revealed that a tie-up with games developer Epic meant that existing Galaxy phones are the first Android devices to get access to the hit game Fortnite. They can download a beta version of the game now ahead of it rolling out to other devices later this week. A Galaxy Home smart speaker powered by the firm's virtual assistant Bixby was also unveiled, in addition to a 4G-enabled smartwatch powered by the firm's Tizen operating system. Samsung has shipped nearly 143 million Galaxy Note handsets since the product line launched in 2011, according to market research firm IDC. That represents about 7% of all the smartphones it has delivered over the period, but their premium prices mean they have accounted for 10% of revenues. Samsung's lead gets squeezed Source: IDC * Based on preliminary data for April-to-June 2018 Photo review The Note 9 makes use of a rear dual aperture camera - which adjusts how much light gets in - in a similar manner to the S9. But its software is now smarter. The Flaw Detection facility warns when: In addition, Scene Optimiser algorithms attempt to identify the contents of the scene. If they succeed, one of 20 sets of adjustments are made to tweak the contrast, colour and other settings. None of this requires an internet connection. "It was really important that Samsung did this on the device because it makes it faster and more secure," commented Francisco Jeronimo from IDC. "But I was expecting to see even greater use of AI, and to me this seems like Samsung is catching up with Huawei rather than going beyond." Samsung did, however, demo new capabilities for its smart assistant Bixby. These included the ability to handle follow-up questions during a conversation, and integration with Google Maps. The new S Pen is the first to include Bluetooth connectivity. This means that in addition to being a stylus, it acts as a remote control. It can be used to trigger selfies, play and pause YouTube clips, and move along PowerPoint slides. In addition, Samsung is making it possible for other app developers to make use of the functionality. Mr Jeronimo was more positive about the impact this would have. "The targeted corporate and professional users will appreciate being able to control presentations remotely," he explained. "Many will now be able to do without a laptop." Although the device looks similar to its predecessor, the Note 9 is slightly wider and thicker. This allows it to have a slightly bigger 6.4in (16.3cm) display and a 4,000mAh battery - representing 21% more capacity than the Note 8. A more expensive variant is also offered this time round, with 8 gigabytes rather than 6GB of RAM (random-access memory) and 512GB instead of 128GB of internal storage. The firm added that its proprietary CPU (central processing unit) was 33% faster than before. This is likely to appeal to hardcore gamers and other power users if they can justify the cost. Smart speaker Samsung also provided a brief first look at the forthcoming Galaxy Home smart speaker. It said the voice-controlled device would direct audio at owners via a technology it called SoundSteer, and added that the device included eight microphones to detect voices - more than Amazon's Echo, Google's Home Max or Apple's HomePod. Samsung said that it had partnered with Spotify to provide a streamed music service but did not reveal if other options would be available. The new Galaxy Watch ditches the previous Gear S branding. It also confounded predictions that the firm would swap Tizen for Google's Android Wear operating system. The device promises up to seven days of battery life - up from the four days promised by the Gear S3. It also features stress-tracking software and the ability to connect to mobile networks independently. But the South Korean firm lags far behind in this market. While Apple is ranked the bestselling wearable tech manufacturer, according to IDC's latest figures, Samsung did not even make the top five.

Samsung's new high-end smartphone alerts owners to problems with their photos as soon as they are snapped.

The silver Ford Mondeo hit wooden posts on the side of Meadowbank Road in Rotherham at about 01:30 BST. It stopped outside the Jet petrol station near Pembroke Street, where a 24-year-old man was pronounced dead. A 19-year-old man, who suffered minor injuries, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drink or drugs. South Yorkshire Police said it wanted to talk to the occupants of a black Seat Leon and a dark coloured Seat Altea, which were parked in the petrol station at the time of the crash. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]

A man has died in a car crash outside a petrol station in South Yorkshire.

By Ian YoungsEntertainment & arts reporter Barry Ferns, who co-founded the Angel Comedy club at The Bill Murray pub in Islington, London, said it was "such a relief" to get back on stage. He was one of six comedians who performed for an audience of 45 people - half the usual capacity. The show started when the rules changed at one minute past midnight on Monday. Everybody was "slightly nervous" at first, Ferns told BBC News. "It felt like a prohibition bar in 1920s America," he said. "Even though it was totally legal, it felt that it was illegal. Should we be laughing with other people in a confined space?" The pandemic has been "the longest period I haven't performed in 15 years", he said. "So it really was a little bit hairy for a while there. "How do I do this again? How do I make people laugh professionally again? 'Nobody wanted to leave' "In the audience, there was a bit of nervousness at the beginning, and then everybody relaxed. And then it got to the point at the end of the night when nobody wanted to leave. "They just wanted to hang out - be together in a space. It was really quite moving. As the night went on and people relaxed, it became more and more moving and poignant and significant." Indoor entertainment venues are allowed to open their doors again in England, Wales and most of Scotland from Monday as part of the latest official reopening plans. They have been shut for most of the past 14 months. The idea to put on a show at one minute past midnight was "a joke that we took seriously", Ferns explained. "It was in a staff meeting and we said, 'Oh yeah, we should just do it straight away. We should do it at one minute past midnight.' And everyone laughed. And then it was just silence where everyone went, 'Actually, technically we could.' "And then we asked for the late licence from the council and they didn't refuse us, which felt like a legitimisation, and it was like, 'All right, looks like we're doing it.'" Also on the bill were fellow comedians Helen Bauer, Jason Patterson, Sikisa, Dinesh Nathan and Erik Pohl. The show was also streamed on YouTube. Indoor venues in England must limit capacity to 50% until step four of the government roadmap, which is currently pencilled in for 21 June. The pub had safety measures including a new ventilation system and Perspex screens. "People were near more people than they'd been with in one go for potentially a year, and certainly six months," Ferns said. As the night - or the morning - wore on, the spectators appreciated being at a show again, he said. "Wow, we have been missing this, being an audience, being not myself alone looking at social media, but part of a larger whole." Angel Comedy Club has received £153,000 from the government's Culture Recovery Fund to help it survive since last March. 'Comedians have been destroyed' But Ferns said: "It's been an extraordinarily difficult year because what we do became illegal and the most unsafe thing. "If you're a good comedy club, people are laughing a lot. If people are laughing a lot, they're spreading coronavirus. "So the last year has been a strange paranoia where we had to acclimatise to the fact that our very livelihoods are dangerous. Laughter is dangerous. "It's emotionally upsetting, the idea that being relaxed enough that you laugh with other human beings is a physical danger." With their ability to perform severely curtailed, many comedians have struggled financially. "Everybody's been living off SEISS [the government's Self-Employment Income Support Scheme] grants or working for Deliveroo," Ferns said. Paraphrasing Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl, he added: "Some of the best comedians of my generation have been destroyed by coronavirus."

Performing live to an audience again was "really quite moving", according to a comedian who put on a show as soon as lockdown rules were eased at midnight.

Groundsmen at March Town Cricket Club said crows had torn up large patches of grass while feeding on grubs. Club member Pat Ringham said the crows caused more damage than "50 hooligans let loose with golf clubs". Pitch inspector Mel Pooley, said: "You spend your life tending something and then it gets totally wrecked." Mr Pooley, who is also head groundsman, has been trying to bring the pitch back to its former glory after the crows descended on the outfield. 'Very annoying' "They started tearing the grass up looking for grubs which had hatched there," he said. "The grubs eat the roots, and the crows spot that and literally rip out chunks of grass to get to them." He said the area had been sprayed, but because of the recent cold weather the chemicals had not worked properly. "It now looks like someone's just come in with a turf cutter and peeled back all the grass," Mr Pooley said. "It's very annoying when you spend your life tending it, then something completely out of your control wrecks it." Mr Ringham, who has been involved with the club for more than 55 years, said it was the worst damage he had seen. "If you gave 50 hooligans a seven-iron golf club each and asked them to do as much damage as possible, I don't think they would equal what the crows have done," he said. Cambridgeshire's one day MCCA Trophy match against Cumberland on Sunday will now be played at the Harecroft Road ground in Wisbech.

A county cricket match has been forced to find a new venue after crows caused "devastating" damage to a pitch in Cambridgeshire.

Proposals for the 26-mile section of the A96 - which would bypass Inverurie - have been under consideration. There has been opposition from farmers and local residents over routes skirting the north of the town. Transport Scotland has not yet given details about exactly what has now been taken off the table or what other changes have been made. It is hoped a preferred option will be identified by the end of the year. Proposals that could have seen an upgraded A96 pass through the Bennachie Special Landscape Area were previously taken off the table.

The number of potential routes for a dualling of the A96 between Huntly and Aberdeen has been reduced.

