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When Bayern thrashed the mighty Barcelona on Tuesday evening, Mr Hoeness sported his red supporter's scarf and gaudy scarlet jacket, the son of a butcher who rose to celebrity through his boots - and to riches by setting up a business making sausages.
But now he finds himself at the centre of a row over taxes. He admitted that he had a Swiss bank account: "Through my tax adviser I turned myself in to the tax authorities in January, 2013. It was in relation to a Swiss bank account of mine," he said. That has unleashed a volley of criticism as fierce as the goals he used to score.
Just as the (now former) French socialist tax minister Jerome Cahuzac ignited the debate about tax havens and off-shore arrangements for the wealthy in France, so Uli Hoeness has done the same in Germany.
Mr Cahuzac was the minister charged with maximising tax revenue. He had said: "I do not have, I have never had, an account abroad, not now, not ever," - until he said that he did have an account abroad. You can see the difficulty.
Uli Hoeness is not a politician. But he is a big public figure, and one who was big on probity: the sports star turned businessman turned chat-show guest with an opinion on everything - including business ethics.
From his position in a television studio, he opined: "You can't preach the virtues of water and then drink wine."
Subsequently, with the revelation of the Swiss account, Die Zeit wrote: "Hoeness always put great importance on morals. He would even frequently chat with Chancellor Angela Merkel."
Chancellor Merkel is unlikely to be talking much to him now. Her spokesman said: "Many people in Germany are now disappointed in Uli Hoeness. The Chancellor is among these people."
Her distance from her friend is understandable.
The German government in an election year has made much of its belief that if German taxpayers bail out the banks and governments of Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain, then everybody should pay their fair share.
But there has been a debate about how the unpaid taxes should best be retrieved. The German government reckoned that a softer approach would claw back more money.
The idea was to offer those with undeclared Swiss bank accounts the chance to come clean (albeit in private). If they did, they would pay back-tax but not be publicly shamed.
But the opposition balked at that. It said that those with hidden cash over the border should be pursued. It won, blocking the government's plan. A new agreement with Switzerland, offering softer terms, with more carrot and less stick, was abandoned.
It seems that Uli Hoeness had declared his account to the German authorities because he thought that the semi-amnesty was on the way, only to find, too late, that it was not.
He was then left as bereft as a solitary centre forward alone in his half of the field when the ball suddenly comes hurtling towards him.
Germany isn't alone in wanting more taxes paid. In the UK, there have been rows over how big multinational companies like Starbucks, Amazon and Google arrange their affairs so that they pay tax in lower-tax-rate jurisdictions. Legal it is; pleasing to the cash-strapped British Treasury it is not.
Five European countries - France, the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain - have agreed to compel banks to disclose information so that tax authorities know where potential taxpayers have stuck their money. It is similar to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) in the United States which has been used against US tax evaders since 2010.
Governments are under pressure to crack down on tax evasion and avoidance by the rich for two reasons. Firstly, when economies grow robustly, tax revenues rise nicely. But when economies contract, governments cut spending so every penny of extra revenue mitigates the pain.
Secondly, the bailout and nationalisation of bankrupt banks by taxpayers may have stoked up resentment so that pre-Crash, getting away with paying less tax might have seemed like a misdemeanour, now it seems like a crime - or so runs the argument.
Maybe when capitalism was sailing along smoothly, few would have blinked an eye, but now that governments are cutting spending, including on social programmes for the poor, every penny counts - including those in foreign bank accounts.
Or especially those in foreign bank accounts.
In this less sympathetic environment for those allergic to tax, the authorities in Germany have been pursuing a controversial tactic. They have been buying CDs of information from whistleblowers in Swiss banks.
Recently, the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate bought information on 10,000 accounts. It is thought it paid about four million euros ($5.2m; £3.4m) for the CD, but justified the payment by saying that the information would let it retrieve half a billion euros in unpaid taxes.
The Swiss government takes a dim view of this. It thinks this is payment to people who steal from banks in Switzerland, a payment for wrongdoing.
And it argues that a proper agreement on sharing information would have been better.
A Swiss finance ministry spokesman said: "Data CDs can yield chance finds at most. They do not clear the way for making sure everyone is taxed."
The atmosphere has changed. Uli Hoeness knows this. He may have shouted for joy at Bayern's stunning 4-0 victory over Barcelona.
But more complicated matters of tax may take the smile from his face. National heroes don't get much bigger than Uli Hoeness. | He was a star forward in the football team which won the World Cup in 1974 and off the field, he's been almost as influential, presiding over the relentless - and continuing - rise of Bayern Munich to greatness. | 22262812 |
Marriott raised its offer to $13.6bn (£9.2bn) after the Chinese insurance firm, Anbang stepped in last week with a $13.2bn bid.
Starwood accepted Marriott's latest offer, describing it as a "superior proposal".
Marriott owns Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn and Marriott hotels and has 4,400 properties in 87 countries. Starwood owns 1,300 properties worldwide.
"The driving force behind this transaction is growth," said Marriott's chief executive Arne Sorenson.
Marriott's revised bid increased the cash payout for each Starwood investor.
Mr Sorenson said the increased cash consideration "improved the transaction's financial structure."
The companies expect the deal to close by the middle of the year.
Anbang's offer for $83.83 for each Starwood share, threw a spanner in a deal between Marriott and Starwood that was announced last November.
The Chinese insurance company has been making a push into the US market. It bought the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan for nearly $2bn in 2015.
On Saturday, Starwood - owner of the Sheraton and Westin hotels - became the first US hotel to enter Cuba. | Starwood Hotels has backed a sweetened offer from Marriott International. | 35865410 |
During its parade, one of Portela's floats depicted the destruction of the River Doce in 2015.
The dam was used to hold waste at an iron ore mine near the city of Mariana.
Portela is Rio's most successful samba school but it had not won the world-famous parade for 33 years.
A panel of judges gave it top marks in most categories, including costumes, rhythm and the quality of the samba song composed for this year's carnival.
Thousands of supporters began celebrating as soon as the final mark was read out at Rio's Sambadrome.
Portela scored 269.9 points to 269.8 for runners-up Mocidade.
One of Rio's most traditional samba schools, it had been eclipsed by younger rivals in the past decades, failing to win the carnival title since 1984.
"The wait is over," said Portela's president, Luis Carlos Magalhaes. "We won't need to mention that anymore."
In this year's parade, Portela focused on The Source of Life: the stories, myths and legends surrounding some of the world's best known rivers, including the Nile and the Mississippi.
It used its floats and the predominantly blue and white costumes of its 3,400 members to develop the story during the 75-minute-long parade.
"We deserved to win, more than anyone else," said Mr Magalhaes. "We worked very hard." | A Brazilian samba school that highlighted the environmental impact caused by the collapse of a dam has been crowned champions of the Rio de Janeiro carnival. | 39135912 |
The Garda commissioner has been asked to explain apparent contradictions between her public support for Sgt Maurice McCabe and reports that her legal team were under instructions to "attack" his character and motivation.
Sgt McCabe had claimed that senior police officers had inappropriately wiped the penalty points from the driving licences of often well-connected offenders.
He also complained about flaws and failures in criminal investigations in the Cavan-Monaghan division.
A 349-page report published last week by former High Court judge Kevin O'Higgins described Sgt McCabe as a "dedicated and committed" member of the force.
It said he acted out of genuine and legitimate concerns about Garda behaviour in the Cavan-Monaghan division and in Bailieboro Garda station in particular.
While some of his complaints were upheld in the O'Higgins report, others were said to be overstated or exaggerated and some were unfounded.
In her second statement on the report in a number of days Commissioner O'Sullivan said: "I want to make it clear that that I do not, and never have regarded Sgt McCabe as malicious."
But last week, the Irish Examiner newspaper said it had obtained documents relating to the O'Higgins' commission's work in which the barrister for senior Garda officers, including Ms O'Sullivan, agreed with the commission that their line of enquiry would be to attack Sgt McCabe's motivation and character.
Commissioner O'Sullivan has repeated in her second statement that she cannot by law discuss the proceedings before the commission, but this has been rejected by opposition politicians who say the law refers to evidence and not statements made by lawyers.
Sinn Féin and the Labour party have called on her to clarify her position on the apparent contradiction.
While the O'Higgins report was largely supportive of Sgt McCabe, it also noted that his allegations of corruption against the previous Garda commissioner, Martin Callinan, were "hurtful" and rejected them.
The report also found that the former justice minister, Alan Shatter, had handled the sergeant's complaints in an "appropriate manner" and also, effectively, cleared him of any wrong-doing.
With Ms O'Sullivan's statements likely to be raised in the Dail the Housing minister, Simon Coveney, has said people should take the Garda commissioner at her word when she said she had never regarded Sgt McCabe as malicious. | The Irish police commissioner, Noírín O'Sullivan, is coming under pressure over her views towards a whistleblower. | 36313367 |
He was awarded the prize for reaching a peace agreement with the Farc rebel group last month.
The deal was rejected a few days later by Colombian voters in a referendum.
About 260,000 people have been killed and more than six million internally displaced in Colombia.
"Last night, I met with my family and we have decided to donate those eight million Swedish krona ($925,000) to the victims," said Mr Santos.
He made the announcement in the city of Bojaya, in the north-western region of Choco, after taking part in a religious ceremony for people affected by the conflict.
The head of the Nobel commitee said on Friday the award recognised the president's "resolute efforts" to end the conflict.
"The award should also be seen as a tribute to the Colombian people who, despite great hardships and abuses, have not given up hope of a just peace, and to all the parties who have contributed to the peace process," Kaci Kullman Five added.
Mr Santos said he dedicated the award to "all the victims of the conflict".
The award did not include the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) leader Timoleon Rodriguez, better known as Timochenko.
He also signed the accord after nearly four years of negotiations held by government and rebel delegates in the Cuban capital, Havana.
Sources: BBC Monitoring, Colombian presidency
The peace deal was rejected by 50.2% of voters who went to the polls on 2 October.
The committee acknowledged the result, saying: "What the 'No' side rejected was not the desire for peace, but a specific peace agreement."
It also said that finding a balance between the need for reconciliation and ensuring justice for the victims would be a difficult challenge.
Despite the rejection by voters, Mr Santos vowed to continue with talks with the rebels.
Government negotiators have already returned to the Cuban capital Havana for further discussions with Farc leaders.
On Twitter, Farc leader Timochenko said: "I congratulate President Juan Manuel Santos, Cuba and Norway, who sponsored the process, and Venezuela and Chile, who assisted it, without them, peace would be impossible."
Critics, led by former President Alvaro Uribe, said the deal was too lenient on the rebels.
1964: Set up as armed wing of Communist Party
2002: At its height, it had an army of 20,000 fighters controlling up to a third of the country. Senator Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped and held for six years along with 14 other hostages
2008: The Farc suffers a series of defeats in its worst year
2012: Start of peace talks in Havana
2016: Definitive ceasefire
Under the agreement, special courts would have been created to try crimes committed during the conflict.
Those who confessed would have received lighter sentences and avoided serving any time in conventional prisons.
The Farc would also have been guaranteed 10 seats in the Colombian Congress in the 2018 and 2022 elections.
Full timeline of Farc conflict | Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said he will donate the money from the Nobel Peace prize to help the victims of the 52-year conflict in his country. | 37603836 |
Federal Judge Sergio Moro said prosecutors' evidence suggested Nestor Cervero spent bribes on an apartment in Rio de Janeiro.
Cervero is the second Petrobras executive to be convicted amid an ongoing investigation.
He was fired in 2014 and arrested in January.
More than 100 people have been indicted and 50 politicians are under investigation for taking bribes.
Paulo Roberto Costa, former Petrobras director of refining and supply, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison last month. He signed a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors and will serve one year, under house arrest.
The authorities have accused former Petrobras executives and a handful of engineering firms of inflating the value of service contracts and banking the excess funds.
Cervero's lawyer, Edson Ribeiro, denied the charges at the time and did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the Reuters News agency.
Cervero can still appeal.
Last month Petrobras took a $2bn (£1.3bn) charge for costs related to corruption and published accounts for last year showing an overall loss of $7.2bn.
The company's results also bore an impairment charge of $14.8bn reflecting the decreased value of its assets. | A former Petrobras executive was sentenced in Brazil to five years in prison for money laundering. | 32894357 |
The Cabinet Office's "precedent book" shows the prince, the Queen, ministers and a handful of others get papers from cabinet and ministerial committees.
Campaign group Republic, which got the information after a three-year battle, called the prince's access "wrong".
The Cabinet Office said the Queen and her heir should be "properly briefed".
The precedent book was written in 1992, showing the arrangement has been in place for more than 20 years.
The book says the need for secrecy with the documents is so great that "special care in circulation and handling" is required, and cabinet ministers are handed their copies in person.
"The standard circulation for cabinet memoranda includes the Queen, the Prince of Wales, all members of the cabinet, any other ministers in charge of departments, the attorney general and the chief whip," it says.
"A few other senior ministers may receive copies at the prime minister's discretion... Ministers of state and junior ministers do not normally receive memoranda."
Four chapters were released to Republic after the Cabinet Office failed in its bid to avoid making it public.
Republic has written to Prime Minister David Cameron, calling on him to end the practice of sharing the documents with the prince.
"It is plainly wrong that Charles can lobby on new policy proposals even before the public are aware of the existence of such proposals," the letter says.
Republic's chief executive Graham Smith said the prince had "no legitimate need" to see the papers, and called the practice "quite extraordinary and completely unacceptable".
"Charles is essentially a minister not attending cabinet," he added.
Labour MP Paul Flynn, who has called for a parliamentary inquiry, said this made the prince the country's "best-informed lobbyist".
However, Bernard Jenkin, who chairs the cross-party public administration and constitutional affairs committee, which scrutinises the Cabinet office, said it was "outrageous" to describe Prince Charles as a lobbyist.
"This is really a debate about the Prince of Wales' conduct, not what papers he sees", he said, adding that the "vast majority" of people would agree that the heir to the throne should have access to such documents.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "It has been established practice for many years that the sovereign and the heir to the throne receive the minutes of cabinet meetings.
"It is important that the head of state and her heir are properly briefed."
Earlier this year, following another Freedom of Information Act battle, the so-called "black spider letters" sent by the prince to ministers were released.
Sent over a number of years, the letters covered a range of issues including conservation, defence spending, badger culls, the NHS and homeopathy. | Prince Charles receives copies of confidential cabinet documents, according to government papers released after a freedom of information battle. | 35108362 |
The Afghan soldier was also killed when the US troops returned fire.
The shooting erupted as a US diplomat was leaving a meeting with the provincial governor.
"Insider" attacks on Nato troops by Afghan security forces grew frequent in the final years of Nato's combat mission, which wound down in 2014.
The attacks, also known as "green-on-blue", damaged trust between Nato forces and the Afghans who had been trained by them.
The US troops involved in the latest incident are part of Nato's Resolute Support mission, which replaced combat operations last December.
An Afghan soldier killed three US contractors in late January.
The motive for the latest killing is not known and details of the clash are sketchy.
The shooting took place just after the US diplomat had left the meeting with the governor of Nangarhar province.
"Suddenly an Afghan army soldier opened fire on the US soldiers who were present in the compound," Gen Fazel Ahmad Sherzad, a Nangarhar police official, told the Associated Press.
However, other police officials quoted by Reuters news agency said it was unclear who opened fire first.
Several Afghan and US troops are also said to have been hurt.
The US embassy statement in Kabul issued a statement saying it was "aware that there was an exchange of gunfire involving Resolute Support service members".
It said none of its staff had been hurt. | A US soldier has been killed in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, reportedly after being fired upon by an Afghan soldier in an "insider" attack. | 32221541 |
The French energy firm's board was expected to meet on Wednesday to finalise the decision.
But French paper Les Echos and environmental group Greenpeace said the decision had now been delayed reportedly due to funding difficulties.
EDF declined to comment on the reports.
In October, EDF agreed a deal under which China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) would pay a third of the cost of the £18bn project in exchange for a 33.5% stake.
Is the plan for Britain's first new nuclear plant in a generation in trouble?
What is clear is that EDF faces major financial challenges.
Its share price has halved in the past year as falling French power prices have hit earnings.
Its current nuclear build projects in Finland and at Flammenville are over-budget and delayed.
It's facing a costly refurbishment programme to extend the life of its French nuclear plants. And in Hinkley Point C, it would be committing to a project that will cost more than its current market capitalisation.
It also has to placate its unions, which fear the project could put the entire company at risk
But EDF has already ploughed £2bn into Hinkley. And with so much political capital invested by the French and British governments too, it would be astonishing if EDF was to fall at the final hurdle.
The final investment decision by EDF was expected to be a formality.
But Les Echos said the French firm was struggling to find the cash for its 66.5% stake and was now "putting pressure on the [French] state, which owns 84.5% of EDF, to come up with fresh funds".
It said a final investment decision would now be made at the earliest at EDF's annual results on 16 February.
The reports contradict recent statements from EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy who said just a week ago that the "two nuclear reactors that EDF plans to build at Hinkley Point will be launched very soon".
Hinkley is due to start generating in 2025, and is expected to provide 7% of the UK's electricity once it is operational.
But the project was originally due to open in 2017, and it has come under fire for both its cost and delays to the timetable for building.
The government has also been criticised for guaranteeing a price of £92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity - more than twice the current cost - for the electricity Hinkley produces.
Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "The EDF board is clearly rattled as they delay yet again this crucial investment decision. It could well signal curtains for Hinkley.
"EDF managers as well as employee representatives on the board are deeply concerned this project is too risky and too expensive."
Meanwhile, the chief executive of Legal & General has described the project as "a £25bn waste of money".
Nigel Wilson told BBC 5 live: "The world is moving towards clean green and cheap energy."
"Solar, wind will play a much more important role. Hinkley is probably the most expensive energy we can think of right across Europe. That's really bad for society." | Britain's first new nuclear power plant in decades could be delayed amid reports an EDF board meeting to decide whether to invest in Hinkley Point Power Station has been postponed. | 35415187 |
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The Irishwoman avenged a couple of recent defeats by Britain's Kate Avery but finished behind Kenyan Alice Aprop Nawowuna and Mimi Belete of Bahrain.
Nawowuna beat Ethiopian-born Belete by four seconds with McCormack a further four seconds back and Avery in fourth.
Aweke Ayalew of Bahrain won the men's race ahead of Uganda's Thomas Ayeko.
Ayeko won last year's men's event at the Northern Ireland meeting but was edged out by Ethiopian-born Ayalew in a sprint finish in Saturday's race with Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot completing the podium places.
Ayalew and Ayeko both clocked 21 minutes and 25 seconds with Cheruiyot a further two seconds back as African-born athletes occupied the first five places.
Scotland's Andrew Butchart was one minute and nine seconds off the pace in sixth spot with Dublin athlete Cillian Mooney the leading Irish athlete in 16th, just ahead of City of Derry's Declan Reed in 17th.
McCormack, 31, insisted that she had enjoyed the biting cold and muddy underfoot conditions in the 5.8 kilometre event at Greenmount College.
The Irishwoman led the African contingent early on before Nawowuna and Belete edged clear on the final circuit.
"I think the Africans thought they could get around the mud but realised they couldn't," said McCormack, who won the Antrim event in 2012 and 2013.
"That's how I ended up at the front because I just went through it."
The Kilcoole athlete couldn't hang on to the lead with Nawowuna, 21, an impressive victor in 18 minutes and five seconds despite not feeling comfortable in the cold conditions.
However, McCormack had the consolation of avenging her defeat by Avery in Edinburgh last weekend while the Briton also won silver at the recent European Championships in Hyeres ahead of the fourth-placed Irishwoman.
"It would have been nice to have a bit of a kick at the end because you could see people struggling in front," added McCormack.
"But a course like that when someone gets a gap even though you can see them struggling, you're struggling yourself to get through the mud."
Olympic Games-qualified Kerry O'Flaherty was the first Northern Ireland finisher in 11th, as she came in one minutes and 45 seconds off the pace. | Fionnuala McCormack was the only non African native to earn a podium spot at the Antrim International Cross Country as she took third in the women's race. | 35335093 |
The project to build the station on a former quarry site on Jersey had been stalled over concerns it would take up open space in town.
Jersey Electricity said the old quarry wall can now be safely removed and a new retaining wall constructed.
The firm signed a contract with Jayen to carry out the civil works on the 10,000sq ft site at Westmount Gardens. | Work on a new £17m electricity substation is expected to start early in the New Year following delays. | 35020607 |
The woman, who cannot be named, was 14 in 1966 when she said he offered her a lift home, drove to an alleyway and "lunged" at her.
Mr Clifford, from Hersham, Surrey, faces 11 counts of indecent assault relating to seven alleged victims, aged from 14 to 19, between 1966 and 1984.
He denies all the charges against him.
Jurors at Southwark Crown Court were told the pair met at a Wimpy bar in south-west London.
The woman said Mr Clifford offered her a lift home, and then drove to an alleyway near a sports field, saying he had something to show her.
When he produced a book of photographs showing him with celebrities including The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, she said she would like to meet the Walker Brothers, jurors heard.
The woman told the court: "He said 'I can arrange that, but this is what you've got to do', and he put my seat right back and then he tried to force himself upon me, basically."
"My seat, I think it went almost horizontal, that's the way it seemed, he then sort of lunged at me and put his body on me.
"He was touching me all over."
The woman said she managed to open the car door, wriggle free and run home.
She said she did not confide in her parents because they were strict and she feared they would have banned her from going out.
She went on: "I was just so happy to be in one piece. I didn't know at the time if I was going to get raped or murdered."
The woman said she told friends over the years about meeting Mr Clifford but did not go to the police until recently.
"As he became more of a household name and people would mention him or he was on the television, I'd say I had a really bad experience with him before he was really famous.
"People always said to me why didn't you go to the police?... Because he was so powerful and he virtually controls the media, what chance would I stand?
"If I were to hear it from other people then I would definitely do my bit and tell them what happened, because it was only fair. But I wouldn't have done it on my own because I wouldn't stand a chance."
Cross-examining her, Richard Horwell QC suggested the incident had never happened, and that in 1966 Mr Clifford did not have a car.
She replied: "It did happen, I can't give you the exact date that it happened but it did happen."
The woman said she was not sure of the time of year that the alleged assault occurred, and that it could have been in 1967.
She denied she was "jumping on a bandwagon", saying she had been telling people about the incident for 35 years.
The trial was adjourned until Tuesday. | A woman has told a court she thought she was going to be raped in publicist Max Clifford's car. | 26514879 |
It is believed there are only 70 Amur leopards left in the wild and it is hoped the cubs at Twycross Zoo could help repopulate the natural habitat.
The birth five weeks ago was captured on camera and the pair have now ventured out of their den.
The youngsters - whose sex is not known - will stay at Twycross for the next 18 months before moving to another zoo.
Director of life sciences Dr Charlotte Macdonald, said: "Amur leopards are so precious - there are so few left in the world.
"Every birth in captivity is really important, so to have two born this year is fantastic news both for us and the global population."
The cubs are the second pair of babies born to parents Kristen and Davidoff at the zoo in recent years.
All four leopards' offspring could be part of a newly approved reintroduction programme in eastern Russia, the zoo said.
The critically endangered species natural habitat is temperate forests in the far east of Russia and north-east China. | Two of the rarest big cats in the world born at a Leicestershire zoo could help ensure the survival of the species. | 36962447 |
The film company, founded by the movie's director JJ Abrams, tweeted a picture of a branded clapper board with the hashtag "#dayone".
