At least 35 people were also injured at the camp, which is housing about 650 people mostly from Niger and Mali, in Ouargla, 800km (500 miles) south-east of the capital, Algiers. The cause of the fire, that began at about 02:00 GMT, is being investigated. A Red Crescent official told the AFP news agency that it was believed an electrical fault was to blame. "A short circuit triggered the explosion of a heater and the fire," Saida Benhabiles said. Twenty-seven people were still receiving treatment in hospital, she added. The nationalities of those who died is not yet known. Many African migrants head to Algeria, using it as transit stop as they attempt to reach Europe. Numbers have increased since Libya plunged into chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled long-term leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Summary: A fire has killed at least 18 people in a camp for African migrants in Algeria, the emergency services have said.


Involved in politics since his teenage years, Mr Nolin, a lawyer by training, was appointed to the Senate in 1993 and became Speaker late last year. Mr Nolin had spoken publicly about the rare form of cancer that he was diagnosed with five years ago, the CBC reports. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he was "deeply saddened" by the news. Mr Nolin was remembered by the Canadian prime minister as an "affable and cultured man" who "never lost track of the higher interests of his fellow citizens". Senator Claude Carignan, a fellow conservative and the leader of the government in the senate, said: "He will be remembered by each and every one of his Senate colleagues for his integrity, knowledge, wisdom and determination." Mr Nolin is survived by his wife, Camille, and three children, Mr Carignan's statement said.

Summary: Pierre Claude Nolin, the Speaker of the Senate in Canada, has died at the age of 64, after a long battle with cancer.


The Somali nationals, doing work paid for by the World Health Organization (WHO), were abducted in the town of Luuq in the southwestern Gedo province. Negotiations are said to be under way for their release. Al-Shabab, which is behind many attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya, is also known for using kidnappings to raise money. The four who were taken were carrying out a WHO-funded vaccination programme. Gedo province, where the kidnappings occurred, is one of several areas where al-Shabab militants say they have been delivering aid to people facing starvation.

Summary: Four aid workers have been kidnapped by members of the Somali Islamist militant group, al-Shabab.


A judge made the bankruptcy order against the 47-year-old Hull City legend at a hearing in London following an application from HM Revenue and Customs. He was not at the hearing and was not represented by a lawyer. Windass made more than 600 appearances and scored more than 200 goals in an 18-year career. More on this and other Hull stories The Hull-born striker played for more than half a dozen clubs, including Bradford City, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Aberdeen. In 2008 he scored the winning goal in the Wembley play-off final which saw Hull City promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history. He has spoken openly about his battle with alcohol and depression following his retirement from football in 2010.

Summary: Former Premier League footballer Dean Windass has been made bankrupt over a £150,000 tax debt.


Amnesty International said in a report that the suspects, including women and children, were beaten, water-boarded and forced into stress positions. The cases allegedly happened between 2013 and 2017, and dozens of detainees died as a result, it added. Cameroon's government has not commented. Boko Haram frequently carries out attacks in the country. The Islamist group, based in neighbouring Nigeria, has killed more than 1,500 civilians in Cameroon since 2014, and abducted many others, Amnesty said. Victims described a least 24 methods of torture at more than 20 different sites, the report said. In one of those places, it said, there was the presence of US and French military personnel. There was no evidence that foreign forces were involved, but Amnesty urged both countries to investigate the allegations. The report added that people suspected of supporting the militants were often being detained without evidence. Who are Boko Haram?

Summary: Suspected Boko Haram fighters have been "brutally tortured" by security forces in Cameroon, a rights group says.


Heather Davidson, 53, of Sowerby Road, Thirsk, was remanded in custody at Teesside Crown Court and is due to be sentenced there on 5 June. Police were called to the privately-run Sowerby House care home on 11 February, after 81-year-old David Paterson was found dead in his room. Ms Davidson is thought to have known Mr Paterson through church. North Yorkshire Police said Ms Davidson did not work at the care home, which remained open during the investigation. The basis of her plea was not revealed in court, but it was understood she will claim it was a mercy killing. Mr Paterson's relatives described him as "a devoted family man" and told the court that he had lived in the Thirsk area all his life, and worked as a welder for 30 years.

Summary: A woman has pleaded guilty to the murder of an elderly man at a North Yorkshire care home.


The second leg in Lobamba should have been played on Tuesday but was postponed for what Fifa said were 'logistical reasons' after reports in Swaziland had said the Djibouti squad were stranded in Kenya. Swaziland's progress to the next round was almost certain after their emphatic 6-0 win in the first leg. The hosts made sure of the victory in a much tighter home leg at the Somhlolo National Stadium. Sandile Hlatjwako put the hosts ahead early in the game with a sixth minute strike. Djibouti made their presence felt with an unexpected equaliser 16 minutes later through Mohamed Issa Liban. But Sandile Hlatjwako got his second of the game in the 43rd minute to further boost Swaziland's aggregate advantage. With no more goals in the second half, Swaziland secured an 8-1 win overall to advance to the next knock-out round where they will play Nigeria.

Summary: Swaziland are through to the next round of 2018 World Cup qualifying after a 2-1 victory over Djibouti on Saturday, to win 8-1 on aggregate.


North Wales Police described it as a "cowardly attack" at the Costcutter shop in Station Road, Queensferry on Thursday night. The 58-year-old store keeper suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries. Police said two people are being questioned on suspicion of robbery and assault. The force has also appealed for a witness thought to be in the shop at the time of the attack to come forward as he may be able to "provide key evidence". Emergency services were called to the store at about 18:30 GMT. "This was a serious and violent attack on a lone shop keeper resulting in him receiving serious injuries," said Det Ch Insp Neil Harrison.

Summary: Two men have been arrested after a shop keeper was stabbed in an alleged robbery attempt in Flintshire.


Pompey lifted themselves back into the League Two play-off places with a 3-1 home win against Bristol Rovers. Smith, on loan from Swindon, scored his side's second goal and his first in three appearances for the club. "Desire and commitment helped us turn it around from where we were last week," he told BBC Radio Solent. Portsmouth had been booed off the Fratton Park pitch after a 1-0 defeat against Leyton Orient seven days earlier. "The gaffer told us a few home truths," Smith added. "The boys knew what we had to do and we came out and did it. "We wanted to turn it around for ourselves and the fans as nobody deserved that last week. "We're getting to the business end of the season now and we know what we need to do."

Summary: Portsmouth striker Michael Smith said manager Paul Cook spent last week telling the squad some "home truths" after three straight home defeats.


The summer signing from Lorient could miss as many as five matches for the Premier League side should Gabon reach the final. Ndong, 22, is a regular for Gabon but failed to turn up for international duty in November before a World Cup qualifier. He later apologised. Gabon are hosting the tournament, which starts on 14 January. Bruno Ecuele Manga of Cardiff City had also been named in their squad. Media playback is not supported on this device Sunderland could also lose Papy Djilobodji (Senegal), Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia) and Lamine Kone (Ivory Coast) for the tournament. Countries must name their final squads by 4 January. The games Ndong might miss are Sunderland's home FA Cup third-round tie against Burnley on 7 January and Premier League matches against Stoke, West Brom, Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

Summary: Sunderland's Didier Ndong has been named in Gabon's squad for next month's Africa Cup of Nations.


Select Property Group plans to create 441 self-contained studios at the 2.9-acre site located next to the University of Glasgow. The total value of the completed development project will be Â£67m. The site will be developed, let and managed under Select Property Group's Vita Student brand. Select's chief executive, Mark Stott, said the site purchase was a major milestone for the business. He added: "Glasgow is Scotland's largest city and houses six universities which attract an international market of more than 80,000 students as one of Europe's most popular places to study. "The redevelopment of the city's west end presents an outstanding opportunity for us to deliver a legacy of unique and inspirational living environments for the students of Glasgow." Work on the site is scheduled to start later this month.

Summary: A property firm is to press ahead with a multi-million pound student development in Glasgow after acquiring a prime site in the city's west end.


Bracken the lurcher was found in a garden in Wentloog, "starving, bleeding and close to death". The one-year-old was whimpering when a passerby heard him and called the dog wardens. Cardiff Dogs Home said: "He is such a calm, affectionate dog and would make an ideal family pet." Dog warden Kathryn Hubery said: "When we got there we were unable to get him out so we called the fire service." Dan Pullen, crew manager at Cardiff Central Fire Station, said: "I actually thought he was a dark dog from the amount of blood - I wouldn't recognise him at all from what he looks like today. "The vets have done an amazing job." Bracken is now recovering from infected wounds, dehydration, hypothermia and low blood levels at Summerhill Veterinary Practice in Newport. He is now being looked after at Cardiff Dogs Home until a new owner can be found.

Summary: A charity has launched a search to re-home a dog that was found trapped in a six-inch gap in Cardiff.


It is part of a deal between the two to explore opportunities to build visitor attractions throughout China. It will be formally announced later on Wednesday as part of the state visit to the UK of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Merlin already has five attractions in China, with another three due to open in the next 18 months, including a Legoland Discovery Centre in Shanghai. The existing attractions are Madame Tussauds in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing and Wuhan, as well as Chang Feng Ocean World aquarium in Shanghai. The partnership will be considering building on existing Merlin brands such as The Dungeons, in addition to new concepts such as Dreamworks Tours - Kung Fu Panda Adventures.

Summary: Merlin Entertainments has signed an agreement with China Media Capital to establish a Legoland park in Shanghai.


Benjamin Waterfield was a passenger in silver Citroen C2 that collided with a blue Seat Leon at about 02:15 on Saturday. The 17-year-old was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but did not survive the injuries he received in the crash. The teenager's family said in a statement they were "devastated and heartbroken" at their loss. The statement added: "We would like to thank all the emergency workers involved in the inquiry, and would particularly like to thank the staff at the Intensive Care Unit who fought just as hard as Benjamin did. "We would request that our family be left as we try to come to terms with our loss. As a family we are thinking of everyone involved in the accident." Three other people were taken to hospital. Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Summary: Police have named a teenager who died after a crash on the A947 Newmachar to Dyce road at the weekend.