Before the work to modify All Saints Church in Braunston-in-Rutland, an hour was spent cleaning up the mess. However, the bats could not be removed as they are a protected species. The church was one of the first to benefit from £3.8m of Heritage Lottery Funds to reduce the impact of bats on the buildings across the UK. In 2014, local MP Sir Alan Duncan described the bat droppings issue at the church as "absolutely intolerable" and raised the issue with the Church Commissioner in Parliament. Sue Willetts, church warden at All Saints Church, said: "Before, we had covers down on the floors to collect the droppings. "We had to clean the pews every time, it took an hour before every single service. Now we use the church how its meant to be." Work to fill gaps in the ceiling to prevent faeces and urine getting through, without harming the animals, has come as a result of a project which is helping about 100 churches that host large bat roosts. Rosemary Riddell, from the Bat in Churches project, said work at All Saints Church "has enabled us to sort of roll out solutions to other churches similar to Braunstone and it's really helped us to learn from their experiences". "[The church] was one of our guinea pigs and we're grateful for their engagement and involvement," she said. A Beer and Bats event has been planned on Sunday evening to mark International Bat Night. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

Faeces from a 500-strong colony of bats are no longer interrupting services at a 1,000-year-old church in Rutland following a pioneering new scheme.

The girl's lawyers claimed her delivery was delayed after medics at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust failed to see the warning signs. The trust had argued the damage to her brain was done before her mother went into labour. It earlier agreed to settle a clinical negligence claim. The girl, who was born at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, is now nine years old. She will receive a lump sum of £1.3m, and £50,000 a year, index linked, for the rest of her life to pay for her care. Her legal team claimed doctors failed to see she was suffering distress in the womb. 'All or nothing' The court heard her brain had been starved of oxygen, resulting in cerebral palsy. She also has severe learning difficulties, gravely impaired vision, and epilepsy. Her barrister, Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel QC, said it was an "all or nothing" case. She said the settlement reflected the risks of litigation and represented "about 30%" of the full value of the damages claim. But the trust had denied the birth was "mismanaged", and NHS counsel Margaret Bowron QC said it was "very pleased" with the compromise. She said the girl "had more thrown at her in her short life than anyone has a right to expect". She had coped bravely with the support of her parents "who are obviously deeply, deeply, fond of her and she of them," she added. Deputy Judge Heather Williams QC said: "I am content to approve the settlement, which seems to me very sensible, and the parties are to be congratulated on achieving a resolution." She called it a "very tragic" and "difficult" case.

A girl born with cerebral palsy will receive about £2.5m in compensation from the NHS following a settlement in the High Court.

The attacker, who has not been named, was shot dead by police. Witnesses described scenes of panic, with many people fleeing the building in tears. The area in the île de la Cité was sealed off. The attack came a day after police went on strike across France over increasing violence towards officers. The Paris prosecutor said a murder investigation had been launched. A motive for the attack remains unclear. However, police union officials have suggested the attacker may have been involved in a workplace dispute. What happened? At about 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT; 12:00 BST), the attacker is said to have gone into the building and straight to his office where he began attacking colleagues with a knife. He stabbed three people inside two offices and two women on a stairway, before he was shot dead by an officer inside the building's courtyard, according to French media. Three men and one woman were killed, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz told reporters. A fifth person was critically injured in the attack, and was sent for surgery. The building is near major tourist sites including the Notre-Dame cathedral. "Police were running around in panic," a witness who was inside the courtyard at the time of the attack told Le Parisien newspaper. "I was surprised to hear shooting because this is not a place where you hear that kind of thing. I first thought it was a suicide because there are a lot of those at the moment," he added. President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner have all visited the site. "You wait. One of these days there's going to be a real tragedy in the police." Those words were said to the BBC by an officer attending Wednesday's big demo in Paris, called to draw attention to the alarming rise in police suicides. He could have no idea that the next day four of his colleagues would be knifed to death by another colleague at the Paris Prefecture. But the truth is we know nothing about the motives of the attacker. On the face of it he was an administrative worker, facing none of the day-to-day pressures of police officers on the street. One police union member said the killings could have happened anywhere - a factory, a hospital, a farm. The police link was coincidental. This evening reports are being carried by two reputable French news outlets that the man was a recent convert to Islam. Is that true? Is it relevant? We do need to wait. Who was the attacker? According to the interior minister, he was a 45-year-old IT specialist who had worked for the Paris police force for 16 years. Officials said he had been working in the force's intelligence division. Mr Castaner said there had been no warning signs about the attacker, adding: "On the face of it, he looked a model employee." Police have searched his home in the north of the city and taken his wife into custody, although the Paris prosecutor's office said she has not been charged. There were tensions between the knifeman and his supervisor, according to police union official Christophe Crepin. "I do not think this is a terrorist act," Mr Crepin, who knew the attacker, told Franceinfo Radio. Police union leader Jean-Marc Bailleul described it as a criminal act, telling BFMTV: "It was a moment of madness." The attack follows a rare nationwide police strike on Wednesday, which saw thousands of officers demonstrating in Paris over working hours, shortages in resources and controversial pension reforms. Police unions say there have been more than 50 suicides by police officers since the start of the year. They blame the rising numbers on difficult working conditions and increasing violence towards police.

A knife-wielding employee has killed three officers and one administrative worker at police headquarters in the centre of the French capital, Paris.

Laura KuenssbergPolitical editor@bbclaurakon Twitter It is also fiendishly complicated because that requires all kinds of rewiring of the government, and business too. The UK's laws and regulations have been intertwined with the EU's for years and years, so that takes a lot of unpicking. It is even more complicated because politicians on both sides of the Channel disagree not just about how to separate the country from the EU but also about the kind of relationship there should be afterwards. By the middle of next month, lots of the arguments should be resolved. But trying to understand what's going on now can be like coming into a TV boxset halfway through. So here are a few pointers for the next little while if you are trying to work it all out: 1. The negotiating teams are trying to get two things done: the "withdrawal agreement" and the "political declaration" for the future relationship. The first one is like a divorce deal; who gets what when the UK leaves. The second one is the rules and regulation for how we live together in the future. 2. Most of the withdrawal agreement is sorted out, but the two sides are trying to work out what happens to the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. After Brexit, it becomes the border not just on the island of Ireland but the border between the UK and the EU. At the moment, because so many of the rules and laws are the same on either side, the border is limited - or "soft" - so people and business can whizz back and forwards. But when the UK leaves, the laws and rules on both sides might become more different, which changes things. 3. The UK thinks that this can be fixed by doing a souped-up trade deal in the second part of the talks - and promised in the "political declaration". The EU wants a legal guarantee that if that deal fails, or isn't done in time, that border will still be 'soft'. The UK agrees that we can't go back to a "hard" border, like the old-fashioned barriers of the days of the Troubles. But the two sides disagree over how to make sure that happens. This is the row about the "backstop". Read more about the Irish border Brexit backstop 4. UK ministers hope they have a solution - to use the new jargon, the "hybrid backstop" - where there would be some more checks on goods and products between Britain and Northern Ireland. And there is a suggestion that the existing customs arrangement, the "customs union", might apply for several years to come. But they don't just have problems persuading the EU side and Tory Brexiteers that's a sensible way forward. They also have to keep the DUP happy: Northern Irish MPs who say they won't accept anything where Northern Ireland is cut off from, or different to, the rest of the UK. 5. The majority of people in government think that a deal will be done with the rest of the EU. One senior minister says that "even after the most intransigent, difficult meeting, when you are just about to walk out the door, your European counterparts assure you there will be a deal". But there is still a lot of worry. 6. A lot of people in government, but not necessarily in No 10, think the PM will have to ditch her plan in order to get the agreement. The so-called Chequers compromise, that you can read about here, is described as "dead", "over", by those who insist "the EU will say no". Other ministers say the PM will "have to pivot". So the arguments in the next six weeks will be about whatever further compromises she has to make. There is a lot of chatter about another referendum. But remember, this could only come about if the government of the day allowed it. The gathering pace of the People's Vote campaign is notable, but as things stand, another referendum is not actually on the table. 7. If and when a deal is done in Brussels, however, the prime minister then has to get her deal through Parliament. Remember Theresa May doesn't have a majority there, so she can't be sure of having enough votes to get it through. But the government's tactic is already clear. In the words of one senior figure, "it will be a choice between chaos or a deal that looks pragmatic". Ministers are aiming to get a deal that can get support from as many of their own side as possible but they know they might have to rely on support from some Labour MPs because the numbers are so tight. Whatever you read at the moment, or whatever you hear people on either side say publicly, the government would be crazy not to be trying to court as many MPs as possible because they can't count on their own side. Cross-party conversations are already happening and will continue. 8. Like getting a deal in Brussels, the working assumption among most people inside the government is that the deal will get through Parliament in the end, not because it is expected to be all-singing-and-dancing and fantastic, but because the alternative, a leap into unknown territory, is for most people a less tempting option. This will depend, however, on what has actually been agreed. Two other quick points, if you've made it this far… 9. There is a different tangle over the level of detail of the final agreement, the political declaration. Traditionally, if the EU can't get agreement on the finer points, they fudge them in order to keep the political show on the road. Plenty of senior people in government believe this is the way through: do the deal, and worry about the detail later. This is not just a question of deal or no deal, vague or not vague; others reckon if the document is wishy-washy, MPs simply won't vote for it. And Germany and France both still want to nail down as much detail as possible. 10. Even if the deal goes through Parliament, we face at least another two years of talks about Brexit, as the contours of the final relationship are hammered out. Even if things go according to Theresa May's plan and we leave smoothly next March, Brexit, and political discussion of it, will be different, but it won't be over. If that's all too much, (and believe me, you'd be forgiven for feeling that way) in theory, in the next eight weeks or so the final Brexit deal could be done, and passed through Parliament. A lot could go very wrong for No 10. But, for once, it's not hyperbole to say that the next few weeks will determine what happens for years to come.