A dusting of sand on the picture appears to confirm initial scenes are being shot in Abu Dhabi.
On Wednesday, actor Oscar Isaac told BBC Radio 4's Front Row that production was due to start this month.
The 34-year-old said: "The whole process is under way. We're shooting in the studios here in London."
Isaac was one of the new cast members announced for the film in April, alongside Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.
Recently seen in Inside Llewyn Davis, the actor said his family were "very excited" by his latest role.
"My uncle and my cousin have galleries of the Star Wars toys they've collected," he told Kirsty Lang.
"So once I told them I had been cast, he nearly fainted, my uncle. He got sweaty and pale. He was very excited.
"The idea that I could be a toy for him is the craziest thing."
Little is known about Isaac's role in Star Wars: Episode VII, and the actor admitted he was under strict orders not to reveal details.
However he spoke about being cast in the movie by director JJ Abrams, saying he had been called to a meeting in Paris earlier this year.
"I'm a huge Star Wars fan but at the same time I'm defensively pessimistic, so I assumed that maybe it was a different project," he said.
Once Abrams confirmed the meeting was about Star Wars, Isaac said he "tried to play it cool - but, I mean, it was clear I was just so excited he wanted me to be a part of the whole thing."
The actor also confessed he used to dress up as characters from the outer space blockbuster franchise as a child.
"Not as a Jedi Knight," he stressed, "but I dressed up as a gonk droid a couple of times.
"I liked the tertiary characters or the ones you don't necessarily look at. I was a huge Boba Fett fan."
The film will be the first Star Wars title released by Disney, after creator George Lucas sold the rights to the franchise in 2012.
It will also see the return of the three principal characters from the original trilogy - Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford).
Earlier this year, Guatemalan-born Isaac was nominated for several awards, including a best actor Golden Globe, for starring in the Coen Brothers' folk music drama Inside Llewyn Davis.
He told Front Row the accolades led directly to his latest role, in the thriller The Two Faces of January.
"Early on, before I'd been cast in Llewyn Davies, [director Hossein Amini] had shown me the script because we'd worked together on Drive.
"At the time there was very little chance I'd be cast - but once I was cast in Llewyn Davies, that opened up a lot of doors."
Laughing, he added: "They couldn't get the money to make the movie with some weirdo named Oscar."
"It's kind of crazy that's how it works, but that's how it's worked for a very long time." | The latest Star Wars film franchise has begun shooting, production company Bad Robot has announced on Twitter. | 27426140 |
**SPOILER ALERT: If you are not up-to-date with Broadchurch series one, don't read on.**
Until the final episode of series one.
Gasps reverberated around the UK when it was revealed that Joe Miller, the seemingly kind and caring on-screen husband of Olivia Colman, was the Broadchurch resident who had killed Danny Latimer.
At the very end of series one, ITV confirmed the drama would return but Matthew has spent nearly two years pretending he wasn't part of any of it.
The 38-year-old told Newsbeat: "I had to deny that I was doing the second series since filming started, if not before.
"That's a good year of technically being 'unemployed', even though I wasn't.
"Only a very close-knit group knew the truth; my wife, my dad and my sisters, and that was it."
But surely isn't it that the beauty of Broadchurch?
Producers are so desperate to keep the audience guessing that they even put special measures in place during filming to stop leaks.
"The secrecy certainly helps," said Matthew. "It's the anticipation and the excitement; nobody knows what's going on or is able to spoil it for anyone else."
Nearly eight million tuned into the first episode of the new series.
By uttering the words 'not guilty' to a crime fans are sure he committed, Joe Miller fast became one of the most hated men on TV.
With so many people emotionally involved in the story, we asked Matthew if anyone has ever confused him with his on-screen character?
"I haven't had anyone throwing things or wagging their fingers at me on the street, so at the moment I'm safe," he said.
The dad-of-two says that although he has concerns that some viewers may see him as a villain in real-life because of who his character is, he was desperate to take on the role.
"From the beginning, there was a massive part of me that wanted to be the killer," he admitted.
"For most of series one I really didn't think I would be, I only found out ahead of the filming of the final episode. I thought it would shatter Olivia's character, and it did."
So far in series two, Matthew has spent much of his time stuck in a glass box in a court room, and he told us there were two things he missed, the seaside and his cast mates, particularly one.
"Olivia's brilliant," he told us. "Nobody's got a bad word to say about her, she's just very good and it makes you better.
"We all get on really well which made the second series more frustrating because I couldn't mess about, I was stuck away from them."
Before Broadchurch aired, Matthew had no idea how big it would become, but he said he did have an inkling during the first read-through with the rest of the cast.
"When I was sitting around the table for the first time and I saw all these brilliant people, I did think, 'oooh, this could be quite good,' but I had no idea of the scale until the first episode went out."
But don't even bother asking Matthew about what happens in episode two or three.
"Wouldn't you like to know..."
Ok, will there will be a third series? Will he be in it?
"Who knows?"
We reckon he has a better idea than most, but Matthew is wise to the questions, he also believes that deep down none of us actually want him to let anything slip.
He said: "People ask, 'who did it?' or 'where's it going to go?', but nobody really wants to know. It's all part of the fun of it, it's just a wry question."
And you know what? He's probably right.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | Two years ago you could be forgiven for not knowing who Matthew Gravelle was, even Broadchurch fans might have struggled to recognise him. | 30736888 |
Work to the District, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines will include a new signalling system, new track, longer platforms and rebuilt train depots.
It is hoped the changes will lead to more frequent trains on all four lines.
The move will also include 191 new air-conditioned walk through trains.
Once the work is complete, Circle line trains will arrive every four minutes, instead of every 10, and there will also be trains arriving every two minutes on the other three lines, TfL said.
TfL estimates capacity on the lines will be increased by 30% and said it is making the changes to cope with the predicted 1.4 million increase to London's population by 2030.
Delays on all lines should be reduced by up to a third by the end of the year, it added.
Tfl said the plans for a new signalling system include the oldest part of the network built, which was built in 1863 and "belong in a museum".
Negotiations are in the final stages with Thales, the French defence firm behind changes to the Jubilee, Northern lines and Victoria line, to make the changes, said TfL.
Passengers on the Circle line could see improvements from 2021, the organisation added. | A £5.54bn investment in four London Underground (LU) lines should improve efficiency, Transport for London (TfL) has claimed. | 32034660 |
One in 20 white employees are on zero-hours or temporary work contracts.
The figure for ethnic minority workers is one in 13, according to the TUC report, which uses figures from the government's Labour Force Survey.
The report said the recent increase in temporary work was affecting the black community especially.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Black, Asian and ethnic minority workers are being forced into low-paid, insecure work. And it's getting worse."
She said a national strategy was needed "to confront racism in the labour market".
The number of black women on temporary contracts had risen 82% in the past five years, the TUC said.
Overall, there was a 58% rise in the number of black workers in non-permanent work.
The number of white workers in temporary work rose 8%, according to the report.
Hamja Ahsan, 36, is a second generation British-Asian with a Masters degree in art curation.
He quit his job as a gallery assistant a few days ago after being told there was no work that week.
He had been working there for two and a half years, but says his hours had been reduced to between zero and three hours a week.
"I've never had any security," he said. "My income will fluctuate month to month, week to week.
"It feels like I've been in this zone for ever. I feel very worthless."
Omar Khan, director of the race equality think tank Runnymede, said that the poorest black and Asian women were likely to be most affected.
"This research chimes with previous evidence that BME workers are more likely to be in insecure work.
"In addition to tighter regulation on insecure contracts and clamping down on discrimination, the next government should ensure that its policies - notably including the budget - reduce rather than increase income inequalities for [black and minority ethnic] BME people in general and BME women in particular," he said.
The TUC is calling for the next government to ban zero-hours contracts. | Members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities are a third more likely to be in insecure work than white workers, says the TUC. | 40117388 |
According to organisers Camelot, those coming forward said their ticket was lost, damaged or stolen.
It comes after a woman said she washed her winning ticket in a pair of jeans.
Camelot has confirmed the winning ticket was bought in Worcester, but says it will not comment on unverified claims while it investigates.
The prize money up for grabs is half of a record £66m Lotto jackpot.
The rest of the money went to a couple from Hawick who claimed their prize within days of the 9 January draw.
Commenting on the claims of lost, stolen and damaged tickets, a Camelot spokesman said: "Given the interest in the missing £33m ticket-holder, we have received hundreds of claims of this nature.
"All of these are currently being considered on a case-by-case basis, and we will follow up with all claimants directly to advise them whether their claim will be investigated further."
The spokesman also said details of the shop which sold the winning ticket had not been released, nor had any retailer been informed that they sold the ticket.
The operator had the discretion to pay prizes in respect of stolen, lost or destroyed tickets only if the player had submitted a claim in writing within 30 days of the relevant draw, a spokesman said.
If the player could provide sufficient evidence, Camelot would investigate and determine "at its discretion whether the claim is valid, and is able to pay the prize 180 days after the draw".
According to shopkeeper Natu Patel, who runs Ambleside News in Warndon, Worcester, a woman went to his newsagent's with a ticket bearing the winning numbers, but the date and barcode were illegible.
The ticket had the winning numbers 26, 27, 46, 47, 52 and 58.
Even though the prize total was shared, the sum is still the biggest win since the National Lottery was launched in November 1994. | Hundreds of people have come forward to claim they bought a winning National Lottery ticket, worth £33m, which has yet to be identified. | 35407046 |
Jordan Miers, 21, was reported missing in Swansea on 19 December.
Extensive searches of the area involving divers were carried out and his body was discovered on 8 January.
The hearing was held at Swansea Civic Centre by Swansea and Neath Port Talbot Coroner Colin Phillips. | An inquest into the death of a man whose body was found in Swansea marina weeks after he went missing after a night out has been opened and adjourned. | 35315911 |
Various factors make it "incredibly difficult" for some inmates on Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences to find such proof, he said.
He wants new criteria for freeing IPP prisoners in England and Wales.
The Ministry of Justice said the suggestion had been "taken on board".
IPP sentences were introduced by Labour in 2005 as a way of stopping the release of dangerous prisoners.
But courts were banned from imposing any more IPP sentences in 2012 amid concerns they were being used to hold people for periods which their original offence did not warrant.
In March, 4,133 IPP prisoners continued to be detained, the majority of whom had been convicted of "violence against the person", sexual offences or robbery.
The Parole Board can approve a prisoner's release after the minimum term - the "punishment" part of their sentence - but only if it is satisfied it is not necessary to hold the inmate in the interests of public protection.
It means the prisoner has to prove they do not present a risk and can be safely managed in the community.
In March, about 80% of IPP prisoners - 3,347 - had already served their minimum term but were still locked up.
In his first interview since taking up his post in March, Prof Hardwick told the BBC that procedural delays, problems accessing offending behaviour courses and finding suitable accommodation made it "incredibly difficult" for some IPP prisoners to prove that it was safe for them to be let out.
"Some of them are stuck, festering, in prison long after the punishment part of the sentence," he said.
Ministry of Justice figures show more than 500 IPP prisoners given tariffs of less than two years were still in prison five or more years later.
"Once it gets to that point, they stop making progress and they start going backwards," said Prof Hardwick.
"So this is, I think, a blot on the justice system and I'm very keen we can do something about it."
He said Liz Truss, the new justice secretary, should consider activating Section 128 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
The clause allows the justice secretary to alter the test which the Parole Board has to apply when releasing prisoners.
Both houses of Parliament would have to agree to the change, but fresh legislation would not be required.
"There are legislative options that will enable us to change the risk test so it's more about 'is there proof that they're dangerous rather than proof that they're safe?' and there are some other measures that can be taken... to try to cut into that group," Prof Hardwick said.
The former Chief Inspector of Prisons said there were three categories of IPP inmate who would benefit most: Those on very short tariffs but still in custody; prisoners held beyond the maximum sentence for the offence they had committed; and offenders who were too frail or elderly to pose a danger.
The Parole Board is also trying to cut the backlog of prisoners awaiting decisions on their release, by hiring more parole panel members and dealing with cases more efficiently.
Prof Hardwick said it was "crazy" to be paying out compensation to inmates held in custody because their cases were delayed due to a lack of resources.
In 2015-16, there were 463 damages claims lodged, five times the number the previous year, with £554,000 paid out in compensation, compared to £144,000 the year before.
"It's not a good use of taxpayers' money," Prof Hardwick said.
"It would be much better to put the money into ensuring that the system is working efficiently so that people get dealt with fairly and get out when they're supposed to and when the courts intended."
The Ministry of Justice said: "The chair of the Parole Board has made a number of recommendations to improve the parole system and reduce the backlog of IPP prisoners.
"Work is ongoing within the department to address these issues and his recommendations have been taken on board". | Prisoners held indefinitely after serving their minimum term or tariff should not have to prove it is "safe" to release them, new Parole Board chairman Nick Hardwick has said. | 36889768 |
Rear Admiral Widodo's comments came after a renewed attempt to raise the wreckage from seabed failed when it kept breaking into pieces.
Ropes around the fuselage snapped during an initial failed effort to raise it on Saturday.
The plane crashed into the Java Sea last month killing all 162 on board.
It was flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore.
Four bodies were recovered on Saturday, taking the total recovered to 69, with more thought to be inside.
A preliminary report on the crash is expected to be filed next week , although the full investigation will take months.
Rescuers have been using inflatable balloon bags capable of lifting up to 10 tonnes to raise the 13-metre long section of wreckage from the sea bed and onto a flat boat.
But on Saturday, with the wreckage seven metres (22ft) from the surface, strong currents and the sharp edges of the aircraft's emergency door cut the rope connecting a bag to the fuselage.
The sharp edges had to be padded with rubber material before another attempt could take place.
Divers entered the main section of the fuselage, which is at a depth of 30m, for the first time on Friday.
The wreckage includes parts of both of the wings of the Airbus.
It is believed the plane's cockpit may also be in the same area.
Poor weather and difficult sea conditions have hampered the salvage operation since the main section of the aircraft was found.
On Friday, Indonesian rescue agency official SB Supriyadi described the difficulties of the salvage: "The divers said it was dark inside, the seats where floating about and the wires were like a tangled yarn."
The plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were found last week.
This week Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan told MPs that radar data had shown that the jet had climbed too fast - at a speed of 6,000ft (1,828m) a minute.
This caused the plane to stall, he said. When planes stall, their engines do not cut out but the wings no longer generate lift because there is not enough air passing over them, BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott says. | The Indonesian admiral in charge of operations to recover AirAsia flight QZ8501 has told the BBC the fuselage may be too fragile to be lifted. | 30972235 |
The archbishop will use his televised broadcast to focus on the plight of refugees and urge people to "welcome the alien and stranger".
The Most Reverend Welby will remind people that Jesus too was a refugee.
His message will be broadcast on BBC One on New Year's Day at 12:55 GMT.
In it, the archbishop will also tell of a meeting he had with a boy at Marsh Academy in Kent who at the age of 14 fled his homeland in north Africa over fears for his safety.
Soldiers stormed the boy's school in Africa and tried to abduct him but he was saved by a "courageous" teacher.
"This is just one example of the many desperate journeys children are making on their own to save their lives," he will say.
He says the Marsh Academy "represents the best of what we can do in this country".
"It welcomes, it loves, it serves, it teaches and equips people and demonstrates our ability to live up to our long-established tradition of warmth and hospitality.
"It's not a rich school; many families in the area are struggling on a day-to-day basis. And yet this school and surrounding community are astonishingly generous. If they can do it, so can we all."
The government has offered to accept 20,000 refugees from camps bordering Syria by 2020.
The archbishop will say the UK has always welcomed the "poor and weak".
He will say: "In today's world, hospitality and love are our most formidable weapons against hatred and extremism.
"I have met some extraordinary people today, from this area and those who have risked their lives to find safety. The hospitality of people here brings love, hope and joy.
"If we imitate them, society becomes a far better place." | People should use the "hospitality of love" to conquer "hatred and extremism", the Archbishop of Canterbury is to say in a New Year's Day message. | 35205943 |
A protest immediately followed, with 300 people surrounding the vehicle where he died, local media report.
The allegation that he was suffocated is being investigated by an independent police complaints body.
Police say that he died after swallowing drugs as they were about to arrest him for possession.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Robbie Raburabu told the News24 website that "as soon as he saw the police coming he swallowed the drugs and overdosed and died on the scene".
But Mr Raburabu told the BBC that all the circumstances surrounding the man's death, including the possibility of suffocation, is being looked into by pathologists.
Police used rubber bullets to disperse the crowd of about 300 protesters in the Kempton Park area on Saturday, Eyewitness News reports.
The Nigeria Union in South Africa say that this is not the only incident of a Nigerian being mistreated while being held by South African police.
"We take exception to the continued torture of Nigerians by the South African police," said the union's president, Ikechukwu Anyene, Nigeria's Premium Times newspaper reports.
There have also been demands for the Nigerian community to commission its own post-mortem. | South African state pathologists are to carry out a post-mortem on a Nigerian man who died after being arrested near Johannesburg on Saturday. | 35399335 |
They are among a collection of almost 1,000 robots amassed over 40 years by a couple from the North East.
The Out of This World auction takes place at toy sale specialist Vectis in Thornaby, Teesside and is expected to raise more than £40,000.
Auctioneer Andy Reed said it was the largest single collection of robots the auction house had sold. | Batman, Flash Gordon and a 1930s-built Japanese robot are expected to draw classic toy collectors to a sale. | 35802871 |
The Lib Dems and their Tory coalition partners disagree over whether to renew the submarine-based nuclear weapons system on a like-for-like basis.
The newspaper reports the review is to conclude that other delivery platforms would not work, or would cost more.
But it may suggest cutting submarine numbers could save billions of pounds.
The government said newspaper reports were speculative and the review would be published in due course.
A final decision on whether to build a new fleet of Vanguard submarines, which carry ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, has been pushed back until after the next election in 2015 amid disagreements within the coalition.
The existing submarines are due to be taken out of service in 2028.
The Lib Dems have long argued that the projected £20bn cost of building new submarines and ensuring that at least one is on patrol at any time - known as continuous at-sea deterrence - is too high and other options should be considered.
The Conservatives and military chiefs support Trident's renewal, believing it is the best guarantee of security for the UK.
Q&A: Trident replacement
When they entered government in 2010, the coalition partners agreed to a "value for money" review of Trident examining the cost of possible alternatives - overseen since last year by Lib Dem cabinet minister Danny Alexander.
According to the FT, the review - likely to be published before the end of July - is likely to reject alternative delivery mechanisms such as a land-based or airborne missile system.
The former would be deemed impractical, the paper said, as it would leave the UK unable to mount a meaningful response in the event of a nuclear attack while the latter would require a completely new aircraft which would be more costly.
The FT said the report would also cast doubt on the feasibility of using other submarines - such as the Astute Class due to come into service in the near future - to carry the nuclear missiles.
Conservatives have warned that this approach would mean an entirely new missile having to be designed.
But the newspaper said the report may float the idea of reducing the number of submarines from the current four to three or even cutting this back to two.
It quoted sources with knowledge of the report suggesting this could save at least £5bn in upfront design costs and £1bn in annual expenditure on crewing and maintenance per submarine.
Professor Malcolm Chalmers, research director at the Royal United Services Institute, said it was the "working assumption" in Whitehall that Trident would continue to operate off four submarines but the question of whether this could be reduced to three had always been "left open".
Any suggestion, he added, that the UK could maintain an effective deterrent with two submarines would be entirely new and would spark a debate going into the next election about whether a continuous at-sea presence was needed.
The review will not have any direct impact on the policy of the coalition government, which affirmed its commitment to Trident in its programme for government in 2010.
But it will inform debate on spending priorities going forward and on Lib Dem policy in the run-up to the next election.
A Lib Dem spokeswoman said the review had yet to be published but the party was "still looking at alternatives".
Prof Chalmers said the Lib Dems had never before spelled out in detail what the alternative should be and maintaining the current system, but with fewer submarines and at a lower cost, could be a potential way forward for them politically.
"If the leaks are correct, what it would suggest is that the Lib Dems would be getting closer to having an alternative of their own," he said. "They would have an actual policy rather than simply saying they do not agree with the current policy."
The Cabinet Office said it would not comment on speculation about what may or may not be in the report.
"No date has been set for the review but we still expect to report to the prime minister and the deputy prime minister in the first half of 2013," a spokesman said.
Labour, which backed renewal of Trident while in government, says it is committed to retaining an independent nuclear weapons system although it is prepared to look at options to do this in a way that reduces the burden to the taxpayer. | Alternatives to Trident would either be impractical or more expensive, a review instigated by the Lib Dems will say, according to The Financial Times. | 22690016 |
Northern Ireland restricted the world champions to a 1-0 win at Euro 2016 as Germany missed a host of chances and keeper Michael McGovern starred.
"They never let us get near the ball," said Evans, 28, of the Paris game.
"The way they controlled the game against us, the timing of the pass, the angles they play at."
Only two nations, Portugal in 1985 and England in 2001, have recorded wins over the Germans in their 86 World Cup qualifiers.
And after Northern Ireland were given the run around in the Euro 2016 game, Evans describes Joachim Low's side as "one of the best teams we've played in a long, long time".
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"It takes a lot of time for a team to understand how to play against a side like that," added the West Brom defender.
"We will have to play almost the perfect game, we will have to defend - they know they will have a lot of possession - but hope that on the break we can put the ball in the box and make more of an opportunity from them."
But with Michael O'Neill having guided Northern Ireland to a 12-match unbeaten run before their defeat by Poland at Euro 2016, Evans says the the Irish will not be daunted by the task.
"We will go there with the belief that we can get something and I think that's a big indication of how far Northern Ireland have come in recent times.
"They will know they will be in for a hard game. They dominated the play at the Euros but they raised their game and hopefully we can catch them on an off-night."
Famously, Northern Ireland achieved 1-0 home and away wins over the then West Germany in the qualifiers for the 1984 European Championships when Ian Stewart scored the winner at Windsor Park with Norman Whiteside netting in Hamburg.
Germany and Azerbaijan both have a maximum six points from their opening two games in Group C with Northern Ireland on four after their 4-0 win over San Marino in Belfast on Saturday. | Jonny Evans says Northern Ireland will have to produce a "perfect" display to prevent Germany from winning Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Hanover. | 37617157 |
In part, this is a response to the growing body of evidence from investigations in Bulgaria and Cyprus that indicate Hezbollah's role in carrying out or planning attacks.
But equally it reflects a growing frustration with the Lebanese Shia grouping following its decision to intervene in Syria's civil war on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
There are growing concerns in Western European diplomatic circles that Hezbollah is playing with fire and that Syria's bloodshed could easily spill over into Lebanon. Indeed, there are early signs that this is already happening.
The British government is pushing its European partners to designate the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity. This comes in the wake of the organisation's role in an attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria and the recent conviction of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus.
The Foreign Office minister in London, Alistair Burt, said that this was "the appropriate course of action, especially after we have confirmed that the military wing has been carrying out terrorist acts for a long time.
"We have proof of this," he went on, pointing to the bomb attack on an Israeli tourist bus in Burgas airport in Bulgaria in July of last year, and the more recent conviction of a Hezbollah member in Cyprus for planning to carry out what he called "terrorist acts."
Hezbollah denies involvement in the Burgas bombing.
Up to now, only Britain and the Netherlands have placed the military wing of Hezbollah on their national terrorism blacklists. Germany now seems more willing to designate Hezbollah's military arm, and this has given some impetus to the British move.