The teenager was struck at about 14:00 GMT on Thursday on Lakefield Road, at the junction with March End Road and Wednesfield Road, in Wednesfield. West Midlands Police said the boy, from Bushbury, Wolverhampton, was taken to hospital but died of his injuries. The driver of the car involved was taken to hospital and treated for shock. He is continuing to help police with their inquiries. See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here Witnesses should contact West Midlands Police.

Summary: A 13-year-old boy has been run over and killed in Wolverhampton.


It comes after Pearson accepted a Football Association charge following an incident with a supporter in City's 3-1 Premier League loss to Liverpool. The 51-year-old was called arrogant by the chairman of a Leicester supporters group after he refused to apologise. He can appeal against the decision and the sanction will not come into effect until the end of the appeal period. Pearson declined to reveal what was said during the altercation with the supporter, but said he felt it necessary to protect his players and himself from abuse. He was also warned about his future conduct by an Independent Regulatory Commission panel. Pearson has been manager of Leicester since November 2011 and guided them to the Championship title last season. However, they have struggled in 2014-15, are bottom of the Premier League table and have not won a game since beating Manchester United 5-3 on 21 September.

Summary: Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson has been given a one-game touchline ban and fined £10,000 for insulting a fan.


Mr Choudary, 48, had spent the last two weeks in custody after breaching his bail by meeting a person he was "precluded from contacting". At the Old Bailey on Friday, he was granted bail on the same conditions. Mr Choudary, from Ilford, east London, pleaded not guilty to charges of encouraging support for IS. He will remain in custody until a Â£15,000 surety is provided to the court. His co-accused, Mohammed Rahman, of Whitechapel, in east London, also pleaded not guilty to inviting support for IS between 29 June 2014 and 6 March 2015. The case was adjourned until 11 January for a further hearing, ahead of the scheduled start of the trial the following day. The trial is expected to take three to four weeks.

Summary: Radical preacher Anjem Choudary has been granted conditional bail as he awaits trial for allegedly encouraging support for so-called Islamic State.


The fire broke out in the ground-floor flat in Baird Crescent, Leven, at about 11:10. Police said they were trying to identify the person found in the house. A spokesman appealed for anyone who was in the area at the time who may have information to contact them. "Inquires are at an early stage but following a joint assessment of the house by the police and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, along with an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the fire being discovered, this would appear to be a tragic accident with no suspicious circumstances," the spokesman said. "We are continuing to make inquiries to identify the person found within the house. In a separate incident, a man was rescued by firefighters from a bungalow in Sydney Park, Edinburgh, just after 08:30 and taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Summary: Police have said a fire at a flat in Fife, in which a person died, appears to have been a "tragic accident"


The former England U-21 striker was snapped up by the Potters for an undisclosed sum. The 25-year-old forward has made one substitute appearance this season for the Championship club but was a regular last term - scoring five goals. The move for the former Cardiff player comes after Stoke failed to secure Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku on loan. Jerome was born in Huddersfield and played for his home team as a junior before moving via Grimsby Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough to gain a contract at Cardiff, after being recommended by reserve team manager Paul Wilkinson. Jerome played under Wilkinson in Grimsby's youth system, but after Wilkinson left Blundell Park to take up his position with Cardiff, Jerome was released by replacement Neil Woods - allegedly for being a disruptive influence.

Summary: Cameron Jerome has signed a four-year deal with Stoke after agreeing to leave Birmingham City.


Ms Lucas said the environmental campaigner was a "friend" but that it was "overwhelmingly the case" that EU laws helped protect nature. She also said the public would lose interest if the campaign became "16 weeks of facts and figures". Mr Goldsmith said he would vote Out because of "democratic accountability". Ms Lucas told the BBC she wanted to see a "values-based and visionary pitch" for the UK to remain a member of the EU in order to keep voters interested. She said she did not know which factors influenced Mr Goldsmith's decision, but said the environment benefited from the "cross-boundary solutions" of the EU. Setting out his reasons to campaign for Out in a City AM article, Mr Goldsmith said: "Real power in Brussels rests in institutions that are accountable to no one."

Summary: Green Party MP Caroline Lucas says she is "disappointed" at Tory London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith's decision to campaign for an EU exit.


The intruder stole cash, car keys and other property from the house in Sydney on Sunday afternoon. The homeowner, a 68-year-old man, used a compound bow to challenge the thief as he tried to steal a car. The robber fled the vehicle and jumped a fence but was shot in the backside as he ran to a parked getaway car. He managed to use the vehicle to escape. It was not immediately clear from reports how serious his injuries were. Police forensic officers will examine the scene at Wattle Grove, in the city's southwest. The bow and arrow were seized as evidence. Australian laws do not always favour the homeowner when an intruder is injured or killed, taking into account whether a person acted in self-defence or used "excessive force". Compound bows are not banned in New South Wales and do not require a licence or permit.

Summary: A burglar in Australia was shot in the buttocks with a bow and arrow after being confronted by an angry homeowner, police say.


John Parker, 43, of Birkin Avenue, Hyson Green, was found in Hedderley Walk, in St Ann's, on Sunday, and died shortly after arriving at hospital. Jonathan Jones, 39, of Barbury Drive, Clifton, is due to appear before magistrates charged with murder. Detectives have more time to question another 39-year-old man who is also being detained on suspicion of murder. A 14-year-old boy, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, has been released without charge. A 35-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of GBH, which was related to an earlier incident involving the victim, has been bailed pending further inquiries. Police still want to trace the occupants of a silver Ford Focus, which was seen in the Hedderley Walk area at the time of the incident. It is not believed the occupants of the car were involved in the incident, but they may have more information.

Summary: A man has been charged over the death of another man who died from a single stab wound to the neck, in Nottingham.


The first suspects will start appearing in court on Wednesday, Dar es Salaam's deputy police commissioner told the BBC, confirming the arrests. Rights groups have condemned the arrests, which started a week ago, urging police not to hold suspects beyond the legal 48-hour limit. Prostitution is illegal in Tanzania. Tanzania's new President John Magufuli, who came to power on an anti-corruption platform, has previously criticised prostitution in the country. President Magufuli, known as the Bulldozer, has vowed to uphold law and order since taking power in November. Deputy police commissioner Simon Siro told BBC Swahili that the suspects were being held in three prisons around the city. He said the sex trade was linked to both drugs and violent crime in Tanzania.

Summary: Tanzania is holding about 500 suspected sex workers and nearly 300 of their alleged customers in detention as part of a crackdown on prostitution.


Kent Fire and Rescue Service was called to the blaze in a newsagents at Maidstone East railway station at about 20:00 BST. Operator Southeastern said the line had since reopened but there may be delays. Passenger James Richardson, from Charing, Kent, said he saw smoke coming from the roof of the station when his train arrived there at 20:00 BST. "They made everyone get off the platform," he said. "The fire brigade came and were trying to put it out." During the fire, train services did not run between Ashford and Otford. Helen Grant, MP for Maidstone and The Weald, tweeted: "Shocking to hear news of fire at Maidstone East Train Station which is next door to my constituency office. I await further updates."

Summary: Trains have been disrupted after a fire broke out in a shop at a Kent railway station.


David John Mears, 60, broke into the 16-year-old's home in Swindon and attacked her on 12 August. He was arrested in April after new forensic techniques uncovered fresh evidence. Mears, from Plymouth, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of eight years at Swindon Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to rape, false imprisonment and indecent assault at an earlier hearing. The court heard Mears broke into the house where the girl was staying and blindfolded, then violently sexually assaulted her. Det Sgt Liz Coles of Wiltshire Police said the sentence was "the result of hard work by our team of officers who resurrected the cold case, re-examined the DNA evidence and used state-of-the-art, modern technology to identify the man responsible for this horrific attack".

Summary: A man has been jailed for life for raping a teenage girl in 1987 - after police reopened the "cold case" almost 30 years later.


Security and judicial sources said that he was being held as part of a corruption probe. A statement from the prime minister's office said Mr Helal had resigned on the orders of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. It is the first arrest of a high-profile official in such a case since Mr Sisi was elected in May 2014. Reports say the arrest is in connection to allegations that officials took bribes to help businessmen illegally acquire state land. Prosecutors had last week banned the media from reporting the investigation. In May former President Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to three years in jail on corruption charges after a retrial. His sons were given four years each in the same case, which centred on the embezzlement of $14m (Â£9.3m) earmarked for the renovation of presidential palaces. Mr Sisi has promised to make the fight against corruption a focus of his administration.

Summary: Egypt's Agriculture Minister Selah Eddin Helal has been arrested shortly after resigning on Monday.


Folajimi Orebiyi, 17, was stabbed outside an estate in Notting Hill on Sunday night. A 16-year-old and a 15-year-old were arrested on Monday and Tuesday. They were due to appear before Hammersmith Youth Court earlier. They are accused of possession of an offensive weapon and murder. Two other boys, aged 15 and 16, arrested over the murder were bailed until August.

Summary: Two boys have been charged with killing a teenager in west London.


Storer, 18, who arrived on a short-term contract from Stevenage in April, signed a new Blues deal in August after scoring seven times in pre-season. But he was then sent off in the home defeat by Wolves on only his second Championship appearance. He has since made just one late substitute appearance for Blues. Storer's move to Yeovil will be formally completed on New Year's Day when the transfer window opens. "Jack is a player who has a big future in the game and will add to my options here," Glovers boss Darren Way told the club website. "This club has a reputation for developing players so hopefully he can come in and follow in the footsteps of others who have been here before."

Summary: Birmingham City's teenage striker Jack Storer has agreed to join League Two side Yeovil Town on loan for the rest of the season.