It is simple: the UK is on course to leave the EU in six months' time.

By Jessica JohnsonBBC News Kaleidoscope said the "significant reduction" came after it closed non-clinical bases and recovery hubs on 18 March. The charity's chief executive said people who cannot access such help get "exponentially worse". The Welsh Government said services had "adapted rapidly" during the pandemic. Kaleidoscope covers the Gwent area, Powys and north Wales, with each region seeing referrals drop. Comparing drug referrals from 18 March to 30 May in 2019, and the same period this year, it said: There were similar drops in alcohol referrals. Chief executive Martin Blakebrough said: "With drugs or alcohol, if you're not coming into services those problems get exponentially worse." It was not just about drug services but ancillary services like hepatitis C vaccinations, Mr Blakebrough said. "We will see an increase in deaths if we're not careful," he said. Kaleidoscope and other charities in Wales have changed the way they help people. Changes include video calls, online chats and more phone calls. Carol Hardy, manager of the Living Room, a charity that helps drug and alcohol addicts in Cardiff, said: "The figures don't surprise me at all. Being dependent, especially on alcohol and drugs, requires a person to isolate themselves. It's the isolation and loneliness - that's what the addiction wants. "It broke my heart when the lockdown came in March because this is going to be very difficult for people and that's what has happened. Rachel Cook from Welshpool has had a drug problem for 20 years. The 44-year-old has relapsed four times but has been drug and alcohol-free for a year and a half since getting help four years ago. She said she had found not having face-to-face meetings "very difficult". "It is different when you're not getting that face-to-face contact, you're not getting that cup of tea when you get in the door, when you're not sitting down in the waiting room chatting to other people in recovery," she said. Rachel has been volunteering with Kaleidoscope for two years supporting others with their problems. "Face-to-face is so important - you can tell so much about somebody by just looking at them," she said. "It's so easy to just say I'm fine, I'm doing okay, when you're just absolutely falling apart." Wales's drug and alcohol helpline, Dan 24/7, saw a fall in calls in the first few weeks of lockdown. In April 2019, 439 people called. In April this year, 300 rang. Helpline services manager Luke Ogden said: "We hear a lot on the news about how services, businesses and places of work have to cease operation, and it may be that people think this is the case with health-related services." He said help was still available for anyone in Wales. Dan 24/7 said during May it had experienced an increase in calls, with about 120 more than in April. Most concerned alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis. Experts said the drop in referrals was worrying. There were also concerns about the impact of social distancing on services. Retired clinical psychologist Richard Pates spent 25 years in the drug and alcohol field. The former chairman of the Welsh advisory panel on substance misuse said: "One of the things that good addiction services can offer is that trust and building up a relationship with people. "It is very hard to build up a relationship entirely on the phone." So much relied on non-verbal cues, he said. "Those are very difficult to replicate," he said. David Nutt of Imperial College London is chairman of charity Drug Science. He said: "The first thing is, to be online, you've got to have access to this kind of equipment, and that's not universal. "The second thing is, if you are in shared accommodation, it can be quite embarrassing to be having these kind of conversations with other people sitting around listening to you. "Third, we don't know whether online interviews, online therapy, actually works." 'Turned to alcohol' There are fears that with less treatment available, and fewer people in treatment, more will go back to old habits. That could mean more deaths. Prof Nutt expected people to return to "street use". "They'll have their dealers coming and they'll be slipping off the methadone back onto the heroin or even worse, the fentanyl," he said. "We are going to find a lot of them will have turned to alcohol because that's easy to get, and they'll have been dampening down their withdrawal and their anxieties with alcohol." He expected "a small blip" in deaths. The Welsh Government has invested almost £53m this financial year in drug and alcohol services. Services had "adapted rapidly" during the pandemic, it said, with online consultations and psychological support available. It said Wales had become the first UK nation to offer injectable slow-release buprenorphine - a treatment for opioid misuse - to reduce the need for daily supervised visits to pharmacies and clinics. "Inpatient detox services are also returning to normal capacity," a spokesman said. "Guidance has been developed to support substance misuse services and people working with vulnerable populations. "The national helpline Dan 24/7 has continued to provide updates about coronavirus and details of services available."

Drug and alcohol addiction referrals have fallen by 57% during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a charity.

Jarrold runs a five-floor department store in Norwich city centre and six other shops in Norfolk. It said the decision to close its buildings and online business on Monday afternoon was taken with a "heavy heart" but was "the right thing to do". The company was founded in Woodbridge, Suffolk in 1770, moved to Norwich in 1823 and employs more than 450 people. In an email and social media posts it said: "We have been in business for 250 years, in good times and bad. But these aren't normal times and we find ourselves in the unique situation where closing our doors is the right thing to do." The family-run business was recently granted the freedom of Norwich, and its chief executive said at the time it continued to thrive despite the High Street decline. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]

A 250-year-old business has closed all of its shops until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Three of Gaye's children have filed legal papers accusing them of copying elements of the song Got To Give It Up. They are seeking damages and a portion of Blurred Lines' profits. The action is in response to a claim brought by Thicke and Williams in August, asking a court to rule their song did not infringe Gaye's copyright. In their legal papers - also filed on behalf of rapper TI - the trio insisted there were no similarities between the two songs "other than commonplace musical elements". The Gaye family cited excerpts of magazine interviews given by Thicke to support their claim he had admitted to drawing on Got to Give it Up when producing Blurred Lines. They also said Thicke's 2011 song Love After War amounted to "unlawful copying" of Gaye's 1976 track After The Dance War. The legal claim argues EMI should have protected Gaye's musical legacy by pursuing a copyright infringement claim, but instead allowed a conflict of interest to arise between the family's rights and the profits it is earning from Blurred Lines' sales. "This conflict has resulted in EMI's intentional decision to align themselves with the [Blurred Lines] writers, without regard to the harm inflicted upon the rights and interests of the Gaye Family, and the legacy of Marvin Gaye," the legal papers said. Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which owns EMI, said it took its role of protecting its songwriters' works from infringement "very seriously". "While we have not yet seen the claims by the Gaye family against EMI, we have repeatedly advised the Gaye family's attorney that the two songs in question have been evaluated by a leading musicologist who concluded that Blurred Lines does not infringe Got To Give It Up," the company said. Sony/ATV also said while it treasured Gaye's works and the company's relationship with his family, "we regret that they have been ill-advised in this matter".

Marvin Gaye's family have sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement over their hit song Blurred Lines.

Nine activists have spent eight nights under Euston Square Gardens in an attempt to stop their eviction from a protest camp there. Some of them are said to have "locked" themselves to points inside the tunnel they claim is 100ft (30m) long. HS2 Ltd has repeatedly urged protesters to leave "for their own safety". One protester, Dr Larch Maxey, said bailiffs had dug a parallel "down shaft" over the past few days and connected this to the protesters' one. The 48-year-old said they had also begun "drilling" to remove another environmental campaigner, Lazer Sandford, from a "lock on", which he described as a metal "arm tube" buried in concrete in the ground. The campaign group said on Friday morning that it would take several hours before his arm lock could be opened. Mr Sandford, 20, is also locked on by his ankle and called for the HS2 project "to be scrapped". He said: "I'm only doing this because I don't have a choice. I shouldn't have to, but we are now in a total emergency. "HS2 uses huge amounts of high-carbon steel and concrete and it will only make the climate emergency worse." Earlier this week, a High Court judge rejected a legal bid to halt efforts to evict the activists. Mr Justice Robin Knowles refused an application brought by Dr Maxey for an injunction requiring HS2 and others to cease operations. HS2 Ltd has said it had "legal possession" of the land and High Court enforcement officers have been ordered to evict the protesters who have been at Euston Square Gardens since August. A spokeswoman said: "After 72 hours Dr Maxey still hasn't complied with the court judgment ordering him to provide information on the tunnels and occupants and, crucially, to exit the tunnel. "HS2 continues to do all we can to end this illegal action quickly and safely." Related Internet Links High Court - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary HS2

Anti-HS2 protesters have come face-to-face with bailiffs inside a network of tunnels they have dug near London's Euston station.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said bus, train and tram services will be reduced because passenger numbers are falling. TfGM customer director Stephen Rhodes said: "This is a dynamic situation which we are monitoring continually." Elsewhere, Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is suspending public visits.