The French position has also shifted. Hezbollah's growing role in the Syrian fighting has changed the calculus in Paris.
France has up to now been cautious, fearing what pressure upon Hezbollah might do to stability in Lebanon, where the French, among others, have a significant number of peacekeeping troops.
Quite apart from the continuing debate within the European Union about lifting the ban on arms sales to rebels in Syria, the fate of peacekeepers (Unifil in southern Lebanon and the UNDOF disengagement monitors on the Golan Heights) is also a growing concern as tensions grow in these crucial border regions.
The British move to list Hezbollah's military wing comes as the image of the Lebanese organisation - long hailed in the region as one of the principal resistance forces against Israel - is coming under strain.
Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian civil war has raised concerns about its motives in Lebanon and beyond. Its troops have had a significant impact on the fighting.
US Secretary of State John Kerry noted only recently that there were thousands of Hezbollah fighters in Syria.
Hezbollah seems to have thrown in its hand with President Assad, confirming the views of many of its critics that it is playing out a wider game plan inspired by Tehran.
The Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis is under clear pressure now. The risks for all parties are great.
Hezbollah, for one, risks sacrificing the reputation it has built up in Lebanon to help prop up the failing Alawite regime in Syria. | The attitude towards Hezbollah in Europe is changing markedly. | 22649348 |
Lawro's opponent for this weekend's Premier League fixtures is comedian and actor Omid Djalili.
Djalili, who is currently touring the country, is a Chelsea season-ticket holder and has been a fan since 1970 when, aged four, he watched his local club win the FA Cup.
"It was really the colour blue that did it," he told BBC Sport. "They wore a beautiful royal blue shirt and I liked their badge too.
"I saw a kid wearing their shirt and I was enchanted by it."
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Chelsea are 10 points clear at the top with 10 games to go but, like many fellow Blues fans, Djalili does not think the title race is done and dusted yet.
"It is not over at all," he said. "Anything could happen. We could get a couple of injuries and a team can go down the pan very quickly.
"I remember what happened to Newcastle in 1995-96, when they were 12 points clear in January. Yes, it was at a slightly earlier stage, but anything can happen and in football nothing would surprise me."
While Antonio Conte's team chase a Premier League and FA Cup Double, Blues midfielder N'Golo Kante is expected to mop up the individual honours when the Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' Association announce the winners of their Player of the Year awards.
Djalili's vote would go to one of Kante's team-mates, however.
"My player of the season is definitely Eden Hazard, for the way he has changed," he said.
"Hazard has basically tapped into his inner child like he has been told to do by Conte, and he has found his love of the game.
"When you watch him for the whole game, he wants the ball every time, he is not lazy, he tracks back, I have never seen a bigger transformation in football."
You can make your Premier League predictions now and compare them with those of Lawro and other fans by playing the BBC Sport Predictor game.
A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated.
Liverpool v Everton (12:30 BST)
Everton are sadly without Seamus Coleman after he broke his leg while playing for the Republic of Ireland, and it will be interesting to see how Ronald Koeman replaces him.
Mason Holgate can play there, and he will probably come in, but Coleman will be a big loss.
Liverpool are also without one of their key players, Adam Lallana, although the injury he sustained on international duty for England is far less serious.
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I am not a fan of these early kick-offs, which don't often seem to produce much excitement, but I do think this will be an open game.
I don't think Everton will go to Anfield and just try to to defend, which is the main reason I am backing Liverpool to win.
As everyone knows, when teams do sit in against Liverpool, it normally causes Jurgen Klopp's side problems, but I don't think Koeman is the type of manager who will try it.
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Omid's prediction: There are great players on both teams - you would think that Romelu Lukaku would score for Everton, and that the Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho combination would work for Liverpool - but I am going for a very drab draw. 0-0
Preview
Burnley v Tottenham
Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli both scored for Tottenham in their last game against Southampton and, with Harry Kane injured, it is important they both continue to chip in with goals.
But I think Spurs will miss Kane more at Turf Moor, and Burnley will give them a real test, as they have done to all the top teams.
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The Clarets have already beaten Liverpool and drawn with Chelsea at home, and were a bit unlucky to lose to Arsenal and Manchester City.
Nobody has gone to Burnley and rolled Sean Dyche's team over, and I think they will pick up another point here as they keep edging towards Premier League safety.
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Omid's prediction: I am hoping for a Burnley win, and I think the Clarets will score - but Tottenham are just too good at the moment. 1-2
Preview
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace are on a run of three straight wins, and it looks like the Sam Allardyce effect has taken a delayed effect.
Chelsea are waiting on Eden Hazard's fitness but, even if he misses out, it is a big ask for the Eagles to extend that run of good form.
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Antonio Conte's side are getting so close to the finish line of the title race now, and they can win without playing well.
They saw off Stoke in their last match without ever looking that convincing and I think they will find a way to beat Palace too
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Omid's prediction: Conte has been influenced by two of the greatest managers there have ever been - he played under Giovanni Trapattoni and Marcello Lippi. Trapattoni was the most demonstrative person you have ever seen, which is where we see Conte's gesticulations come from, while Lippi was a professor of the game.
Conte is demonstrative, with intelligence too, which is a combination you don't see very often - and his hair transplant is extraordinary too.
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I like the bald look but I would like to get the name and number of the person who did that because it is the greatest. I did not even realise it was a transplant - it was only when I saw pictures of him playing for Juventus that I realised he was as bald as a coot. I don't know how he has done it, or maintained it - the only other good one is Al Pacino, who has had a very good one since the 1980s. Maybe the same person did his hair too?
As for the game, I think it is going to be very entertaining. Palace are going to come out fighting and I am expecting a strong first half from them, but I don't think they will score and Chelsea will run out easy winners. 2-0
Preview
Hull City v West Ham
West Ham seem to have slipped back into some bad habits from the start of the season.
They are on a five-game winless run, including three straight defeats, and of course when that happens all the stories about the manager's future start coming out.
Hull were well beaten by Everton in their last match but you know what? I think they will edge this one.
I am not just saying that, either - their home form under Marco Silva is actually pretty good - they are unbeaten in six games under him in all competitions at the KCOM Stadium, and won five of them.
So, it has taken me until the start of April, but I have finally tipped the Tigers to win a game.
Now they need to go out and actually pick up the three points as well, because they badly need them in their relegation fight.
Lawro's prediction: 1-0
Omid's prediction: My heart says a Hull win but I am going for a draw. 1-1
Preview
Leicester City v Stoke City
Leicester cannot stop winning under Craig Shakespeare - they have now won three on the bounce in the Premier League, as well as making Champions League progress.
What's behind it? Well, Shakespeare has not changed much since his side beat Liverpool in his first game in charge at the end of February.
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It is working, because his players look lively again - Jamie Vardy was just like his old self when he was on international duty with England.
I fancy the Foxes to win this one too. Stoke have had some mixed results of late, and although they won't roll over I don't see them stopping Leicester's momentum.
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Omid's prediction: 1-1
Preview
Man Utd v West Brom
I am at Old Trafford on Saturday for BBC Radio 5 live and it will be interesting to see how Manchester United line up.
United are missing Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Paul Pogba through injury and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still suspended, but Jose Mourinho has a big enough squad to cope.
West Brom will make it very difficult for them, as per usual, but I still think United have got enough quality to create chances and, if they take them, they will win.
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Omid's prediction: I think the stick from the Chelsea fans for Jose Mourinho is greatly, greatly misunderstood. When we beat United 4-0 in October, people were singing his name with great warmth to say 'look, we still love you'. Mourinho told Conte not to rile the crowd because it was humiliating, but I was there and he took it the wrong way.
Although I like Mourinho, United are playing some drab football. West Brom did not surprise anyone by beating Arsenal in their last game, but I think they might surprise a few people on Saturday. 1-3
Preview
Watford v Sunderland
Watford have only taken one point from their past four games and are the team looking the most likely to slide into relegation trouble.
I think the Hornets will stop their slump at the weekend, however, unless Sunderland manage a massive improvement on their recent performances.
The Black Cats have been starting games fairly strongly recently but, if they don't score, they tend to just fade away.
The reality of the situation now for David Moyes is that his side need at least three wins - and quickly - just to get some parity with the teams sitting above the relegation zone.
But Moyes is not a magician who can just conjure that up. It is hard to see where their next victory will come from, and the games are running out.
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
Omid's prediction: I think Troy Deeney will score for Watford but I would back Jermain Defoe to get two for Sunderland - he will show everyone what he can do. 1-2
Preview
Southampton v Bournemouth (17:30 BST)
The two south coast sides are level on points at the moment, in 10th and 11th, although Southampton have two games in hand on their neighbours.
Bournemouth will be happy with that return because they look safe now, while Saints are probably disappointed not to be higher up the table.
Southampton turned Bournemouth over when they met earlier in the season but I don't think they will repeat that at St Mary's.
The Cherries were slipping down the table until they stopped the rot with wins in their past two games, and they now know they will be fine.
Local pride is at stake here, just as it is on Merseyside earlier on Saturday, and I can see Bournemouth putting up a decent fight and leaving with a point.
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Omid's prediction: 4-3
Preview
Swansea City v Middlesbrough (13:30 BST)
Swansea will look at this as a game they need to win for several reasons, one of which is they will go eight points above Middlesbrough if they do.
The Welsh side need to get back on track after back-to-back defeats that have seen them slip back down the table towards the relegation zone.
Middlesbrough, who have gone 11 league games without a win, remain in much deeper trouble and still badly need to increase their goal threat.
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Omid's prediction: I am only basing these predictions on footballing reasons, and the fact I am going to Swansea on tour should have no bearing on this matter. But think Swansea are going to spank Boro. 3-0
Arsenal v Man City (16:00 BST)
The whole Arsenal saga is becoming a bit laughable to be honest with you.
It is the same thing every week - manager Arsene Wenger is asked if he is staying, and if Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are staying.
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Nobody seems to know what is happening and the club seems to be a little bit rudderless at the moment.
It is really unusual that Arsenal, who are normally so well run, have allowed things to reach this stage.
The uncertainty has affected results too and, after four defeats in their past five league games, the Gunners have ground to make up in the race for the top four.
But Manchester City have also dropped a few points recently, with two successive draws. I think they will make it three in a row at Emirates Stadium.
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Omid's prediction: We are due some kind of Arsenal fightback. I think they will rally, but I can only see a City win. 1-3
Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
*Does not include scores from postponed games.
Lawro's best score: 140 points (week 22 v James McAvoy)
Lawro's worst score: 20 points (week 28, but only five games played so far) or 30 points (week four v Dave Bautista)
For the round of fixtures before the international break, Lawro got seven correct results, including one perfect score, from 10 matches for a total of 100 points.
He beat boxer Anthony Crolla, who got four correct results, including one perfect score, for a tally of 70 points. | BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season. | 39421059 |
Planning Minister Romero Juca was caught on tape allegedly conspiring to obstruct the country's biggest-ever corruption investigation.
In the tapes, leaked by a newspaper, he appears to talk of stopping the probe at oil giant Petrobras by impeaching suspended President Dilma Rousseff.
Mr Juca says his comments have been taken out of context.
Dilma Rousseff said the tapes prove that the impeachment process is a "political coup" designed to protect senior figures implicated in the Petrobras scandal.
She is accused of massaging budget figures ahead of her re-election in 2014, and is due to be tried in the senate in the coming months.
In the audio transcript, leaked by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper on Monday, Mr Juca appears to be saying the impeachment was necessary to "staunch the bleeding" and create a "political pact" needed to "stop everything and limit things."
Folha says the recording was made by the man Mr Juca was talking to, Sergio Machado.
Mr Machado is a former senator who until recently headed Transpetro, Brazil's largest oil and gas transport company.
He is under investigation over his alleged involvement in the Petrobras scandal.
The newspaper alleges he recorded the conversations with a view to negotiating a plea bargain, wanting to exchange information implicating other suspects for a lower sentence.
Mr Machado himself has not commented.
For many analysts, the context of the conversation appears to be Brazil's political crisis, and he seems to be talking about preventing further investigations into Petrobras.
Read: 'First scandal' - Brazilian press reacts to leaked tape
In comments immediately taken up by Ms Rousseff's supporters as evidence for her claim of a coup, Mr Juca also said:"I am talking to the generals, the military commanders. They are fine with this, they say they will guarantee it."
In a news conference, Mr Juca did not deny the authenticity of the recording but said his quotes had been misinterpreted and taken out of context.
He said it was public knowledge he was in favour of the impeachment and that he had been referring to the Brazilian economy, not the Petrobras investigation, which he backed.
Dozens of top-ranking politicians and business executives have been charged or already convicted for participation in the Petrobras bribery and embezzlement scheme.
Mr Juca himself said :"There is nothing wrong in being investigated - there is something wrong in being charged."
"I have never done anything to complicate the investigation."
The BBC's Julia Carneiro in Brasilia says the recording reinforces scepticism in the country about President Temer's assurances that he would not interfere with the investigations.
Mr Juca is one of the main architects of the impeachment proceedings against Ms Rousseff.
He is also the vice-president of Mr Temer's PMDB party. Three other PMDB ministers in the new government, which took over earlier this month, are also under investigation in the Petrobras case. | A close ally of Brazil's acting President Michel Temer is stepping aside in a new political scandal. | 36365781 |
Emergency services were called to the Tuxedo Royale, which is moored on the River Tees at Middlesbrough, at about 19:00 BST on Wednesday.
The boat had been in the town since 2009 when its owners went into administration.
For years it attracted scores of clubbers when it was moored 40 miles (65km) north on the River Tyne at Gateshead.
In March, Middlesbrough Council said the boat was an "eyesore" and announced plans to remove it.
Previous efforts to restore it have all fallen through.
Lisa Turner, director of the Tuxedo Royale Restoration project, which has been fighting to save the vessel from being scrapped, said: "We're heartbroken. It's absolutely devastating.
"We were just wanting to restore her to the way she was when it was known as the TSS Dover.
"She wasn't just a floating nightclub, even though that's how many people see her.
"She still had some original features in areas such as the wheelhouse and officers' quarters."
Built in the 1960s, the vessel is on the National Historic Ships UK register of historic vessels. | Firefighters have been tackling a blaze on a derelict floating nightclub. | 40116721 |
The DNA blood test aims to spot the one in 500 people in the UK who have familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), an inherited condition that greatly increases a person's heart attack risk.
Left undiagnosed, up to half of people with FH will develop heart disease before they are 60.
Early treatment can bring risk down to a normal level.
People with FH inherit a gene that causes high levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) in the blood.
This can lead to hardening of the arteries and an increased risk of heart disease if left untreated.
A DNA test can check for the presence of the faulty gene.
When people are diagnosed, their family should also be offered testing.
If one person is found with FH, on average half their brothers and sisters and half their children will also have the faulty gene and be at high risk of early heart disease.
The British Heart Foundation is funding £1m to pay for nurses so that testing can be extended to eight NHS trusts across England and Scotland, after a successful pilot scheme in Wales.
They are:
Some parts of the UK, such as the East of England, will not have access to nearby testing services, however.
Prof Steve Humphries, of the British Heart Foundaton, said: "With an estimated one in 200 families carrying an FH-causing faulty gene in the UK, the introduction of cascade testing represents a huge opportunity to identify and treat people before they suffer from potentially life-threatening heart problems."
Heart UK, The Cholesterol Charity, urged NHS England to launch a national FH testing service. | A test for a preventable form of heart disease is being rolled out in the UK. | 27586009 |
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Despite already being unable to qualify, Wales started strongly with chances for Jess Fishlock and Natasha Harding in the first half.
The visitors improved after the interval but Wales' well-earned point sees them finish third in Group 8.
Austria's second-placed finish secures their place for next summer's tournament in the Netherlands.
Wales will now turn their attention to the 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign, and manager Jayne Ludlow will have been encouraged by large parts of her side's performance against Austria.
Fishlock had a free-kick saved by Manuela Zinsberger midway through the first half, while Natasha Harding's first-time effort fizzed wide.
Seattle Reign midfielder Fishlock threatened again after the interval with a powerful long-range shot, but both teams struggled to create genuine scoring opportunities as the match wore on. | Wales Women ended their Euro 2017 qualifying campaign with a creditable draw against Austria in Newport. | 37365353 |
Organisers believe the events will give people a chance to talk about death, dying and bereavement.
Professor David Clark, who is behind the plans, said it is an opportunity for people who feel unable to talk about these issues with family and friends.
He will lead a new team focussing on end of life studies in Dumfries.
It will be part of the University of Glasgow's School of Interdisciplinary Studies, at the Crichton.
Professor Clark said: "We'll be organising a number of what are called 'death cafes' which is where we take over a nice cafe for a couple of hours in the evening when it wouldn't normally be open.
"People come along and have a coffee and a piece of cake and sit down with others to talk about issues to do with death and dying and bereavement.
"Now this sounds very odd but the whole death cafe movement has started to grow in this country and elsewhere.
"There's evidence that people would like an opportunity to come and talk about some of these issues. Perhaps issues that it is rather difficult to talk to their nearest and dearest about."
He added: "The project also hopes to contribute to work on the development of palliative and end of life care services in Dumfries and Galloway, so there will also be benefits brought to the area through the work we are doing."
The project is being supported by a Wellcome Trust award worth up to £200,000. | People in Dumfries and Galloway will have a chance to discuss their own mortality at a series of "death cafes". | 31769507 |
"Since that famous telephone call you made, you have changed the course of Nigeria's political history," Muhammadu Buhari said.
He was referring to the moment President Jonathan conceded victory and put paid to the daunting prospect of a disputed and probably violent aftermath to the election.
It was the first time ever in Nigeria's history that an opposition politician had won an election and both men were ready for the historic transition.
Many Nigerians have huge expectations of their next head of state, but one man who has worked for three different presidents including the former military ruler Sani Abacha says Muhammadu Buhari needs to be aware that it is easy to get cut off from reality once ensconced in "The Villa".
"As cocooned as Abacha was, I remember he was very fond of talking to the gardener. He would ask him 'Danzaria, what is happening in town?'" former minister Dr Aliyu Modibbo Umar told the BBC.
"'Today there are a lot of queues at the fuel stations', Danzaria would say or 'We have not been paid our salary'," said Dr Modibbo recalling the early 1990s when he was a special advisor in the presidency.
"If you are taciturn like some of the heads of state it is very easy to be in a cocoon and to only listen to a few people," Dr Modibbo said, adding that another President, Olusegun Obasanjo, was one of the few former heads of state to have kept his finger on the pulse of the country.
He put this down to his exuberant and outgoing nature.
As well as working as a minister under President Obasanjo, Dr Modibbo was also in Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's government. He believes that like Mr Yar'Adua, Goodluck Jonathan had also allowed himself to become isolated with just a few officials around him.
"How could you come out and not believe the Chibok girls had been kidnapped if you were not cocooned?" he said, referring to the fact that the president and his ministers were at first reluctant to admit that more than 200 schoolgirls had been seized by jihadists in April 2014. The 219 girls are still missing.
Some analysts suggest Goodluck Jonathan may be slightly relieved to be handing over, given the challenges facing the country.
The fact that Muhammadu Buhari has been head of state before may alert him to some of the dangers he is likely to face but he will be in no doubt as to how difficult it will be to deliver the changes so many Nigerians are craving.
Even on his way to the inauguration he is likely to see the fuel queues snaking for kilometres across Abuja - the latest sign that oil production and fuel importation are in need of a major overhaul.
As well as tackling jihadist extremism and helping create jobs, fighting corruption is the loudest call on the streets.
But will the new administration go after corrupt individuals in the outgoing government? This is a key factor which could affect Nigeria's stability after the handover.
At a newspaper stand in Abuja the headlines have prompted some fierce debate with arguments over whether all former governments should be investigated, or just Mr Jonathan's, or none at all.
"Jonathan urges Buhari not to be selective with probes," says This Day newspaper.
"Don't probe me alone - Jonathan tells Buhari," is the front page of the Daily Trust.
"It is good if he investigates the previous government because any money that he recovers from them he can use on the infrastructure like roads, electricity and so on," says one reader, James Isaac, as he scans the headlines.
But others are not so sure.
"If we say he should start investigating all the previous leaders, his whole tenure will finish before he settles down to work on Nigeria's issues," says another man joining the debate.
Muhammadu Buhari profile
Others like newspaper buyer Engineer Paul argue that the corruption of today did not start from President Jonathan's time in office.
"Every past democratic government has done something terrible to the citizens of Nigeria," he said.
"They have managed this country as if it is their family business," said Mr Paul, who feels all former governments should be made to account.
He also argues that Mr Buhari came to power with help from some corrupt politicians and that could have consequences.
"If a thief should crown you he will still steal the crown from your head," he reflects, adding that the new president may be in for a rough ride if he falls out with some of his allies in the coalition.
His to-do list may be long and daunting but the way Muhammadu Buhari stays in touch with reality outside State House and the way he handles the politicians who are supposedly close to him are two vital tests he faces. | They may not have been slapping each other's backs and smiling ear-to-ear but as Goodluck Jonathan welcomed the man who defeated him in the election, he did give Muhammadu Buhari a sneak preview of the presidential villa and presented him with a box containing the outgoing president's handover notes. | 32924530 |
Bradley Dos Reis Pais Quaresma, 20, was killed in Stratford Park on West Ham Lane on Friday afternoon.
Mr Quaresma has been described as "a smart guy with a big heart" by his family.
Mario Albino Te, also 20, has been charged with his murder and will appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Two boys, aged 16 and 17, who were arrested on suspicion of murder have been bailed pending further inquiries.
In a statement, the victim's family said: "Bradley was a very friendly person. He was always keen to help others and the happiest person we have ever met."
Det Ch Insp Gary Holmes said: "Bradley had his whole life ahead of him, and his death was both tragic and violent.
"We know that the park was very busy at the time with families and children playing and we are keen to hear from anyone who will be able to help us piece together what happened prior to Bradley being attacked." | A man has been charged with murder after a stabbing in an east London park that happened as children played nearby. | 36877838 |
The boys appeared at Rotherham Youth Court on Thursday accused of murdering 34-year-old Craig Nelson, South Yorkshire Police said.
The body of Mr Nelson, also known as Craig Peston, was found off the A628 at the Woodhead Tunnels on August 22.
A post-mortem examination found that he died as a result of head injuries.
The three boys, who cannot be named, will appear before Sheffield Crown Court at a later date.
Mohammed Shiraz Bashir, 41, and Leonie Marie Mason, 23, both of Holme Park Court, Huddersfield, were charged in August and have been remanded in custody pending further court appearances. | Three 15-year-old boys have been remanded in custody after being charged with the murder of a man whose body was found on moorland. | 38106230 |
Dominic Doyle, 21, from Denton, Greater Manchester, died from stab wounds in hospital on 7 June after police were called to a report of a fight.
A 15-year-old boy is also being held on suspicion of murder, while another man, 21, has been released without charge.
Mr Doyle's parents said he was "fun, caring, loving and a cheeky chappie".
They said: "He had a heart of gold and would help anyone.
"His last comment on Facebook was, 'Love my life, wouldn't change a thing. I have the best mum and dad and the best group of mates'.'"
Det Ch Insp Ian Crewe, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), appealed for witnesses to contact the police.
He said they wanted "anyone who was either at or in the vicinity of Hughes' pub on Manchester Road in Denton in the early hours of Sunday morning to please get in touch". | An 18-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man's death following a fight involving up to eight men. | 33058527 |
Could Clive and Jane Green live together without a cross word in the cramped cabin of a 35ft sailing yacht?