The A40 in Powys was closed for a short time after a heavy downpour during a thunderstorm washed stones and debris on the road at Trecastle between Llandovery and Sennybridge. Four fire crews are also dealing with several flooding problems in the Glynneath area. A weather warning is in force for south, west and mid Wales until 23:00. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was responding to incidents in the Glynneath area at High Street, Maes Yr Eglwys and the Dinas Rock Hotel.

Summary: Flash flooding has affected parts of mid and west Wales, the fire service has said.


The council is due to elect its new leader next Thursday. Jamie Adams, former leader and member of the Independent Plus Political Group (IPPG), has removed his name from the contest. The IPPG has led the council since 1996 but lost 20 councillors in the local elections earlier this month. Mr Simpson stepped down from Pembrokeshire's cabinet and left the IPPG in 2014 over disagreements about the way the group was being run by Mr Adams. He said at the time it was the efforts of Rob Lewis to derail the investigatory committee into former chief executive Bryn Parry Jones which led to his resignation. Mr Simpson has already won the backing of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative members in his leadership bid.

Summary: Unaffiliated councillor David Simpson is on course to become the new leader of Pembrokeshire county council, after his only opponent withdrew.


The incident happened at about 17:20 on the eastbound carriageway of the city's West Approach Road. A female passenger who also fell from the motorbike was uninjured. The carriageway remains closed while police officers carry out crash investigation work. Police Scotland urged anyone who saw the incident to come forward. In particular, officers want to trace a male cyclist who was seen in the area, having joined the West Approach Road at its junction with Roseburn Street. Insp Brenda Sinclair, of Police Scotland, said: "Tragically, a man has passed away as a result of this incident and my thoughts are with his family at this sad time. "Our inquiries into this matter are ongoing and I ask anyone with relevant information to contact police on 101. "I also appeal directly to the male cyclist to contact police immediately."

Summary: A 52-year-old man has died after crashing his motorbike on an Edinburgh road.


The incident happened on the 16:44 ScotRail service between Hamilton West and Glasgow Central. The two suspects boarded the train at Hamilton West and made an anti-social comment towards another passenger. The victim had glanced over at the pair, who then approached him and began punching him in the head. They also spat on him, before getting off the train at Blantyre. The pair were described as being about 15 or 16 years old and both were wearing a similar light green tracksuit. Det Sgt Dougie Gallacher, of British Transport Police, appealed for witnesses to contact the police. "This was a seemingly unprovoked assault and we are working tirelessly to identify those responsible," he said. "As you would expect this was a frightening experience for this victim."

Summary: A 49-year-old man has been treated in hospital for facial injuries after being attacked by two teenagers on a train in South Lanarkshire.


The infant was found in the vehicle at the junction of High Street and Carpenters Road in Stratford, east London, Scotland Yard said. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. A 27-year-old woman was arrested at the hospital and a man, 52, was arrested at a property in east London. They are being held at separate police stations. The girl has not yet been formally identified and a post-mortem examination will take place on Friday, police said. Det Ch Insp Gary Holmes said: "The death of any child is tragic and we would appeal for anyone with information to please come forward as soon as possible to help with our inquiries."

Summary: Two people have been held on suspicion of murder after a three-month-old girl was found "unresponsive" on a bus.


Farrell, who led the team to a World Series win in 2013, said his cancer of the immune system is "very treatable". Red Sox assistant coach Torey Lovullo will serve as manager while Farrell receives treatment. Doctors discovered the cancer when Farrell was undergoing hernia surgery earlier this week. "I can honestly tell you that I'm extremely fortunate that it was found," Farrell said on Friday. "It's localised. It's highly curable." Farrell started his career as a Major League Baseball pitcher and also served as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2011 to 2012. On Friday, Farrell received an outpouring of support from fans and colleagues on social media. Even the Red Sox's arch-rivals, the New York Yankees tweeted: "Wishing RedSox manager John Farrell a full and speedy recovery."

Summary: Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell has been diagnosed with stage-one lymphoma, forcing him to go on medical leave for the rest of the season.


The incident is believed to have taken place on Wednesday night in the Peter Buchan Drive area. A 56-year-old man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with serious injuries following the incident. He remains in hospital. The 30-year-old man is expected to appear at Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday. Det Insp Stewart Drummond, who is leading the investigation, said: "I'd like to thank the public for their patience while we have carried out our inquiries into this incident. "This was an isolated incident and I'd like to reassure the community that there was no wider threat to the public."

Summary: A 30-year-old man has been charged in connection with an attempted murder and assault in Peterhead.


The 29-year-old Northern Ireland international is out of contract in the summer and is now free to talk to other clubs. It is understood Aberdeen are comfortable about his situation and expect to have talks with him and his agent after the winter break. McGinn joined the Dons after leaving Celtic in 2011. He has made 33 appearances this season, scoring seven times for the side sitting third in the Scottish Premiership. McGinn has 50 caps and was part of the Northern Ireland squad that reached the last 16 at the Euro 2016 finals.

Summary: Hearts have made contact with Aberdeen winger Niall McGinn about a possible move to Tynecastle.


The economists, mostly academics, wrote in Le Monde newspaper that Francois Villeroy de Galhau's background posed a conflict of interest. Mr Villeroy de Galhau has assured the government that that would not be the case. Current bank governor Christian Noyer retires at the end of next month. Mr Villeroy de Galhau's appointment is still subject to government approval. The economists, which included inequality expert Thomas Piketty and ex-World Bank chief economist Francois Bourguignon, called on politicians to reject his nomination in confirmation hearings before the finance committees of both houses of parliament on 29 September. "It's a total illusion to say that one can serve the banking industry and several months later assume its regulation with impartiality and total independence," they said. As head of the Bank of France he will also sit on the European Central Bank's rate-setting council.

Summary: Nearly 150 French economists have protested against the appointment of a former BNP Paribas banker to head France's central bank.


A number of services have been cancelled and others will run less frequently. Further strikes will take place later this week. The RMT is campaigning against the increased use of trains without guards, with the driver opening and closing the doors at stations. Such operations are already common on the ScotRail network, particularly on suburban rail lines. ScotRail has insisted that it would always ensure a second member of staff was onboard every train to assist the driver in emergencies. The union believes the absence of a dedicated guard would make trains less safe.

Summary: Members of the RMT union at ScotRail have started another two-day strike.


The two clubs had agreed a fee of around £200,000 for Mckay to move to Tannadice on a permanent deal. However, Mckay, 26, failed to reach a severance agreement with the Lancashire club. The Northern Ireland international had also been courted by Ross County and Hibernian. He moved to England in January from Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a deal worth £150,000 but has struggled to make the breakthrough at Wigan, featuring only 10 times for the first team without scoring. Sixty-two of Mckay's 79 career goals have been scored in Scotland with Inverness. He previously played for Hinckley United and Northampton Town.

Summary: Dundee United have signed striker Billy Mckay on a season-long loan from English League One side Wigan Athletic.


The animals were grazing near Kirkcudbright harbour in Dumfries and Galloway when they wandered onto the mud as temperatures soared. Fire crews from Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas and Gatehouse of Fleet and the local lifeboat raced to the rescue as the tide came in. The calves were finally pulled free using two 45m hoses. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "We got a report of the calves stuck in the mud and sent units to the scene at Kirkcudbright harbour. "The lifeboat was also called out because of the threat of the incoming tide." The spokesman added: "Fortunately the firefighters were able to pull the calves to safety and they were unhurt and returned to the farmer."

Summary: Firefighters managed to pull two calves to safety after they became stuck up to their necks in mud.


Polish international Grosicki, 28, joins on a three-and-a-half-year deal, having scored four times in 13 appearances his term. N'Diaye, 26, is a Senegal international who made 16 appearances for Sunderland in a loan stint four years ago. Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia also joined on loan earlier in the day. The 28-year-old, who has been capped 21 times for Italy, joined Inter from Genoa in the summer of 2010, but spent part of last season on loan at Sampdoria. All three will be available for selection for Wednesday's Premier League game at Manchester United, subject to international clearance. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.

Summary: Hull City have completed the permanent signing of Rennes winger Kamil Grosicki and secured a loan deal for Villarreal midfielder Alfred N'Diaye.


Conroy, who had pancreatic cancer, died at his home in Beaufort, South Carolina, surrounded by family and friends, his wife and publisher said. His works drew from his own experiences of life in South Carolina. He is recognised as a leading figure of the 20th Century's literature of the American South. Several of Conroy's novels were made into films. "The water is wide but he has now crossed over," his wife, Cassandra King, said in a statement issued via his publisher. She said Conroy died on Friday evening. In a tweet, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley wrote: "South Carolina lost a beloved son tonight. Pat Conroy will be missed. We can find comfort knowing his words and love for SC will live on."

Summary: US novelist Pat Conroy - whose best-selling novels include Prince of Tides and Water is Wide - has died aged 70.


Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics already employs 350 people there, making 100 million diagnostic kits every year. The new production line will make 21 million blood test cassettes a year, which will be shipped across the globe. The expansion comes as the Welsh government is expected to reveal record levels of inward investment into Wales. There were 79 inward investment projects in Wales in 2013-14, signalling the best figures for a quarter of a century. But First Minister Carwyn Jones will say on Monday that figures for 2014-15 beat last year. Commenting on the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics expansion, Mr Jones said: "We are attracting some of the most prestigious companies from across the world to Wales, creating jobs and growth in our key markets."

Summary: An American life sciences company is investing another £4.6m in Wales by extending its production at Pencoed, Bridgend.


The quadruple rollover jackpot has gone unclaimed since the draw on 17 December, and the six-month deadline is set to expire. Five winning tickets in the draw shared a prize pot of more than £15m. If the winner does not come forward in time, the prize money and the interest it has generated will go towards lottery funded projects across the UK. National Lottery bosses have staged a series of events in a bid to track down the mystery winner, who bought their ticket in the Stirling Council area, so far to no avail. The winning ticket matched five numbers from the six drawn - 2, 19, 24, 33, 35, 46 - and the bonus ball, 12.

