This is a man who betrayed not a scintilla of doubt after his team lost to Lincoln Red Imps around this time last year, so anybody expecting any kind of reservation from him about the second leg in Trondheim next week is in for a seriously long wait. In the wake of the goalless draw - which could so easily have been 1-0 or 2-0 to Rosenborg had they taken some of their better chances - Rodgers spoke about Celtic's capacity for scoring away goals in Europe while adding that 0-0 in the first leg is as good a result for the home team as it is for the away team. Rodgers was unperturbed. He praised his side, gave off a vibe of total authority and exited. Celtic's goal-scoring record away from home on his watch? They've scored in four of their seven games on the road in Europe. His take on the 0-0 being a good result? Going back to 2014-15, there have been 70 ties in the Europa League and Champions League, including qualifiers, that have begun with the home side drawing 0-0. In 36 of the 70 ties, the home team that drew 0-0 in the first leg were knocked out. That's not far off 50-50 and that, in turn, is not far off Celtic's chances of progressing. Maybe experience gives them a slight edge on Wednesday, but it's only slight and it will only exist at all presuming Leigh Griffiths is fit to play, which remains a big presumption. It was obvious from the opening minutes at Celtic Park that Rodgers' team were struggling to find a way of playing without a natural striker, Moussa Dembele being injured and Griffiths being both suspended and injured. Rodgers thought he could get by with Tom Rogic as a de facto striker, pointing out that the Australian had played that way for half an hour against Partick Thistle towards the end of last season. He declared Rogic "brilliant" in that role, but that wasn't Champions League stuff, that was a no-pressure 5-0 stroll when the team was confident and could do no wrong. Celtic can have a howitzer attack on their best days. Against Rosenborg, it was pop gun. Rogic tried his best, but he was uncomfortable, neither a striker nor the fine midfielder we know he can be. He was trapped in no-man's land for most of the night. Scott Sinclair took a brief turn in the second half, but he was ill at ease as well. Rosenborg suffocated Celtic, playing with great discipline and high concentration levels. They made very few mistakes in defence. Celtic's first shot on target came in the 77th minute. That tells you much about their lack of threat. It was unusual to see them so harmless in front of goal. Rodgers says he's hopeful that Griffiths will be fit. It's a different ball game if he is. It's reasonable to ask, though, why Celtic allowed a situation to develop whereby they had no striker available for a Champions League qualifier, a competition that is the beginning, the end and the in between of their dreams. For a club with Celtic's ambition - not just of group stage but last 16 - is it sensible to have just two out-and-out goal-scorers in their squad, one of whom, Dembele, missed the last six games of Celtic's invincible domestic season through injury? They can't read the future, but losing Dembele for the final month of their record-breaking campaign might have served as a reminder that they're thin up top and, perhaps, a back-up man might not be a bad way to go. Rodgers was asked about it on the eve of the Rosenborg game and his answer was interesting. "If you have two highly-strung strikers who are fighting for a position and then you add a third one to the mix, it can actually work against you," he said. "Some will say you can't have too many good players, but you can. It can give you a problem. It's just unfortunate that two get injured, so we'll see." You can understand Rodgers' point. He's only going to start one striker in any given game, so how is he supposed to keep three happy if there's only room for one in his team? The last thing he needs is a player moping and upsetting the mood because he's not getting game-time. Celtic have lofty goals though. They want to progress in Europe. They want to improve against the big shots of the Champions League. That's murderously difficult on their budget and the task doesn't get any easier when they leave themselves so shallow in such a critical area of the pitch. Not a lot gets past Rodgers. He's a shrewd man. He would surely have weighed up the possibility of injury or suspension leaving him short in attack, but he reckoned he had enough to get by. He had goals throughout the team. He had players, like Rogic, who could adapt. Or he thought he had. In the six games that Dembele missed at the end of last season, it wasn't just Griffiths who delivered goals - he scored four - or, indeed, Patrick Roberts - who also scored four but who's no longer at Celtic. Callum McGregor, Stuart Armstrong and Dedryck Boyata got three each, Rogic two, Mikael Lustig one, as did Sinclair, who'd scored 24 before that. Celtic knocked in 21 goals in those six games. Did that kind of dominance make them believe that they'd be OK even if the worst-case scenario unfolded and their main strikers were laid low? If it was a gamble then it backfired on Wednesday. Rodgers problem-solved numerous times last season. After the humbling by the Red Imps, he fixed it. When Celtic got annihilated by Barcelona, their response in Europe was a thrilling home draw with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, a team that had played 10 games to that point, winning all 10. Another lesson was learned against Borussia Monchengladbach. Beaten comfortably by the Germans at Celtic Park, Rodgers' sorted his team out and got a deserved 1-1 away from home. This is another big challenge, a pivotal, potentially season-defining point, despite the fact that we'll be barely into August by the time it arrives. Nobody among the Celtic support will doubt Rodgers as he tries to plot his way through a delicate tie, but they'll be praying for Griffiths' return nonetheless.

Question: The one thing you were n't going to get from Brendan Rodgers in the aftermath of Celtic 's disappointing performance against Rosenborg in the Champions League qualifier was @placeholder .


Simon Clark, 58, from Kinloss, undertook the challenge in aid of the Ecologia Youth Trust charity. So far his run has raised more than ?¡ê21,000 for the cause. Mr Clark usually managed about 17 miles per day, depending on the demands of his architectural work which he did from a laptop. He returned to Kinloss on 5 July - the date of his 58th birthday. Mr Clark is to give details of his run, the people who offered him shelter and others he met in two public talks he is to give in the Findhorn Foundation's community centre later on Friday and in Kinloss Church on Saturday evening.

Question: A runner from Moray has completed a 5,173 - mile ( 8,325 km ) run around Britain 's @placeholder coastline that he began in March last year .