Public transport services in Greater Manchester are to be cut as more people reduce their journeys in line with government advice to curb coronavirus.

In a statement to Parliament, the PM said the task would be "complex" but a deal was in both sides' interests She insisted she would not allow Brexit to disrupt "historic progress" made in Northern Ireland through a hard border. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the UK's objectives were "no clearer" after "20 wasted months". "This government is nowhere near delivering a good deal for Britain," he said. Mr Corbyn said the UK's proposed solution to avoiding the return of physical infrastructure on the Irish border, based on what he said was a "mixture of goodwill and technology", was no more than blue-sky thinking. He also questioned the UK's chances of agreeing a free trade deal with the US in light of President Trump's recent announcement that he wanted to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Updating MPs on her vision for the UK's future economic relationship with the EU - which she outlined in a major speech on Friday - Mrs May said a comprehensive free trade deal was in both sides' interests. "We cannot escape the complexity of the task ahead. We must build a new and lasting relationship while preparing for every scenario," she said. "But with calm, pragmatic and patient discussion, I am confident we can set an example to the world." She said she was absolutely clear there would be no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland after the UK leaves on 29 March 2019. But equally she said the UK could not accept the border effectively being moved into the Irish Sea - which critics say is what will happen if Northern Ireland remains in the customs union. Mrs May said the UK was close to reaching agreement on a transition deal and again ruled out a second referendum, saying she would deliver for the British people by making a "success of Brexit". Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith praised the PM's leadership and said the UK should not accept it could not have the exact deal it wanted, telling MPs "cake exists to be eaten and cherries exist to be picked". But Mr Corbyn said Mrs May "could not bring certainty to British business and workers" because of what he said was cabinet infighting and the Conservatives' "ideological crusade" to shrink the size of the state. He suggested Theresa May was seeking to dilute workers' rights and other social protection while tying the UK permanently to EU state aid rules "enforcing privatisation and blocking support for industry". "We've seen set-piece speech after set-piece speech and yet the prime minister still cannot bring clarity to these negotiations and still cannot bring certainty to British businesses or workers. "The prime minister's speech on Friday promised to unite the nation, but it barely papered over the cracks in her own party." On Ireland, he said the issue was not just about cross-border trade and paperwork but preserving the peace between different communities that has lasted for more than 20 years. Several Conservative MPs have been critical of Dublin's approach to the negotiations but Chancellor Philip Hammond, speaking later on Monday, said the Irish government "could not have been more helpful" in trying to reach agreement on the border issue - within the parameters of its EU membership. He told the Commons European Scrutiny Committee that Parliament would ultimately have the freedom to move away from EU rules in certain areas should it choose but that any decision to diverge would be "deliberate" as the UK and EU would start their post-Brexit relationship in almost complete alignment.

The UK can "set an example to the world" in the way it negotiates a new relationship with the EU after Brexit, Theresa May has said.

Mr Firmin also helped create other classic children's shows such as Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog. He died at his home in Kent after a short illness, Clangers production company Coolabi said. Mr Firmin received the Bafta Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He leaves behind his wife Joan, six daughters and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. A statement from Coolabi said: "During a career spanning over six decades Peter worked with great skill in a remarkably wide variety of creative disciplines as a fine artist, craftsman and author. You may also be interested in: France brings back national service Great white shark spotted off Majorca Anger as model poses nude at Western Wall "Of all his work he will probably be most fondly remembered for the characters he co-created and made." Mr Firmin worked with Ivan Owen to create Basil Brush; and Oliver Postgate on Bagpuss, Clangers, Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nog and Pogles Wood. In 1999, Bagpuss was voted the most popular BBC children's programme ever made. The Coolabi statement said: "Peter continued to work with great enthusiasm on creative projects right up until the beginning of 2018, most notably on a new series of Clangers, which won a Bafta in 2015." Floella Benjamin, who fronted children's shows such as Play School and Play Away and is now a Baroness, said all Mr Firmin wanted to do "was to create magic to stimulate kids' minds through his creative vision". Alice Webb, director of BBC Children's programmes, said: "Peter helped to bring to life some of the most iconic children's programmes of a generation." She described him as a "remarkable man with an incredible ability to create wonderful characters that children have adored for decades". Fans of his work have been paying tribute on Twitter. Robert Hanks said: "Is there anybody in Britain whose childhood wasn't improved by Peter Firmin?" Andrew Douglas said Mr Firmin and his collaborators "defined a generation" with their programmes while Tim Chipping said the artist was a "most magical man". John Terry said Mr Firmin was a "bringer of joy" while Pam Slingsby called him: "A little known hero who filled my childhood with wonder." Walter Dunlop said the Mr Firmin and Mr Postgate were a "little oasis of kindness", adding: "Whenever I feel lost, scared or just in need of a little escape for a few minutes, their work will usually do it for me." Born in Harwich in 1928, he trained at the Colchester School of Art and, after a period of National Service in the Navy, he went on to attend the Central School of Art and Design. It was while teaching there that he met Mr Postgate with whom he formed Smallfilms. In 2016, in an interview with the BBC at the unveiling of an exhibition of his work, Mr Firmin said of his relationship with Mr Postgate: "He wrote and imagined things and I brought them to life as pictures." He said: "We sometimes disagreed, but generally we agreed in the end as we had the same sort of taste and, also, we both rather liked the idea of gentle stories where there was no aggression really and everyone was rather happy, gentle and content." Mr Firmin revealed that Bagpuss, who starred in 13 episodes in 1974, was supposed to be a marmalade-coloured cat but an error at the fur-dying company saw him become pink instead. Mr Firmin's wife Joan made Bagpuss' paws and knitted the original Clangers, while their daughter Emily played Bagpuss' owner. Clangers first aired in 1969 with Mr Postgate, who died in 2008, providing the narration. Mr Firmin's earlier creation, the Moon Mouse from his Noggin The Nog stories, provided the inspiration when the BBC asked him to create something set in space. Clangers, which followed a clan of mouse-like creatures who lived on a moon, was broadcast by the BBC until 1972 with a special following in 1974. In 2015, the series was revived on CBeebies and narrated by Michael Palin, which Mr Firmin called "exciting". Reacting to the news that he would be presented with a Special Award at the Bafta Children's Awards in 2014, Mr Firmin said it was touching that his work was remembered with affection, decades on. The chair of Bafta's Children's Committee at the time said Mr Firmin helped to lay the foundations of today's children's TV industry. In recent years, Mr Firmin criticised the use of computer generated imagery on modern programmes and said there was more life in his knitted puppets. He said: "I hate CGI faces on humans because you look in the eyes and there's nothing there. There's no soul." Retaining the knitted characters in the new Clangers was important to him, he said, as he took on the role of design consultant and co-executive producer on the revival. Mr Firmin said: "With high definition and the very good production, you do feel you could almost hold them now." While the recent series cost a reported £5m to make, Mr Firmin recalled the primitive settings in which the original was created, when improvisation was the order of the day. He said: "We had to do everything ourselves because the budgets were pretty small in those days. "It was all very primitive then, though we didn't think it was primitive. "I hardly ever bought any new materials. I improvised all the time, which was really the theme of the whole thing."

Peter Firmin, the co-creator of Clangers, Bagpuss and Basil Brush, has died at the age of 89, it has been confirmed.