Now 16 years after setting off for a quiet cruise to Spain, the couple have returned to Pembrokeshire - covering 51,000 nautical miles as they criss-crossed the globe.
In that time they have sailed pirate-infested seas, watched volcanoes billow, and studied Komodo dragons. All while learning how to become accomplished global seafarers on their boat, the Jane G.
Mrs Green said: "We have been very lucky to see our planet in such an amazing way - we didn't ever plan to sail around the world - it just happened.
"We would sail to a place and then through word-of-mouth from other sailors hear about somewhere else to go to.
"This has been our life for the last 16 year- it's been an amazing experience."
The adventurers had originally left Neyland for a trial week in Spain in July 1998. And their boat just kept taking them from one port and harbour to another.
They rented out their home in Abergavenny to finance part of the trip, as it became clear they were going to circumnavigate the globe.
They lived on £130 a week, bartering their few belongings for food and other supplies - including bargaining with one of Jane's bras on an island off Fiji.
Along they way, they had encounters with turtles, stingrays and, on the most recent home leg, a giant sei whale, which was bigger than their yacht.
They saw orangutans in Borneo, swam with seals, and watched sparks shooting from a volcano in Fiji.
Initially, until their company pensions kicked in, the Greens could not afford to splash out on swanky restaurant meals and had to rely on their own skills to fix problems with the boat they spent £20,000 kitting out.
They also relied on help from the sailing community as they made their way round the world.
Mr Green explained: "It wasn't a holiday, we were on a strict budget so that took some getting used to.
"If we had a problem with the boat we had to fix it ourselves - Jane is just as capable as me, there's nothing on this boat she can't do."
In all they visited 51 countries, stopping off for three-and-a-half years in Australia and New Zealand.
They survived up to 23 days at sea by desalinating seawater, wrapping potatoes individually in newspaper, keeping cheese in cooking oil and packing butter in salt.
Their biggest scare was being followed by a boat in waters inhabited by Somali pirates.
But it turned out to be an Eritrean fishing boat seeking help for crewman who had badly gashed his leg.
"It wasn't very brave of me but I watched as Jane hopped onto their boat to clean and dress the wound before we waved them back on their way."
The couple said, after voyaging the world, they believed the Americans are the most helpful and the Malaysians the most honourable.
"We really have gone full circle - all they way around the world at an average speed of 4.5mph," said Mr Green.
They have promised to spend a few months getting to know family and friends again but are already planning their next adventure - navigating the canals of Europe.
And no - in all that time - there was never a single row in the tiny cabin that was their home. | It was supposed to be a week away just to test the water. | 28775102 |
Woods, who is now world 111, has been working on his game since carding a career-worst score of 82 at the Phoenix Open, before injury saw him withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open.
"I felt like I had to get my game into a spot where I could compete to win a golf tournament," said the 39-year-old.
"And it's finally there."
Woods has not won a major since the 2008 US Open, and the last of his four Masters wins was a decade ago, with the Californian only confirming on Friday that he would compete at Augusta.
He impressed in his practice round on Monday, showing no signs of the chipping "yips" which blighted his performance in Phoenix. Woods completed the front nine at Augusta alongside long-time friend Mark O'Meara, before playing the 10th and 18th alone.
"I felt good. It was nice to get out here," he added. "Chipping is fine. I wanted to test out some wedges out here. That was why I was chipping a little bit more. It came down to a couple of different bounce settings because it's different from Florida. We figured the right one out."
Europe Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke says "nobody knows" how the American will perform.
He said: "What Tiger is going to turn up this week? That's one of the conundrums. He could be brilliant, but he might not be."
German Martin Kaymer, a two-time major winner, hopes Woods can "compete as well as he can".
The 30-year-old said: "We all know when he's around, somehow it does make us play better."
Meanwhile, current world number one Rory McIlroy says he has learned from Woods, whom he describes as the "best player I have ever seen".
"To think not so long ago I was that little boy watching him on television," said the 25-year-old Northern Ireland player, who has won four majors.
"I'm very lucky to have been able to get close to him and learn some stuff."
McIlroy added that the things he has taken from watching Woods - a four-time champion at Augusta - will help him achieve a career slam, having already won the Open, US Open and US PGA. | Former number one Tiger Woods believes he is in the right shape to win a 15th major as he declared himself ready for the Masters, which begins on Thursday. | 32198931 |
West Brom midfielder McClean used to play for Derry and was a friend of McBride, who died on Sunday aged 27.
McClean is to be excused from training with Martin O'Neill's squad to attend McBride's funeral in Derry on Thursday.
The Republic, who lead Group D in World Cup qualifying, face Wales at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Friday evening.
McClean is expected to play some part in the match, despite not starting regularly at club level.
Central defender Richard Keogh, who usually wears number five, is understood to have agreed to McClean's request to wear the shirt.
Republic assistant manager Roy Keane said he was not concerned about McClean being ready for the important qualifier.
"James McClean not having played regularly does not keep me awake at night," said Keane.
"The assurance I get is what he does for Ireland, whether he is having a good or bad time at club level.
"I have to say, that goes for a lot of our players."
The Republic of Ireland lead their qualifying group with 10 points from four games, Serbia have eight points with Wales in third on six. | James McClean is expected to wear the number five shirt for the Republic of Ireland against Wales in memory of Derry City captain Ryan McBride. | 39351392 |
The Conservative candidate won 83,619 votes following a second round of counting, with Labour's Daniel Walton coming second with 55,162.
Voter turnout for the whole of West Mercia was 20.67%.
Four other candidates were eliminated after the first round of counting.
Mr Campion succeeds Bill Longmore, who retired after a single term in office.
Candidates are listed alphabetically by surname. BBC News App users: tap here to see the results.
More information is available on the Choose my PCC website. | John Campion has been elected West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner. | 35997975 |
The screening at Wellington's Embassy Theatre will take place two weeks ahead of the film's release on 14 December.
Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said it was fitting to hold the premiere "where the journey began."
Based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit is set 60 years before the Lord Of The Rings trilogy of films.
In An Unexpected Journey, Bilbo Baggins attempts to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from Smaug, the dragon.
The film's cast includes Sherlock's Martin Freeman, who takes on the lead role of Baggins.
Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett and Sir Ian McKellen, who all starred in Jackson's Oscar-winning trilogy, also appear in the movie.
British actor Andy Serkis has reprised his motion-capture animated role of Gollum.
The film is split into two parts, with the second instalment - The Hobbit: There And Back Again - due for release in December 2013.
The 3D movies were shot at a rate of 48 frames per second, compared with the industry standard of 24 frames.
Following a preview of unfinished footage at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas in April, some critics claimed it "looked like a made-for-TV movie".
Jackson admitted: "It does take you a while to get used to," adding, "Ten minutes is sort of marginal, it probably needed a little bit more."
He wrote the screenplay with partner Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. | The world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will take place in New Zealand on 28 November. | 18339087 |
The third instalment of the franchise, made £12.6m in the UK, accounting for two out of every three tickets sold, its distributor Lionsgate said.
It just beats The Inbetweeners 2 which made £12.5m when it came out in August.
In the US, Mockingjay made $123m (£79m), a significant drop from last year's instalment, Catching Fire, which took $152m (£100m) on its debut.
The movie adaptations of The Hunger Games, based on the best-selling teen books by Suzanne Collins, have taken more than $1.5bn (£946m) at the worldwide box office.
In the North American box office rundown, Walt Disney's animated action film Big Hero 6 was in second place this weekend, with ticket sales of $20.1m (£12.7m)
Director Christopher Nolan's space adventure Interstellar, which has taken $121m (£77m) since its release at the beginning of November, took $15m (£9.6m) this weekend and was at number three.
Former number ones, comedy Dumb and Dumber To and thriller Gone Girl, rounded out the top five.
Figures for the rest of the UK box office are not due to be released until later this week.
Film company Lionsgate, which has split the final Hunger Games book into two parts, will release the final instalment in 2015.
It was announced earlier this month the best-selling franchise would be made into an "immersive" stage show in summer 2016 to bring Collins' writing "to life". | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 has scored the biggest debut of the year at the UK and US box office. | 30174710 |
James Forrest's stunning second-half strike in Trondheim sealed a 1-0 victory on aggregate over Rosenborg.
The Scottish champions will face Astana, Qarabag, Rijeka, Hapoel Beer Sheva or Slavia Prague.
"We look forward to anybody we get. On our day, we'll beat anybody. We saw that last season," Griffiths said.
Griffiths, who came on as a substitute in the second half against Rosenborg, praised makeshift striker Forrest for an "outstanding display".
"He showed on Saturday against Sunderland that he deserved his place up front," Griffiths told BBC Scotland. "He did well. The goal went in, he could've had another one if he had dinked the goalie but we got the winner, that's all that matters.
"We've got that big a squad that the manager will be thinking of players to rotate and keep fresh for the Champions League. We've got a massive game Saturday - our league opener [against Hearts] - and we will go and put on a show."
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Asked about where he would rate his winner in Norway in career-terms, Forrest said: "I've scored a few but it (the goal) is definitely up there. Last week (the first leg) was a bit frustrating with 0-0 at home, but I thought the boys came out here and we had a good performance.
"To score away from home in Europe and to score the winner - it doesn't get much better.
"To see it go in the back of the net, you can't get anything better. Griff [Leigh Griffiths] came on and did well - I'm just buzzing we got through.
"The way we play, Rosenborg showed us a lot of respect the way they sat back in both games because they know we can hurt teams."
Celtic will be seeded in Friday's play-off round draw and manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting another stern test.
"When the draw comes it's going to be one of those anxious moments again at some point over the two legs," Rodgers said.
"Whoever we get, it will be a tough game but my focus is now on Hearts [in the Premiership on Saturday]."
This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser | Striker Leigh Griffiths says Celtic "can beat anyone on our day" ahead of Friday's draw for the play-off round of the Champions League. | 40811091 |
The hottest name in American comedy, Schumer is nevertheless still something of an unknown quantity in the UK.
That could be about to change with the release of her new movie Trainwreck, which she wrote and Judd Apatow directed.
It's the first time the This is 40 and Knocked Up filmmaker has made a feature film which he has not himself written.
"Judd Apatow reached out to me after hearing me on (US shock jock) Howard Stern a few years ago and he said that he could tell that I could write movies, that I thought visually," she says. "I probably would never have had the confidence to just take it upon myself and write a movie unless he encouraged me.
"Is there a bigger compliment that someone saying I will put my name and a lot of money into you?"
For his part, Apatow has nothing but praise for his leading lady and collaborator: "I heard her on the radio talking about her dad, who has MS and she was telling these really dark stories about what it was like to care for him but they were also really funny and also really warm, you could tell how much she loved her dad.
"I thought she was this really interesting person, she has a side that I haven't seen presented in movies before and I asked her whether she wanted to write a movie."
Before penning Trainwreck, Schumer may have been a newcomer to screenwriting but she had been performing stand up in her native New York clubs since 2004.
Prior to that she graduated from The William Esper studio, an acting school, where she studied for three years.
The comic made her network debut in 2007 when she placed third in on NBC's Last Comic Standing and later co-starred on an episode of the hit comedy 30 Rock.
After years of grafting on the sidelines, she says the sudden shift into stardom has been an eye-opener.
"I know that's how things happen and I'm certainly glad that I haven't had this much exposure before. I don't think anyone's ever really ready for this amount of exposure.
"I won a critics' award the other night and I couldn't be there to accept it. So, one of my writers went and said, 'Amy couldn't be here, she's being treated for over-exposure'. I thought that was really funny.
"But it was never my dream; I was never trying to be here. This is so far beyond anything I ever saw for myself that its overwhelming."
In 2013, Comedy Central premiered Inside Amy Schumer, a mix of sketch, stand-up comedy and on-the-street interviews.
With jokes and observations about sex, work, relationships and gender inequality, the series and the two that followed it, introduced Schumer and her take-no-prisoners attitude to a much wider audience.
Though she has her fans, her jokes about racial stereotypes and race relations have led to some accusations that she has "a blind spot" on race.
She addressed the criticism on Twitter, saying she enjoyed "playing the girl who time to time says the dumbest thing possible, and playing with race is a thing we are not supposed to do, which is what makes it so fun for comics."
Schumer insists she never set out to push the envelope in terms of what she wanted to talk about on stage and in her shows.
"I don't think I ever decided that, it was just what was funny to me. When you start out, you do whatever you can to be on stage so I did a lot of open mics.
"The audience was all comedians and they would sit there with their notebooks and you have to pay to do the show so you have to surprise them or trick them into laughing so that's a skill set I developed early because it was the only way I could get laughs."
In the notoriously male-centric profession of comedy there is little surprise Schumer has faced sexism is all its forms during her time on the road.
"I don't think that I face any more being a comedian," she says. "I think that all women face sexism every day whether it's buying coffee or walking into a grocery store, it's just part of our world. But whenever I'm met with any sexism I call it out."
Sometimes that sexism can come from her frank material.
"The most sexism I've faced is when I get off stage. I talk about sex, right now it makes up about 30% of my act and I'll go on stage after a male comic who maybe talks about sex for 80 percent of his act.
"The booker or promoter will say to me, 'Wow you're not afraid to talk about sex,' but they wouldn't say that to the guy and I would be looked at as easy but the guy wouldn't."
Most recently, Schumer stuck her head above the parapet to address the issue of gun control in the US.
It followed the fatal shooting of two women at a screening of her film in Louisiana. The gunman had a history of mental health issues.
The comedian put laughs aside to appear with her father's cousin, Senator Chuck Schumer, to call for American state authorities to submit information on potential gun buyers to a national database.
She also criticised proposals to slash funding to mental health services.
The gun issue, in particular, puts her in the sights of the powerful US gun lobby, making it something of a David and Goliath battle.
"I think I did understand the gravity of it," she says. "I have so much room for educating myself about this topic, I think the central issue is money, it's about funding. They're trying to take away money from mental health services, it's awful and I really hope that doesn't happen."
The Trainwreck is in UK cinemas now. | From diving at the feet of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian and presenting the MTV movie awards; to appearing as Princess Leia on the cover of GQ magazine and urging stricter gun control laws, Amy Schumer is absolutely everywhere. | 33880242 |
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam have created an online game in an attempt to shed light on why some tunes get stuck in your head.
Fans must identify song clips and compare them by their catchiness.
The researchers hope the findings will help the understanding of long-term memory and the treatment for dementia.
Dr Ashley Burgoyne of the University of Amsterdam said: "We do know that music has a very powerful effect on memory, more powerful than many other memory triggers. But the reasons for it aren't completely understood.
"Why is it that there are certain pieces of music that you hear just a couple of times and 10 years later you hear it again, and you may have forgotten the title and the artist, but the music comes back to your immediately?"
Dr Burgoyne said he hoped 10,000 people would play the game, Hooked On Music. The findings from the game would be "one piece of a larger puzzle", he said.
"There's been some very nice research showing that, if you can bring the favourite music of people who are suffering from dementia, it can really re-enliven them. These memories don't seem to fade.
"So if we can have a better understanding of how that process works and identify the features of music that seem to lock [it] into long-term memory, then you can perhaps use that to make better clinical decisions about what music is going to be the most therapeutic."
The game was created and launched with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
The museum's Dr Marieke Navin said: "The idea is that people could be contributing to scientific research. We tried to make it a fun thing that people might want to play irrespective of the science behind it." | Hit songs by Elvis Presley, Abba and The Spice Girls are among those being used in research that hopes to unlock the secrets of how memory works. | 27938794 |
At least four blasts struck the southern Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, killing at least 83 people, state media said.
Earlier in Homs, 57 people, mainly civilians, were killed in a double car bombing, a monitoring group reported.
So-called Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the attacks in both cities.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said a "provisional agreement" has been reached with Russia on a partial truce in the conflict.
History of the conflict - how the civil war has spread
Maps of the conflict - the shifting territorial gains
Both of Sunday's attacks targeted areas dominated by minorities within Islam reviled by the Sunni Muslim radicals of IS.
In Damascus, at least four explosions were reported in Sayyida Zeinab, the location of Syria's holiest Shia Muslim shrine, said to contain the grave of the Prophet Muhammad's granddaughter.
The state-run Sana news agency reported at least 83 dead and 178 wounded.
The Amaq news agency, which is linked to Islamic State, said IS militants had detonated a car bomb and then blown up explosive belts.
The district was hit by suicide attacks last month that left 71 people dead and which IS fighters also said they had carried out.
In Homs, the blasts happened in a predominantly Alawite district, the sect to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.
Syrian state TV footage showed debris and mangled vehicles.
One of the early centres of the uprising against President Assad, Homs was once dubbed the "capital of the revolution".
But rebels left the city late last year under a ceasefire deal, leaving the city in government hands.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group also said that at least 50 Islamic State fighters had been killed in an advance by government troops, backed by Russian air strikes, east of the northern city of Aleppo in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Mr Kerry spoke optimistically about progress towards a possible ceasefire.
He had spoken to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, he said, and they had agreed on terms but details still needed to be worked out.
Earlier this month, world powers involved in Syria agreed to seek a "cessation of hostilities" but the Friday deadline has come and gone.
For his part, President Assad has said he hopes to be remembered as the man who "saved" Syria.
Asked by Spanish newspaper El Pais where he would see himself in 10 years' time, he said: "If Syria is safe and sound, and I'm the one who saved his country - that's my job now, that's my duty."
Mr Assad also said his army was close to encircling rebel-held parts of Aleppo, and were advancing on Raqqa, the main stronghold of IS fighters.
He said he was ready to implement a temporary truce as long as there were guarantees what he called "terrorists" would not use it to improve their positions.
Separately, Amnesty International has criticised Turkey for refusing entry to some Syrians wounded in the latest fighting, urging it to keep its border open.
Amnesty's crisis response director, Tirana Hassan, said: "Turkey's highly selective practice is appalling - only severely injured people are allowed entry to seek medical treatment while everyone else fleeing the violence is left unprotected." | Bomb blasts in the Syrian cities of Homs and Damascus have left at least 140 people dead, monitors and state media say. | 35624654 |
The company's Facebook page was overrun with negative comments after the discount appeared in a paper on Monday.
Owner Marc Watts said he would keep the course open despite receiving threats to burn down the premises.
The discount was reportedly not new and had been running for three years.
An advert for the discount offered by Tumbledown Trails Golf Course featured in the Wisconsin State Journal earlier this week, saying it was intended to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the 2001 attacks in New York that killed nearly 3,000 people.
It said the discount, which also included 18 holes of golf for $19.11, was valid for the anniversary on 11 September only.
Responding to negative comment on the discount, owner Marc Watts apologised on the golf course's Facebook page saying there was no intention to cause offence and pledged to donate some of the day's earnings to the 9/11 memorial in New York.
"We're a little hurt by the fact that people are putting such a negative context on this," Mr Watts said in an interview with the Associated Press news agency. "I thought people would appreciate it."
He added: "We could close, but then all these people with their negative attitudes, they win.'' | The owner of a Wisconsin golf course that advertised nine holes of golf for $9.11 to mark the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks has apologised after a backlash that included death threats. | 24053015 |
Two adults and four children in East Ham, east London, had to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.
London Ambulance Service (LAS) was called on Wednesday at about 16:20 GMT.
Fire brigade head, Dave Brown, said it was the first incident of its kind he had seen in 28 years.
Mr Brown, head of operations, prevention and response, said: "I have never heard of anybody using a barbecue to dry clothes let alone using one indoors."
He branded the woman's behaviour "dangerous".
LFB said the elderly woman lit the barbecue in the garden of the home in Hockley Avenue and then placed it in the kitchen with the door open.
Source: Health and Safety Executive
She left the house with her four grandchildren, aged between 10 months and four, and two daughters-in-law, aged 26 and 29, inside. Someone then closed the door.
LAS said it responded to reports of people collapsing and the patients were taken to Whipps Cross Hospital. They have since been released.
Mr Brown said: "Never, ever bring a lit or smouldering barbecue indoors.
"Not only is it a serious fire risk but it also emits carbon monoxide which is a poisonous gas that can kill or seriously injure."
Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, charcoal, coal and wood do not burn completely.
In April last year, a six-year-old girl died after inhaling carbon monoxide fumes from a barbecue her parents had brought into their tent to keep her warm at a campsite at Bransgore in the New Forest, Hampshire. | A fire chief has criticised a woman who used a barbecue indoors to dry clothes that led to six people, including her grandchildren, being taken to hospital. | 20911373 |
Adam Price, shadow cabinet secretary for finance and economy, said he was "concerned" the sale process had been suspended.
He said a link-up with ThyssenKrupp could be the "death knell" of the industry and lead to job losses.
The Welsh Government is calling for an urgent meeting with the company.
It is looking to clarify the situation and said it remains willing to help.
Mr Price said the link-up would "likely lead to the closure of the Port Talbot steelworks".
The sale of Tata Steel's UK business is on hold as the company considers a European tie-up, creating further uncertainty for British steelworkers.
Speaking after a board meeting in Mumbai, Tata said it had started talks with "strategic players in the steel industry".
Mr Price said: "I am very concerned at the news of the suspension of the sales process and am deeply disappointed that the Wales-led management and worker buyout will not be able to go to the next stage of the process.
"Merger with the German steelmaker would very likely lead to the closure of the Port Talbot steelworks and the concentration of activity at Ijmuiden, and must be opposed at all costs."
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said he was interested to hear the "basis and evidence used to make such bold remarks", adding that the link-up was "encouraging".
"The UK Government is determined to secure a long term sustainable future for steelmaking in south Wales through a variety of multi million pound support measures being made available," he said. | The UK Government should temporarily nationalise Tata Steel's UK operations if the company links up with a German steelmaker, a Plaid Cymru AM has said. | 36754836 |
Suarez, 26, has been told to train alone after seeking a move away from Anfield throughout the summer.
24 April: Banned for 10 games by the Football Association for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.
29 May: Drops a big hint that he wants to leave Liverpool after saying he finds life in England hard.
12 June: Suarez reiterates his love for Liverpool, but insists life in England is very hard.
8 July: Liverpool turn down a £30m bid from Arsenal.
24 July: Arsenal offer £40,000,001 for Suarez, triggering a clause in his contract.
2 August: Says he will consider a formal transfer request and the possibility of court action if his Liverpool dispute is not resolved.
7 August: Suarez says he wants to leave Liverpool to join a Champions League side.
8 August: Told to train alone by manager Brendan Rodgers, who says the player has shown "total disrespect" for the club.
8 August: Liverpool owner John W Henry insists striker Luis Suarez will not be sold this summer - no matter what the price.
Arsenal have had two bids rejected for the Uruguayan, with Liverpool owner John W Henry saying it would be "ludicrous" to sell to their rivals.
"There will come a point where he'll recognise the club is not going to sell," Rodgers said.
Suarez has agitated for a switch since the end of last season, admitting in May that it would be "difficult to say no" to a move to Real Madrid when speaking to a Uruguayan radio station.
The only official interest in him thus far has come from Arsenal, however, with their latest offer of a pound over £40m being turned down.
That deal had been expected to trigger a release clause in the contract by the player, with Suarez going on to tell the Guardian and Daily Telegraph he had been promised he could leave Liverpool this summer if they did not qualify for the Champions League.
Both Rodgers and Henry have dismissed that assertion.
Speaking ahead of a friendly against Celtic in Dublin on Saturday, the Liverpool manager again reiterated his club's position that there is "no inclination to sell".