Watford saluted the club's "greatest manager of all time" before their home Premier League match against Middlesbrough at Vicarage Road. Chants of "there's only one Graham Taylor" rang out during a minute's applause in his memory. His achievements were also applauded before English Football League games. Media playback is not supported on this device Taylor took Watford from the Fourth Division to a second-placed finish in the top flight in five seasons. He also guided the club to the only FA Cup final of their history - a 2-0 defeat against Everton in 1984 - and European football, as well as enjoying spells with Lincoln City, Aston Villa and Wolves. Taylor became England boss in 1990 but resigned in 1993 after the team failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, and later became a respected pundit for BBC Sport. Former England striker Ian Wright on Match of the Day: "I was forever grateful to him for giving me my first cap. We didn't always see eye to eye on certain things but he was a gentleman." Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown on Football Focus: "Graham Taylor rescued Aston Villa and probably my career too. The first day he wandered in, with a difficult chairman, he said he had chosen to come to the club. He had a clear vision and told us how we were going to function. "I learnt a lot under him. He got Villa back into the First Division. Eleven players came in and 11 went out. The celebrations when we went up after beating Swindon will live long in the memory. "He has left his mark and was a great man to work under." Watford captain Troy Deeney: "Today was more about Graham Taylor and not the result. You could see how emotional everyone was and it showed how much people care about him. "There are no words that I can use to sum up how great a man he was and we just wish his family all the best at this difficult time." Media playback is not supported on this device Former England defender Danny Mills on BBC Radio 5 live: "I worked alongside Graham Taylor for 5 live a fair bit and I don't remember him ever being grumpy. "No matter what, even if something hadn't gone his way, he still had that impish smile. A lovely man. "He got vicious, vitriolic stick from parts of the media as England manager but he came out still being able to laugh at himself. That's the measure of the man." Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson on Football Focus: "My time with him was mainly at tournaments, and you'd meet players that had played for him, and every single one absolutely loved him. He was normal, and in the mad world of football, normal is good." Media playback is not supported on this device Match of the Day commentator John Motson: "He single-handedly put Watford on the football map, taking them from the Fourth Division to runners-up in the old First Division." Media playback is not supported on this device

Question: Tributes have been paid at football matches across the @placeholder to former England manager Graham Taylor after his death on Thursday at the age of 72 .


The 53-year-old had just locked up HQ Prime Meats, in Smethwick, in the West Midlands, when the men appeared and beat him in the street. They tried to make him reopen the premises before taking some jewellery from him and escaping in an Audi A3. The victim suffered a badly broken leg which required emergency surgery, West Midlands Police said. He remains in a severe but stable condition in hospital following the attack in Fawdry Street on 8 January. The suspects fled towards Cranford Way, the spokesman added. Anyone with information is urged to call police.

Question: Three men armed with golf clubs and a metal pole attacked and @placeholder a man as he left work .


Pain is etched across her face, her body is stiff as she slowly eases herself into a seat. The Belfast woman appears to be in agony and a lot older than her years. "I have come out partially disabled. I went in able bodied and I have come out in crutches. I am mentally wrecked; I don't know what is going to happen down the line," she said. "I don't know what the diagnosis is, I don't know what the prognosis is, but I do know that if the pain keeps continuing on like this I am going to end up in a wheelchair." After a routine smear test, Susan was advised that she had a prolapse. This explained why she leaked urine every day. A vaginal prolapse is a condition in which structures, such as the uterus, rectum, bladder, urethra, small bowel or the vagina, itself may begin to prolapse, or fall out of their normal positions. Susan says she dreaded going out shopping and seeking the nearest public toilet when out and about became routine. "Everyday life was impossible. At times standing became unbearable, running and playing with my daughter impossible," she said According to Susan, while a consultant advised having an implant, she was never informed of the potential problems. "I was never advised, for instance, that it was actual mesh. I wasn't given any leaflets to say of the side effects or anything like that. "I did ask questions, I did ask about the side effects and was there anything I needed to worry about and I was told there wasn't." Susan's problems emerged almost immediately after the procedure. In fact she left hospital in tremendous pain and said during the past 12 months she has been passed round several specialists. She said part of the problem is convincing people that there is something wrong. The 51-year-old said she has been told by specialists not to be frightened of her pain and to try to live and work through it. As a result she is taking various medications that make her physically sick. "The pain changes day to day. It (the mesh) can cut into your groin where it is like barbed wire gripping you. I have had pain right down my legs. My hip often gives way when I am walking," she said Susan said she wants the mesh removed. Sitting close by is 58-year-old Yvonne McIntosh. She had vaginal mesh inserted four years ago to try and fix incontinence. While it was a success at the start, she said it now feels like it is starting to unravel inside her body. "I have been having excruciating pain. I have felt something within me is coming out and would have to go into the bathroom to push it up," she said. "My husband could also feel it when we were being intimate - he said he could feel something sharp." A mother of three, Yvonne said it feels like it is making its way out of her body and coming through her groin. Even while talking to me she is shifting in her seat in constant discomfort. "Every day I am in absolute agony because this is an alien thing that I know is inside me. It feels sharp and is sticking into me when I walk. "It's not meant to be there - I know there is something wrong." Yvonne also is seeking help to have it removed but, like other women who have spoken to the BBC, her local health trust says it cannot help her and she has been forced to turn to a private doctor in London instead. "I have told my consultant how bad it is and she says she can't remove it at all. She can snip it but she is not qualified to remove it, that it is not her field. She mentioned that she could send me to a woman in London instead," she said.

Question: Susan McLarnon @placeholder on crutches to tell her story .


Owners of Scarthin Books, in Cromford, Derbyshire, were told in 2015 that "emergency work" was needed to preserve the 150-year-old building. It prompted a crowdfunding campaign which led to ¡ê12,000 being raised by people all over the world. Manager David Booker said the shop had a 20% sales increase after the appeal. For years staff at Scarthin Books, named one of the best in the world by The Guardian in 2008, were quizzed by customers about how the structure survived under the weight of so many books. The notion was laughed off until spring 2015, when they were told by a structural engineer that there was a serious risk the building could fall down unless urgent repairs were made. Thousands of pounds were raised within days of an appeal and enough was left to make further external repairs and conduct a restructuring of the shop. "The response was amazing," said Mr Booker. "It was a catalyst for the resurgence of the bookshop... sales increased by 20% which is phenomenal for independent bookshop. "There is just a real buzz and sense of excitement about the shop." Four steel columns were installed, replacing temporary builder's "acrow props" which had previously been used, to help support the weight of about 100,000 books over four floors. The extra money was used to add new shelving and repair the building's gable end.

Question: An @placeholder bookshop that was in danger of collapsing under the weight of its own books has experienced a huge revival , it s manager has said .