A computer software upgrade at RBS failed last week, disrupting many payments into and out of accounts. However, RBS added that its Ulster Bank customers continued to suffer "unacceptable delays". Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King has called for a detailed investigation into what went wrong and the time it took to recover. He added that the problems demonstrated the importance of management focusing on the service function of banking, which was very different from investment banking. The Financial Ombudsman Service has warned it could take several weeks for bank customers to have all the effects of the account problems sorted out. RBS said on Tuesday that it had cancelled its planned corporate hospitality at the Wimbledon tennis tournament as a result of the computer problem, saying it would be "inappropriate" to take guests to the tournament "under the circumstances". Extra hours The bank said most of the backlog of transactions had been cleared overnight leaving less than 1% unresolved. It said only "a few specific sets of transactions" were outstanding. "It is possible a small number of customers may experience delays as we return to a completely normal service," the bank said. "The full focus of our efforts will now be on delivering the same result for our Ulster Bank customers who continue to experience unacceptable delays to their accounts being updated." To cope with the extra workload, RBS is opening 1,200 of its main branches earlier than usual this week and shutting them later. Despite the progress of the bank in clearing the backlog, more bank customers have complained to the BBC about the disruption they have suffered. Michele from Broadstairs, said: "I bank with Barclays but because my employers use RBS my invoice was not paid into my account on Friday." "It is now Tuesday and I'm still waiting for my money to be transferred, my rent has not been paid and other bills. "We went into Barclays to see if they could help us but they said as it was not their error they couldn't," she said. Alan from Carlisle said: "I can't be the only pensioner whose weekly DSS BACS payment to a building society account has failed to arrive." Helen from Bedford said: "We were assured our payments would be done by Monday, then today (Tuesday) yet today I receive a text saying it won't be today but no further information on when it will be. "Plus a payment that should have gone in today hasn't appeared," she added. Despite the problems, some readers have praised the help given by RBS and NatWest staff. Noel from Hungerford said: "I would like to send my appreciation of all those members of NatWest frontline staff who have been working long hours under pressure through no fault of their own - they deserve our thanks." Renu from Reading said: "Accounts are looking up to date. Staff have been excellent." Major challenge Earlier, David Cresswell of the Financial Ombudsman Service said the knock-on effects would take longer to identify and rectify. "It is really important to start making a note of what is happening to you, of conversations you have with people, of difficulties you are facing, or knock-on effects, because this is a ripple effect from the original problems," he said. "What you need to do is make a clear list of how you have been affected, so you can go back to your bank and say: 'This is the complete picture, how can you help?'" The sort of problems RBS is expecting to deal with are extra charges for inadvertently going overdrawn or paying a credit card bill late, and making sure that a customer's credit rating is not damaged. James Jones of credit rating agency Experian said dealing with the problems, especially for customers of other banks, would be a challenge, as they would not be able to tell if a missed payment was due to RBS's computer problems. "We get data in from so many organisations, every minute of every day, that we don't normally review the data," he said. Neil Munroe, executive director of the Equifax credit rating agency, said: "We are reliant very much on the data being supplied by the organisations themselves; maybe as a result of this exercise we will get a lot more disputes coming through about those missed payments." Choice for customers RBS is planning to liaise with other banks so that their customers who were affected, for instance by not receiving a payment from a NatWest account, are also not left out of pocket. The bank has declined so far to estimate how many customers have been affected, how many have complained, or how many have used its telephone helpline. But an RBS spokeswoman stressed that they wanted affected customers to come forward so problems could be resolved. "We are offering our customers a choice: face-to-face at any branch, over the phone or via postform on our website," she said. The bank will reimburse customers for the cost of calling its 0845 helpline number.

Banking group RBS has said that 99% of RBS and NatWest accounts have now been brought up to date.

The first minister made the announcement as she unveiled a four-phase "route map" aimed at restarting society while suppressing the virus. The first phase will include allowing people to meet outside with people from one other household. Schools will reopen on 11 August - meaning many will return a week earlier than planned after the summer holiday. But the first minister said children will return to a "blended model" where they will do a mix of school and home learning. Teachers will return to schools in June, with transition support being given, where possible, to children going into Primary 1 or moving from primary to secondary schools. And an increased number of children will have access to critical childcare - which has been provided for the children of key workers during lockdown. Ms Sturgeon said the first phase of easing will see garden centres and recycling facilities reopen, while some outdoor activities such as golf, fishing, tennis and bowls will be allowed again, as will outdoor work such as agriculture and forestry. People will also be able to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas, and will be able to meet people from one other household - although only initially in small numbers and while they are outside. Different households should remain two metres apart from each other, and visiting inside other people's houses will not be permitted in the first phase. In addition, people will be able to travel - preferably by walking or cycling - for recreation, although they will be asked to remain "where possible" within or close to their own local area. Take-away and drive-through food outlets will no longer be discouraged from re-opening, so long as they apply safe physical distancing, but "non-essential" indoor shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs must remain closed during the first phase. There will also be a phased resumption of some aspects of the criminal justice system, as well as face-to-face Children's Hearings, and people at risk will have more contact with social work and other support services. And NHS services which were cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis will "carefully and gradually" resume. The route map for easing lockdown The Scottish government has identified four phases for easing the restrictions: Phase 1: Virus not yet contained but cases are falling. From 28 May you should be able to meet another household outside in small numbers. Sunbathing is allowed, along with some outdoor activities like golf and fishing. Garden centres and drive-through takeaways can reopen, some outdoor work can resume, and childminding services can begin. Phase 2: Virus controlled. You can meet larger groups outdoors, and meet another household indoors. Construction, factories, warehouses, laboratories and small shops can resume work. Playgrounds and sports courts can reopen, and professional sport can begin again. Phase 3: Virus suppressed. You can meet people from more than one household indoors. Non-essential offices would reopen, along with gyms, museums, libraries, cinemas, larger shops, pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and dentists. Live events could take place with restricted numbers and physical distancing restrictions. Schools should reopen from 11 August. Phase 4: Virus no longer a significant threat. University and college campuses can reopen in full, mass gatherings are allowed. All workplaces open and public transport is back at full capacity. The situation will be reviewed every three weeks, with further phases of easing being introduced if enough progress is being made on keeping the virus under control. However, Ms Sturgeon said she hoped to be able to move more quickly than that if the evidence allows. She described the first steps as "proportionate and suitably cautious", and said they were intended to "bring some improvement to people's wellbeing and quality of life, start to get our economy moving again, and start to steer us safely towards a new normality". The first minister added: "It's important to stress, though, that while the permitted reasons to be out of your house will increase, the default message during phase one will remain stay at home as much as possible." Ms Sturgeon said her route map did not yet set definite dates for when future phases will be introduced, because the virus is unpredictable. She said: "Our emergence from lockdown will be faster or slower, depending on the continued success that we have in suppressing the virus. "In the weeks ahead our messages will become more nuanced and complex as we strike a difficult balance protecting public health and allowing personal choice. "Straightforward, strict rules will gradually be replaced by the need for all of us to exercise judgment and responsibility." However, Ms Sturgeon said key advice such as isolating if you have symptoms of Covid, strict physical distancing, washing your hands and face coverings will remain the same. The Scottish Conservatives said the route out of lockdown would only succeed if the Scottish government "sorts out problems with testing". The party's leader, Jackson Carlaw, said: "Unfortunately, failings on testing so far have been the weakest aspect of this SNP government response to the coronavirus crisis. "Tens of thousands of tests have gone unused and there have been major problems in getting tests to the vulnerable people who need them most, and those who work with them. "And now we learn that the health secretary badly misled the public on the issue of elderly people being discharged from hospital to care homes without being tested for Covid-19." Some of the easing measures announced by Ms Sturgeon were introduced in England last week, but the first minister said at the time it would not be safe for Scotland to follow the same timetable. This was largely because the so-called R number - essentially the rate at which the virus is spreading - has been higher in Scotland than in some other parts of the UK. However the number of people who are dying with coronavirus in Scotland has been falling in recent weeks, as has the number of patients needing hospital treatment and intensive care. This has given the first minister and her advisers more confidence that any relaxation of the lockdown - which was introduced across the UK on 23 March - will not lead to a resurgence in the virus. Dr Poppy Lamberton, an epidemiologist at Glasgow University, said the "lag" between Scotland and England would help the Scottish government to judge the potential impact of easing the lockdown, and whether it will lead to an increase in the infection rate. Use the form below to send us your questions and we could be in touch. In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions. Your contact info I am over 16 years old I accept the Terms of Service If you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.

Lockdown restrictions in Scotland are likely to be relaxed slightly from 28 May, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