Summary: The holder of a winning lottery ticket bought in Stirling has until midnight to claim their £3m prize.


David McMillan drilled home low into the corner from 10 yards out in the third minute to give Dundalk the lead. The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute when Chris Shields was sent-off for a second yellow card. Barry McNamee hammered in the equaliser on 67 minutes after Rory Patterson's low effort cannoned off the post. Harry Monaghan had made the original break and picked out striker Patterson. The league champions had a good chance to clinch all three points three minutes from the end but Stephen O'Donnell's brilliant header was superbly saved by Ger Doherty. The Candystripes remain unbeaten in five league fixtures, having won their previous four matches prior to this game. Kenny Shiels's side will entertain Shamrock Rovers at the Brandywell in their next league outing on Friday 8 April.

Summary: Derry City remain level on points with leaders Dundalk at the top of the Premier Division after drawing 1-1 with the champions at Oriel Park on Friday.


The 18-year-old joined the Trinity academy 18 months ago and made his top-flight debut last season in a 38-10 home defeat by Warrington Wolves. Batchelor has played for England at academy level, appearing against France and Australia in 2016. "Very happy to re-sign at the club, time to keep working hard and see where we can go," Batchelor tweeted. Chairman Michael Carter told the club website: "It's exceptional news for this club that one of our young players has decided to commit his future to the club. "He doesn't look out of place in Super League and I think he can be a top, top player."

Summary: Back-rower James Batchelor has signed a five-year contract with Super League side Wakefield Trinity.


Large diggers and other equipment are being used to find people in the ruins of buildings, following the 6.2 magnitude quake. Many people have been found alive by rescuers including a 10 year-old girl who was pulled from rubble after being trapped for 17 hours. Several aftershocks have been felt since the initial earthquake and people are worried another large quake could strike. A number of towns and villages have now been evacuated to make sure if there are any more quakes people aren't in danger of being trapped. Emergency rescue teams will remain to keep searching for survivors but evacuated residents have been moved to the safety of temporary camps away from the danger area.

Summary: Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors after an earthquake hit central Italy on Wednesday morning, killing 240 and leaving thousands homeless.


The 29-year-old joined Wrexham in September 2013 after a period on trial following his release by Bury. Warrington-born Carrington started his professional career with Crewe Alexandra and has also played for MK Dons and Hamilton Academical. Carrington was one of seven players to have been offered a new deal by manager Gary Mills. Rob Evans, Jamal Fyfield, Simon Heslop, Connor Jennings, Sean Newton and Kayden Jackson have also been offered new deals. Mills revealed striker Jackson had turned down the offer of a new contract.

Summary: Midfielder Mark Carrington has signed a new one-year contract with National League side Wrexham.


The town held a stage of the Pearl Izumi UK Tour Series to launch the AberCycleFest in May, with a report saying it drew 5,000 visitors. Ceredigion council discussed spending £66,000 to host it again and said it was "fully committed" to the move. But tour organiser Sweetspot told the council it would not be returning this year. The professional cycling event will visit 10 locations around the UK but none in Wales in 2017. Councillor Gareth Lloyd said a new format meant the town would not be included and council officials are now looking at alternative events to launch Aberystwyth CycleFest.

Summary: A cycling event that brought £300,000 to Aberystwyth in 2016 will not return this year, it has been announced.


The 43-year-old has been in charge of the Daggers since February 2013 and he led the side to safety that season. The east London club finished ninth in the table in 2013-14 and are set for another mid-table finish this term. "I'm delighted that we have secured the services of the only man we considered for the job," Daggers chairman Dave Bennett told the club website. Former Huddersfield and Grimsby midfielder Burnett initially took charge of the Daggers on an interim basis after John Still joined Luton. Burnett, who joined Dagenham's coaching set-up in 2009, was handed a permanent deal in the summer of 2013. His new contract will run until the summer of 2017, which would mark the 10-year anniversary of Dagenham's promotion to the Football League. "Hopefully next year he will take us forward and onto our tenth season in the Football League," Bennett added.

Summary: Dagenham & Redbridge manager Wayne Burnett has signed a new two-year deal with the League Two club.


It comes after a Welsh Government-commissioned panel described the organisation as "lacking the skills and experience" to spend public money. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said some of its responsibilities would be transferred to the Welsh Books Council. Literature Wales said it had met Mr Skates on Wednesday to raise its concerns. "These concerns include the evidence offered in the review and its relationship to the recommendations," a spokeswoman for Literature Wales said. "Literature Wales is proud to have delivered, in partnership with Welsh Government and Arts Council of Wales, several major projects which have resulted in wider engagement with literature in all its forms. "Literature Wales is involved in ongoing discussions with key stakeholders in order to develop a more strategic and connected approach for the sector as a whole."

Summary: Literature Wales has "serious concerns" about the way a report which criticised it was put together, the body has said.


Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Buffon, Argentina and Barcelona striker Messi and Portugal and Real Madrid forward Ronaldo were chosen by a jury of 80 coaches and 55 journalists. Messi and Ronaldo have won the award twice - Ronaldo winning last season. The award will be presented at the 2017/18 Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 24 August. Pernille Harder (Denmark, Linkoping and Wolfsburg), Dzsenifer Marozsán (Germany, Lyon) and Lieke Martens (Netherlands, Rosengard and Barcelona) are the three nominees for the women's award. The players who make up the rest of the top 10 are: 4: Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid) 5: Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid) 6: Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus) 7: Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid) 8: Kylian Mbappe (France, Monaco) 9: Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich) 10: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Manchester United)

Summary: Gianluigi Buffon, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been shortlisted for the Uefa men's player of the year.


Great Charles Street northbound went down to one lane between Suffolk Street Queensway/Severn Street and Newhall Street in the early hours. The city council urged drivers to leave extra time for journeys and to use public transport where possible. The 10-year Paradise Circus scheme will see new offices, shops, restaurants and a hotel built. Great Charles Street southbound will have single lane traffic between Newhall Street and Suffolk Street Queensway/Brunel Street from 2 August. The restrictions will remain in place until next year. Some overnight closures of the A38 tunnels and other restrictions may be needed, the council said.

Summary: A major road in Birmingham has been reduced to one lane amid a £500m redevelopment of the city centre.


The animal had almost disappeared from the UK after its grey cousin brought the killer squirrelpox virus from America in the 1800s. But a programme to eradicate the grey squirrel has seen the numbers of reds rise from 40 to 700 on Anglesey. The Red Squirrels Trust Wales found 48% of deaths since 2004 were on Anglesey's roads, with none from squirrelpox. A study, conducted alongside the Animal and Plant Health Agency also found a high number died after contracting infectious diseases near squirrel feeders that had not been regularly disinfected.

Summary: Road accidents are hampering the resurgence of the red squirrel on Anglesey.


The 25-year-old moved to the Red Rose from Leicestershire in September 2014 and played 19 games in two seasons. He was restricted by injury in his first campaign, but took a T20 career-best 4-26 against Birmingham this term. The former England Lions player has picked up 158 first-class wickets at an average of 38.52. "I'm excited at the prospect of being able to play for a club like Northamptonshire," he told the club website. "They are a strong, tight-knit side that have done exceptionally well this season; I can't wait to be a part of it." Meanwhile, Northants will play South Africa on 21 May next year in a warm-up game for the tourists' three-match One-Day International series against England.

Summary: Northamptonshire have signed seam bowler Nathan Buck on a three-year deal after he agreed an early release from his contract with Lancashire.


Exxon Mobil reported three-month profits of $4.24bn (Â£2.76bn), down 47% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, its smaller rival Chevron reported its profit fell 64% to $2.04bn. It wasn't all bad news, with both companies reporting cost-cutting and improving margins from the refining part of the business. Exxon chief executive Rex Tillerson said the company was maintaining "a relentless focus on business fundamentals, including cost management, regardless of commodity prices". Profits from refining almost doubled to about $2bn, while profits from getting oil out of the ground fell 79% to $1.4bn. Exxon's oil and gas production grew 2.3% to 3.9 million oil-equivalent barrels per day, while Chevron's production fell 1% to 2.5 million.

Summary: Low oil prices are still hitting profits at the world's biggest oil companies.


Officials in Seoul said efforts were under way to rescue two sailors found on a life raft, Yonhap news agency reports. On Friday, a crew member sent a text saying the Stellar Daisy freighter was taking on water. The Uruguayan navy alerted merchant ships in the area, which began a search. A navy spokesman said they had reported a strong smell of fuel. The ship, a Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) with a capacity of 260,000 tonnes, was being operated by a South Korean company but was flagged to the Marshall Islands, and had eight Filipinos and 16 Koreans on board. It had departed from Brazil, reports said.

Summary: A huge South Korean cargo ship which had 24 people on board has gone missing in the South Atlantic.


The Silver Swan was purchased by the founders of the Bowes Museum in 1872 and until recently had only left the building for conservation purposes. During February and March it was one of the star attractions at the Science Museum's "Robots" exhibition. It is now back in time for Easter and visitors can once again see it put through its paces every afternoon. The life-sized artefact, which comes to life once a day, twists its head, preens, and catches a fish.

Summary: A 240-year-old musical automaton has returned to its County Durham home following a visit to London.


Stadium builder Lander Sports Development said it had struck a deal with Saints' owner Katharina Liebherr to buy into the club's holding company. Liebherr said: "A potential partnership would need to clear multiple approvals and fulfil strict criteria." Chinese companies have also invested in Manchester City and West Brom. The Saints were rescued from the brink of bankruptcy by German-born Swiss businessman Markus Liebherr in 2009. Katharina inherited the club after her father's death in 2010 and became non-executive chairman in 2014. Liebherr, who did not confirm a deal had been agreed, added: "Please understand that I can only make limited comments regarding this process but I can assure you that any steps we do take will be in the best interests of the club." Southampton are 11th in the Premier League.