"We will not forget Garissa." This statement summarises the mood in Kenya three weeks after the attack on Garissa University College in the north-east of the country, which killed 148 people. Ever since the country's first major terror attack - the 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi - Kenyans have stoically absorbed the impact of each assault with a three-step reaction: Shock, anger, and then a shrug. First there is shock at the audacity of the attackers. Then there is anger that the attack was not prevented or at least responded to speedily by the security forces. And finally there is a shrug of the shoulders and all is forgotten - until terror strikes again. However, the attack on Garissa has changed everything. Joseph Warungu: One cleric said that although the Christian faith teaches them to turn the other cheek when attacked, "we've now run out of cheeks" There is an active campaign to ensure that Garissa is not forgotten and actually marks a turning point. The church in Kenya is fighting back. Since the attack, Sunday sermons have adopted a message of defiance. On the radio a few days ago, I heard one prominent bishop tell his congregation to stand strong in the face of attacks by the militant Islamists. The bishop explained how he had been contacted by a Canadian journalist who wanted his reaction to news that a number of Kenyan Christians are now opting to learn the shahada, which is the Muslim proclamation of faith, just in case they are caught up in an attack. His response and advice to his followers was simple: "Stand by your faith." During a recent memorial service for the victims of the Garissa University attack, which was broadcast live on radio, one religious leader after another said the same thing: "Enough is enough". One cleric said that although the Christian faith teaches them to turn the other cheek when attacked, "we've now run out of cheeks." The church in Kenya wants to redefine the war on terror. It is not just an attack on innocent people. It is not a military combat. It is not a political fight. It is spiritual warfare. Kenyans' reaction is different now because the Garissa attack was different. In killing the youth, the militants wanted to kill Kenya's future by destroying the parents of tomorrow. It was also aimed at disrupting the country's socio-economic growth and stability by attacking the future professionals. And in deliberately isolating Christians it aimed to force a religious divide. The Kenyan church has therefore collectively gone on its knees to seek divine intervention. And it is pushing political leaders to take a stand. The country is sailing in unchartered waters and everyone is desperate for a solution to prevent another Garissa. Kenya is a multi-faith nation. Muslims, who comprise 11% of the population, sit side-by-side with Christians. Hindus, Sikhs and many other faiths also have space at the table. It would therefore be political suicide for any leader to attempt any kind of campaign that divides people on religious grounds. And with just two years to the next general election, the timing is awkward. Indeed one goal of the militants is to incite religious hatred. But in neighbouring Somalia, the majority of those who die at their hands are Muslims. The Kenyan security crisis is therefore complex and defies cosmetic solutions. At a military and administrative level, President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken a stand. He has pledged to keep Kenyan military boots on Somalia soil. He has also appointed a new man, with hopefully new ideas, to lead the Kenya Defence Forces. At citizen level, Kenyans entering public buildings including schools, offices and churches continue to dutifully submit themselves to routine security checks at the entrance. On the spiritual front, Muslim religious leaders have closed ranks with their Christian counterparts to display a united and determined face against terror. But terrorism has a welcome home in other realms. The youth with open minds and idle hands who see no hope and no future in a country of massive inequalities and high unemployment will continue to be easy candidates for recruitment. Terrorism also has a great appetite for corruption. It thrives in corrupt systems that conveniently look the other way as the ingredients of terror are prepared for deployment. A country where many leaders and policy-makers believe in a manifesto of "my stomach shall prevail" will always be vulnerable. So, will there be another Garissa? Sadly, yes. Garissa university campus 1. Militants enter the university grounds, two guards are shot dead 2. Shooting begins within the campus 3. Students attacked in their classrooms while preparing for exams 4. Gunmen believed isolated in the female dormitories 5. Some students make an escape through the fence Kenya failings drive al-Shabab recruitment Who are the victims? Survivors 'were too scared to scream' Why is al-Shabab targeting Kenya?

Question: In our series of letters from Africa , Joseph Warungu senses a new wind @placeholder across Kenya following the attack by Somalia - based al - Shabab militants on Garissa university earlier this month .


Mr Nixon joined the billionaire list after selling the last of his shares for the price comparison website. The Channel Islands have five billionaires, with the Barclay brothers still the wealthiest. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay are valued at ¡ê7bn, which has risen by ¡ê500m. The 81-year-old brothers last year sold their stake in a group of luxury London hotels. They are based in Monaco, and own the island of Brecqhou near to Sark, as well as owning the Ritz in London. Sir David and Sir Frederick have closed their Sark hotels for the foreseeable future but continue to maintain interests in the islands. They also own the Telegraph Media Group, which made ¡ê54m profit last year. Retail magnates Sir Philip and Lady Green, in second place, appear in the Channel Island list because their Taveta business, which owns Arcadia, is based in Jersey. The couple's wealth is down ¡ê280m to ¡ê3.22bn. There are two other Channel Island billionaires whose wealth has increased over the past year. Specsavers founders, Douglas and Dame Mary Perkins, who are based in Guernsey, saw their fortune go up by ¡ê100m. Guernsey-based Steve Lansdown, whose wealth comes from financial services, has seen his wealth rise by ¡ê107m to ¡ê1.4bn. 1. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay (Brecqhou) - ¡ê7bn 2. Sir Philip and Lady Green (Jersey) - ¡ê3.22bn 3. Douglas and Dame Mary Perkins and family (Guernsey) - ¡ê1.55bn 4. Steve Lansdown (Guernsey) - ¡ê1.4bn 5. Simon Nixon (Jersey) - ¡ê1.026bn 6. Douw Steyn and family (Guernsey) - ¡ê700m 7. The Clarke family (Jersey) - ¡ê500m 8. Tony Buckingham (Jersey) - ¡ê425m 9. Graham Tuckwell (Jersey) - ¡ê273m 10. Guy and Julia Hands (Guernsey) - ¡ê260m 11. James Vernon (Jersey) - ¡ê250m 12. David Crossland and family (Jersey) - ¡ê200m 13. Derek Coates (Guernsey) - ¡ê190m 14. Ronnie Frost (Guernsey) - ¡ê160m 15. Gordon Crawford (Jersey) - ¡ê122m 16 = Brian de Zille and family (Jersey) - ¡ê120m 16 = Con Folkes and family (Jersey) - ¡ê120m 18 = Roger Baines and family (Guernsey) - ¡ê110m 18 = Nigel Jagger and family (Jersey) - ¡ê110m

Question: The Jersey resident and co-founder of Moneysupermarket.com , Simon Nixon , has become a billionaire @placeholder to the Sunday Times Rich List .