An MP taking part in a virtual debate on Tuesday was told he was not allowed to speak until he was "properly dressed". Jonathan Gullis, the Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent, tried to speak from his kitchen while wearing a jumper. But the debate chairwoman made him skip his turn until he wore a jacket. Deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing was about to invite Mr Gullis to speak before noticing his attire. "We now go to... we now go... no, I don't think we do go to Stoke-on-Trent, the honourable gentleman has to be dressed as if he were here in the chamber," she said. "So we will not go to Stoke-on-Trent, we will try to come back to Mr Gullis in due course, but we will go now to Chesterfield, (with Labour MP) Toby Perkins." There is no exact dress code for the House of Commons, but the rules say men must wear jackets, although ties are not needed. Jeans, T-shirts, sandals and trainers are also not appropriate. Dame Eleanor later returned to Mr Gullis, who appeared online again wearing a jacket. "We are now going back to Stoke-on-Trent, where I observe that the honourable gentleman is now properly dressed," she said. "Lest anyone should be confused, when people are participating virtually then they are appearing in this chamber, the chamber of the House of Commons, and therefore it is absolutely imperative that everybody taking part in these debates should be dressed in the way that they would be in the House of Commons." Mr Gullis replied: "Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker, the jacket is now on! Apologies." Later, Dame Eleanor said: "It's not about etiquette or fashion, it's about respect." She told BBC Essex that she "quite often" pulled up MPs on their state of dress in the Commons - but before the pandemic, it was "more subtly done... I would just quietly call them over to the chair". She added that Mr Gullis was "a very good member of Parliament" and "a hard-working chap". Zoom dress code Last year, as millions across the country began working from home en masse, retailers said that demand for loungewear had soared. Professionals reported swapping their corporate clothing for something more relaxed. Loungewear became fashionable, with even Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour photographed working from home in her joggers. The Guardian and others have written about a so-called "Zoom shirt" - a shirt or blouse kept near to the desk and which is easily accessible for online meetings. Meanwhile, some home workers across the country have even been livening up Friday online team meetings by holding them in fancy dress. Some big firms were already relaxing its dress code before the pandemic. In 2019, US investment bank Goldman Sachs announced it had relaxed its dress code allowing its employees to dress more casually - although it would not be appropriate for every situation. Other banks like JP Morgan have taken similar steps. During the first lockdown in April, the company Debretts, which offers guidance on British etiquette, issued advice for people communicating with colleagues over video call. "If you're presenting to prospective clients, wear something suitably formal for an office environment," it suggested. "You might be able to dress down for meetings, but keep it professional and avoid sportswear, loungewear or nightwear (at least as far as is visible)."

Comfy loungewear may be the outfit of choice for many people now working from home - but it is not allowed in the House of Commons.

By Lucy BallingerBBC News The move could save parents hundreds of pounds on holidays as they would be able to go outside peak times. At least six schools in Wales grouped their inset days into one week this year in a similar move. But campaigners warned it was a "quick fix" and could fail to help parents struggling the most. Cardiff council carried out an inquiry into whether it was feasible to move a week of holiday from the summer. As part of this it asked head teachers and governors at schools in the area if they would back the move - 72 responded, with 72% of those backing the proposal. The council said it would now decide if it should undertake formal consultation with a view to seeking Welsh Government approval to change the school term dates. But as councils are urged to work together so holidays are at a similar time, any proposal from Cardiff could prompt other local authorities to look at taking similar action. A Welsh Government spokesman said: "Local authorities and governing bodies of schools retain the right to set term dates for their schools. However, they are now also under a duty to work together to ensure that those dates are the same or as similar as possible." The plan is the latest attempt to make it easier for parents to afford the cost of taking their children on holiday, which can double during traditional school holiday weeks. 'Ski holiday fine' Mother-of-three Hev Ward, 45, from Cardiff, took her daughter Izabelle, 11, out of primary school for five days last year to go skiing in Andorra, and was fined as a result. She said: "Izabelle's attendance had been 97.4% and her grades were good, so I thought it wouldn't be a problem. But when I requested the week the head teacher said no. "I got a fine through the post after we got home for £60. One of the other families we went with also had two 10-year-olds who were students at another local school. Neither of them were fined. "It soured my relationship with the school, and whereas before I would volunteer and do stuff to help, after I felt like 'why should I volunteer if they aren't going to help me?'" But mother-of-three Bethany Walpole-Wroe from campaign group let Children in Wales Have Holidays During Term Time said the move could lead to more problems than it solves. She said: "It is a nice idea, and I welcome the fact that they are trying to do something to help parents and in the short term it might work, but sooner or later those holiday destinations close to Cardiff will cotton on and put their prices up. "Instead we need head teachers making sensible decisions and using their discretion, rather than blanket bans being issued on all holiday during term-time." Head teachers can currently allow children to be taken out of school by their parents for up to 10 days at their discretion, but some have been refused permission and received fines. At least six schools in Wales have tried to reduce absences by grouping together the five mandatory staff training days - or inset days - to give parents an extra week holiday during term time. Aberbargoed Primary School in Caerphilly is one of these, and pupils will start their half-term holiday a week early on Friday. Head teacher David Lewis said: "I did it to try and improve attendance and reduce term-time holidays by creating an additional week holiday. "It gives parents the opportunity to start their holiday at a cheaper time. "It has also helped us to organise our training into a full week, so it is beneficial to the teaching staff too." Of the 112 junior school children at the school, 24 are going on holiday next week. He added: "Some are going to Cyprus and abroad, but other are going to caravans in Porthcawl or somewhere more local, so it also benefits those people who can't afford to go abroad. "One of our governors is going on holiday to American at the start of July as there is a £2,000 difference in cost, so you can't blame people for doing it, and the children learn from having those experiences." Rob Williams, director of policy at teaching union NAHT Cymru, said he was not surprised head teachers were looking for ways to help parents get cheaper holidays. He added: "One of the things heads are held to account over is the attendance of pupils at school, but many of the factors that affect that are beyond the control of parents and schools. "Holiday costs seem to affect parents' decisions as to whether to take their children out during term-time and that is something we cannot do anything about. "There is never going to be a neat answer, it needs pragmatic decisions from the local authority and Welsh Government that mitigate these challenges to parents and the school."

A week could be taken off school summer holidays in Cardiff and moved later in the year after the plan was backed by 72% of head teachers and governors.

NUT Cymru says there has not been enough discussion between government and teachers over the so-called Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF). Education Minister Leighton Andrews unveiled plans to introduce national standards on Monday. The Welsh government disputes claims the plans will increase workloads. Literacy and numeracy levels in Wales have been a concern for the Welsh government for a number of years. Last year, Wales lagged behind England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in the Programme for International Student Assessment. Mr Andrews outlined plans to set national standards, including annual reading tests for children from seven to 14 years old and £7m for a schools support programme. Most schools in Wales currently use reading tests and many use some form of maths or numeracy testing. However, the Welsh government wants a consistent approach. 'Achievement' It disputes the NUT's claim that the new plans will increase workloads. It said officials regularly met unions, including the NUT, and said a full public consultation ran from June to October last year. National reading and numeracy tests will be introduced in May, and from September improving literacy and numeracy will have to be part of all subjects - not just English, Welsh and Maths - from ages five to 14. Data from the tests will be collected and analysed nationally with the intention that teachers get a clear indication of how children are progressing. The Welsh government says it is setting down expectations which "seek to raise the bar in some instances". The LNF sets out levels of achievement that pupils are expected to reach in reading, writing and maths skills. The funding of £7m will pay for a support programme that gives schools specialist help to make the changes. Online training material is available for teachers. Mr Andrews said: "The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework sets clear, realistic and achievable expectations for the teaching of literacy and numeracy and will be a critical tool in driving up standards across the board. "The LNF will help school leaders and managers to embed literacy and numeracy across all subjects in the curriculum and will support all teachers to become teachers of literacy and numeracy. "They will be assisted in implementing the LNF by a comprehensive national support programme that is tailored to address the needs of individual schools, learners and teachers." A spokesman for Mr Andrews said it was wrong for the union to claim it had not had an opportunity to raise its concerns. "The bottom line is this. Parents and good teachers are impatient for change," he added. NUT Cymru secretary David Evans said the union supports the improvement in education, but it wants to discuss the implications for teachers. As a last resort, the union has told BBC Wales its 13,000 members in Wales would be willing to strike unless their concerns are addressed. Mr Evans said: "We are not opposed to ensuring that our children get the best education as they deserve and require. "What we want is an opportunity to sit down with the Welsh government... to have a proper discussion with regards to the implications members are going to face as a result of it." David Reynolds, professor of educational effectiveness at the University of Southampton and a Welsh government adviser, said: "Frankly what I think is the pity here is that David Evans is neglecting the money, the support, the clear statements about what Welsh children are able to achieve in English and mathematics." 'Aggressive' David Pedwell, executive headteacher of Bryn Celyn and Oakfield Primary Schools in Cardiff, told BBC Radio Wales that "no-one disputes the fact that we need to improve standards". "There is a danger here a lot of children will feel that they have under achieved from these tests and that is not going to motivate pupils or teachers for that matter," he said. For the Conservatives, education spokesperson Angela Burns said: "Unfortunately, the education minister's belligerent and unnecessarily aggressive attitude towards the education sector risks the very reforms he wants to implement." Plaid Cymru education spokesman Simon Thomas said the government should work with teaching unions. "It must not bully them into doing this - serious improvements can only happen by consensus," he said. Liberal Democrat spokesman Aled Roberts said the minister needed the support of teachers to deliver changes, adding: "We can't allow this spat to get in the way of children's education."

One of Wales' biggest teaching unions has threatened to strike over the Welsh government's plans to improve literacy and numeracy standards.