"We're quite calm," Rodgers said. "The club is in control of the situation.
"We've got no inclination to sell and we've been strong on that."
Suarez has excelled since arriving at Anfield in January 2011 from Ajax for £22.7m, scoring 51 goals in 96 appearances.
Despite the furore surrounding him, Rodgers was convinced Suarez would continue his excellent form for Liverpool if forced to stay.
"He's a world-class striker. I've got no question that when he's back he'll have a similar impact," the 40-year-old said.
Rodgers also stated Suarez would return to training with his team-mates once his approach improved.
"It's been a difficult period for him but it's my job to protect the group," he said. "Once he's back with the spirit he'll rejoin the group."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reacted to Liverpool's vow that they will not let Suarez leave by stating he will continue his pursuit of the player in "a respectful and amicable way".
"There is nothing to add to what I said already about the transfer of Suarez," he said. "If it will be done, it will be done in a respectful and amicable way with Liverpool.
"I didn't read [Henry's] statements but we'll be faithful to the way we want to behave.
"We are looking at possibilities to strengthen our squad. Suarez is one of the targets. If he's not for sale, he's not for sale. We have to accept that." | Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes striker Luis Suarez will come to accept that he will not be sold. | 23641220 |
Patrick Hickey is being held at Bangu 10 Prison over his alleged role in a scheme to sell Olympic tickets for more than their face value.
It was reported that when police arrived at his hotel room Mr Hickey's wife said he had gone home to Ireland.
He was later found in another room in the same hotel.
In a statement, Mr Hickey's lawyer said: "Mr Hickey did not try to escape as informed by police.
"He was sleeping already for two days in one of the three rooms that were allocated to him and his family, due to insomnia, and he did not want to disturb his wife."
His lawyer said claims he tried to escape were "ridiculous" and said his wife had merely "panicked" when faced with Brazillian police.
Mr Hickey denies the allegations against him but has stepped down from all his posts temporarily.
It is thought he will appear in court later this week.
On Sunday, three other senior Olympic Council of Ireland officials, including one from Northern Ireland, had their passports, phones and laptops seized in Brazil.
The OCI has appointed a crisis management committee to lead its response to Brazil. | The former president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, who was arrested in Rio last Wednesday, "did not try to escape arrest", his lawyers have said. | 37163236 |
Beverley Finney was struck by Henry Rigby's car as he drove at 40 mph in a 30 mph zone in St Helens, Merseyside.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that along with facial injuries, she been forced to move house, as living near a busy road caused her to have panic attacks.
Rigby was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and given a 15-month suspended jail term.
CCTV footage captured the moment Rigby, 19 and of Harris Street in Dentons Green, St Helens, struck Ms Finney and another pedestrian in his Vauxhall Corsa on Haresfinch Road in May 2016.
Merseyside Police said both victims suffered life-threatening injuries.
In a statement to the court, Ms Finney said she still suffered "bad headaches", a "lot of back pain" and "a numbness to the side of the face" as a result of what happened.
She said she had scars around her eye socket and hairline and "may consider" plastic surgery in the future.
"In terms of mentality, I have been affected badly," she said.
"We have had to move house to a property away from a busy road [as] I just couldn't relax with the noise of traffic.
"I would get so distressed with the noise of skidding cars or revving engines."
Rigby was also handed a three-year driving ban, given an order to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £750 compensation to each victim, as well as £500 court costs.
Speaking after sentencing, Insp Mike McFall said what happened was "totally avoidable and shows the very real consequences of motorists who exceed the speed limit". | A woman was left scarred for life when she was hit by a speeding car that had spun out of control, police have said. | 40506760 |
"Are you ready to stump for Trump?" Ms Palin asked cheering supporters at a campaign rally in Iowa.
She was John McCain's running mate in 2008 before they lost to Barack Obama.
Despite retiring from politics in favour of a media career, she remains an influential conservative voice.
Officially announcing her endorsement, Ms Palin said Mr Trump was someone ready to let US troops "kick Isis' ass", using another name for the self-styled Islamic State group.
"We are ready for a change," she told the rally in Ames, Iowa.
"He (Trump) is beholden to no one but 'we, the people'. He is perfectly positioned to let you make America great again."
The New York businessman, who leads the Republican race, said in a statement that he was "proud" to receive her backing.
Ms Palin was a "trusted conservative" with a "proven record of being fiscally modest, staunchly pro-life and [she] believes in small government that allows businesses to grow and freedom to prosper", the statement added.
While the former Alaska governor's reputation has been diminished since the heady days of 2008 - thanks to her absence from public office and involvement in series of questionable reality television shows - she is still well liked by conservative Republicans and nearly universally known.
Her backing could help insulate Mr Trump against charges that he's not a true believer in the cause due to his support for liberal political issues and candidates in the past.
At the very least, she could add even more crowd-drawing power to a Trump campaign that already fills entire sports arenas.
Read more from Anthony: Will Palin help Trump?
Mrs Palin was just two years into her Alaskan governorship when she was picked by John McCain to be his running mate.
The self-described "hockey mom" soon garnered huge crowds and massive media attention.
After the election in 2009, she resigned as Alaska governor and has since forged a lucrative career as a writer and political commentator.
"How 'bout the rest of us? Right wingin', bitter clingin', proud clingers of our guns, our god, and our religions, our Constitution. Tell us that we're not red enough? Yeah, coming from the establishment. Right."
"Well, Trump, what he's been able to do, which is really ticking people off, which I'm glad about, he's going rogue left and right, man, that's why he's doing so well."
"He is from the private sector, not a politician, can I get a "Hallelujah!"
"Exactly one year from tomorrow... President Obama will be able to look up, and there, over his head, he'll be able to see that shining, towering, Trump tower. Yes, Barack, he built that, and that says a lot."
Ahead of the announcement, Mrs Palin tweeted a link to an article by her daughter Bristol attacking Mr Trump's main rival for the key Iowa caucus, Ted Cruz.
Iowa is the first chance for voters to have their say in the nomination race.
Mr Cruz has himself praised Mrs Palin saying "without her support, I wouldn't be in the Senate" - a reference to her backing that helped him to his surprise victory in a 2012 Senate run-off election.
"Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan," he tweeted.
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton's campaign team tweeted caustically after the announcement to Sarah Palin "congrats to the Youtube commenter who wrote your remarks". | Donald Trump's Republican presidential bid has received the backing of Sarah Palin, the populist ex-governor of Alaska who was the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 2008. | 35358209 |
Sale number eight Beaumont is the son of ex-England skipper Bill Beaumont, while Saracens forward Itoje is a former England Under-20 captain.
The duo are the only additions to the 23 players coach Eddie Jones selected for Saturday's 15-9 win over Scotland.
Wasps centre Elliot Daly and Gloucester flanker Matt Kvesic have been released.
Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ollie Devoto (Bath), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Anthony Watson (Bath), Ben Youngs (Leicester).
Forwards: Josh Beaumont (Sale), Dan Cole (Leicester), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens). | England have retained uncapped pair Josh Beaumont and Maro Itoje in their 25-man squad for Sunday's Six Nations match against Italy in Rome. | 35528482 |
The Aspar Ducati rider had qualified in 11th position and moved up to eighth place in the race, before dropping down the field in the latter stages.
The Toomebridge man had scored points in all nine previous rounds of this year's series and lies 11th overall.
Italian Andrea Iannone took his maiden victory despite nursing a rib injury.
Iannone's triumph at the Red Bull Ring was the first for Ducati since Casey Stoner won at Phillip Island in 2010.
Iannone hit the front with seven laps remaining and had a 0.938 seconds advantage over Andrea Dovizioso at the chequered flag, with Jorge Lorenzo third, Valentino Rossi fourth and Marc Marquez fifth.
Marquez leads the championship standings on 181 points, followed by Lorenzo on 138, Rossi on 124 and Pedrosa with 105.
Laverty has 53 points, the same as 10th-placed Scott Redding, with the next round to come at Brno in the Czech Republic next weekend.
The Irishman's best result of the season came in Argentina in early April, when he finished fourth.
Petrucci has been handed a three place grid penalty, plus one penalty point, for the Czech round as a result of the incident with Laverty at the end of the race. | Eugene Laverty crashed out of 11th place on the final corner of the final lap, having been taken out by Danilo Petrucci, at Sunday's Austrian MotoGP. | 37077525 |
The siblings, then aged 10 and 11, carried out the "sadistic" attack in Edlington, near Doncaster, in 2009.
Now aged 18 and 19, the brothers were granted lifelong anonymity by High Court judge Sir Geoffrey Vos.
Outlining his reasons for making the order he said he felt the brothers were "equally committed to rehabilitation".
Sir Geoffrey said the younger brother had made "his own statement" at a hearing on 9 December.
"He fully acknowledged the extreme gravity of his offences, and said compellingly that he now feels inside like a completely different person," said the judge in his ruling.
"He said that, '[it] has taken a long time to get there and I have done loads of work with professionals in secure to work through what I did and why I did it.
"'I now feel like I have become the opposite to that person who did the crimes.
"'I desperately want to carry on being the person I have become. I want to get a job or maybe even go to uni'."
Sir Geoffrey added: "The other evidence before me suggests that [his] ambitions may be genuinely capable of realisation."
He went on: "I have no doubt that [the older brother] is equally committed to the path of rehabilitation."
The brothers' victims, aged nine and 11, were throttled, hit with bricks, made to eat nettles, stripped and forced to sexually abuse each other in the attack.
A sink was dropped on the older boy's head, and the younger boy had a sharp stick rammed into his arm and cigarettes pushed into the wound.
Parts of the attack were recorded on a mobile phone.
The brothers, who admitted causing grievous bodily harm, were sentenced to a minimum of five years' detention in 2010.
They were released earlier this year and given new identities.
Sir Geoffrey said he was satisfied the anonymity order was in the public interest. | One of two teenage brothers who tortured two boys in South Yorkshire told a judge he was now "the opposite of that person who did the crimes". | 38370089 |
A one-eyed, neo-fascist gangster called Massimo Carminati is accused of having run the criminal network. He will be questioned via a prison video-link.
According to prosecutors, mobsters flourished under Rome's former right-wing mayor Gianni Alemanno.
It was a Mafia-type network, they say.
However, the operation was separate from southern Italy's traditional Mafia activities such as drug-running and extortion, anti-Mafia prosecutor Alfonso Sabella told Reuters news agency.
Forty-six defendants are on trial in the corruption case, which concerns millions of euros allegedly stolen from city hall. The suspects were arrested last December.
Gangsters allegedly conspired with local politicians to siphon off funds intended for migrant and refugee centres, and for rubbish collection in Rome and the surrounding Lazio region.
The politicians on trial include:
Ex-mayor Gianni Alemanno denies wrongdoing. He is under investigation, but is not involved in this trial.
The alleged gang members on trial include two close associates of Mr Carminati - Salvatore Buzzi and Riccardo Brugia.
Like Mr Carminati, Mr Brugia used to be in a violent, outlawed far-right group called NAR (the Armed Revolutionary Nuclei).
NAR members were implicated in the notorious bombing of Bologna train station in 1980, which killed 85 people.
Mr Carminati, in jail in Parma, lost an eye in a shoot-out with police in 1981 while trying to flee to Switzerland.
The trial will move to a court bunker at Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome after the opening session.
It is expected to last until next summer.
Last week, the current mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino, was forced to resign in an unrelated scandal involving expenses. | One of Italy's biggest organised crime trials in years - dubbed Mafia Capital - has opened in Rome, where councillors and gangsters allegedly stole millions of euros of public cash. | 34732412 |
FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford says the 72,500-capacity Principality Stadium is an option.
But after Wales' run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, Coleman wants to stay at the 33,000-seater home of Cardiff City.
"I would imagine we're going to stick to that, and we should stick to it." he said.
"We could gamble and go back to the Millennium Stadium. It is a magnificent stadium, we know that, we could get another 20,000 maybe, but we made a choice.
"I'd rather be playing at Cardiff City Stadium where there's 30,000 screaming Taffs breathing down the opposition's neck, and our boys feeding off that."
Wales will start their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign against Moldova at Cardiff City Stadium on 5 September.
It is understood they could play a friendly match at the Principality Stadium before it hosts the 2017 Champions League final.
Wales last played at the home of Welsh rugby in a 2-0 Euro 2012 qualifier defeat by England in March, 2011.
"We've got both options available to us," said Ford.
"If the demand is there we need to satisfy that demand whether that's at the Cardiff City Stadium or the Principality Stadium. But obviously it's not available to us for every single match."
Wales' momentous European Championship campaign saw them reach the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time.
Coleman's men lost to Portugal in the last four on Wednesday but, having won four of their six games in France, Wales exceeded expectations with a string of generation-defining performances.
Before returning to Cardiff for Friday's homecoming parade, the players enjoyed a night out on their final evening in Dinard - the coastal Brittany town where they have been based during the tournament - while Coleman and his staff were also able to unwind.
"We watched the game [France's semi-final win over Germany] and had some pizza and a few cold beers, which were welcome," he added.
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"It was nice, a lovely atmosphere fair play. The local people in Dinard have given us such a welcome.
"They were playing our national anthem at the restaurant where we were. We sang that and then we sang the French national anthem.
"That whole feeling, I hope that's being projected back home, what the atmosphere has been like.
"I know there were one or two unsavoury moments at the start of the tournament but, predominantly, all we've seen is positivity from people from all different countries." | Manager Chris Coleman wants Wales to continue playing home matches at Cardiff City Stadium despite increased interest in the national team. | 36744228 |
Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan tipped over Marcos Rojo's powerful 25-yard effort, but was beaten by Ander Herrera's low shot after good work from Daley Blind.
Wayne Rooney added a second goal when he spun and fired into the top corner.
Villa's Christian Benteke pulled one back with a low strike before Herrera scored his second with a side-footed finish in injury-time to seal the win.
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Louis van Gaal's side deserved the victory, their fifth in a row in the Premier League, after having 77% possession and restricting their opponents to only two shots on target.
However, Benteke's goal, which came within two minutes of Rooney's spectacular effort, gave the hosts a scare before Herrera's late goal secured the three points.
The result was enough to take United above bitter rivals Manchester City, although Manuel Pellegrini's team will go second if they beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday.
United are now eight points above fifth-placed Liverpool as they aim to return to the Champions League after a season without European football.
Van Gaal's side now face a vital spell with a home derby against Manchester City followed by a trip to leaders Chelsea.
Defeat for Villa sees them remain three points above the relegation zone with a crucial home game on Tuesday against fellow strugglers QPR.
United had to be patient in the first half against a well-organised Villa side before Herrera put them ahead two minutes before the break.
Ashley Young released the overlapping Blind and he pulled the ball back to the unmarked Spanish midfielder, who took a touch to set himself and drilled the ball past Guzan from 12 yards out.
Villa should have equalised when Jores Okore met Leandro Bacuna's flighted free-kick but glanced a header wide from eight yards.
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That miss proved costly as Rooney, who had a first-half appeal for a penalty turned down after he had been challenged by Ciaran Clark, scored his sixth goal in his last eight United appearances.
Substitute Angel Di Maria played the ball into Rooney and the England captain did well to control the pass, spin and shoot past Guzan.
It looked like the game would be over as a contest but Villa responded when Joe Cole's corner - Villa's first - found its way to Benteke and the Belgian striker's shot squeezed underneath David De Gea.
That goal, only the fifth Villa have scored in the second half in 16 away league matches, was not the start of a fightback as Juan Mata played in Herrera who scored the third to seal the win.
Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood:
"I thought we stuck in there and were always in the game until the third goal killed us.
"But it was encouraging. They have given me everything and left nothing on the pitch, but Manchester United were too good for us."
On his side's match against QPR on Tuesday, Sherwood added: "It's a massive game for us. They got a win but we're hoping to have six points between us and them at the end of that match." | Manchester United defeated Aston Villa to move above Manchester City and into third place in the Premier League. | 32097849 |
In the top flight, 11 clubs put the price of this ticket up, contributing to a 6.54% year-on-year rise. It now averages £30.68, up from £28.80.
The most expensive match-day ticket fell slightly to an average of £56.63.
In the season ticket category, both the cheapest and most expensive rose about 1% to £513.95 and £886.21 respectively.
That works out at £27.05 and £46.64 a game.
Click here to play with the Price of Football calculator and see what your support is costing you.
The study, which also gathers prices for pies, programmes, tea and away tickets across the UK, found replica shirt prices rose 4.8% year on year. Premier League clubs released 50 outfield strips this summer and a home jersey bought in a club shop will now cost an average £49.68.
Swansea were the only club out of 227 in 13 leagues across the UK who declined to take part in the study.
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Fans have largely seen prices remain the same or drop this season, as BBC Sport's study found 51 of the 76 ticket prices analysed dropped or remained the same.
The Premier League said this shows clubs are "working hard to keep grounds full" and "doing a good job with record occupancy at 96%".
As in 2014-15, no Premier League ticket is above £100, with Arsenal (£97) and West Ham (£95) most expensive.
But more than a third of the clubs sell a match-day ticket for £25 or less during the course of a season, with Leicester City's £22 offering the cheapest.
The Premier League says BBC Sport's focus on individual match tickets is "misleading" as 66% of fans use season tickets.
Of the teams who remained in the Premier League from 2014-15, only West Brom raised the cost of their cheapest season ticket, citing the "competitive realities" of the competition for their £50 hike.
Prices range from £294 at Stoke City to £2,013 at Arsenal, though the Gunners' season tickets include seven cup fixtures and the London club say most fans pay between £1,000 and £1,100 for a season pass.
According to its own study released last week, the Premier League say season ticket holders paid an average of £32.50 for adults and £10 for juniors to watch matches.
And clubs in the top tier are keen to grow the number of young fans at their stadium, with the likes of Crystal Palace offering a junior season ticket for £95, Liverpool for £180 and Everton admitting under-11s for £5 a game.
West Ham, who sell their cheapest at £617.50, have promised to cut all season ticket prices upon moving to the Olympic Stadium next season, with some available for more than £300 less.
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Clubs no longer have a voluntary agreement to keep home shirts for beyond one season, so every club changed at least two kits this summer, with 10 teams releasing three.
Manchester United's £60 adult shirt is a league high and their junior option at £45 outstrips a £38.42 division average.
At the Old Trafford club, it costs £118 for a full adult strip, including shorts, socks, and a printed name and number. A junior strip is £103.
Kit manufacturers, including Adidas and Nike, told BBC Sport that the cost of researching and manufacturing scientific materials were significant in pricing.
Bournemouth's £40 adult shirt and Norwich's £28 junior shirt are the cheapest in the Premier League.
The average pie costs £3.35 in the top flight, up 1.82%, while a tea is £2.09, down 2.84%. A programme is £3.42 on average, up 6.77%.
The most expensive brew in England is Liverpool's £2.50 cup, while Crystal Palace say their pie is produced by "an artisan baker" at a cost to the public of £4 - a joint high with Manchester City.
For the first time, Price of Football gathered away ticket prices.
Clubs told us the average cost of the cheapest ticket they offered away fans during the first six home games of the season was £30.28. The dearest away ticket in this period cost £46.44 on average.
Both figures exceed the Football Supporters' Federation's campaign, which wants to cap away tickets at £20. However, 16 of the 19 clubs have subsidised the cost of tickets for their own travelling fans in the last year.
Children's prices, senior rates and student offers allow clubs to focus pricing on specific sections of their fan base and many offer deals and initiatives during the campaign.
Tottenham chartered two flights to Newcastle for fans at the end of last season, charging just £2.51, while the Magpies have committed to sending disabled supporters on two free away trips each year, including food, travel and tickets.
Arsenal told the BBC they reduce more than 350,000 tickets in price during the campaign and Watford consider fans who travel to Vicarage Road, offering a discount on season tickets of over £100 if your journey is more than 75 miles.
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In the five seasons in which the BBC has run its Price of Football study, the cost of a cheap match-day ticket has risen by £5.12 - around 20%. The cheapest season tickets are up 16% in four years.
Clubs point to savings made elsewhere, with Everton referencing just a £2 rise over 10 years in some of their concessionary season tickets.
But how will changes in the football landscape impact things?
The most recent analysis of Premier League clubs' finances, found clubs made pre-tax profits of £187m, the first profit since 1999. In addition, the league's wages to revenue ratio fell from 71% to 58%, the lowest since 1998-99.
From next season, a bumper new television deal worth £5.136bn starts in the Premier League and will bring clubs tens of millions in extra revenue. Even the club which finishes 20th will earn an estimated £100m, up more than £30m.
You can download the full results for 2015 here (pdf 536 KB). | The average cost of the cheapest match-day ticket in the Premier League has passed £30 for the first time, the BBC's Price of Football has found. | 34517474 |
Dylan Fletcher-Scott and Stuart Bithell won the 49er class by finishing fifth in their final race of the regatta.
Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves had earlier triumphed in the Nacra 17 class, beating compatriots Tom Phipps and Nicola Boniface into second.
Miami, the first leg of the 2017 World Cup series, is the first regatta since last year's Rio Olympics.
Bithell and Fletcher-Scott, who was sixth alongside Alain Sign at Rio 2016, are a new pairing.
"It feels like we've gelled pretty well," said Bithell, who won silver at London 2012 in the 470. "There's still plenty of work to do, but it's nice to be on top of the podium."
Find out how to get into sailing with our special guide. | British sailors won two golds on the first day of medal racing at the Sailing World Cup Miami. | 38786979 |
Barring a 14-goal swing in the final round of fixtures, Garry Monk's side will now finish outside the top six.
Fans who bought a season ticket for the Championship club before the end of May 2016 will get 25% of their money back.
The club had pledged to give refunds of 50% if they sold 15,000 tickets, but they did not reach that number.
Leeds, who have extended a deadline for supporters to claim their money back, are in the process of sending forms to season ticket holders who qualify for the refund.
The cost to the club, co-owned by Italian businessman Massimo Cellino, is not known, but it is understood that funds have been ring-fenced to pay back the money.
Speaking after Saturday's 3-3 draw with Norwich, which effectively ended their play-off hopes, manager Monk said: "The reality is, the majority of the group were not quite ready for this situation. That's not a criticism. It's just a fact." | Leeds United say they will honour a promise to partially refund fans who bought season tickets for 2016-17 if they miss out on the play-offs. | 39770835 |
Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny's language sounded more diplomatic than that of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Mr Ahern told the BBC any British exit from the EU would be "senseless" and set Northern Ireland back "light years". But given the close trading, social and cultural relations between Britain and Ireland, it is obvious any taoiseach will be worried about what would be a far reaching change to the status quo.
This week, a report from an Irish parliamentary committee spelled out Dublin's concerns in more detail. The Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) Joint Committee on European Union Affairs wants the Irish government to be "involved from the outset in all negotiations on the UK relationship with the EU, as UK's membership of the EU is an issue of vital national interest to Ireland".
When it comes to Northern Ireland the committee argues that - in the context of the Good Friday Agreement - "the Irish Government has a voice in relation to the future of Northern Ireland and must feature in EU negotiations with the UK".
In the event of a British withdrawal from the EU, the committee wants London and Dublin to make arrangements to replace any lost EU funding.
Perhaps even more difficult to achieve, the committee wants the Irish and UK Governments to negotiate "to have Northern Ireland recognised (in an EU context) as having 'a special position' in the UK, in view of the Good Friday Agreement". It also recommends that "special arrangements be negotiated at EU level in that context, to maintain North-South relations and Northern Irish EU citizenship rights".