Sadie Hartley, 60, was stunned with a cattle prod and stabbed at her house on Sunny Bank Road in Helmshore, Rossendale, on 14 January. Sarah Williams, 35, and Katrina Walsh, 56, both from Chester, deny murdering the mother-of-two. A series of text messages were found on Ms Williams' phone after she was arrested. They showed secret exchanges with Ms Hartley's long-term partner, ex-fireman Ian Johnston, 57, with whom she was having an affair, Preston Crown Court heard. In one, she wrote: "I went to bed thinking about you." In another to a friend, she said: "Fireman is just totally awesome...I'm hook line and sinker." She added: "It's too early to have this conversation, being the little psycho that I am I want to push it along very quickly." Later texts showed Mr Johnston agonising over the affair. He wrote: "I was not looking for or expecting you to appear." In another, he said: "Sarah, please get that I can't have you here at this time. This is too difficult. Sorry." Mr Johnston told Ms Williams how Sadie has been "kind and caring" and he would not just "blow her out", before adding: "I do like you but this is way too heavy." Later Williams sent a "spiteful" letter to Ms Hartley revealing the affair but it failed to break up the couple, the court heard. It is alleged the defendants then went on to execute their plan. Jurors were told Walsh used Tarot Cards with Williams during the time they planned the "perfect murder". In voluminous diaries penned by Walsh she wrote of her co-accused: "She's got to learn that some men say they will leave their comfortable other half even when they never intend to do no such thing." The trial continues.

Question: A woman accused of murdering her love rival @placeholder herself a " little psycho " in text messages , a court has heard .


Norwich City, Derby County and Wigan Athletic have parted company with Alex Neil, Steve McClaren and Warren Joyce respectively in the past week. McCarthy was appointed in November 2012, and his side are currently seven points above the relegation zone. "We've been competitive every season up until this one," he said. "We haven't spent Aston Villa money. We haven't spent Norwich money. We haven't spent vast sums of money." McCarthy added to BBC Radio Suffolk that the fact he is still in post confirmed that "for four years I've done a really good job here" - but that "this year it has been tough". Last season the Tractor Boys finished seventh in the table, five points adrift of the play-off places. Defender Christophe Berra has said that the current table suggests the team are in a relegation battle. "Seven points isn't that big a gap. Two or three wins would ease it, but it is getting tough," he said. Berra suggested the club's predicament could be down to a lack of spending. "We've not made the most investments," he said. "Teams in and around us have maybe done a little bit more." Midfielder Luke Hyam, meanwhile, has been ruled out for another six weeks after rupturing ankle ligaments in training. Hyam, 25, has yet to play for the first team this season after previously undergoing surgery on a damaged nerve in his leg.

Question: Ipswich Town 's Mick McCarthy says he has not joined the string of managers @placeholder by Championship clubs because he has " done a really good job " .


Hernanes and Simone Zaza scored the goals as Juventus extended their club record for successive home clean sheets to 10. They were crowned champions for the fifth season in a row on Monday when Napoli, their closest challengers, lost to Roma. And their players celebrated with fans after maintaining their stunning form. Hernanes' first-half strike and Simone Zaza's late header helped Massimiliano Allegri's men brush aside relegation-threatened Carpi. They can complete a double by beating AC Milan in the Italian cup final on 21 May. "I am happy with the win," Allegri said. "It was a good one to get because the crowd was smaller than usual, after the celebrations and such. "It pleased me that we did not concede a goal. Now we are thinking about the last two games and then the Coppa Italia final, which we are all looking forward to."

Question: Juventus celebrated the Serie A title in @placeholder with a 10th successive league win .


It is part of a crack-down by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on misleading promotions and obstacles to claiming winnings. Many readers have got in touch with the BBC about their experiences using betting websites. Here are some of their stories: Matt told us that when he was playing live casino roulette, he deposited ¡ê10 and then a pop-up appeared on screen offering him a further ¡ê10 as a matched bonus, which he accepted. Under the rules of the game he now had a ¡ê20 bonus but no cash. He won ¡ê300 but when he wanted to stop playing his balance showed up as empty. His bonus fund, meanwhile, had ¡ê300 in it, but he was not allowed to withdraw that. He rang the company which told him that accepting the bonus "locked my initial deposit in with my bonus ¡ê10". Under the firm's wagering requirements the ¡ê20 bonus funds had to be staked 50 times - or ¡ê1,000 - before he could withdraw any winnings. On that occasion he won ¡ê280 but that was the only time in about five years of online betting that he had won anything when wagering requirements were in place. Robert wrote: "I've repeatedly won large amounts of cash only to be stalled when trying to withdraw. Often the site claims it needs to run a verification process which takes days to complete and requires photos of the method of deposit and proof of address. "These aren't performed prior to depositing. Other sites deliberately take days to transfer cash and allow you to cancel the transaction at any time. "I now only gamble on specific sites that can be trusted to withdraw cash quickly." Robert also said he would not now take any of the welcome offers because of the wagering requirements. However, he pointed out, some sites automatically apply the promotions and then punters have to contact the firms to get them removed. Daniel got a ¡ê20 bonus when he bet ¡ê10. He won ¡ê790 but the online site refused to let him withdraw the winnings because it said he had not met the wagering requirements attached to promotion. The firm then "banned my account, nothing I could do about it", he wrote. "Unscrupulous online betting sites have created a bad name for the business. Claire Fleming from Realbookies.com said: "We would urge online betting customers to do their due diligence before using sites - read the terms and conditions, check out the 'about us' sections to find out how the business works and look up testimonials of others who have used the site. "This way people who want the convenience of online betting can be sure they are using a well-established and trusted site."

Question: UK regulators are taking enforcement action against unnamed online gambling firms which they suspect of breaking consumer @placeholder .


K Prithika Yashini, who was born male but underwent gender reassignment surgery, applied to become a police sub-inspector in the southern state. But the state police board did not recognise a third gender, leading her to pursue a legal case against it. A court in Chennai (Madras) has now ruled in her favour. "I'm excited," Prithika was quoted as saying by India's NDTV network. "It's a new beginning for the entire transgender community." A ruling by two judges in Chennai's high court said: "The social impact of such recruitment cannot be lost sight of, as it would give strength to the case of transgenders. "Yashini must reach the finish line, and not be stopped and disqualified in the middle." India's supreme court recognised transgender people as a third gender last April, five years after the electoral commission added the category to ballot forms. The ruling meant the government had to provide transgender people with quotas in jobs and education in line with other minorities, as well as key amenities. There are an estimated two million transgender people in India. While the Times of India reports that Tamil Nadu police already have three transgender constables on their books, reports in other Indian media said Prithika will become the first officer in the country. Prithika was born Pradeep Kumar and left her parents' home before completing a computer studies course and undergoing surgery. She had wanted to be a police officer since being a child, Indian media said. The court also ruled that the result of a police physical test, which Prithika failed after being a second late in a 100-metre dash, was not valid.