The jihadist group abducted the girls from the town of Dapchi in February. After their release from captivity and a brief emotional meeting with their parents, the schoolgirls were flown to the capital to meet the president. The girls - warned by Boko Haram not to return to school - were escorted back to Dapchi by Nigerian soldiers. As well as meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, the newly-released girls underwent medical and security screenings. The schoolgirls, who were kidnapped from their boarding school on 19 February, were reportedly released by the side of a road almost five weeks later. A total of 110 girls were originally kidnapped, but five did not survive the ordeal and one other - a Christian who refused to convert to Islam - is still being held. The Nigerian government has said it will not abandon the "lone Dapchi girl". "The Buhari administration will not relent in efforts to bring [her] safely back home to her parents," a statement said. Two other people - a boy and another girl from Dapchi - were freed at the same time, officials also said. The government denies claims that Boko Haram was paid a ransom for the girls' freedom, or that there was a prisoner swap. Information Minister Lai Mohammad told the BBC's Focus on Africa that the girls' return was part of ongoing talks about an amnesty in return for a ceasefire. Joy and jubilation Chris Ewokor, BBC News, Abuja The girls arrived in Dapchi aboard a convoy of five buses at about 13:30 GMT. Their parents were already waiting expectantly when they arrived. There was joy and jubilation as they jumped into their parents' embraces. The newly-released school girls had spent three days with the Nigerian authorities after being released by Boko Haram last week. But the parents of the lone Christian girl were isolated from the celebrations. Their daughter is still being held by the jihadist group for reportedly refusing to convert to Islam. Meanwhile, the warning by the militants that the freed girls should never return to school hangs a shadow over their return home. President Buhari's administration had been under pressure to resolve the Dapchi abduction, which revived painful memories of the 2014 kidnapping of 276 girls from the town of Chibok. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was criticised for his handling of the abductions from a Chibok school, some 275km (170 miles) south-east of Dapchi. More than half of the girls have been returned but 100 remain missing. Timeline: How Dapchi abductions unfolded (App users click image) 2018 Suspected Boko Haram militants attack a public secondary school for girls in the north-eastern Nigerian town of Dapchi in Yobe state. Nigerian government confirms 110 girls missing. Yobe state government announces rescue of some of the girls from "terrorists who abducted them" and says they are with the army. Read more here The Yobe state government retracts the statement and apologises for misleading the public, saying: "No girl was rescued". Read more here President Muhammadu Buhari calls the abduction of the schoolgirls in Dapchi a "national disaster". Read more here Nigerian Air Force announces deployment of military aircraft and additional personnel for search and rescue mission. Nigerian army denies claims by Yobe State Governor that soldiers were removed from Dapchi before the girls' abduction. The army then admits it redeployed soldiers away from the town, saying the area was "relatively secure". Read more here Federal government launches investigation into the circumstances leading to abduction and releases full details of the 110 missing schoolgirls. Read more here UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he "strongly condemns the abduction and attack". Local human rights activist Aisha Wakil, known as "Mama Boko Haram" because she has known some of the militants since they were children, is quoted in reports saying that the Barnawi faction of Boko Haram confirmed to her that it was holding the girls. Women hold a protest in the capital Abuja, three weeks after the girls' abduction. President Muhammadu Buhari announces plan to negotiate the girls' release, rather than use military force. President Buhari makes his first visit to Dapchi, assuring parents of the missing schoolgirls that the government will secure the girls' rescue. Amnesty International claims Nigerian army ignored repeated warnings of an attack on Dapchi town, hours before militants abducted the girls. Read more here Nigerian government announces that 104 of the 110 abducted schoolgirls have been freed. Read more here

More than 100 Nigerian schoolgirls, most of those recently kidnapped by Boko Haram, have gone home to their families, four days after being freed.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Talal Sello said the fighting was over after a four-month assault. Clearing operations were now under way to uncover any jihadist sleeper cells and remove landmines, he added. However, a US military spokesman later said he could only confirm that about 90% of the city had been cleared. Islamic State (IS) made Raqqa the headquarters of its self-styled "caliphate" in early 2014, implementing an extreme interpretation of Islamic law and using beheadings, crucifixions and torture to terrorise residents who opposed its rule. The city also became home to thousands of jihadists from around the world who heeded a call to migrate there by IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. How did the Raqqa offensive unfold? The SDF was formed by the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia two years ago along with a number of smaller, Arab factions. It says it is not aligned with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or the rebels seeking to overthrow him. With the help of US-led coalition air strikes, weapons and special forces, SDF fighters have driven IS out of more than 8,000 sq km (3,100 sq miles) of territory. Last November, they began a major operation to capture Raqqa. They slowly encircled the city before breaking through IS defences on the outskirts in June. On Tuesday morning, the SDF cleared the last two major IS positions in Raqqa - the municipal stadium and the National Hospital. Reuters news agency reported that fighters raised the YPG flag inside the stadium, celebrated in the streets and chanted slogans from their vehicles. Dozens of foreign militants were believed to have made their last stand in the stadium, while 22 were reportedly killed in the final attack on the hospital. Up to 300 militants were thought to be holding out on Sunday, after Syrian jihadists and their families were evacuated along with 3,500 civilians under a deal negotiated by the Raqqa Civil Council and local Arab tribal elders. "Everything is finished in Raqqa, our forces have taken full control of Raqqa," Mr Sello told AFP news agency on Tuesday afternoon. "The military operations in Raqqa have finished, but there are clearing operations now under way to uncover any sleeper cells there might be and remove mines." Mr Sello said an official statement declaring victory in the city would be made soon. However, the coalition would only say that the battle was "near its end", with spokesman Col Ryan Dillon estimating that about 100 militants were left in Raqqa. What has been the human cost? There has been a "staggering loss of civilian life" in Raqqa, according to UN war crimes investigators. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported on Tuesday that at least 3,250 people had been killed in the past five months, among them 1,130 civilians. Hundreds more were missing and might be buried under destroyed buildings, it said. The anti-IS activist group, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, said more than 1,873 civilians had been killed. Activists said many of the civilian casualties were the result of the intense US-led air strikes that helped the SDF advance, though the coalition said it had adhered to strict targeting processes and procedures aimed to minimise risks to civilians. IS militants also used civilians as human shields and shot those trying to flee. The UN said last week that about 8,000 people were still trapped in Raqqa, and that almost 270,000 civilians had been displaced since April. Air strikes, shelling and clashes on the ground have also destroyed Raqqa's civilian infrastructure and homes. A local councillor recently estimated that at least half of the city was destroyed. Save the Children warned that while the battle was now over the humanitarian crisis was continuing, with the displaced in critical need of aid and camps "bursting at the seams". "Conditions in the camps are miserable, and families do not have enough food, water or medicine. But it is not yet safe for them to go back, and many of their homes are now turned to rubble," said the charity's Syria director, Sonia Khush. What is left of IS in Syria? The jihadist group still has a number of footholds, the largest of which runs along the Euphrates river valley in the south-eastern province of Deir al-Zour. However, the SDF and Syrian government forces - which are backed by Russian air strikes and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement - have launched separate offensives in the province with the aim of taking control of a key crossing on the border with Iraq. IS has also suffered a series of defeats in recent months to Iraqi government forces, who are advancing along the Euphrates on the other side of the border. The US-led coalition said on Tuesday that forces it supported had reclaimed 93,790 sq km of Iraqi and Syrian territory seized by IS in 2014 and freed 6.6 million people from jihadist control.

A US-backed alliance of Syrian fighters says it has taken full control of Raqqa, ending three years of rule in the city by so-called Islamic State.

More than 150 jobs out of 4,000 are expected to be lost in the next year. The Conservative-run authority said the savings would allow for a council tax freeze in 2011/12. Banes said it had to make £2.6m of cuts to its services. Funding is set to be reduced to youth services and some voluntary groups. The council wants to spend £33m on projects including new offices and a library. The council said the £2.6m cuts were "equivalent to less than 1%" of its gross revenue budget of £351m. 'Target resources' It also approved plans to spend £200m over five years in projects including £33m in Keynsham town centre. The scheme would include the redevelopment of the council offices, retail units and a library. The £200m investment proposals also included £10m towards a new leisure centre in Bath, £5.5m towards increasing the amount of affordable housing and £18.5m to improve school buildings. Conservative councillor Malcolm Hanney said: "Efficiencies are being continually achieved, balanced budgets are being delivered, and we continue to plan for the future as the council reforms its structure and the way in which services are delivered. "The council continues to target its resources so that greater investment can be made in the high quality front line public services rightly demanded by our residents."

Cuts to the coming year's budget in Bath and North East Somerset (Banes) have been agreed by the council.