Summary: Southampton have reassured fans that the "best interests of the club" have been considered as news emerged of possible Chinese investment.


Residents on Montagu Estate in Kenton, Newcastle have launched a "Save our Green" campaign against plans for 10 homes on the field by Burnfoot Way. Campaigner Mark Skelton said it was "the hub" of the entire estate, where people meet "on a daily basis" and where their children come to play. Developer ISOS Housing has been approached for comment. Resident Stephanie Sutton said: "Obesity is an issue, health is an issue, mental health is an issue. "If our kids have nowhere to come out, and mix with other people, it's very sad for them." Newcastle City Council said it had a responsibility to meet the housing needs of all its residents. People were welcome to comment on the plans as part of the public consultation running until 7 December, it said.

Summary: A protest has been staged over plans to build houses on a housing estate's last remaining green space.


The ONS has published data covering the effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in 2014. The figures show the average household in NI paid £12,000 in taxes and received £13,000 in direct and indirect benefits. Average earnings are £25,540 giving a final household income of £26,500. The UK average final income is just under £32,000 and the highest average is in London at almost £39,000. The figures also show that on average Northern Ireland households pay the second lowest amount in direct taxes, such as income tax, at £5,458. However, they pay the second highest amount in indirect taxes, such as VAT, at £6,501. Northern Ireland households are not, on average, the largest recipients of direct benefits - four other regions have higher average benefit incomes.

Summary: Northern Ireland households have, on average, the lowest incomes of any UK region, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest.


The raid happened at the Murco garage in Bowhouse, Maddiston, at about 21:45 on Friday. The man, who was wearing a balaclava, threatened staff with a weapon and demanded money. He made off with a number of items. Officers have appealed for witnesses to come forward. The suspect was described as 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in tall and of stocky build. He spoke with a Falkirk accent. He was wearing a grey camouflage jacket, dark trousers, dark trainers with white soles and black gloves. Det Sgt John Burgoyne said: "Although no-one was harmed during this robbery, it was still upsetting for those who witnessed it. "It is essential that we trace this man as soon as possible. Anyone who has information, or recognises the description of the man, is asked to contact Police Scotland immediately."

Summary: Police are hunting a masked armed robber who held up staff at a petrol station near Falkirk.


The 52-year-old former Buddies midfielder was the bookies' favourite to succeed the sacked Alex Rae. "I show respect to every club when they approach me," he told BBC Scotland. "I've met the club officials a few times over the last few weeks and can confirm that, in response to press questions, I will not be taking part in the future of St Mirren Football Club." Davies, who previously managed Motherwell, Preston North End and Derby County, has been out of management since being sacked by Forest in March 2014. He met St Mirren chairman Gordon Scott last week to chat about the job. That followed the exit of former Scotland midfielder Rae after only nine months in charge of the Paisley club. The Buddies sit bottom of the Scottish Championship without a win in seven league fixtures this season.

Summary: Former Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies has withdrawn from talks to be St Mirren's new manager.


Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis live in 51 enclaves in India, while Indians live in 111 areas within Bangladesh. The residents lack access to public services. Under the new agreement, more than 50,000 villagers from both sides will be given the option to choose where they want to live and which nationality they would prefer. People living in Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh are officially Indian citizens and those living in Bangladeshi areas inside India are Bangladeshis. The enclaves will cease to exist on 31 July. Earlier this month officials of two countries began asking the residents of the enclaves which nationality they want to opt for after the exchange of enclaves. Reports say the two sides will finalise the list by the end of July and arrange for the rehabilitation of the citizens in the country of their choice.

Summary: In May, India's parliament approved a key agreement with Bangladesh enabling the two countries to exchange control of areas of land on each other's territory.


The 27-year-old has spent his whole career with the Red Rose county and has taken over 100 first-class wickets in the past three seasons. He made his only England appearance in the last Test of the 2013 Ashes series. "He is a senior figure in the dressing room and has significant importance both on the field and off it," said director of cricket Ashley Giles. Kerrigan told the club website: "I really want to find the form that got me an England call-up in 2013 and put in match-winning performances for the Red Rose, not only in our next two games this season, but in the future."

Summary: Left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan has signed a new two-year deal with Lancashire.


Banton, 24, joined the English League Two side last summer and has made 19 appearances for the club. "This is a good opportunity for Jason to get games under his belt at a very good level," said Crawley head coach Dermot Drummy. "Opportunities for him have been limited so he has a chance now to make an impression in Scotland." Banton has been on the books at Liverpool, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and more recently has been at Wycombe Wanderers, Hartlepool United and Notts County.

Summary: Partick Thistle have signed Crawley Town winger Jason Banton on loan until the end of the season.


The 32-year-old, who has scored 4,492 runs and taken 285 wickets in 277 career Twenty20 appearances, will be available to play throughout June. He joins Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who will feature in all three forms of the game for the county. "Dwayne is one of the top all-rounders in world T20 cricket," Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart said. "He's played with great success wherever he's been, so to secure his services is a great coup for us," the former England wicketkeeper added. Bravo has played 40 Tests, 164 one-day internationals and 55 Twenty20 internationals for the West Indies. The Trinidad-born right-hander has recently been playing for Melbourne Renegades in Australia's Big Bash and will represent the Rajkot franchise in the upcoming Indian Premier League.

Summary: Surrey have signed West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as their second overseas player for the T20 Blast.


The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 35 points, or 0.2%, to 17576.96. The S&P 500 was up 5.69 points to 2,047.60, while the Nasdaq added 2.32 points to 4850.69. Crude prices rose 6% on Friday, sending the stocks of petroleum producers up. Brent crude reached $41.75 a barrel, while US crude stood at $39.53. Shares of Exxon Mobile were up 1% and Chevron climbed 1.6%. Pfizer shares fell 0.79%. The drug maker announced on Wednesday, it was abandoning its plan to buy Botox-maker Allergan after the US Treasury Department released plans for regulations that would make the deal less valuable. Shares of retailers were mostly lower as investors worried about coming earnings announcements. Shares of Michael Kors fell 4.8%, while Coach lost 3.3%. Department store Nordstrom fell 2.5%.

Summary: (Closed): Wall Street stocks rose on Friday, despite concerns about corporate earnings, boosted by a surge in the price of crude oil.


The attorney told a local newspaper he would ask a judge to authorise between $200,000 (Â£130,000) and $300,000 to cover George Zimmerman's expenses. Under Florida law, the state must cover the cost as Mr Zimmerman was acquitted, said the defence lawyer, Mark O'Mara. Mr Zimmerman, 29, was found not guilty in July of Trayvon Martin's death. The neighbourhood watchman admitted shooting the 17-year-old in an Orlando suburb last year, but said it was an act of self-defence. The case fiercely divided the US. Mr O'Mara told the Orlando Sentinel that the state of Florida was obliged to pay his client's legal expenses, except for the cost of his lawyer. He said this would include the costs of expert witnesses, travel, paying for transcripts and an animated video that the defence team used to reconstruct their account of the fatal confrontation in a gated community in the town of Sanford.

Summary: The lawyer for a Florida man cleared of killing an unarmed black teenager has reportedly said he will ask the state to pay some of his client's legal fees.


He was being treated at a rehabilitation facility in Auckland after he suffered a heart attack which forced the band to cancel a reunion tour. Formed in 1975, Hello Sailor were once one of New Zealand's top bands, best known for their hit Blue Lady. Brazier's death comes after bandmate Dave McArtney died in 2013. Brazier was known for musical talent and charisma, but was also known to have a long-standing drug addiction. Former manager David Gapes was quoted by Stuff news portal as saying: "He was a star, he could sing like angel. He was a poet so he could write. "He had that bad boy quality. He was a constant source amusement, excitement and astonishment."

Summary: Graham Brazier, frontman of New Zealand rock band Hello Sailor, has died at the age of 63, report local media.


Barry, 22, was not given a new contract by the relegated Robins and has joined the Spireites, who were also relegated to League Two, on a two-year deal. The former Brighton academy graduate is the nephew of Everton midfielder Gareth Barry. "This club deserves to be in League One. It's an exciting time for me and I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my career," he told the club website. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Chesterfield have signed Swindon defender Brad Barry on a free transfer.


The 24-year-old is expected to travel to Merseyside today for a medical. Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin also had an Everton medical on Wednesday. The France midfielder, 27, is expected to cost up to £24m. Everton have already signed Charlton Athletic forward Ademola Lookman, 19, for £11m this month. Belfodil, who is not in Algeria's Africa Cup of Nations squad, is currently training with Standard Liege at their warm weather camp in Spain. He only joined the club in the summer and has had a nomadic career, including spells with Lyon, Bologna, Parma, Inter Milan, Livorno and Baniyas in the United Arab Emirates.

Summary: Everton have agreed a £10.4m fee with Standard Liege for their Algeria forward Ishak Belfodil.


They have called up fellow keeper Jonny Bairstow, 25, as his replacement. Lancashire's Buttler, 24, made four and nought as Australia won the first two ODIs. "It has become clear in the last couple of days that Jos will benefit from a break from cricket ahead of the winter tours," said coach Trevor Bayliss. "While we initially felt Jos would have enough left in the tank, rest is key and Jos has had a heavy workload throughout 2015." The third ODI will take place at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Bairstow made 34 off 40 balls on Sunday as Yorkshire lost to Gloucestershire in the One-Day Cup semi-final. He will miss Yorkshire's trip to Lord's this week as they look to beat Middlesex and secure the County Championship title for the second successive season.

Summary: England will rest wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for the last three games of their five-match one-day series against Australia.