Boiling that down, I assume the idea is that if someone is living in Northern Ireland, but carrying an Irish passport, they should continue to enjoy the benefits of EU membership, even if the UK has pulled out.
Some unionists are not impressed by the Irish Parliamentary Committee's intervention. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MEP Diane Dodds regards the committee's view that Dublin must play a role in Mr Cameron's renegotiation as "unwelcome interference in the affairs of the UK".
Should Britain leave the EU, there is no doubt there will be practical consequences so far as the UK's only land border is concerned. But will it, as the Irish committee fears, "result in issues around freedom of movement in border areas, border controls and customs checking"?
On security grounds alone, it seems unlikely that a new network of fixed customs posts and immigration offices will be erected between Newry and Dundalk or Londonderry and Donegal.
Indeed, as the Irish Parliamentary Committee itself points out, arrangements like the British Irish "Common Travel Area" which allows the free movement of people pre-date UK or Irish membership of the EU, as does the special status of Irish people living in the UK as "non-foreign aliens" (a term I hadn't been aware of until reading the committee's report).
However, it is hard to argue with the committee's contention that "should the UK leave the EU, then the Northern Ireland border would become significant as it would become an external EU border".
"This would raise considerable challenges for the open borders policy between the UK and Ireland," the committee's report added.
If a UK outside the EU sought to tighten immigration controls at Dover and Heathrow, could it completely ignore a porous land border with a neighbouring EU state?
Back in the days of Tony Blair's ill fated "e-borders" initiative, unionists objected to the idea they might be asked to show passports when travelling on flights or ferries between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The "e-borders" initiative was scrapped, but if the UK pulled out of the EU, would it ask Irish officials to carry out UK immigration checks, introduce more extensive mobile checks on the Northern Ireland border or flirt once again with the idea that operating checks on travel across the Irish Sea makes geographical, if not political sense? | Covering the talks between David Cameron and Enda Kenny in Downing Street last week, it was obvious that Irish concerns about any potential British withdrawal from the European Union occupied more of the two prime ministers' time than their discussion of what might happen next in Stormont's budgetary saga. | 33255310 |
The 53-year-old former Wolves CEO replaced David McNally in August 2016, who resigned when the Canaries were facing Premier League relegation.
Moxey took up the position after overseeing the transition of ownership at Wolves, where he spent 16 years.
"The role has not worked out satisfactorily for Jez, his family or the club," club chairman Ed Balls said.
Balls continued: "All parties have professionally and amicably agreed to move on. We wish Jez all the best in his future career and now our focus is on the next steps for Norwich City."
Finance director Steve Stone, who acted as the club's interim chief executive in the summer of 2016 prior to Moxey's arrival, will take up the role again on a short-term basis.
"Our immediate priority is on providing every support possible to [manager] Alex Neil and the squad to maintain our push towards the top six positions in the Championship table."
Norwich are 10th in the Championship with 28 games played and are three points off the play-off places. | Norwich City chief executive Jez Moxey has resigned and left the Championship club after six months in the role. | 38850146 |
Afghan-born Qadri (5-60), Jeevan Mendis (2-80), and occasional bowler Wayne Madsen (2-12) did the damage as the pink ball turned sharply all day.
Only Nick Selman, with a slow 43, and Aneurin Donald (31) got going before Chris Cooke's late 39 not out.
Derbyshire's last four-day win was at Northants in July 2015.
Qadri is his county's youngest-ever Championship player and first cricketer born in the 21st century to appear in the four-day competition.
He showed remarkable composure in bowling most of the day and consistently tying down all the batsmen.
Fittingly he claimed the final wicket of Glamorgan captain Michael Hogan, caught at mid-wicket, to spark mid-pitch celebrations among the delighted Derbyshire fielders.
Derbyshire bowler Hamidullah Qadri told BBC Radio Derby:
"It's amazing, a first win for Derby for two years, so all the boys are so happy and they were very supportive throughout my spell. It was really good to express my skills and take a first five-for of my career in a winning cause.
"As a youngster you want to take every opportunity, so it felt really good. I back my skills, I know I'm good enough to play on this stage and I reckon you should express your skills and play without fear.
"I'm really happy for Afghanistan and Ireland to get Test status, they deserve it and they've been playing good quality cricket so it's good for (Afghan) bowlers and batsmen to get good experience of different conditions around the world.
"I've been receiving messages from a few news anchors in my country with good wishes, it's been wonderful."
Glamorgan coach Robert Croft told BBC Wales Sport:
"Where we got in a difficult situation was the third session of day one, when the last three put on 131, and in our first innings batting when we gave up a couple of soft wickets.
"That was a very easy pitch to bowl spin on at the end, fair play, their spinners bowled nicely but I'd expect any spinner to bowl well on that towards the end.
"There are parts of (day-night cricket) that I've really enjoyed and parts it would take me a lot more convincing.
"The timings are one thing, there are certain periods when it's quite clear bat gets on top of ball or ball gets on top of bat when it starts swinging in the twilight zone. The ball goes very soft, there's a need to make sure it retains its hardness like the red Duke ball." | Sixteen-year-old debutant Hamidullah Qadri spun Derbyshire to a first County Championship victory in 710 days, as Glamorgan were bowled out for 172. | 40439063 |
Whatever the reaction at the international film festival, people in Northern Ireland will make up their own minds about 'The Journey' and whether Stormont politics can successfully be turned into showbiz.
The truth is that the scriptwriter did not care about the global audience when he put pen to paper.
Colin Bateman from Bangor, County Down, wrote it primarily for a Northern Ireland audience.
He says he was only interested in making sure that when he goes to his local cinema he does not have to hide behind the seats afterwards as film-goers try to lynch him for crimes against the movie business.
That is unlikely to happen. The majority of critics in Europe so far have been positive and Bateman says he is ready to celebrate and break open a "vintage bottle of Buckfast".
He may choke on it, however, if he reads the Daily Telegraph review of the film.
'A graceless Wikipedian plod through the Irish peace process" is the headline. Ouch.
As the first journalist from Northern Ireland to see it, I found it uncomfortable viewing at times.
Only good manners stopped me jumping out of my seat in a posh Venice cinema and yelling "That never happened. They've got it wrong. Paisley and McGuinness were never in a car together, never mind a graveyard or a remote forest near Loch Lomond trying to save a dying deer. You're making this up."
Silly me. Of course, it was made up.
The film-makers make it clear in the opening sequence that this is a fictional drama.
Yes, Paisley and McGuinness developed a bond in real life, but the movie sets aside the facts and imagines a quicker, action-packed blossoming of the political bromance.
Once you get your head round that, everything is fine. You can resist the urge to scream at the screen... but it takes a while.
There is no doubt the movie will divide opinion at home.
The Belfast-born director Nick Hamm, a Campbell College old boy, calls it a "feel-good film".
Really?
Ninety percent of the dialogue is about Northern Ireland politics and the 30 years of the Troubles from Bloody Sunday to the hunger strikes to the Poppy Day bombing in Enniskillen.
Indeed at one point Ian Paisley (played brilliantly by Timothy Spall) turns to Martin McGuinness (played equally well by Colm Meaney) and lists one-by-one the names of everyone killed by the IRA bomb at Enniskillen.
Amid the fiction, it is a heavy dose of reality.
Feel-good movie? It did not feel like it then.
However, Hamm points to the denouement, the fact that these two old enemies finally realised in later life that there was more that united them than divided them.
They went on to become good friends. They kept in touch after Paisley retired. At one point, they even prayed together.
It is a remarkable story.
At a time when the world seems to be in self-destruct mode, those behind the film believe it is a story a global audience needs to hear. | There was a standing ovation in Venice at the world premiere of the new film about Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness but tougher audiences lie ahead. | 37308867 |
After being airlifted to hospital having taken the full force of his mate's bike in that road accident last June, the 27-year-old was told he would never walk again.
He was also soon telling himself to "man up".
"I am not the sort of person who is going to sit in the corner and cry about what happened," he told BBC Sport. "Life's for living.
"And at least I got to go in a helicopter. It was one hell of a way of paying to get in one, and I couldn't see a lot because I had a stupid thing around my head. But at least I got in one."
Having heeded his own rather harsh "man-up" advice, Metcalfe-Hall, from Grantham, is now one of Britain's top handcyclists, is chasing a Paralympic dream, has a hugely impressive list of races and charity commitments pending - and plenty more besides.
Life has altered to an unrecognisable extent in a little under 18 months.
It is the handcycling that takes up most of Metcalfe-Hall's focus, because he was quickly "hooked" and wants to be the best.
Currently ranked around the top 10 in the country, he knows breaking in to the world's elite will be incredibly tough because of the commitment to the training and the costs involved.
But he is loving the journey and is in no doubt he will achieve his goals.
"I want to win," said Nottingham-born Metcalfe-Hall. "And one way or another I am going to win. I want to be number one or two in the country.
"Handcycling has made me who I am now. It has given me a focus and a drive. It's given me purpose."
Handcycling is still very much a new sport in Britain but it is growing, according to Ian Durrant, treasurer for HandCycling Association UK.
"There's been a definite upturn in interest since the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics," said Durrant, himself a keen handcyclist who helps run the charity.
"At the moment it is a much bigger sport in mainland Europe, America and Australia.
"There is some way to go to catch up with countries such as Poland, Germany, Austria, Spain because they have been doing it for much longer and have better support. But we are getting there."
Metcalfe-Hall is getting there in some style.
"His timeline is amazing from when he had his accident," said Durrant. "He has made remarkable progress. I am not sure I have seen someone come on so quickly - he's a natural athlete."
The road that led Metcalfe-Hall to his all-consuming handcycling addiction began when he "lost the front end of his bike" on a corner while riding in Bourne in his home county of Lincolnshire.
The accident itself feels like a lifetime ago because so much has changed. But the memories are vivid.
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"My mate was behind me and I took a right-hand bend that had gravel on it and I didn't see the gravel," he said.
"I knew it was going down so I got off of it, dumped the bike and got away. I remember seeing all the Tarmac flashing past my face.
"I only blacked out for a split second so I remember everything. Everything. And I still see it every now and then.
"I heard a great big bang and felt it at the same time. And then that was it and I woke up again and I was staring at a bike and after a few seconds thought 'that's not my bike' because we have the same bike, but his has different indicators and different colours.
"I had the bike laid head to toe on me and I couldn't breathe. But I wasn't going to bench press that in a hurry."
Lucky might sound like a ridiculous word to use in relation to his accident, but Metcalfe-Hall tries to look on the positive side.
A first aider who saw the accident took control, alerting the emergency services, removing the bike, keeping calm and keeping Metcalfe-Hall safe until the paramedics turned up.
"He was brilliant," explained Metcalfe-Hall. "He talked to me all the way through, and did everything until the ambulance turned up.
"My mate had a twisted wrist after doing a cartwheel across the road and he knocked off his wing mirror - but I protected his bike because it was laid on top of me!
"It could have been a foot up and I could have lost my head, or a foot lower and he could have ran straight through me."
Metcalfe-Hall was taken to Nottingham's Queens Medical Centre, where it soon became obvious he was unlikely to walk again.
"The bone was through the spinal cord and had chopped through it," he added. "They said I would probably never walk again, and I knew that because I couldn't feel my legs. They said they wanted to get the operation done before things could get worse."
Three days later he was transferred to a specialist spinal unit in Sheffield and was soon thinking about the next stage.
Metcalfe-Hall could not wait to get out and find his "new life", pushing himself to the limits during his rehab, trying all sort of sports and activities from fencing to archery and tennis, and taking part in the Spinal Injury Games.
Within three and a half months he was out and about and discovered handcycling after attending a talk by athlete and inspirational speaker Kenny Herriot.
Then came the rather sizeable issue of finding the cash to fund his involvement in the sport. Handcycling equipment is not cheap.
But his family and former boss Dave King were able to raise approximately £11,000 at a charity event, enabling him to fund his bike, which cost nearly £8,000.
Metcalfe-Hall took part in Ride London 2015 and has a punishing list of events and races planned next year, from a skydive and wingwalk to the Three Peaks Challenge and the London to Paris Armed Forces Ride.
Keeping a positive outlook is his default setting - though he is the first to admit it has been made significantly easier by the "incredible support" he has received.
Dad Andrew Metcalfe, mum Wendy, King and countless friends are mentioned, particularly several able-bodied mates who would go on gruelling 10-mile rides in a wheelchair to keep him company.
"My dad's been great," he said. "We just have a laugh. He calls me 'Mr Wheeler' and I call him 'Mr Walker'. And Mr Walker helps out a lot in everything I do.
"He has a go at me and says, 'You've been sat on your bum all day. Again'. It's a good laugh. You need people to lighten things up.
"Everybody has their moments where they feel low and cannot deal with it. But then you say, 'Come on, get up and get on with with it'. I have friends who are a lot worse off than me."
Metcalfe-Hall admitted the accident had been tough to deal with when it came to his relationship with his daughter Skye.
"She still draws pictures of me stood up which is a bit gutting," he added. "I was a big strong dad - a builder and a kickboxer - so I would throw her about and go on climbing frames and stuff like that.
"I still chase her about, throw her on the sofa and play fight and I fall out of my chair. We still do loads but she knows what my limitations are and is pretty good with it. I can still take care of her on my own as I did before.
"I am developing myself," he added. "The last year has just been phenomenal. I think 'Was it really only a year ago I was injured?' I have met some brilliant people, done some incredible things and had such kindness shown to me.
"And you have to get on with things. I cannot just sit around. Well, that's exactly what I do, but you know what I mean." | Lying on his back with a 200kg motorcycle crushing his chest was not exactly how Dan Metcalfe-Hall envisaged preparing for the helicopter ride he always wanted. | 33771515 |
Along with diving partner Jack Laugher, 21, Mears won the men's synchronised 3m springboard final on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old from Burghfield Common in Berkshire was given just a 5% chance of survival after contracting the Epstein-Barr virus in 2009.
His family were in Rio to see the pair win GB's first ever diving gold medals.
At the age of 16, Mears collapsed with a ruptured spleen, losing five pints of blood.
Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire before leaving for Rio, he said he had been "pretty close to death's door".
"It helped me adapt to this kind of lifestyle as an athlete," he said.
"That feeling that nothing could be worse than that is a good mindset to have. When you are training and feel you can't do another dive, it helps me work a bit harder.
"At school I was a bit of a joker, it kick-started me to think, 'this is what's life's about - better start doing something now'."
His father Paul, who watched his son take gold in Rio, said: "It was the turning point - up until then he was doing his sport because it was something he'd always done.
"He got sick, nearly died and came back from that and dedicated the rest of his youth to the sport. To see it pay off in the one that really matters is just a dream come true."
Jeff Pearce, a coach at Reading Central Pool, recalled how staff were "amazed at what his capabilities were" when Mears began diving lessons as a child.
"He stood out like a sore thumb - his attitude, his physical ability, the things he could try were way beyond his age," he said. | A life-threatening illness suffered by Olympic gold medal-winning diver Chris Mears was the "turning point" in his career, his father has said. | 37045642 |
Two officers were also hurt in the attack, it said.
The group was travelling in an armoured convoy in northern Sinai.
Militants in Sinai have intensified their attacks on the security forces after the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year.
Tuesday's bombing took place on the road between Rafah, on the border with Gaza, and North Sinai's provincial capital, el-Arish, the interior ministry said.
Responsibility for past attacks has been claimed by an al-Qaeda-linked group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.
The group says it is avenging the hundreds of Islamists killed and thousands detained in a crackdown on Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. | Six Egyptian policemen have been killed by a roadside bomb in the Sinai peninsula, the Egyptian interior ministry says. | 29218654 |
The alliance said it must adapt to the mixture of conventional military tactics, subversive campaigns and cyber-warfare that Russia was using in Ukraine.
Nato says that Russia is backing rebels in Ukraine - a claim denied by Moscow.
Three Baltic countries are preparing to ask for a permanent presence of Nato troops on their soil to act as a deterrent to the Russian military.
"Hybrid warfare combines different types of threats, including conventional, subversion and cyber," said Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg.
"When the world has changed, Nato has to adapt," he added.
Speaking after a meeting of defence ministers in Turkey, Mr Stoltenberg said that a more assertive Russia had been using force to change borders and intimidate its neighbours.
The two-day conference was also attended by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Nato has said that it will look to increase its co-operation and intelligence sharing with the EU.
"We will ensure that the strategies we are developing are complementary, so that we can work together quickly and effectively in the case of a hybrid threat against any of our members," said Mr Stoltenberg.
In another development, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have said they are preparing to ask Nato to station one troop battalion in each country.
Lithuanian Army spokesman Capt Mindaugas Neimontas said that the request would be made in a joint letter later this week.
"It is necessary because of the security situation," he told The Associated Press news agency. "It's not getting better in our region, so it will be a deterrent."
There is growing concern over increased military activity from Russia.
On Thursday, RAF fighter jets were scrambled after two Russian military aircraft were seen flying towards UK airspace.
Nato forces have also stepped up military exercises, especially in eastern European nations.
The alliance is conducting its largest ever anti-submarine warfare exercise in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway.
The West has criticised Russia for annexing the Crimean peninsula and has accused Russia of arming rebels in the east of Ukraine.
More than 6,000 people have been killed in fighting which began in April 2014 between Ukrainian government forces and rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The lull in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since February's ceasefire has been punctuated by frequent violations, and on Tuesday Ukraine said three of its soldiers had been killed in the past 24 hours. | Nato has pledged to counter "hybrid warfare" from Russia. | 32741688 |
They voted for keeping the UK in the EU single market after Brexit, despite being told to abstain by their party.
Chris Bryant, Ann Clwyd, Stephen Doughty, Susan Elan Jones, Madeleine Moon, Albert Owen and Jo Stevens were amongst 51 Labour MPs who rebelled.
The amendment, put forward by Labour MP Chuka Umunna and also backed by the four Plaid Cymru MPs, was defeated.
Three Labour frontbenchers were sacked for defying the party whip in the vote.
An official Labour amendment to the Queen's Speech, calling for a Brexit deal that would deliver "the exact same benefits" as the single market and customs union, was defeated by 323 to 297.
The minority Conservative government's package of legislation for the next two years later cleared the House of Commons by 323 votes to 309. | Seven Welsh Labour MPs have rebelled against the party leadership on an amendment to the Queen's Speech. | 40446702 |
The interior ministry said two of the assailants were also killed when forces at the Naqb checkpoint, about 80km (50 miles) from Kharga city, fought back.
It was not clear who was responsible, but the ministry blamed "terrorists".
Jihadist militants have killed hundreds of soldiers and police officers since the military's overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Most of the attacks have taken place in the northern Sinai peninsula, where troops are battling a local affiliate of so-called Islamic State.
Last week, IS said members of the group were behind an assault on a police checkpoint west of the city of Arish that left another eight officers dead.
IS militants are also active in Libya, which borders the Western Desert. | At least eight policemen have been killed in an attack on a security checkpoint in Egypt's Western Desert. | 38649205 |
Prop Jones, 33, of Merthyr Tydfil, was doing 36mph in a 30mph zone on the A4109 near Glynneath in Neath Port Talbot in his Mercedes E220.
The Cardiff Blues player already had nine points on his licence.
Cardiff magistrates rejected his appeal that not being able to drive would cause "exceptional hardship".
He was banned for six months.
Jones said it would place a strain on his wife and parents who would have to give him lifts.
The court heard that if he is picked for Wales for the 2015 Six Nations campaign he will have to go to training camps at "all hours of the day".
Jones told the hearing: "I can get called in at random times to do random training sessions.
"I wouldn't be able to say when I would get back from games. It's not unknown to get back at one or two in the morning."
The court heard Jones, who has 95 Wales caps, had already been caught speeding three times during the past two years and had done a speed awareness course.
Magistrates banned him from driving for six months, saying that he was wealthy enough to be able to afford his own private chauffeur.
Chairman of the bench Hywel Thomas said: "This may cause some difficulty or inconvenience but we can find no exceptional hardship in your circumstances.
"You have indicated you have the means to pay a driver.
"You have not been treated any differently to any other member of the public today." | Wales and British Lions rugby star Adam Jones has been banned from driving after being caught speeding on his way to a wedding suit fitting. | 30877513 |
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Wales last week qualified for their first major tournament since 1958.
Bale, 26, also praised Coleman's predecessors - the late Gary Speed and John Toshack - but said much of the credit had to go to the current boss.
"He's been amazing. All the players love him. I think he's created such a great atmosphere in the camp," he said.
The Real Madrid forward said all of the players "enjoy going away with Wales" and "never want to miss it".
He added: "Even the ones who miss out - we're all texting and they're always gutted not to be there."
Appointed in January 2012, Coleman started his Wales reign with four losses, and considered resigning after the 6-1 defeat by Serbia in September 2012.
But the 45-year-old former Fulham boss transformed his side's fortunes and is set to sign a new contract.
Bale said: "He's been incredible. He's really brought that passion and pride back for Wales. Even just at lunchtimes and meetings there's always that bit of banter.
"He's a great person to have around as well as being your manager. We respect him as a manager and a man as well."
Bale said Coleman had "grown into his own" after a "bit of a rocky start".
"It's obviously been a long process," he added. "A lot of us who are playing now were with John Toshack and Gary Speed and now with Chris Coleman, but [credit] mostly to Chris I think because he has really pushed us on and made us really kick on and have that belief in ourselves.
"It was a difficult time with the death of Gary for us as players, we were very close to him. It was one of those times that maybe made us a little bit stronger.
"We wanted to do it for Gary and his family as well. Chris Coleman coming in really gave us that belief. It was a difficult time but we have tried to use it as a positive and do it for Gary."
Having qualified on Saturday despite losing 2-0 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, thanks to Cyprus beating Israel, Wales ended their campaign with a 2-0 win against Andorra three days later.
"It's a bit surreal," said Bale. "We know we have done it but it hasn't quite fully sunk in to be honest.
"It's obviously a major achievement but I think it will really sink in when we start to go to France and the hype and the buzz around the tournament will really kick in."
Bale said Wales' achievement was on a par with winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.
He added: "It's such an historical moment for Wales. I think everybody knows how much it means to me to play for Wales and to create history for the country, so to qualify probably meets it right up there.
"We're not going there to make up the numbers, we really want to make an impact in the tournament and give everybody a run for their money. We believe in ourselves and hopefully we can make a whole nation proud."
Watch the interview on Sport Wales at 19:00 BST on BBC Two Wales on Friday, then on Football Focus at 12:10 on BBC One on Saturday. | Forward Gareth Bale says Wales boss Chris Coleman has restored Welsh football's "passion and pride" by leading the national side to Euro 2016. | 34535331 |
Shirley Chaplin, 57, from Exeter, was stopped from wearing a necklace with a cross by her employer on health and safety grounds.
The court ruled that her rights had not been violated under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Ms Chaplin said: "I don't regret it. I had to stand up for my faith."
She was one of four British Christians who had brought cases against the government, claiming they suffered religious discrimination at work.
Ms Chaplin was transferred to a desk job by Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust Hospital for failing to remove the cross, which she had worn to work for 30 years.
The judges had decided that agreed health and safety concerns outweighed her religious rights.
Mrs Chaplin said: "It seems ridiculous to me - I wore it [the crucifix] on my confirmation when I was 16, I've been a nurse since 1978.
"I've worn it without incident, I've nursed a very wide range of patients, I've been bitten, I've been scratched, I've had computers thrown at me, but no-one has ever, ever grabbed my crucifix.
"To say it's a health and safety risk, I really don't agree with that at all. We intend to appeal and take it back to the European Court."