Question: The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is to hire the country 's first transgender police officer after a court cleared hurdles that @placeholder one applicant .


Ian Stewart, 56, denies murdering Helen Bailey and dumping her body in order to inherit her fortune. He said one of the men attacked him on the day the Electra Brown writer vanished and warned he would not "see Helen again" if he spoke to police. Mr Stewart claimed the men had hounded the writer over past business dealings. Ms Bailey was last seen on 11 April and reported missing by Mr Stewart on 15 April 2016. She was found beneath the garage at her home, together with that of her dachshund Boris, on 15 July. The 56-year-old is accused of sedating and murdering his partner before dumping her body in a foul cesspit beneath their garage. He told his trial at St Albans Crown Court that he lied to Ms Bailey's friends, family and the police about her whereabouts out of fear for her life. Two men, whom he knew only as Nick and Joe, were said to have been old business associates of her first husband, John Sinfield. Stewart claimed he was attacked by the tattooed thug called Nick on his doorstep last spring. He told the court: "As I opened the door, he pushed me back into the hall and he must have tripped me at some point. "He said: 'Helen is with us, she is helping us solve a problem, don't tell anyone'. "He said: 'Sorry, we have taken Helen and Boris with us', he said 'we will be back we will see you Friday, if anyone asks tell them she's gone Broadstairs (Kent), don't tell anyone in any way'. "He then said: 'If you tell anyone you won't see Helen again'." Mr Stewart continued: "I was still on the floor, I was winded and my eyes were watering and he then hit me again and said: 'Do you understand?' and I nodded. "He then quoted my telephone number at me and asked if that was correct and I just nodded. "I was shocked and confused, it was so odd," he added. The defendant claimed Joe had visited the house earlier and demanded if Ms Bailey knew about his old business dealings, before saying, in hushed tones: "Just think about this." Mr Stewart, of Baldock Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, denies murder, preventing a lawful burial, fraud, and three counts of perverting the course of justice. The trial continues.

Question: The fiance of a children 's author has told a murder trial she was @placeholder by two men who warned him not to go to the police .


He broke through at Ajax and so began his career directly following the same path as sibling Wesley but the older brother has won the Champions League and played in the World Cup final while Rodney is now trying to rebuild his career at Tannadice. When asked at his first press conference as a Dundee United player if he liked comparisons with the player who is six years his elder and has performed consistently at elite level, Rodney Sneijder simply responded: "No." Exasperation is understandable, since the family background has been both a help and a hindrance to his development. While playing for RKC Waalwijk, Rodney Sneijder was at a training camp in Turkey at the same time as rumours were linking his brother with a move from Inter Milan to Galatasaray. Locals kept turning up and asking him about his brother, including female fans urging him to plead with his brother to make the move. That kind of frantic, incessant exposure and interest has been something Rodney Sneijder has had to learn to cope with. The brothers both play in midfield, they are clever, technically sound players and are extremely close. It would be in keeping with the affection and support between them if Wesley visited Tannadice to see Dundee United play on occasion, and Rodney is often seen in the stands at Galatasaray watching his brother while sitting with his sister-in-law. Yet the legacy is in many ways impossible to live up to, since Wesley Sneijder is among that small group of players who could operate with brilliant individualism and influence at the very pinnacle of the game. Many in Dutch football consider Rodney Sneijder a talented midfielder, only less gifted than his brother and so far lacking the mental strength, spirit and work-rate to succeed in the Eredivisie. At the outset of his career, many fans and observers were intrigued to see how the latest member of the family would perform (the eldest of the three Sneijder brothers, Jeffrey, also started out at Ajax but his career was hindered by injury). Rodney Sneijder was skilful, but just not to the same level as Wesley. At times in his career, there have also been doubts about his work off the ball, his defensive instincts and his ability to deal with set-backs or being left out of the starting line-up. "Ajax had a lot of talents and he did not make the difference," said Voetbal International journalist Stef de Bont. "The two of them are really close and they look similar. But on the field there's a big difference. "Wesley is world class, Rodney is more average. He never said it out loud, but it had a big impact on his career. "In his time at Ajax and FC Utrecht [on loan], at first it was a help. He was a Sneijder, he had to be good so he got a contract. Later, when he didn't make it, there was the comparison." Rodney Sneijder is only 24, but his career has been sporadic in terms of first-team football, with only 74 appearances in the past four years. In 2013, he moved to Almere City, a club in the second tier of Dutch football, although his spells on loan at FC Utrecht - 23 games and three goals in 2011-12 - and his first season following a permanent move to RKC Waalwijk - 22 appearances and two goals in 2012-13 - were productive. Erwin Koeman was the manager who took Sneijder to RKC Waalwijk, but despite starting brightly, the midfielder drifted out of the teamp and was never able to recover his previous status. The move to United, then, is a form of career rehabilitation and Sneijder impressed enough as a trialist to persuade Tannadice manager Jackie McNamara to sign the player following recommendation from the player's agent, Pierre van Hooijdonk, a former Celtic team-mate of McNamara's. The move could work for both parties, since Van Hooijdonk was behind Nadir Ciftci's move to Dundee United, where the striker impressed enough to earn his move to Celtic this summer. Sneijder has enough potential to be a productive signing but will need to show the mental strength to succeed in a football environment where spirit and assertiveness are commonplace. The comparisons with Wesley Sneijder are inevitable but also worthless. Rodney Sneijder is making his own way in the game, and now needs to show that he can apply his talent and assert himself to forge his own career. Moving away from the Netherlands to a club that will provide a platform for him to become a key player is an opportunity he needs to be ready to take.

Question: Rodney Sneijder has never been able to escape the @placeholder of his brother .