The university became the first in the world in 1997 to offer degree level qualifications in computer games development. Abertay will host its biggest ever Global Game Jam event in January to launch the anniversary celebrations. It will be the fifth time the university has hosted the event. About 220 students, lecturers and games industry professionals will collaborate on new computer game prototypes over two days. The event is part of the international Global Game Jam where developers work to a set theme. The university will announce its full programme for 20 Years of Computer Games in the coming weeks. Last year it was named as the only European institution in a list of the world's top universities for studying game design.

Summary: Abertay University in Dundee will stage a programme of celebrations to mark 20 years of running computer gaming courses.


The Team Wiggins squad was among 50 UK professionals racing in Wales' only round of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series on Friday. The competition began with a hill climb on Cliff Terrace on Friday followed by the main race in the evening. Olympic champions Ed Clancy and Steven Burke were among the riders. It is the sixth year the cycle festival has taken place in Aberystwyth. The main race started in Pier Street, passing through Upper Great Darkgate Street, Seaview Place, Promenade and back onto Pier Street. About 300 schoolchildren also took part in the closed-circuit town centre event earlier in the day. Councillor Rhodri Evans, Ceredigion council's cabinet member with responsibility for lifestyle services, said the event was "a great opportunity to showcase Aberystwyth at its best".

Summary: Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins's team has competed at Aberystwyth Cycle Festival in Ceredigion.


The Northern Ireland-based firm replaces alcoholic drink Crabbie's, which will sponsor the Aintree race for the final time on 9 April. This year's race will start at 17:15 BST, an hour later than previously. Many Clouds won the 2015 Grand National to give jockey Leighton Aspell his second consecutive victory in the race. "Though British racing has no written-down policy of actively seeking non-bookmaker backers, everyone accepts it's the case, so it'll be cock-a-hoop to have landed a second new one for a major event in three months after technology company Timico took over the Cheltenham Gold Cup. "Gambling is, of course, part of racing's DNA, but the sport's also desperately keen to show that via high-profile platforms like Aintree and Cheltenham it has considerably more breadth than that. "And with bookies that aren't 'Authorised Betting Partners' currently being shown the sponsorship door, further opportunities to demonstrate this may follow."

Summary: The Grand National will be sponsored by Randox Health from 2017 after the healthcare company agreed a "multi-million pound" five-year deal.


Stephen Powell, 48, took evasive action while watching Ashes highlights as a Volvo ploughed through the bay window of his Porthmawr Road home in Cwmbran. The driver, Paul Binks, 29, of Newcastle, is not believed to have been injured in the crash on Friday. On Saturday, he admitted drink-driving at Newport Magistrates' Court and was banned from the road for 18 months. Mr Powell's wife, Sarah Roberts, 42, said: "If he hadn't thrown himself out of the way he would have been killed." The father-of-one was taken to hospital with back pains and is believed to have suffered torn muscles. Binks had 65 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of his breath - the legal limit is 35 micrograms. Alongside his disqualification from driving, Binks was also ordered by magistrates to pay Â£355 in fines and court costs.

Summary: A Torfaen man had to leap out of the way as a car smashed into his living room.


Misao Okawa, who was born on 5 March 1898 in Osaka, spent time with family the day before her actual birthday, to mark the occasion. Speaking at Wednesday's celebrations she said that 117 years didn't seem like such a long time. She now lives in a nursing home in Osaka and staff there said she has slowed down a bit in recent months and has trouble with her hearing. Despite this she is still in good health and eats well. Born to a kimono maker, Mrs Okawa married her husband Yukio in 1919. He died in 1931. They had two daughters and a son. Mrs Okawa now has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was officially recognised as the world's oldest person in 2013 by Guinness World Records. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: The world's oldest person, a woman from Japan, is turning 117-years-old.


Currently 27 manufacturers have a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California. However there must always be a human being in the car. Google's driverless car company Waymo said that in 2016 it drove 636,000 miles in the state and required 124 human interventions. This was down from 341 in 424,000 miles in 2015. The new proposals include a framework for how the testing would work and also what would be required by manufacturers to make the vehicles available outside the tests. "These rules expand our existing autonomous vehicle testing programme to include testing vehicles where no driver is present," said Jean Shiomoto, director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles. "This is the next step in eventually allowing driverless autonomous vehicles on California roadways." The department is now inviting written feedback until 24 April.

Summary: The California Department of Motor Vehicles is considering new regulations to allow driverless cars without back-up drivers to be tested on its roads.


The 38-year-old joined Sale after leaving Bath in 2014 and has played 13 times as he has shared the number nine shirt with Chris Cusiter. Stringer has been capped 98 times by Ireland, but has not featured for his country since 2011. "I'm delighted to have agreed a new deal. I am loving my rugby at Sale Sharks," he said. "It's a great environment and we have some very talented players at the club." Stringer spent 15 years at Munster and has also had stints at Newcastle Falcons and Saracens in the Premiership. "Peter is a model professional who is incredibly fit and shows no signs of getting old," said Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond. "He has brought our backline to life this season."

Summary: Sale Sharks scrum-half Peter Stringer has signed a new one-year deal with the Premiership side.


Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who was allegedly found with several passports, pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of fraud. He appeared along with seven other judges, who all denied the charges. The fight against corruption was a campaign pledge of Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari who came to power last year. Africa Live: More on this and other stories Last month, Nigeria's security agency said it had seized $800,000 (Â£645,200) in cash in raids targeting senior judges suspected of corruption. Justice Ngwuta and his co-defendants were arrested in those raids. The raids did not go down well with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) which accused the authorities of carrying out a "Gestapo-style" operation. The NBA successfully argued that the judges should be released on bail. The judicial regulatory body of Nigeria, the National Judicial Council (NJC), suspended the judges pending their trial.

Summary: A Supreme Court judge in Nigeria has been charged in court in the capital Abuja with corruption and money-laundering.


John Riley, 28, of Caernarfon was convicted by a jury on "overwhelming evidence" of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a 47-year-old man outside a pub in the town. Judge Huw Rees at Caernarfon Crown Court told him he could have killed the man as a result of his anger. As well as a broken skull, the victim suffered a bleed on the brain. He will also now need a hearing aid following the attack. North Wales Police Det Sgt Andy Davies said Riley was a "prolific offender" and his imprisonment would "bring a degree of relief and satisfaction to the whole community". Judge Rees added there was a "complete lack of police presence" at the Maes on the night of the assault. He called for the licensing authorities to be shown the CCTV footage and consider the suitability of the Morgan Lloyd pub having extended opening hours.

Summary: A "violent young man" from Gwynedd has been jailed for three years after a single punch broke his victim's skull.


Norbert Szoke, 28, and Rebecca Szoke, 22, are accused of four counts of fraud by false representation. Police charged the pair after five patients at Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, had bank cards stolen, or had the card details photographed. Mr Szoke has also been charged with stealing medical equipment from the hospital. The bank cards, which were used to withdraw cash and purchase goods fraudulently, were stolen between March 2015 and April this year. Mr and Ms Szoke, both of Mount Lane, Bracknell, are due to appear at Slough Magistrates Court on 16 August.

Summary: Two people have been charged with theft and fraud after bank cards were stolen from hospital patients.


The 28-year-old made 100 appearances for Ebbw Vale and played in last season's Principality Premiership win over Pontypridd. Sweet is a product of the Newport Gwent Dragons academy and has represented Wales at Under-20 level. "It will be an honour to contribute to a successful Dragons side in the future," Sweet said. "I began my journey as part of the academy system and playing alongside the U16s all of the way through to the U20s and I have never given up on playing professionally for my home region." Sweet also featured for the Newport Gwent Dragons Premiership Select squad in last season's British and Irish Cup.

Summary: Ebbw Vale lock Ashley Sweet has joined Newport Gwent Dragons on a one-year contract.


The Louisa sank on 9 April as it lay at anchor in calm seas off Mingulay in the Western Isles. The bodies of two crew members have been found. The skipper is still missing and presumed dead. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said salvaging the boat would aid its investigation. The crabber is being taken to a dock on Clydebank. The bodies of Chris Morrison, 27, from Harris, and Martin Johnstone, 29, from Halkirk, Caithness, were found following the sinking. Skipper Paul Alliston, 42, from Lewis, remains missing despite a massive search. Only Lachlann Armstrong, 27, from Stornoway, Lewis, survived after swimming ashore.

Summary: A crab boat that sank with the loss of three fishermen has been raised on the instructions of accident investigators.


Full-back Burns followed up his Ulster Footballer of the Year award by being named Player of the Year. Baxter won the Manager of the Year award for a second straight season. Glenavon's Joe Cooper was Young Player of the Year and NI manager Michael O'Neill was named the International Personality of the Year. Lurgan Blues stopper Jonathan Tuffey was voted top keeper while David Cushley's superb lob for Ballymena against Linfield earned him Goal of the Season. Former Northern Ireland defender Mal Donaghy and former Portadown boss Ronnie McFall were inducted into the Dr Malcolm Brodie Hall of Fame at the awards ceremony in Belfast City Hall.

Summary: Title winners Crusaders celebrated a NI Football Writers' awards double with Billy Joe Burns and Stephen Baxter winning the top honours.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Premier League club agreed a deal for the 21-year-old with the Dutch champions last week. He will play for PSV in their final game of the season on Sunday, then travel to Manchester for a medical and contract signing on Monday. Depay, who has scored 21 goals this season, will sign a four-year contract. United are understood to be paying an initial fee of £24.6m, with a further £6.5m due in performance-related bonuses and additional payments. Depay, who has 15 international caps, played under Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal for the Dutch national team. Van Gaal claimed United were "forced" to sign the player early because of interest from French Ligue 1 leaders Paris St-Germain.

Summary: Manchester United are expected to complete the £31m signing of Netherlands winger Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven next week.