Hospital officials said they discussed several ways the ward sister could wear the cross, including concealing it under her clothes, but the nurse refused.
Source: BBC Religion and Ethics
Why is the cross important to Christians?
Her discrimination case was heard by an Employment Appeal Tribunal in 2010, but they failed to uphold her complaint.
Lynn Lane, human resources director for the trust, said: "This case was between Mrs Chaplin and the UK government.
"However, we are pleased that the European Court's findings endorse the earlier findings of an employment tribunal.
"Our own dress code for clinical staff is in accordance with Department of Health guidelines and designed to protect the health and safety of our patients and staff."
She said: "I started on this journey and I have to see it through and I think the appeal will be the end."
Christian Concern funded Ms Chaplin's case and said it would support her if she plans to appeal to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights.
In the joint ruling, the court decided that Nadia Eweida, a British Airways employee who had been told to stop wearing her white gold cross visibly at work, did suffer discrimination over her beliefs.
Judges ruled that the rights of the other three Christians including Ms Chaplin had not been violated.
The other two were Gary McFarlane, 51 - a marriage counsellor fired after saying he might object to giving sex therapy advice to gay couples - and Islington Council registrar Lillian Ladele, who was disciplined after she refused to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies. | A Christian nurse who lost her discrimination-at-work case at the European Court of Human Rights has said she plans to appeal. | 21028691 |
He has published his policy on shared education.
Its aim is to enable more children and young people from different community backgrounds to be educated together.
Shared education can include sharing campuses like Lisanelly in Omagh, as well as pupils in separate schools engaging in joint classes.
Teachers and school governors from different schools can also work together to share good practice.
The policy says that "all children and young people should have the opportunity to be involved in shared education".
As part of the drive to achieve this, a Shared Education Bill will be introduced to the assembly, although this has been delayed due to the failure of the executive to meet recently.
Schools will also be required to outline their plans for engaging in shared education, while teachers in training will be given the opportunity to learn together.
Extra funding of £25m over four years has previously been made available to schools engaging in shared education projects.
The executive's 'Together, Building a United Community Strategy' also included a target to commence 10 new shared education campuses in the next five years.
Most children in Northern Ireland - around 92% - are educated at schools mainly attended by either Protestant or Roman Catholic pupils.
However, many schools have pupils from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.
The minister says that shared education helps to raise educational standards and reduce underachievement; makes better use of resources, and builds good relations among young people.
Shared education is not the same as integrated education, where schools enrol similar numbers of Catholic and Protestant children as well as pupils from other religious and cultural backgrounds
Integrated schools aim to enrol at least 30% of their pupils from the minority community in their catchment area, although can start with as little as 10% of pupils from that community.
A number of organisations consulted about the shared education policy expressed the view that integrated education was preferable to shared education.
However, the Department of Education said that integrated schools would benefit from taking part in shared education projects. | Education Minister John O'Dowd has said he wants "all children and young people" in Northern Ireland to be involved in shared education projects. | 34270448 |
It carried out observations at 60 sites in five areas of England and 30 locations in Scotland last October.
Overall, the DfT found 1.1% of drivers holding a mobile in their hand compared with 0.5% with a phone to their ear.
Van drivers used their phones the most, with 2.7% falling foul of the law.
Legislation was introduced in 2003 making it illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving or riding a motorcycle.
Drivers may be issued with a fixed penalty notice, resulting in three penalty points on the driving licence and a fine of £100. If a case goes to court, they face disqualification and a fine of up to £1,000.
The use of hands-free phones is permitted but a driver can still be stopped if police believe they are distracted.
The DfT says the purpose of its surveys in South East England, Manchester, Newcastle, Durham, Norfolk and Scotland was to "assess compliance".
Observations were made of drivers of cars, vans, taxis, lorries, buses, minibuses and coaches between 07:30-12:00 and 13:30-18:00 on weekdays. Some locations were surveyed again at weekends.
The DfT said: "A distinction was made between drivers holding the phone to their ear (indicating that the driver was receiving or making a call) or holding it in their hand (indicating that the driver may have been receiving or making a call, texting or reading a text, or using it for some other interactive function)."
It acknowledged that "it was not possible for observers to determine what the mobile phone was being used for".
However, it said the finding "suggests that most mobile phone usage whilst driving was for the purposes of sending or receiving a text or using social media rather than making a call".
Among car drivers, 1.4% were found to be using a mobile.
Although 2.7% of van drivers were using a phone, most (1.9%) were holding it to their ear rather than in their hand.
Only 1.2% of goods vehicles and lorry drivers were on a phone, with bus, coach and minibus drivers having the lowest usage rate at 0.4%.
Officials spotted 1.7% of male drivers using a hand-held mobile phone, compared to 1.3% of females.
The DfT said the proportion of car drivers in England observed using a mobile was about the same as in 2009, when a previous survey was carried out.
Transport minister Robert Goodwill said: "No phone-call is worth risking an accident. This research shows that the problem isn't just drivers making phone calls, it is their use of phones to text or use the internet.
"While this only provides a snapshot, it is an interesting insight that will help inform future policy. We will keep further deterrent measures under consideration."
A survey commissioned by ministers in Northern Ireland last year suggested 1% of drivers were using a mobile. There has been no similar research in Wales. | People who use their mobile phones illegally while driving are more likely to be sending texts or using social media than making a phone call, the Department for Transport says. | 31634425 |
The Business, Innovation and Skills and International Development Committees' joint report has evidence of breaches of international humanitarian law.
However, there is division between MPs on the issue.
The Foreign Affairs Committee's report says weapons exports should stop only if UK courts rule the sales unlawful.
The committee's Conservative chairman Crispin Blunt is understood to have drawn up the rival document after objecting to proposals to issue the call for immediate suspension through the House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls (CAEC).
Reports suggested he walked out of a CAEC private meeting to prevent a vote being taken on the draft report, because he felt it was one-sided.
The move came amid claims that UK-made arms are being used in indiscriminate bombing raids on civilian targets by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shia rebels in neighbouring Yemen.
One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of 47 civilians, including 21 women and 15 children, and injuries to 58 who were killed when a wedding party at a house was struck by missiles from military aircraft.
CAEC inquiry chair Chris White said the UK had led the way in setting up international humanitarian law to govern arms sales.
But, the conflict in Yemen raised serious concerns that the country was not determined to make sure they were respected.
"During this inquiry we have heard evidence from respected sources that weapons made in the UK have been used in contravention of international humanitarian law," he said.
"The Government can no longer wait and see and must now take urgent action, halting the sale of arms to the Saudi-led coalition until we can be sure that there is no risk of violation."
He called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding incidents in Yemen such as allegations of the use of cluster bombs.
And he said the current system for overseeing the sale of arms must be improved.
The government has faced sustained pressure to suspend the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia.
In August, aid agency Oxfam accused the British government of "denial and disarray" over the trade.
But Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has defended it, insisting the export of weapons to the country would continue.
The CAEC is made up of four parliamentary committees - Business, Innovation and Skills; Defence; Foreign Affairs; and International Development.
The Defence Committee has not said whether it intends to publish its own report. | The UK must stop sales of weapons which could be used by Saudi Arabia in Yemen until an inquiry into human rights breaches is complete, MPs have said. | 37376317 |
The metal rods were used by Causeway Coast and Glens council to mark out a makeshift car-park for the Irish Open golf championship in Portstewart.
Ryan Patev, 11, was playing with his younger brothers on Wednesday when he fell on the rod.
It punctured 4in (10cm) into his right thigh, just 2cm from a major artery.
It is understood that he fell backwards off a wall onto the rod.
Natalie Patev said her son had a lucky escape - despite now being off his feet and not allowed to go outside.
"Ryan could have died - it doesn't bear thinking about," she told BBC News NI.
"He is upset and really sore, he can't walk on it or anything and has to stay inside."
Ms Patev said the rods were not "capped" and the car park had been constructed in a "slap-dash" fashion with "no thought put into the children's safety".
"They were there for the golf - it was a parking area they had made... like an overspill," she said.
Recovering after his ordeal, Ryan Patev described the moment he was injured.
"I just saw the the pole sticking out at the side of my leg," he told BBC Newsline.
"Luckily, my other leg was supporting it so it didn't go down any further.
"My friend, Tommy, pulled the iron rod out of the ground so I could lie on the ground."
Ryan Patev said those responsible for the rods should have put up warning signs.
"I didn't see it at first and I just don't want it to happen to anyone else."
A council official had visited the family's home and offered Ryan and his mother tickets to the tournament, but this was not what they wanted, Ms Patev told The Belfast Telegraph.
"(The official) apologised and said they have removed the iron rods from the grass," she told the newspaper.
The Health and Safety Executive said it was aware of the incident and was making inquiries.
In a statement, Causeway Coast and Glens Council confirmed that a council officer and a representative from the European Tour's car park operation visited Ryan Patev at home on Thursday.
A spokesperson for golf's European Tour said it was working with the council to carry out a full investigation into the incident.
"We were very sorry to hear of Ryan's unfortunate accident," said the spokesperson.
"A representative of the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, along with a member of our car parking team, visited Ryan and his family at home yesterday afternoon to offer support and check on his wellbeing, and we all wish him well in his recovery." | The mother of a boy who was impaled on a metal rod is seeking legal advice after what she called a "totally preventable" injury. | 40529101 |
Mr Leishman was elected as a Labour councillor for Dunfermline on 3 May.
His nomination was proposed by the party at the first full meeting of the council on Thursday morning, and he was elected provost by 42 votes to 35.
Mr Leishman said: "This is one of the proudest days of my life. Fife's been good to me, and now is a chance to pay something back."
He added: "It is a deep honour to be elected as provost and I will work hard for all the people right across the Kingdom of Fife."
Labour has formed a minority administration in Fife.
Mr Leishman became manager of the Pars in 1982 when they were languishing in the bottom tier of the Scottish football League. He was only 28 years old at the time.
He became a Dunfermline legend after taking the club to the Premier League just five years later, and became famous for his flamboyant personality, "aeroplane" celebration and national television appearances, when he often recited humorous poems about football.
He left Dunfermline in controversial circumstances in 1990 before returning as general manger in 2003 following stints at Montrose and Livingston.
Mr Leishman briefly returned to the East End Park dugout two years later, before moving back upstairs, initially as general manager and then as director of football - a post he still holds. | Former Dunfermline Athletic football manager Jim Leishman has been named as Fife Council's new provost. | 18102491 |
To understand why this view is so strongly held, you have to grasp the scale of Chinese investment in the UK.
There is a long list of British brands and companies that now have Chinese backers: Weetabix, House of Fraser, MG cars, London taxi cabs, Heathrow and Manchester airports.
And the UK has become the second most popular destination for Chinese investment in Europe, second only to Italy.
Many investors worry that those economic ties will be damaged if Brexit occurs.
John Zai is one of them. Originally from Shanghai, he heads Cocoon Networks, a venture capital group that plans to invest in tech companies in Europe, primarily in the UK.
It's just signed a 10-year lease on the former London Stock Exchange and aims to transform it into Europe's largest tech innovation centre.
"If we can combine the European technology and the ideas with the Chinese money, the Chinese capital, it's going to be crazy," he enthuses.
But those plans could all change if the UK votes to leave the EU.
"It's going to probably cause a lot of problems, because Cocoon is a platform bridge between China and Europe.
"It's China and Europe, not China and the UK or China and London.
"Tech companies are really dependent on talent," he says. "If the UK leaves the EU, all this different talent from the EU, from all these different countries, they're going to be gone.
"People are always talking about how London is going to become a Silicon Valley but without all this talent, it's not going to happen."
Many hope the UK's economy will flourish because of the close relationship between London and Beijing.
Deals worth more than £40bn ($56bn) were signed when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the UK last October.
During that visit, Mr Xi made his views clear: China supports a "united EU".
"China definitely wants to sell more Chinese products into the European market, but they'd better do it from the eurozone really," says Philippe Le Corre, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
London would be less attractive to investors if it could offer only the UK market of 65 million people, rather than the 500 million across the EU, he says.
"London would not lose its role as trader of renminbi but in terms of consumer products, big industries, even tourism, I believe London would be affected."
But it's not all about money.
How trade and the UK's economy are affected by membership of the EU.
For Mr Xi, the EU referendum also carries political concerns.
During his time in power, over almost four years, he's fostered closer ties with London - a counterbalance, perhaps, to China's rockier relations elsewhere.
If the UK leaves the EU, Mr Xi's judgement could be called into question.
"There has been some criticism that he has been spending too much attention on ceremonial matters and diplomacy without concern for the slowing Chinese economy at home," says Yu Jie, the China programme manager at the LSE Ideas think tank in London.
"So, if the UK leaves the EU, it won't only undermine the Chinese relationship with the UK. It will also undermine Xi Jinping's image as a steady leader because he's betting on the wrong horse."
Chinese entrepreneurs might also come to feel that they've bet on the wrong horse. Over tea at his private members' club, Mr Zai admits to worries.
"I'm just afraid if we leave the EU, it's going to be like an earthquake, like a huge earthquake. To be honest, I have no idea what's going to happen. Personally, I'm quite nervous."
Nerves in London stretching all the way to the halls of power in Beijing.
Some might argue that Chinese concerns shouldn't matter and British voters will make their own decisions on EU membership.
But those who have invested financial and political capital in a closer relationship between China and the UK might be heading for a few sleepless nights. | The view from China appears to be unanimous: Chinese leaders and business people want the UK to remain inside the European Union. | 36545639 |
The Bluebirds were second from bottom when Warnock took charge in October.
But Tuesday's remarkable 4-3 win away at Derby lifted Cardiff up to 12th place in the Championship table, 13 points clear of the relegation zone and 13 points adrift of the top six.
"This is the same group of players," Warnock told BBC Wales Sport.
"I don't think they realise yet how good they can be. It is amazing what you can do really - this is why I am in football so long, to get the best out of what you have is fantastic.
"We played against the teams who have spent millions and yet we compete with them. That is what its all about."
Warnock has said he will meet Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman to discuss his future after Saturday's home game against Rotherham.
The 68-year-old has previously stated he would like to challenge for promotion with the Bluebirds.
But asked about his upcoming talks with Dalman, the ex-Sheffield United and Crystal Palace boss preferred to focus on the fixture against his former side Rotherham.
"It'll probably be a horrible game on Saturday - it's all about trying to get the three points," said Warnock.
"It does not matter how we play on Saturday because they will not give anything. I have been there, they are a good group of lads. We have to get our minds on that.
"It's nice to get the points. Eight points and we are safe and we move on. We have gone to two difficult places in the last three days and we have stood up and been counted." | Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock says his players do not realise "how good they can be" following impressive back-to-back wins at Leeds and Derby. | 38976772 |
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Wing Matt Healy's superb opening try helped the visitors seize the early initiative, while Aled Thomas kicked Scarlets' first-half points.
Steff Evans and Michael Collins went over for tries as Scarlets went ahead.
Jack Carty kicked Connacht into the lead with two minutes left, but Shingler replied to seal Scarlets' win.
Having failed with a similar late penalty chance in their festive derby defeat by arch-rivals Ospreys, Shingler was given the chance to redeem himself after replacing Scarlets' starting 10 Aled Thomas.
Having also lost at Cardiff Blues, on New Year's Day, Scarlets were desperate to get their campaign back on track.
Shingler's kick capped an admirable fight-back against a Connacht side who have impressed this season to send Scarlets back above Leinster, who had been top following a clinical win over Ospreys in Swansea on Friday.
Pat Lam's Connacht stayed fourth as they earned a losing bonus point.
The midfield was dominated by New Zealand-bred players with Scarlets' Regan King and Hadleigh Parkes facing Connacht's Bundee Aki, who partnered Irishman Craig Ronaldson.
Shoulder-charging King cost Aki 10 minutes in the sin-bin while King followed in the first half after illegally killing a Connacht attack.
After Healy's 65-metre dash for his opening try, Parkes halted a second with a well-executed tackle that forced the Irishman to drop the ball as he attempted to dab down.
Ronaldson added the conversion to the penalty that punished King's indiscretion.
But Scarlets had the final say of the opening period as Thomas kicked their first points with a penalty.
The home side got closer with Thomas' second penalty and after scrum-half Aled Davies' superb work in a multi-phase attack, wing Steff Evans slid over at the corner.
Thomas converted to put the hosts ahead for the first time.
Ronaldson levelled from the restart, but Scarlets again took the lead after King drifted wide on to Thomas' well-weighted pass.
The once-capped New Zealand All Black timed his feed to try-scorer Collins to perfection.
Ronaldson's 63rd minute departure left Carty with Connacht's kicking responsibilities. He put the visitors two points behind and kicked another with two minutes remaining to give them the lead.
But the drama continued as replacement Ronan Loughney's tip-tackle at a ruck gave Shingler his chance.
Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac told BBC Radio Wales: "With the last two matches being narrow losses, we couldn't really afford another one if we wanted to stay in the top four and also top six, because it's that close at the moment with, I think, eight teams going for six spots.
"Both teams were in a similar position with players unavailable and a recent run of losses, I guess so to get back on the winning way was really important."
Scarlets: Michael Collins; Steff Evans, Regan King, Hadleigh Parkes, DTH van der Merwe; Aled Thomas, Aled Davies; Rob Evans, Ken Owens (capt), Samson Lee, Tom Price, Lewis Rawlins, Aaron Shingler, John Barclay, Morgan Allen.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Phil John, Rhodri Jones, Maselino Paulino, Rory Pitman, Rhodri Williams, Steve Shingler, Steff Hughes
Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Craig Ronaldson, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Finlay Bealham, Tom McCartney, Nathan White, Ultan Dillane, Andrew Browne, John Muldoon (captain), Jake Heenan, Eoghan Masterson.
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Ronan Loughney, Rodney Ah You, Aly Muldowney, Sean O'Brien, Ian Porter, AJ MacGinty, Rory Parata.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Gwyn Morris, Stuart Kibble (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: John Charles (WRU)
TMO: Paul Adams (WRU) | Steven Shingler kicked a dramatic last-minute penalty to take Scarlets back to the top of the Pro12 after they fought back from 10-0 down to beat Connacht. | 35247236 |
Mr Salmond decided to speak his mind about the US presidential hopeful after a supreme court decision on a contested wind farm development.
The SNP MP said Mr Trump was a "three-time loser" who was having a "damaging impact" on the Scottish economy.
Mr Trump hit back at Mr Salmond calling him "a has-been and totally irrelevant".
The US businessman's legal challenge to a planned offshore wind farm off the Aberdeenshire coast, close to Mr Trump's Menie golf course, was rejected by the UK's Supreme Court.
This led Mr Salmond to launch an attack on Mr Trump's impact on Scotland.
He accused Mr Trump of "condemning" Turnberry, the Ayrshire golf resort he bought in 2014, to "Open Championship oblivion".
Earlier, the chief executive of the Professional Golfer's Association said Mr Trump's comments on the presidential campaign trail were "not a positive thing for golf", amid speculation the Open Championship will not be hosted at Turnberry in light of his controversial statements.
Mr Trump has attracted even more controversy that usual in his campaign seeking the Republican nomination for the US presidential race.
A petition to have the billionaire barred from entry to the UK gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures after he called for a temporary halt on Muslims being allowed to enter the United States.
SNP MP and MSP Mr Salmond said as he was no longer first minister he was now free to speak his mind on the "damaging impact" of Mr Trump's "interventions" on the Scottish economy.
He said: "By his unacceptable behaviour he has condemned Turnberry, one of the outstanding golf courses on the planet, to Open Championship oblivion.
"There is no way the R&A will go near the Ayrshire course while Trump is in charge. As a result Scotland stands to lose the £100m economic return from a Turnberry Open."
Mr Salmond also said Mr Trump had "failed to meet the claims he made for the Menie Estate Golf complex" in Aberdeenshire.
He said the "fine golf course" did not have a permanent club house, "far less the claims of thousands of jobs and billions of investment", and said his legal challenge to an offshore wind farm near the course was "deeply damaging".
A spokesman for the Trump organisation hit back at Mr Salmond, saying: "Does anyone care what this man thinks? He's a has-been and totally irrelevant.
"The fact that he doesn't even know what's going on in his own constituency says it all. We have a permanent clubhouse and the business is flourishing.
"He should go back to doing what he does best - unveiling pompous portraits of himself that pander to his already overinflated ego." | A war of words has erupted between Scotland's former first minister Alex Salmond and US tycoon Donald Trump. | 35113085 |
The video, published by The Sun, shows Johnson, 29, apparently talking to other inmates at HMP Moorland about his child sex abuse case and victim.
The former Sunderland and England midfielder was jailed for six years in March 2016 for grooming and sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
A spokeswoman said: "An investigation is under way."
The Prison Service spokeswoman also said measures to "find and block illegal mobile phones" were being "stepped up".
She added: "Those who break the rules will be punished and can face extra time behind bars."
In the video, Johnson said he felt he had received a tougher sentence because of his celebrity status.
He also said he hoped to resume his football career abroad after leaving prison.
Rape Crisis in the North East said it was concerned about the effect the publication of the video could have on Johnson's victim.
A spokeswoman said his comments showed "arrogance and a lack of remorse".
Johnson, who lived in Castle Eden near Peterlee, County Durham, played for Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Sunderland, and represented England 12 times. | Prison chiefs are investigating after footage was released of disgraced footballer Adam Johnson in jail. | 39665743 |
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Holland, who won bronze for England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, sat out the first three races of the season.
But the 29-year-old clocked one hour 49 minutes 51 seconds to finish ahead of American Katie Zaferes and Switzerland's Nicola Spirig.
Fellow Briton Helen Jenkins, also making her season debut, was fifth and Emma Pallant 10th.
Zaferes now leads the overall women's rankings ahead of fellow American Gwen Jorgensen, who sat out the race in Cape Town after three consecutive victories this season.
The men's race is on Sunday at 14:00 BST, and Britain's Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee is set to make his return from injury.
His brother Jonny finished top of the podium in the Gold Coast and Auckland. | Britain's Vicky Holland claimed her first World Triathlon Series win on her return from injury in Cape Town. | 32465644 |
However, Mr Medvedev - a qualified lawyer - is extremely close to his predecessor Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent.
He campaigned as Mr Putin's protege and tied himself to his policies as soon as he won the 2007 election. "We will be able to preserve the course of President Putin," he said at the time.
With the news that he is to step aside in 2012 and allow Mr Putin to stand again as president, the "course of President Putin" looks set to continue after he leaves the Kremlin.
Indeed, he will not be travelling very far as he is proposing to swap places with Mr Putin, who has served as prime minister while out of presidential office.
Some would argue that even as president, Mr Medvedev left the real decision-making to the man who made him politically.
Considered an economic liberal, Mr Medvedev served President Putin as first deputy prime minister, and was also chairman of Russia's enormous state-run gas monopoly, Gazprom.
But his connection to his predecessor began much earlier.
Mr Medvedev trained as a lawyer in Leningrad - now St Petersburg. The son of a professor, he became an assistant professor in his own right at St Petersburg State University in the 1990s.
While there, he became involved in the city council and joined Mr Putin's external affairs team as an expert consultant working for the mayor.
It was a key period in Russia's transition from communism.
In 2000, Mr Medvedev took charge of Mr Putin's presidential election campaign and in October 2003 he was appointed Kremlin chief-of-staff.
Promoted to the post of first deputy prime minister in charge of national projects in 2005, he oversaw major social initiatives in the areas of agriculture, health, education and efforts to boost Russia's low birth rate.