Two important announcements on health and education from Labour and the Conservatives caught my eye. Firstly, both parties propose more money for health. Labour's bigger pledge seems to cut against the party's attempts to present a more fiscally disciplined face. At first sight, it is curious for the Tories, too. Why protect the NHS? The Conservatives already have a strategy that will entail a further round of 8 to 9% cuts in departmental spending, on top of existing plans, by 2018-19 - if they don't raise taxes. Sparing health from the spending reductions inflicts all the pain on other departments, which will make those deep cuts harder to implement. But neither has much choice, given their commitment to the NHS as it stands. Even in the short term, NHS spending will rise, whatever they say. In fact the big question right now is whether the Department for Health will crash through its spending limits this year. After years of broadly static funding, a tight situation for the health service is being exacerbated by a bigger rise in demand for health services than is normal. So more money for health is a politically valuable campaigning point for both parties. But, in truth, they will have felt they really had few options. Secondly, both parties are talking a big game on apprenticeships - training programmes for people in work. The Tories say they want to increase their number, delivering "three million apprenticeships" over the next parliament - an average of 600,000 a year. That is big. About 510,000 people started an apprenticeship in 2012-13. That itself is a massive rise on 2009-10, when only 278,000 people began one. The recent huge surge in apprenticeship starts came, in large part, as the government shut down other subsidised training routes. So lots of people who would have gone through schemes like the now defunct Train to Gain count as "apprentices" instead. But, now, that easy growth is over. And as the rules around what is expected of apprentices and who may offer them have been toughened, growth has been spluttering. The number of apprentices has actually dropped from a high in 2011-12. So, I suspect, reaching that three million target will require more effort, extra funding and new policy. New participating employers and employees need to be found. The extra ones will be harder to deliver than the existing ones. Labour's plan on apprentices is longer-term - to have the number of under-25 apprentices in England rise to equal the number of young people going to university by 2025. How many is that? Undergraduate starts for young people in 2010-11, the last year for which we have clear, useful data, were at about 320,000. Looking at global trends, I would plan on the assumption that it will be quite a bit higher in a decade's time. So it's a big rise from the current 279,900 under-25 apprenticeships. But Labour also wants all of those apprenticeships to be advanced programmes. Of those under-25 apprentices, only about 100,000 are at that level now. So it is a big undertaking. That will all be expensive, and require employers to play ball as the state demands more training. In recent years, youth apprentices have also proved the hardest number to get to rise. Labour says they can pay for it by refocusing "some of the existing spending on low-level apprenticeships currently being done by people in their 40s, 50s and 60s". That would almost certainly mean overall apprenticeship numbers would drop. The biggest fallers would probably be the worst quality provision, too. So that might be good. But it is hard to call. Some of those programmes get valuable - if basic - training to hard-to-reach people who missed out in their youth. I have, of course, missed a party out that made great hay out of statements on the NHS in the past week. So what to make of UKIP's domestic policies? Well, it is a bit early to start. A lot is still nascent. "Wait for the manifesto," I was told a lot when asking for detail and costing. Much of their policy work is starting from scratch. Furthermore, I asked activists, spokespeople and MEPs about the red lines they would draw in any post-election negotiation with another party. Europe was the only sacred cow, immigration was close behind, and "tax cuts" were a distant third place. Health and education were not on the list. So - assuming that UKIP do not win an outright majority - a lot of the domestic policy issues they talk about outside those core areas is a strange sort of hypothetical. That's why two UKIP MEPs cheerfully told me the party uses domestic policy to signal to us what sort of people they are, not to tell us what they would actually do. They announce policy so you hear: "UKIP are pro-NHS and anti-establishment". Still, they have fleshed out areas that really matter. For example, Steven Woolfe MEP, UKIP's immigration spokesman, told me they would take a lot of students - though not all - out of their target to reduce net immigration to under 50,000 people a year. Voters think UKIP are as hard as nails on migrants. So, if they say they think lots of foreign students are a good thing and aren't what people mean when they talk about migration, they take it. This position helps Labour, because they too don't want students inside the target. In fact, only the Conservatives remain committed to keeping students within their immigration target. And so, on policy, even as they laid into Labour at their conference, UKIP offered them a little covering fire.

Question: How have the first few party conferences shaped our @placeholder of what domestic politics might look like after 2015 ?


Operation Stack was implemented on Tuesday with lorries waiting to cross the Channel queuing on the carriageway. Industrial action by MyFerryLink workers saw blockades at Calais port and the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles. Thousands of migrants in France took advantage of the action and tried to board Kent-bound lorries. On Wednesday police found 350 migrants hiding in vehicles at the French port in the wake of the chaos. Later in the day, 10 people were found in the back of a lorry in Folkestone. A Kent Police spokesman said: "They were all fine and taken by police to Dover Immigration Centre and are now under their care." Another seven suspected migrants were arrested after climbing out of lorries at a service area on the M1 in Bedfordshire. David Cameron described the scenes at the French port as "totally unacceptable". The Prime Minister said Britain was considering the possibility of sending more UK officers and sniffer dog teams to Calais, and more fences were being installed at the port as well as around the entrance to the Channel Tunnel. The Foreign Office has warned travellers to keep their car doors locked in slow-moving traffic heading back to the UK.

Question: An emergency measure which closed parts of the M20 in Kent has been lifted 36 hours after it was @placeholder following disruption at the port of Calais .


Neil Fears, from Belper in Derbyshire, was reported missing by his fellow divers on Tuesday after he failed to surface. The 51-year-old's body was recovered near the wreck of the SS Stanfield, near La Manga, about three hours later. It is not yet known why the experienced diver failed to surface. His daughter Cerys said: "He was always there if I needed him for whatever situation, he'd do anything to look after his family." Mr Fears was a director of IT firm Davidson Richards in Derby. "He was very hardworking and could be very determined," his daughter added. "My boyfriend said he was strong and ambitious, but he was also very kind and caring, generous and very clever." Mr Fears had been diving with three others and was paired up with one of them. A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil in Murcia said the paired diver had "turned to his partner and realised he wasn't there". The divers had been using equipment which regulated oxygen supply and pressure, depending on the user's depth under water. This meant they had to return to the surface regularly, but Mr Fears failed to do so as planned.

Question: The daughter of a British diver who died while @placeholder a World War One shipwreck off the coast of Spain has paid tribute to her " caring " father .