Several homes and businesses were badly affected when the River Dee burst its banks in December. It happened as Storm Frank battered Scotland. The cost of the clear-up ran into millions of pounds, much of which was for repairing and refurbishing flood-damaged council houses. The Queen also met some of those involved in the recovery effort. The Queen visited a row of shops which were affected, including HM Sheridan butchers. Co-owner John Sinclair said: "We lost all stock and machinery under about 3ft of water. There was nothing left. "Luckily, through staff work and good insurance, we managed to get going again and, but it wasn't easy. "The first few weeks everyone stuck together and that's something the Queen seemed to know about. She was really impressed with the way it's been turned around and she was full of praise for all the help from everywhere, as we all are."

Summary: The Queen has praised Ballater residents hit by flooding last year.


The 26-year-old had been due to hold talks about his future with head coach Lee Johnson but has chosen to move on in search of regular playing time. "He's a lovely lad and I didn't really want to lose him because he's great in the dressing room," Johnson said. "I felt I would find it difficult to promise him the number of games he wants at this stage of his career." Wagstaff made only one league start in 2015-16, scoring his only goal as a sub in a 6-0 thrashing of Bolton.

Summary: Bristol City midfielder Scott Wagstaff will leave the Championship club when his contract runs out in June.


Burton is 11.5 penalties clear on Nobilis 18, meaning he can be two fences down in Sunday's showjumping and still triumph. Townend is 29.6 penalties off the pace on Samuel Thomas II. New Zealanders Tim Price and Andrew Nicholson are 2.3 penalties apart in second and third. Yorkshire's Townend, the 2009 champion, had been fifth overnight after the dressage, but retired his horse MHS King Joules before the cross-country. Rio 2016 eventing bronze medallist Burton collected just 3.2 cross-country time penalties on a day when none of the 70 starters finished inside the optimum time of 11 minutes 11 seconds. Six-time champion William Fox-Pitt was the last Briton to win the Burghley Horse Trials, doing so in 2011, with Germany's Michael Jung winning last year.

Summary: Australian Chris Burton took pole position at the Burghley Horse Trials, with Oliver Townend the leading Briton in 10th after the cross-country event.


It is the first time since 2006 a Welsh artist has made the cut. Mr Williams, based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, draws on his own experiences to develop his sculptures. In 2015, the prize was won by Theaster Gates who vowed to share his £40,000 prize with the other shortlisted artists. The next winner will be announced in 2017. "It feels great to be part of an international exhibition like Artes Mundi with fantastic artists and to be doing it in Wales makes it even better," said Mr Williams. "Artes Mundi brings artists from the rest of the world into a country and arts community that I'm really proud to be an artist in". THE ARTES MUNDI SHORTLISTED ARTISTS

Summary: Welsh conceptual artist Bedwyr Williams is among seven shortlisted for the next Artes Mundi prize.


Criminal lawyer Emma Simoes told magistrates there was "a big problem" in the area as she defended a man who admitted being under its influence on three occasions in the town centre. A blanket ban on so-called legal highs came into force in the UK last May. Carl Williams, 44, admitted breaching a town centre public spaces protection order to curb anti-social behaviour. The legal order, which gives police and council officials powers to disperse anyone causing a nuisance in Wrexham town centre, was imposed last August. Magistrates fined him Â£90 with a further Â£100 fine for two offences of failing to turn up in court. Miss Simoes said: "There is a big problem with Mamba, especially in the Wrexham area." North Wales Police has been asked to comment.

Summary: Concerns have been raised about the availability of the psychoactive substance Mamba in Wrexham.


Carmarthen Park, which opened in 1900, will be turned into a training and competition venue for cyclists. Carmarthenshire council agreed on Monday to give £286,000 to the project, after Sport Wales pledged £296,000. The local authority hopes it will increase interest in cycling and bring high class racing to the area. With an original grandstand, bandstand and lodge, it has been used for a wide range of sports, eisteddfodau, circuses and concerts. The investment will see the track upgraded and improved safety fencing put in. The council's executive board member Meryl Gravell told Monday's meeting that "cycling was on the up" in the county and across Wales and the project was "worthy of support".

Summary: A £580,000 investment will see one of Wales' oldest outdoor velodromes turned into a regional centre of excellence.


McAree took up the post last October following the departure of Darren Murphy, having previously served as first team coach. The former Swifts midfielder led the club to a seventh-placed finish in the Irish Premiership last season. "It gives me confidence to know that the board have faith in what I'm doing," stated McAree. "Now it is my job to do my best for the club as we try to improve and target a major trophy." McAree has already secured the signatures of local players Christopher Hegarty and Seanan Clucas, both of whom came through the Dungannon United Youth set-up before going on to play cross-channel football.

Summary: Rodney McAree has signed a three-year contract to continue as Dungannon Swifts manager until at least 2019.


The 20-year-old had two spells at Meadow Park last season, scoring seven goals in 19 appearances for Wood. Lucas has made three substitute appearances for Rovers having come through the youth system. "By placing Jamie with us again, Darrell Clarke has shown his trust in what we're trying to achieve," manager Luke Garrad told the club website. "Darrell knows that Jamie will get looked after correctly but Jamie must now really push on, start playing men's football on a regular basis and start realising his potential." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Boreham Wood have re-signed striker Jamie Lucas on loan from Bristol Rovers until 28 January.


The 24-year-old is understood to have attracted interest from Championship rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. But a senior Cardiff source has indicated the Bluebirds will want "at least £5m or £6m" for the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 forward. Mason joined Cardiff from Plymouth Argyle in 2011 for £250,000 and has scored 22 goals in 60 League starts. This season Mason has chipped in with six goals, enjoying a prolonged run in the team having had three loan spells at Bolton Wanderers during previous campaigns. Cardiff are under a transfer embargo, but chief executive Ken Choo made it clear the club would not be forced to sell their best players as a result of the restriction. The club are also looking to draft in at least three players on loan. Mason and midfielder Joe Ralls, 22, are seen by the club as prized young assets.

Summary: Cardiff City will want at least £5m for striker Joe Mason, BBC Wales Sport has learned.


The brothers, 33 and 27 respectively, will arrive from Japanese club NTT Shining Arcs and Newport Gwent Dragons. Both players can play across the three-quarter line, at wing and centre. "Alesana and Anitelea are quality acquisitions, and have bags of experience at the very highest level," said director of rugby Dean Richards. "They have physicality and pace, which is what you need to be successful." Older brother Alesana won three Premiership titles with Leicester - where sibling and England centre Manu still plays - while Anitelea also represented the Tigers and Sale Sharks at Premiership level. "I'm extremely excited at the prospect of returning to the Premiership with Newcastle," said Alesana. "Newcastle is a big club with huge potential, and under Dean Richards there is an exciting vision for rugby in the North East which I want to be a part of."

Summary: Samoa internationals Alesana and Anitelea Tuilagi have joined Newcastle Falcons for the 2014-15 Premiership season on two-year deals.


Sargassum muticum, also known as wireweed and which occurs naturally in Japan and China, is thought to have arrived in UK waters in the 1960s. It displaces native species through over-growing and starving them of sunlight. A new report for Scottish Natural Heritage says it can now be found from the Firth of Clyde to Skye. The spread of sargassum muticum is described as the "most noticeable change" to be picked up in the new report detailing a survey of marine biodiversity and climate change. The report said climate change "may facilitate" its further spread, but added that it could be able to extend its range without the aid of warmer temperatures. Sargassum muticum can be spread via its spores being carried from one place to another in ships' ballast water, and by entire "rafts" of the plants floating to new locations.

Summary: A non-native invasive species of seaweed has been found to have spread to western parts of Scotland.


The 72-year-old will host a new BBC One family game show which sees celebrities try to answer clues based on rhymes. With one of his catchphrases on Strictly being "It's a 10 from Len" - it's perhaps an ideal fit to front the programme, called Partners in Rhyme. Goodman stood down as head judge in December, after 12 years on the show. The new game show was devised by BBC Radio 1 presenter Matt Edmondson. He said: "I'm ridiculously excited about bringing Partners in Rhyme to BBC One. "It's the sort of show that I hope will have families screaming at the TV as they try and make sense of pigs in wigs, flowers with superpowers and Lorraine Kelly making jelly!" That last one we'd like to see. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: He may have disappointed fans leaving Strictly Come Dancing, but former head judge Len Goodman is to make a return to Saturday teatime TV this summer.


The Commerce Department said construction spending rose 1% to the highest level it since December 2007. Construction spending has risen every month this year. It has been a bright spot for the economy as manufactures and retailers have struggled against a strong dollar. Construction spending reached a seasonally adjusted rate of $1.11 trillion (Â£735bn). US consumer spending in October rose just 0.1% compared with the previous month. On a less positive note, US manufacturing fell in November according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), following a global trend of declining factory activity. ISM said its factory activity index dipped to 48.6 in November from 50.1 in October. Any number below 50 suggests the market is contracting. Both new orders and production declined but hiring by manufactures was on the rise. Along with the strong dollar, a weakening economy in China has hurt manufacturing this year.

Summary: US construction spending reached an eight-year high in October, suggesting the economy is performing better than consumer spending has indicated.


Ms Manzano, 65, joined the show in 1971 and became a series regular in 1974, giving helpful advice to characters like Big Bird and Elmo. She was also a writer on the show, winning 15 Emmy Awards for her work. The news has led to a flood of tributes on social media, with many remembering her fondly from their childhoods. Ms Manzano told a conference of librarians in San Francisco that she would not be returning for Sesame Street's next season. "Thank you but don't be bummed!" Ms Manzano later tweeted to disappointed fans, adding that she could return for the show's 50th anniversary. Her character arrived on Sesame Street working at a bookstore but eventually moved to the Fix-It Shop alongside Luis, the show's Mexican-American handyman. Over the years on the show, Maria and Luis got married and even had a child.

Summary: Sonia Manzano, who has played Maria on the US children's programme Sesame Street for more than four decades, is retiring.