He also helped restructure the Kremlin's relations with powerful billionaire oligarchs who made fortunes in the Yeltsin years, telling the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2007 that the aim was to create "big Russian corporations".
Endorsing his nomination as presidential candidate, Mr Putin said: "I have known him for more than 17 years, I have worked with him very closely all these years".
Mr Medvedev has been portrayed by some as a liberal but critics ask if his commitment to democracy is more than mere lip service.
During the 2007 election campaign, he refused to take part in televised debates with other candidates, saying they would give his rivals additional publicity.
But he considers himself a democrat, once saying: "We are well aware that no non-democratic state has ever become truly prosperous for one simple reason: freedom is better than non-freedom."
In office, he has also preached technological innovation for Russia, earning him the unkind nickname "nano-president", a jibe which also refers to his short stature.
Progress, Reuters news agency notes, has been slow on two trademarks of Mr Medvedev's modernisation drive: efforts to create a high-tech innovation incubator at Skolkovo, outside Moscow, and to turn the capital into a global financial centre.
"Dmitry Medvedev did not justify expectations," liberal journalist Mikhail Fishman wrote in a scathing commentary in Vedomosti newspaper.
"There is not the slightest hint that a single one of the tasks he set was implemented. Instead of a reformer we got a seat-warmer."
Perhaps the one change many Russians will remember from his presidency is the renaming of the police force from "militsia" with its Soviet connotations, to the more neutral "politsia".
Whatever his political values, Dmitry Medvedev has Western tastes, being a fan of rock groups like Pink Floyd and Deep Purple, which played at the Kremlin in February 2008 to mark the 15th anniversary of the founding of Gazprom.
Born 14 September 1965 in Leningrad, he was descended, by his own account, from farm workers, a blacksmith and a hat-maker.
He grew up in a small flat in Kupchino on the outskirts of the city now known as St Petersburg, where he says he dreamed of buying jeans.
While still a teenager, he fell in love with his future wife, Svetlana, with whom he has a son. | When Dmitry Medvedev became president of Russia in 2007, he was the country's first leader in decades with no known links either to the former Soviet Communist Party or secret services. | 15047827 |
The disclosure has prompted Labour to accuse him of "jaw-dropping hypocrisy".
Number 10 said Mr Cameron had acted in his capacity as a local MP who believed Thames Valley Police could make savings without affecting front-line services.
This week it emerged Mr Cameron, MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, is involved in a row over cuts with the county council.
The PM had written to Oxfordshire council leader Ian Hudspeth saying he was "disappointed" at proposed cuts to elderly day centres, libraries and museums.
The Tory-run council said it had little choice because its grant had fallen sharply - from £194m a year in 2009/10 to £122m this year.
Downing Street has now confirmed to BBC Newsnight that Mr Cameron also lobbied Thames Valley Police to try to prevent the closure, or partial closure, of police stations in the region.
In the last parliament, Thames Valley had to find £57m worth of savings.
Despite being praised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for being an efficient and well-run force, it still closed seven police stations, and reduced opening hours at others.
One police source told Newsnight the force had done the best it could but could not afford to keep open stations that "hardly anyone ever uses".
Shadow cabinet minister Jon Ashworth said the prime minister was "completely unaware" of the effects of budget cuts in local communities.
"I think it's jaw-droppingly hypocritical from the prime minister because the reason these services are being cut in his constituency is because he is cutting them," he said.
"He is the first lord of the treasury, he is the man who is signing off George Osborne's cuts plan, so I'm surprised that the prime minister is so out of touch with what the impact of these cuts would mean that he is now lobbying organisations in his own constituency against the very cuts he is implementing."
Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said Mr Cameron's lobbying of local police chiefs showed a disconnect between politicians in government and those implementing cuts.
"It's a bit disingenuous to have some politicians say they want to protect their own local police station but actually they know full well that it will be at the cost of other police stations around the country or indeed in the force," he said.
Downing Street denied that Mr Cameron was being hypocritical.
A spokesman said Mr Cameron had spoken up as a local MP during conversations with local police chiefs.
"He wants to see local authorities and the police making sensible savings through back office efficiencies and joint working," he said.
No 10 said the prime minister believed it was possible reduce costs without affecting front-line, high-quality public services. | David Cameron privately lobbied to stop the closure of police stations in his constituency as the force tried to find £60m of savings, the BBC has learnt. | 34815792 |
It will report live from Scotland's 32 counts after polls close at 22:00 on 7 May.
There will then be analysis, background, reaction and debate as we find out the results from each of Scotland's 59 constituencies.
Headlines from a UK-wide exit poll will be projected onto the exterior of BBC Scotland's studios at Pacific Quay.
And the results of the ballot will also appear on the side of the building, which sits on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow.
Based on when the results were called at the 2010 General Election, here is an estimate of the declaration times of Scotland's 59 seats. | BBC Scotland will be delivering extensive coverage of the election results across online, TV and radio. | 32605267 |
Ash Handley put Rhinos ahead and Greg Eden replied for Cas in a tight first half, but two goals by Luke Gale saw the visitors lead 8-6 at half-time.
Zak Hardaker's stunning solo try against his parent club extended Castleford's advantage and Grant Millington also went over.
Adam Cuthbertson's try proved to be just a consolation for the home side.
It was an eighth successive Super League win for Cas, who stretched their lead by virtue of Salford losing to St Helens.
The home side went ahead after a mistake by Ben Roberts, who was caught trying to run the ball from behind the posts and his stray pass was punished by Handley.
Eden's 31st try of the season brought the game level as he grounded in the corner, while Leeds' Danny McGuire was sin-binned for arguing with the official.
Gale, who earlier been successful from the tee with the conversion, added a penalty to edge Castleford into a two-point lead, before Eden had a try disallowed for offside as the half drew to a close.
Castleford extended their narrow half-time lead thanks to a fantastic solo try from Hardaker, who cut through three players before running clear and side-stepping last man Liam Sutcliffe.
Gale's clever bobbling kick along the ground was snapped up by Millington as the Tigers went 20-6 ahead.
Leeds refused to lie down and Cuthbertson slid in after hesitation in the Castleford defence, but the leaders hit back again as Gale's penalty and drop goal took his personal tally to 11 points - and secured a seventh successive win for the Tigers at Headingley.
Leeds coach Brian McDermott believes the League Leaders' Shield is destined for Castleford, saying:
"I think Cas have got that. It's maybe not in the cupboard but the cupboard doors are open and waiting.
"I'm really proud of a group of men that keep showing up for each other and defending as they did.
"But I couldn't be any more disappointed with what Castleford didn't have to defend. I don't think we'll be as poor as that again this year with the ball."
Castleford coach Daryl Powell:
"We were awesome. Defensively we were superb. It was one of those nights you might see at the end of the season, so I thought it was quite symbolic for us.
"We played enough tonight without going over the top. Luke Gale's control of the game was absolutely outstanding. It was an excellent performance from us in tough conditions.
"We would have got rid of a few doubts about us as a team tonight which I'm really pleased with."
Leeds: L. Sutcliffe, Briscoe, Watkins, Hall, Handley, Moon, McGuire, Galloway, Parcell, Singleton, Jones-Buchanan, Ward, Ferres.
Replacements: Cuthbertson, Garbutt, Mullally, Walker.
Castleford: Hardaker, Hitchcox, Webster, Minikin, Eden, Roberts, Gale, Milner, McShane, Millington, Foster, McMeeken, Sene-Lefao.
Replacements: Massey, Springer, Patrick, T. Holmes.
Attendance: 18,029
Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL). | Castleford moved seven points clear at the top of Super League with victory at Yorkshire rivals Leeds. | 40347046 |
Erol Incedal plotted to attack a "significant individual" or killings similar to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which left 174 dead, prosecutors said.
He also had a phone containing material supporting Islamic State, they added.
Mr Incedal, 26, from London, denies preparing for acts of terrorism. He is being tried partly in secret.
The jury heard Mr Incedal had no settled plan of attack. But the prosecution suggested the possession of the Blairs' address was significant.
Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC said the prosecution believed Mr Incedal was planning an attack on "a number of individuals, an individual of significance or an... indiscriminate attack such as that in Mumbai in 2008."
He added: "Count 1 does not suggest that Erol Incedal had settled on a specific target or a particular methodology but in the context of the case as a whole and the evidence that I am going to come to, you may think that this address does have some significance."
The court was later told of email messages between Mr Incedal and an unknown correspondent.
An alleged coded word referred to "k 11 22 aaa shhh", which prosecutors say may have referred to Kalashnikov rifles.
Another, which mentioned "mo88m 55bayy style", could be interpreted as Mumbai-style attack, the jury heard.
Earlier, the jury heard that Mr Incedal was initially stopped by police on 30 September 2013 and that investigators used that opportunity to place a bug in his Mercedes. He and another man, Mounir Rarmoul-Bouhadjar, were arrested weeks later in October when policed stopped their car in East London.
Mr Whittam told the jury that each man was carrying an iPhone which was held in a protective case. Between the phone and the case was a memory card which allegedly contained a document relating to bomb-making.
Last week Rarmoul-Bouhadjar pleaded guilty to possessing material useful for terrorism, the jury were told.
The court also heard an iPhone recovered during the investigation included photographs of a synagogue and material supporting Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria and Iraq.
Jurors were told on Monday that parts of the trial would never become public.
Proceedings on Tuesday afternoon are being heard behind closed doors - jurors are banned from ever disclosing what they hear.
Ten journalists will be locked in the room with them to observe proceedings. They will also never be allowed to reveal what is said during the sessions.
Mr Justice Nicol said: "This trial has some unusual features. The usual way that justice is administered is in public. Some of this trial will be conducted in that way.
"However, there will be other sessions of this trial that will be conducted in private. The public will not be able to attend these."
He added that there would be a third part of the trial where even those accredited journalists would be excluded from hearing the evidence.
"This is another reason why you must not talk about the private proceedings with anyone else outside of your number," said the judge. | A terror suspect was considering an indiscriminate Mumbai-style attack and had an address for Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie, the Old Bailey has heard. | 29609660 |
The UK's unemployment rate remained at 4.9%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
According to the ONS, the number of people on the claimant count in July, the first month since the Brexit vote, was 763,600, down 8,600 from June.
Wages excluding bonuses rose 2.3% in the three months to June compared with a year earlier, the ONS said.
Including bonuses, earnings growth was 2.4%.
"The labour market continued on a strong trend in the second quarter of 2016, with a new record employment rate," said ONS statistician David Freeman.
"However, little of today's data cover the period since the result of the EU referendum became known, with only claimant count and vacancies going beyond June - to July for the former and to May-July for the latter," he added.
The jobless total is now at its lowest for eight years, while the unemployment rate is at its lowest since the summer of 2005, according to the ONS figures.
The employment rate reached a record high of 74.5%, with 31.8 million people in work in the three months to June - 172,000 more than the previous quarter.
Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight said that the UK economy showed "impressive resilience in the run-up to the EU referendum and the immediate aftermath of the vote to leave".
However, he warned: "It is premature to draw any firm conclusions from this... It remains likely that softening economic activity and heightened uncertainty will take a toll on the labour market over the coming months."
Hargreaves Lansdowne economist Ben Brettell said that while forward-looking surveys to gauge business confidence had suggested the Brexit vote had delivered a shock, "surveys are driven by sentiment, and can therefore overreact".
"The dramatic fall in confidence may not ultimately be borne out by activity, and today's claimant count number is a tentative sign that things might not turn out as bad as many predicted," he said. | The UK unemployment total fell by 52,000 to 1.64 million between April and June, official figures indicate. | 37105028 |
The team manager was speaking as she added midfielders Chloe Arthur and Joelle Murray, plus defender Vaila Barsley, to her warm-up party.
Arsenal 26-year-old Little misses out with a cruciate ligament injury.
"Losing a player like Kim is obviously upsetting for the team," said Signeul. "We are devastated for Kim."
Signeul had hoped to add the midfielder to her squad as the Scots host Romania at Falkirk Stadium on 9 June before travelling to take on Sweden on 13 June as they prepare for this summer's finals in Netherlands.
But Little, who has 117 caps and had been suffering from a niggling injury, picked up a cruciate ligament problem during training with her club.
Signeul said it was a blow for the midfielder to suffer such an injury "at such a bad time" but urged her to now target helping Scotland to the 2019 World Cup finals in France.
"We wish her well in her recovery and hope to see her back in a Scotland jersey soon," said the Scotland boss.
"The important thing for Kim now is to concentrate on returning to full fitness.
"She is young and will have the chance to represent Scotland at other major championships in the future.
"But we will continue to focus on our preparations for the Euros as planned to ensure that we make the nation proud."
Hibernian 30-year-old Murray has returned to fitness after missing the recent friendly defeat by Belgium, while Bristol City 22-year-old Arthur also missed that game.
Barsley, the English-born 29-year-old who plays for Eskilstuna United in the Swedish top flight, made her debut in that 5-0 loss in Belgium.
"Vaila did very well in her debut against Belgium last month and we want to give her another opportunity to stake her claim for a place in the squad for the Euros," added Signeul.
"We are very happy to have Joelle return to fitness after missing the last match, while Chloe has done very well for Bristol during the spring and we are excited to have her in the squad."
Goalkeepers: Gemma Fay (Stjarnan), Lee Alexander (Glasgow City), Shannon Lynn (Vittsjo)
Defenders: Vaila Barsley (Eskilstuna United), Jennifer Beattie (Manchester City), Frankie Brown (Bristol City), Rachel Corsie (Seattle Reign), Ifeoma Dieke (Vittsjo), Kirsty Smith (Hibernian), Rachel McLauchlan (Hibernian)
Midfielders: Chloe Arthur (Bristol City), Leanne Crichton (Glasgow City), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Lisa Evans (Bayern Munich), Hayley Lauder (Glasgow City), Joanne Love (Glasgow City), Joelle Murray (Hibernian), Leanne Ross (Glasgow City), Caroline Weir (Liverpool)
Forwards: Fiona Brown (Eskilstuna United), Lana Clelland (Tavagnacco), Christie Murray (Doncaster Rovers Belles), Jane Ross (Manchester City) | Scotland's Anna Signeul says the loss of star midfielder Kim Little to serious injury is upsetting to her squad ahead of the Euro 2017 finals. | 40104591 |
The moves aims to plug "potential leaks from work e-mails and shared documents amid heightened security threats," the Straits Times newspaper said.
Officials said employees across government would also be barred from forwarding any work-related information to personal emails.
Singaporeans have responded with shock and scepticism online.
Some people thought the move contradicted Singapore's much-promoted Smart Nation technology initiative.
Others thought the suggestion that the measure could also apply to teachers, who do not deal with much sensitive information, was extreme.
The Straits Times said a memo was sent to all government agencies, ministries and statutory boards announcing the restrictions.
The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), the agency in charge of the change, said it would guard against cyber-attacks and create a "more secure working environment", Channel News Asia reported.
An IDA spokesperson told the BBC: "The Singapore Government regularly reviews our IT security to make our IT network more secure.
"We have started to separate internet access from the work stations of a selected group of public service officers, and will do so for the rest of the public service officers progressively over a one-year period."
It will eventually apply to all 100,000 public service computers.
Some Singaporeans on social media have speculated whether a specific security breach sparked the move. Officials would not say if this was the case.
Like many other countries, Singapore has had previous incidents of cyber attacks, including Anonymous group hacking the prime minister's official website in 2013.
Employees will still have email. They will also be able to access the web on their personal devices and there will be dedicated internet terminals.
Local media had reported that employees would simply be able to forward work e-mails to private accounts, if they wanted to click on links.
This caused many to point out that would actually increase the chances of an information leak, and encourage employees to do more work on their personal devices which are less secure.
But the IDA spokesperson said this was not the case and that forwarding work emails would be prohibited.
Public servants will, however, be allowed to forward non-work e-mails to their private accounts, the spokesperson clarified.
This is a very rare move for a government to make.
Banks sometimes limit which of their employees have internet access, keeping it to client-facing staff only. Or they limit access to certain websites that may be harmful.
File sharing is often restricted in companies for security reasons, as employees may accidentally download malware from websites or share sensitive information online. | Public servants in Singapore will be blocked from accessing the internet on work computers from May next year. | 36476422 |
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17 June 2015 Last updated at 08:19 BST
Local boat workers Lee Baron and Mark Harding saw the whale in Liverpool Bay.
The Sea Watch Foundation, which monitors ocean wildlife, says there's been an increase in sightings of dolphins and porpoises in recent years because the water quality has improved. | A humpback whale has been spotted off the coast of Liverpool for the first time in more than 70 years. | 33149036 |
The Roses, who were beaten by the Silver Ferns in the semi-finals of last year's World Cup, had trailed 30-18 at half-time.
Earlier, South Africa lost 68-43 to world champions Australia, who are also hosting the four-team tournament.
England, who won bronze at the 2015 World Cup, next face Australia in Adelaide on Wednesday (11:00 BST).
Australia, New Zealand and England are the top three ranked sides in the world, with South Africa fifth.
Elsewhere, the England women's indoor netball team beat Australia to win gold at the Nets World Cup in Wellington, New Zealand. Nets is a fast-paced form of netball. | England began the inaugural Netball Quad Series with a 65-39 defeat by co-hosts New Zealand in Auckland. | 37203410 |
Alnwick, 29, played 84 league games for Posh but was released on Wednesday.
Ameobi, 24, has made 67 appearances for Newcastle, while Henry, 27, has featured in over 100 games for Wolves.
Rotherham's Thorpe, 23, has played 10 matches, but Crystal Palace's Anderson, 21, has yet to play for the club.
He had a two-month loan spell at Doncaster last season, scoring three goals in seven League One games.
Alnwick has signed a two-year contract.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Bolton have signed Peterborough keeper Ben Alnwick, wingers Sammy Ameobi and James Henry on loan until January, plus striker Keshi Anderson and defender Tom Thorpe on season-long loan deals. | 37239484 |
The 21-year-old heads for Edgbaston on Friday night looking to do to the same to the Birmingham Bears as he did to Durham's bowlers a week ago.
Inside 53 electric minutes, he blasted 14 fours and eight sixes in a stunning new county T20 record score of 127.
"Tom's innings was very special," Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester.
"He can hit a beautiful straight ball. He struck a couple of sixes straight into New Road, which were magnificent.
"If you look at the direction of a lot of his sixes, they were very straight and that's nice to see because sometimes he can drag it a little bit and get into trouble. He also fielded extremely well, taking three good boundary catches."
Malvern College-educated Kohler-Cadmore got to his hundred in just 43 balls, only just failing to surpass former Worcestershire skipper Ben Smith's fastest-ever century for the county.
Smith was marginally quicker on the way to making 105 off 45 balls against Glamorgan at New Road in 2005.
But it supplanted Graeme Hick's 116 not out against Northamptonshire at Luton in 2004 as the highest score by a Worcestershire batsman in the T20.
And, more importantly, the 38-run victory got the five-times quarter-finalists off to a winning start as they bid to shed the unwanted statistic of being one of only counties (the others are Derbyshire) who have never made it to Finals Day.
Worcestershire then followed up their Friday night run fest with another eye-catching performance in the Championship this week, bowling out Leicestershire for 43 inside 25 overs to claim their first victory of the season in the long form of the game too.
"I've been involved in some crazy days of cricket over my career," said Rhodes. "And that was certainly one of them. The bowling and fielding was outstanding."
Birmingham Bears will New Zealand international wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi making his home debut on Friday night in a private contest of four Kiwis that throws him and his new Bears team-mate Jeetan Patel up against Worcestershire pair Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry.
After a winning start at Trent Bridge last Friday night, Ronchi admits: "I can't wait. The crowds really came out for the first T20 of the season at Nottingham. That was fantastic and we're hoping we can get another win under our belts.
"It should be a good crowd," said Bears captain Ian Bell, who will be playing in his first T20 local Bears-Pears derby in seven years, due to his past England commitments.
The Bears may be on a downer after losing Chris Woakes to England this week, then going on to lose a Championship game they should have won against Durham.
But Bell points out: "It would be nice to win and get back on the horse straightaway.
"Worcestershire are now a fantastic T20 side with two good overseas players and some batters that look good at that form of the game.
"We've got a few niggles and it's exciting that we might see a few of the younger lads. But any T20 home game is good, particularly against Worcestershire at home.
"It's my first against them for a long time and it should be a great night. Everyone loves a derby."
Twenty 20 cricket is now into its 14th year in the English summer calendar - and the Bears have so far experienced 24 short-form encounters with their old local rivals Worcestershire.
Worcestershire held the upper hand in the two sides' early years of T20 combat, winning four of the first five. But they have had slim pickings since, winning just four more times and their overall total of eight victories now stands now stand well shy of the Bears' 14, with two abandonments.
But, having lost of their last seven T20 Pears-Bears contests, maybe the prospect of playing for silverware might help, especially as the cup, the Gifford Trophy will be played in honour of one of their most famous former players, former England slow left-arm spinner Norman Gifford.
Lancashire-born Gifford played for Worcestershire for 22 years, from 1960 to 1982, playing 15 Tests and captaining his adopted county for 10 seasons. But, as he then went on a further six seasons with Warwickshire as player, the last three of them as captain, the cup has been named in his honour.
The Norman Gifford Trophy itself is not a new piece of silverware. It was first contested by Warwickshire and Worcestershire in three List 'A' matches between 1967 and 1969 as the Mackeson Trophy. | Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes says that the beauty of Tom Kohler-Cadmore's batting is the straightness of his hitting. | 36371942 |
The Luther star's production company, Green Door Pictures, will collaborate with BBC Three on the films from new writers.
Established names will work alongside new actors for the series.
BBC Three controller Damian Kavanagh vowed the channel, which goes online next month, would be bold, British and creative.
He has a budget of £30m a year for creative ideas, he said at an event to launch the new-look channel.
Elba, widely considered to have been overlooked for an Oscars nomination for his role in Beasts of No Nation, said: "I'm looking forward to working with BBC Three and giving new writers and actors a chance to show what they can do."
Kavanagh said the short films, made in conjunction with BBC Drama in-house, would be set in London, featuring "chance encounters between two people".
New programmes for the channel also include Clique, focusing on two friends starting university in Edinburgh, magic show Life Hacks with Ben Hart and Unsolved: The Boy who Disappeared which tells the true story of the disappearance of a teenager two decades ago.
BBC Three programmes including Stacey Dooley Investigates and Life and Death Row will still be available when the switchover happens on 16 February.
Kavanagh said: "We're reinventing our offer for young people and this is just the start. We will be bold, we will be British and we will be creative."
The channel is introducing two new formats for online - The Daily Drop, home to a stream of daily content, and The Best Of, bringing together original long-form programmes and new content, including short films.
BBC director general Tony Hall said: "We are the first broadcaster in the world to work out what it's going to be like in this on-demand world.
"This is new and let's be clear, it's also risky, but risky in the way it should be risky because if we don't take risks, who's going to?"
He applauded BBC Three for making programmes that "provoke such strong reactions" and emphasised the importance of finding new talent.
"I want people to look back on the new BBC Three as being the place that spotted the next James Corden, the next Aidan Turner, the next Sheridan Smith," he said.
Switchover night will include the first episode of Cuckoo, the first film from the new series of Life and Death Row, and Live from the BBC, featuring new British comedians.
Content will be available on iPlayer and BBC Three's new online home. | Idris Elba is teaming up with BBC Three for a series of short films to appear on the channel when it moves online. | 35412918 |
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