The deaths of three members of the national guard in an explosion reignited a debate over what some see as the potentially damaging influence of the country's far-right parties and volunteer militias fighting in the country's east. More than 140 others were wounded in the blast, apparently caused by a grenade, during a demonstration against plans to give more autonomy to the country's Russian-supported separatist regions. Those who died were all in their twenties - the youngest was just 20. President Petro Poroshenko denounced the attack as "an anti-Ukrainian action" and demanded "all organisers, all representatives of political forces... must carry full responsibility." It also raised concerns over what appears to be an increasing infiltration of weapons from the warzone into the rest of the country. These are the first politically-related fatalities in the capital since the country's pro-European revolution in February last year, in which more than 100 people died. Authorities have blamed the explosion on Ihor Humenyuk, a fighter in the Sich volunteer battalion. Sich falls under the control of the interior ministry, but maintains strong connections to the far-right Freedom Party, which was one of the rally's main organisers. Freedom Party activists - including its leader Oleh Tyahnybok - were at the epicentre of the clashes with the police. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said ultra-nationalists were "worse" than Russian-backed separatists in the east, because they were "trying to open another front" in the country "under the guise of patriotism". So far, 16 people have been arrested for suspected involvement in the incident, including Mr Humenyuk. A number of others, like Mr Tyahnybok, were to be questioned. Mr Humenyuk has denied throwing a grenade. Freedom Party members likewise reject any responsibility, and accuse the government of orchestrating a witch hunt against them. They say Mr Humenyuk is not associated with them - even though he was featured on one of their recent campaign posters. But the explosion come weeks after another armed incident involving a volunteer militia with ties to the extreme right - a shoot-out between members of the Right Sector battalion and local police in south-western Ukraine. Both incidents have shone a light on the link between groups with extreme politics, and those with access to weapons. There are dozens of volunteer groups, providing vital support to operations in the east. Of these, about 11 have ties to political parties or organisations, of which at least seven have some sort of connection to the far-right fringe. Although the militias have been nominally integrated into government structures, many wonder how much control Kiev actually exercises. And although the majority of these groups' fighters appear free of radical right sentiments, ultra-nationalists - often visible by their tattoos and t-shirts - definitely figure among their numbers. This is a feature on both sides of the frontline in the east, with the Russian-backed militants attracting what appears to be a large contingent of nationalist extremists. However, the heads of the pro-Kiev battalions, like that of Sich itself, say they are not political, or have no intention of using force. "We do not plan to march on Kiev with our automatics," Sich battalion commander Olexander Pisarenko told the BBC Ukrainian Service. As for the ultra-nationalists, few believe that they pose an electoral threat. Freedom and Right Sector up until now have been marginal political forces. Indeed, the violence at parliament could be an attempt to compensate for a lack of support among the population. However, the political landscape could begin to shift with the arrival with colder weather. The economy is deteriorating, painful reforms such as a rise in utility tariffs are set to kick in this autumn, and issues such as granting increased powers to the breakaway regions, which some see as a capitulation to Moscow, have struck a very emotional nerve. It should be emphasised that the chance of an armed insurrection is a highly distant prospect right now. But, even if the battalions keep out of the political fray, there is still the issue of the individual fighters. Anger among them is rising. Many accuse the government of criminal mishandling of the conflict, which have led to the deaths of untold numbers on the battlefield. In contrast to their commanders, some fighters do speak of coming to Kiev en masse, if necessary. One in a YouTube video spoke, in Ukrainian, of staging terrorist acts. Previous attempts to rein in extremist elements have in some cases stalled. Right Sector, for example, is still relatively free of government control, despite the fact that it openly confronted law enforcement authorities. But with the deaths of the three national guardsmen - so young, and at what was supposed to be a peaceful demo so far from the front lines - attitudes in Ukrainian society may be changing, and people could demand action from the government. The Freedom Party (Svoboda in Ukrainian), despite its low electoral numbers, is still viewed by many as a patriotic organisation, and was a central player in the revolution last year. Now, some question its contribution. "There are few people in Ukraine who work for Putin so selflessly as Ukrainian nationalists from the party 'Svoboda'," Oleg Shankovskyi, an editor at the Ukrainska Pravda website, wrote on Facebook. At the very least, there is the alarming fact that guns - and explosives - seem to be very easily obtained, and can be used to further any political, financial or criminal interest. Or they could simply fall into the hands of some angry, disaffected individual - as the person who threw the grenade at the parliament protest may have been.

Question: The centre of Kiev became a scene of @placeholder and broken bodies last week - as though the conflict in Ukraine 's east suddenly had been transported to the capital .


The 26-year-old, a free transfer signing from Woking last summer, made 40 appearances as Rovers finished third in League Two to go up automatically. "Last season the spirit around the place was the best I've experienced," Clarke told the club website. "League One will be a step up for everyone, I can't wait to get started." The length of Clarke's new deal has not been revealed. He joins goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall, defender Daniel Leadbitter and striker Billy Bodin who had already agreed new contracts at the Memorial Stadium.

Question: Defender James Clarke has become the latest member of Bristol Rovers ' @placeholder - winning squad to agree a new contract with the club .


Capita - which assesses claimants for the government - confirmed the nurse was dismissed two weeks ago. The Facebook posts were found by Sarah Goldstein, 24, who had been turned down for personal independence payments (PIPs) by the nurse. Husband Jay Goldstein said he was glad "the right thing" had been done. Mrs Goldstein, who has fibromyalgia, Raynaud's phenomenon, and suffers with chronic anxiety, migraines and depression, claimed Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and first applied for PIPs in October 2014. Mr Goldstein said she had been assessed last year but turned down for PIPs because it was felt she was "making everything up". Mrs Goldstein reapplied for PIPs at the end of 2015 and was assessed at her home in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, in March by the nurse. But the couple's suspicions were aroused when they found they had been turned down by the nurse on the basis of a number of "falsehoods" in an accompanying report, which has been seen by the BBC. These included claims that Mrs Goldstein had given birth to 13-month-old daughter AJ naturally. In fact, Mrs Goldstein had a Caesarean and said she was never asked about the birth. Mrs Goldstein saw the nurse's name on the report and looked her up on social media "to make sure everything was above board" and discovered the posts. One, written in July 2014, appears to attack a claimant who had lost two legs as a child and had appeared on a programme about benefits. The post said he should "get a job fitting carpets" and that she "would like to catapult the scrounger back to...[where] he came from". It is believed the nurse started working for Capita a few months before the July post. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the outsourcing firm said: "We can confirm that the individual in question no longer works for Capita." Mr Goldstein, 25, said his wife has had a new assessment and is awaiting the result. "We are glad that Capita has done the right thing and sacked the nurse," he said. "We feel a tiny bit of justice has been done."

Question: A disability benefits assessor who was suspended after allegedly posting abusive comments about @placeholder claimants on Facebook has been sacked .