The Wokingham Paper was launched following the closure of the Wokingham Times by publisher Trinity Mirror in December. About 10,000 copies of the 48-page independent paper, which sells for 50 pence, are being printed weekly. Editor Phil Creighton said: "It's an amazing feeling, I nearly cried. It's been such a journey to go from the idea to have it in my hand." Mr Creighton said he took on the project as the end of the town's paper had "left a huge gap in the heart of the community". "I wanted to make sure that news was shared", he said. Mr Creighton is attempting to raise crowd-sourced funding to sustain the publication.

Summary: The first edition of a new newspaper for Wokingham has gone on sale.


The centre will employ 15 people, including software engineers and business analysts. It will be led by Gary Kennedy, the company co-founder, who began his career at Newry-based First Derivatives. The project is supported with an Invest NI grant of Â£75,000. Mr Kennedy said the company had considered other locations but "the strength of the talent pool, the proximity to Queen's University and the support from Invest NI" made Belfast the best option. Clarus operates in international capital markets and provides data, analytics and research services to its customers, who include investment bankers, hedge fund managers and regulators from the the UK, the US and Europe.

Summary: Clarus, a London-based financial technology firm, is to establish a research and development centre in Belfast.


The victim was in his flat in Forres Street, Blantyre, at about 19:00 on 2 September when they knocked on his door. When he answered a group of three to four men wearing balaclavas burst in and demanded money. The also took his stock of Stone Island clothes which he sells online, and drove away in his silver Mercedes. Other members of the gang drove off in a black Jeep-style vehicle which they had arrived in. Det Con Debbie Walker said: "This was a targeted attack and the group of men were clearly aware of the victim's business selling these clothes. "Enquiries are continuing into the circumstances however I would like to speak to anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the area around the time of the incident."

Summary: A gang of masked robbers broke into a man's home in South Lanarkshire before taking his car and designer clothing.


Minor scorch damage was caused to the rear bathroom window of the property in Golf Terrace at about 19:30 GMT on Saturday. The male occupant had only recently moved into the house. The police have said they are still working to establish a motive and have appealed for anyone with information to contact them. Sinn FÃ©in's John O'Dowd said it was a worrying development following a series of attacks in Banbridge. "There is growing concern in the community that there is a level of coordination behind these attacks," he said. "Those behind them don't care that they seriously injure or kill the intended target or someone in the vicinity."

Summary: A man has escaped injury in a petrol bomb attack on a house in Banbridge, County Down.


Petrie, 38, was a flanker with Glasgow Warriors and retired from the professional game in 2007. Scottish Rugby's Dominic McKay said: "We are delighted to appoint someone of Jonny's experience, both in business and in rugby terms. "With Jonny's proven leadership skills, management and commercial experience, he is ideally placed for the role." Before joining Scottish Rugby, Petrie was head of sponsorship at the energy company SSE for five years, working across sport and entertainment on such projects as the SSE Hydro and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. He joined Scottish Rugby in June 2014 as commercial operations manager, overseeing sponsorship projects and managing stakeholder relations. Petrie, who won 45 caps, said he was hoping to build on Edinburgh's achievement or being the first Scottish professional team to reach a European final. They lost to Gloucester in the final of the European Challenge Cup.

Summary: Former Scotland captain Jonny Petrie has been appointed as managing director of Edinburgh.


The painting, entitled Men Drinking in a Pub, was on a bath panel and found during renovation of the artist's previous home in Whitworth Terrace, Spennymoor. It appears to have another work on the reverse, partly covered by wall paint. There was no signature, but it was authenticated by the artist's son-in-law, and was sold to an anonymous bidder for £2,000. John Anderson, of auctioneers Anderson and Garland, described it as a "a piece of salvage that may yield a masterpiece". Norman Cornish, who died last year, started working in the mines when he was 14 and became famous for his paintings of everyday life in the industrial North East after attending the Pitman's Academy. In January, an early self-portrait with a hidden portrait of his wife on the other side was sold for £13,500.

Summary: A recovered artwork by "Pitman painter" Norman Cornish has sold at auction.


A section of the lower end of Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier collapsed into the sea on Wednesday. Conwy council said it has been "quite clear about the deteriorating state of the pier". The pier has been fenced off for some time because of its condition and the public has been urged to stay away from the area. The Colwyn Victoria Trust Campaign, set up to redevelop the structure, said it had been warning of the danger of collapse for several years. A statement on the group's Facebook page said: "Well what a day the poor pier has had. So sad to see her broken. "Half the decking at the end which we knew was rotten has fallen into the sea taking with it the balustrade. "On the positive side the stanchions are still standing solid as far as we can see."

Summary: Engineers have begun assessing the damage to a partially collapsed pier in Conwy county.


The Assassin (Nie yin niang), about a female trained killer, also won best cinematography and costume design. The Golden Horse Awards, held in Taipei, recognise the best in Chinese-language cinema. Taiwan's Hou has won awards around the world, including at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The ceremony saw accomplished director Feng Ziaogang, who has been described as China's Steven Spielberg, win the best actor award for Mr Six, in which he plays a gangster attempting to rescue his son. Karena Lam won the best actress award for Zinnia Flower (Bai ri gaobie), beating previous Golden Horse winner Shu Qi's lead role in The Assassin. The best new director went to Bi Gan for his movie Kaili Blues (Lu bian ye can), a mystical tale of a doctor who discovers a place where time travels both forwards and backwards.

Summary: Veteran director Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Assassin has collected five awards at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, including best film and best director.


Uefa has brought forward the decision for Europe's showpiece games. In January Europe's football governing body announced the technology would be used in next season's Champions League and at Euro 2016. Goalline technology was introduced in the Premier League for the 2013-14 season, and Fifa used it at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Champions League final is in Milan on 28 May, with the Europa League final on 18 May. Meanwhile, Uefa have announced that Theodore Theodoridis will take over as acting general secretary to replace Gianni Infantino, who was elected as Fifa president last Friday. There will be no Uefa presidential elections until a decision has been made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Michel Platini's appeal. The Uefa president was suspended by Fifa's ethics committee in December along with its former Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

Summary: Goalline technology will be used at this season's Champions League and Europa League finals.


The FTSE 100 closed up 0.40%, or 25.3 points, at 6,420.9. The drugs companies GlaxoSmithKline, Shire and AstraZeneca were among the best performers after Morgan Stanley upgraded the sector. Merlin Entertainments was the top gainer after an upgrade from JP Morgan. Yesterday it said trading at its Alton Towers park was "significantly lower". Five people were seriously injured in a rollercoaster accident there during the summer. On the FTSE 250, shares in the IPA and Speckled Hen brewer, Greene King, closed up 13%, after it said pre-tax profits rose almost 18% to Â£84.9m. Greene King said the integration of the Spirit Pub company, which it bought earlier this year, was ahead of plan. On the currency markets, the pound fell 1.6 cents against the dollar to $1.4927, and 0.7 cents against the euro to â‚¬1.4121.

Summary: (Close): Pharmaceutical shares pushed London's main shares index higher on Wednesday.


The stake - consisting of 73.4 million shares and estimated to be worth $2.69bn (Â£1.8bn) - has been sold to investment bank Goldman Sachs. The sale comes as Canada's government attempts to balance its budget for the coming financial year. Canada has suffered from the global slump in oil prices during the past year. Canada's Minister of Finance, Joe Oliver, said that the country's stake in GM was always supposed to be temporary, with intentions to return the shareholding to the private sector eventually. Canada acquired its stake in General Motors - whose brands also include Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick - in 2009 as part of the bailout package for the then struggling carmaker.

Summary: The Canadian government has sold its remaining stake in Detroit automotive giant General Motors.


There are eight groups managing the pension funds of Wales' 22 councils. Pooling money could cut overheads and "significantly reduce costs", the report to Flintshire council said. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), which represents councils, said there was "broad agreement" to pool investments by the local authorities. Flintshire council looks after Clwyd Pension Fund which manages £1.6bn for 40,000 people with ties to Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flintshire councils. The other local government pension funds are administered by Carmarthenshire, Cardiff, Gwynedd, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Torfaen councils. "The aim is to reduce investment management costs through joint governance arrangements and to share knowledge and best practice," said a spokesman for the WLGA. "This will improve the management of investment risks and, ultimately, improve fund returns."

Summary: The £15bn pension pot of Wales' council workers past and present and their dependants could be pooled to cut management costs, a report has said.


Both teams were found guilty in an illegal betting and match-fixing probe in July, leaving just six franchises in the world's richest Twenty20 league. Meanwhile, organisers also revealed a new title sponsor for the IPL. Chinese phone manufacturer Vivo Mobiles will replace PepsiCo. England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has previously played in the IPL, which attracts the best players in the world and is usually played in April and May each year since its inception in 2008. However, it has been mired in controversy in recent years with Royals co-owner Raj Kundra and Gurunath Meiyappan of Super Kings suspended from all cricket-related activities for life over the summer. Chennai Super Kings were led by India skipper MS Dhoni, while the Royals were led by the Australian captain Steve Smith. Chennai have reached four finals, winning in 2010 and 2011. The Royals won the inaugural tournament in 2008.

Summary: Organisers of the Indian Premier League are inviting bids for new teams following the suspension of Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings for the next two editions.


The system can be set up to request manual, automatic and random breath tests from the offender and includes a picture identity verification. The pilot is being carried out voluntarily on six offenders in the Dyfed-Powys area. The results will be reviewed after the three-month pilot. Ch Insp Craig Templeton said: "We're keen to find out if this new technology would provide a cost-effective and improved management of offenders throughout Dyfed-Powys, and ultimately lead to a reduction in the level of re-offending." The new technology also includes electronic GPS real-time tracking. It is being tested by the Integrated Offender Management team, where Dyfed-Powys Police and Wales Probation Service work together to prevent and reduce re-offending of those who have the most detrimental effect on their communities.

Summary: Dyfed-Powys Police has become the first force in the UK to trial a new remote system of monitoring how much alcohol prolific offenders are drinking.