George Ferguson spoke of his "duty to set a legal budget while protecting the most vulnerable in society". The council has to make savings of £35m - 9% of its budget. Other threatened cuts to services were dropped including the proposed loss of night buses and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). Unions representing staff expressed anger at the plans. 'Make changes' "It's pretty tough, people are frightened about the future of their jobs," said Judy Wilson, Unison representative. "They're totally demoralised," said Rowena Hayward of the GMB. "They feel they're being attacked from all sides." But Councillor Tim Kent, the Liberal Democrat group leader, said u-turns over some of the proposed cuts show Mayor Ferguson is able to compromise. "I think it does show he is willing to listen," said Mr Kent. He added: "I think sometimes you put some things out there, you decide you're wrong on them and you make changes and that's to be welcome and I thank him for that." The Labour group acknowledged the difficulties facing the new mayor in setting the budget but did not support it. "Labour have worked constructively with him, and with all parties, to mitigate the worst of the mayor's cuts," said Helen Holland, leader of the Labour group. "Labour took the decision not to attempt to block the mayor's budget - what we cannot do is endorse and support the cuts this Conservative/Lib Dem government is forcing upon our city," said Ms Holland.

The first budget by Bristol's first elected mayor will cut 325 jobs from Bristol City Council while raising council tax by 1.99%.

But The Fugees star, who was appointed ambassador-at-large of the country in 2006, has not yet decided whether to seek a five-year term as leader. Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake in January which killed more than 250,000 people. A family statement said Wyclef was "committed" to his homeland. The statement was issued in response to rumours in Haiti that Wyclef is preparing paperwork for a bid in November's election. Candidates have until 7 August to register. It read: "Wyclef's commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward. "At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his intent to run for Haitian president. If, and when, a decision is made, media will be alerted immediately," it added. Current President Rene Preval is barred by the constitution from seeking a new term. Wyclef, who lives in New York, is founder of the humanitarian Yele Haiti Foundation, and has played a prominent role in securing aid since the earthquake. The singer and producer, best known recently for a string of collaborations with Colombian pop star Shakira, is hugely popular in Haiti where half of the population is under 21 years of age. Join the debate: Should stars get involved with politics?

Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean is considering running for president of the Caribbean country, his family say.

By Nicola BeckfordReporter, BBC Victoria Derbyshire programme The figure - for England, Wales and Northern Ireland - is equivalent to 160 allegations per school day. Theft and violent crime were the most common types of offence to be reported. The NSPCC said the number of reported sexual offences - 1,502 - was worrying. The government said crime had "no place in our schools" and it had given teachers greater powers to tackle it. Data was collated from 32 forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which responded to a Freedom of Information request from the Victoria Derbyshire programme. It is not known how many reports led to convictions. 'Footprint in schools' A total of 30,394 crimes were reported place at primary schools, secondary schools and further education establishments - excluding universities - in 2014, according to the data of 32 forces. In 2013, there were 28,444 crime reports. Theft, burglary or robbery was the most common offence, with 13,003 incidents reported. There were 9,319 reports of violent crime, 4,106 reports of criminal damage or arson, and 754 reported drugs offences. Some forces did not provide data on sexual offences, citing the Data Protection Act. But in the 25 that did respond fully, 1,502 crimes were recorded. The largest number of crimes were reported to the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police and West Midlands Police. Supt Laurence Taylor - the policing lead for children and young people at a regional level - believes it is key for police forces to have a continued footprint in schools. "If we don't get it right with policing in schools, we miss opportunities to intervene at an early stage to prevent children's behavioural issues becoming more problematic in later life," he said. 'Back in charge' "It is important we break down barriers between children and police, intervene early when problems do arise and support schools in pupils' education [regarding issues such as online safety]." His force, Sussex Police, currently has 27 dedicated neighbourhood schools officers, who each work with a cluster of schools in the region. But, he added, while some forces were investing more in schools officers, others were reducing their provisions because of pressure on resources. A government spokesman said: "Crime and violent behaviour have no place in our schools. "We have put teachers back in charge of the classroom. "They can search pupils without consent, confiscate prohibited items and use reasonable force to remove disruptive pupils from the classroom when necessary. "We know many good schools already work with the police and other organisations to educate pupils and protect them from harm and involvement in crime." Statistics by region *Some of the data in these files has been redacted **These files have limited data Note: The data has come from Freedom of Information responses from 32 UK police forces. In some cases, data that could have led to the identification of individuals was removed. Data for Cambridgeshire Police was created by the BBC on the basis of information supplied by the force. Some forces included information about universities. These numbers were removed from the overall analysis. Additional data research by Pupul Chatterjee and Antia Geada. Watch Victoria Derbyshire on weekdays from 09:15-11:00 BST on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.

More than 30,000 alleged crimes linked to schools were reported to police in 2014, a BBC investigation has found.

Operation Anagram was formed by Strathclyde Police in 2006 after Tobin raped and murdered 23-year-old Polish student Angelika Kluk in Glasgow. It also helped convict him of the murders of 18-year-old Dinah McNicol and 15-year-old Vicky Hamilton. Police said that while the operation was being scaled back it would never end. Det Sup David Swindle, who formed the operation, said anyone with information regarding Peter Tobin would still be able to contact the Anagram incident room via e-mail which would be monitored daily. "Since Operation Anagram was formed in 2006, I could never have believed the momentum and magnitude it would have developed into," he said. "The public response and assistance from the media has been unbelievable. "The long-running investigation has brought some solace to the families of Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol in knowing what happened to their loved ones." Det Sup Swindle said that although Anagram had not uncovered other murder victims of Tobin to date, he was "proud" of its "success in bringing closure" to some bereaved families. He added: "I leave Strathclyde Police after 34 years in the knowledge that we have tried our best to find out the truth of what Tobin has done and also with confidence that the Anagram processes built up over the last four and a half years ensures a life long awareness of this cowardly, vicious serial killer Tobin. "Any new information coming to light will continue to be researched which may bring similar closure to other families. "The search for the truth about what Peter Tobin has done will continue." Tobin is serving three life sentences for the murders of Vicky Hamilton, Dinah McNicol and Angelika Kluk. Ms Kluk was raped and murdered at a church in Glasgow in 2006. The bodies of Ms McNicol, from Essex, and Ms Hamilton, from Redding in Falkirk, were found the following year in the garden of Tobin's former home in Margate, Kent. Operation Anagram has helped piece together a timeline of Tobin's movements and relationships over decades in a bid to determine whether he is responsible for other unsolved crimes.

A dedicated police operation set up to examine the activities of serial killer Peter Tobin is to be wound down.

By Rozina SiniBBC News Bailey from New Jersey took out two billboards close to director and actor Tyler Perry's studios in Atlanta that read "Attention Mr Perry, Racquel Bailey is your next leading lady" along with a picture of herself and her social media handles. Posting on Instagram she wrote: "I'm just a mother wanting to show my children that I went for it all, that I chased my dreams. So one day, they'll be able to do the same." Bailey told the BBC she had taken out a billboard seven years ago but had not had any response so she decided to give it another shot. "I was driving to work and I passed a number of billboards. It reminded me of a scene in the film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, in which Halle Berry's character was told by an agent that until her face was plastered all over billboards she was irrelevant." Two days after paying over $2,000 (£1,580) for the billboards the actress says she auditioned for a Tyler Perry pilot, with a second audition a week later in New York. On Thursday, four weeks after the billboards went up, it seemed Bailey's efforts had paid off, Tyler Perry responded. His advice was not just for her but also for other actors hoping to be cast in his projects. "Soooooo...... here's the deal. This is not the way to get my attention if you're looking for a role in one of my shows. Please DON'T DO THIS, SAVE YOUR MONEY!!" the post read. Perry also softened the blow by complimenting the actress for a role he had seen her in. "You were great in THE NIGHT OF! It was my favourite show a couple years ago. I ALREADY SAW YOU!! So just audition and keep your money!! Again, I appreciate your effort, but that's not the way to work for me." Perry's post on both his Facebook and Instagram accounts generated thousands of responses, with many applauding the filmmaker's "constructive criticism." "Tyler you handled this appropriately. Not only did you educate her but others," read one Facebook comment." Another posted: "God bless you for providing feedback. This is helpful information for others that want to work for you." You may also like However others praised the actress's unique way of standing out from her peers and thought Perry's response was a "lil harsh". "Ok that was not necessary to knock her for trying to stand out." commented a Facebook user. While another asked: "Why bash her for thinking outside the box? "Yes, your auditions may be free but this is what you do to stand out because I'm sure everyone who auditions for you is good." Another Facebook commentator thought Perry's response was a cleverly calculated move: "He just gave her priceless exposure. "Even though he said he didn't agree with this method he simultaneously acknowledged her talent, and many other film makers will take notice, and I promise you that someone else will give her a shot." While Tyler Perry might not be impressed with Bailey's billboard efforts, another casting director it seems was. Joyce Licorish from Dream Empire Films reached out on Facebook asking her to get in touch, saying: "You won, because the whole country now knows your name." Bailey has since posted her own thoughts on Perry's words of advice.

When actress Racquel Bailey thought of a creative way to get the attention of filmmaker Tyler Perry, she probably wasn't expecting the reaction she received.