About 25 people battled driving rain for the Santa Splash event, organised by the Canal and River Trust along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. It marked the end of the first year of a project which aims to map a 150-mile stretch of canal from east to west. A similar event is being staged in Burscough, Lancashire, on Sunday. The Coast to Coast trail, which has been funded by a ?¡ê1.3m charity grant, will stretch between Liverpool on the west and Goole on the east coast. The Santa Splash canoeists tackled a two-mile stretch of the canal for the fun event. Project manager Greg Brookes said: "I want to say a big thank you to everyone who joined a tremendous effort to bring some festive cheer to the canal."

Question: Canoeists @placeholder as Father Christmas took to the canal to celebrate a project linking some of Britain 's waterways .


The British astrophysicist amassed two million followers within hours of launching his account on Tuesday. His first message was a greeting to his "friends in China" posted in both English and Chinese. Some Weibo users were comparing the experience of interacting with Prof Hawking online to making contact with the universe. Hawking backs interstellar travel project Hawking: Humans at risk of lethal 'own goal' A brief history of Stephen Hawking More than 230 million people use Sina Weibo, China's biggest social media platform, every month. A growing number of international figures who have joined Weibo in recent years to connect to a Chinese audience. Prof Hawking's second post, on Wednesday, described the interstellar project Breakthrough Starshot which he is backing, saying it was "exciting to be involved in such an ambitious project". Both posts were quickly flooded with excited comments expressing admiration and awe. One wrote: "I'm writing this comment, even though you probably won't read it and understand it, so that it will at least flash on your phone for a second... This fragile connection is like using my fingers to gently touch the universe." "Since I was a child I would always cite you in my school essays, you are an example for all of us!" said one commenter, while another wrote: "OMG, you have pulled up the average IQ of all the users on Weibo." Others urged fellow netizens to be on their best behaviour around him. "I hope there won't be any idiots who ask the professor brainless questions, please do not take him as a joke, and do not shame us Chinese people," said a commenter. Still others peppered him with questions on the existence of aliens and quantum physics. Prof Hawking has enjoyed a substantial following in China, with a Xinhua article on his last visit in 2006 noting he has "a cult status among Chinese youngsters much like that of Tom Cruise". "The appeal of Hawking largely comes from his ability to be a great thinker despite his physical challenges," it said.

Question: Chinese netizens have given a warm welcome to Prof Stephen Hawking after he joined microblog @placeholder Sina Weibo .


A National College of Teaching and Leadership panel found Marc Richardson, 34, guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. The panel heard CCTV footage showed the pair emerging from beneath a stage at Tottington High School, Bury, where he was head of drama. The married teacher had been previously warned about his behaviour. In 2012, he sent "inappropriate communications" to another student, whom he said was "too attractive to teach" and asked her to keep quiet. He was given a final written warning by the school in January 2013. Richardson, who did not attend the hearing, admitted being alone with a student in a room under the stage outside teaching hours in 2014. He resigned, was arrested and released without charge. The panel heard he sent messages to the girl, engaging in sexual conversations. Her mother said she had "niggling feelings" about the teacher when her daughter asked about the contraceptive pill. Another witness said her friend told her she had "done everything" with her boyfriend, who she admitted was Richardson. Mark Tweedle, panel chairman, said: "The panel considered it is plain that sexual conversations took place between Pupil B and Mr Richardson, and they contained explicit references to sexual acts between them." He said Richardson's conduct fell "significantly short of the standards expected of the profession." A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said of the arrest in 2014: "A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a child and the sexual grooming of a child. "A full investigation was conducted by the Greater Manchester Police public protection investigation unit and the man was released without charge."

Question: A teacher who had an inappropriate relationship with a 14 - year - old student could face being @placeholder off .


But such habits can build into controlling behaviours, which leave you in fear every time you open your wallet. Financial abuse, as it is called, can involve your partner spending your jointly-earned money, taking out loans in your name, making you pay the utility bills, or scrutinising every penny you spend. Worse, it can be the fore-runner of even more serious emotional, or physical, abuse. While the vast majority of victims are women, men too can be vulnerable, particularly if they have disabilities. New laws are on their way to try to stop coercive behaviour, including in financial matters, but no one yet knows how effective they will be. So how bad can financial abuse get, and can you detect it at an early stage? Many people have to budget carefully, but Jane (not her real name and age) became the victim of obsessive financial control. She says her former husband - and his mother too - would inspect the fridge to find out whether the milk had been bought in Waitrose, rather than Lidl. "I would find myself in the shop, thinking this liquid hand soap is 70p in Sainsbury's, but I can get some for 40p in Superdrug - but Superdrug is down the road. The logical thing was to buy the one in Sainsbury's, but I knew my husband and mother-in-law would pull me up." All financial decisions - from holidays to furniture - were taken by her husband. "He chose my car. On one occasion, as we were driving away from my parents' house, he shouted out of the window: 'She got to choose the colour.' It was very derogatory." When her husband began to withdraw large sums of money from their joint account to spend on motor bikes, she tried to warn the bank. Eventually her husband used up all their savings, and was declared bankrupt.  Jane inherited the debts, and over ?¡ê4,000 of arrears on the mortgage. She now lives with her five year-old daughter in her parents' house. Due to her poor credit rating, she will not be able to get a mortgage - or rent a private flat - for at least six years. A recent report for the TUC and the charity Women's Aid  - called Unequal Trapped and Controlled - found that financial abuse was often the first sign of further emotional or domestic abuse. The authors of that report, Marilyn Howard and Amy Skipp, say the ten most frequent signs to look out for are a partner who: Under the Serious Crime Act - which has received royal assent, and which will be implemented later this year - coercive and controlling behaviour between partners will become illegal for the first time. Section 76 of the Act allows for a maximum prison sentence of five years, where someone's behaviour causes alarm or serious distress to their partner. This can include financial abuse. As a result, the Police will be given training in how to spot instances of coercive control. Polly Neate, the chief executive of Women's Aid, believes the law will encourage victims to come forward. "We know of many cases where women have not come forward about controlling coercive abuse - including financial abuse - because they feel the Police won't take any action unless they've been physically assaulted. We're hoping this new law will change that," she says. But there is widespread concern about another development - the roll-out of Universal Credit (UC). The benefit is paid monthly on a household basis. The TUC report warns that UC will make it easier for one partner to control the finances. Even though the DWP has promised to make split payments where necessary, Polly Neate thinks many victims will still acquiesce. "Universal Credit, as currently planned, is another tool for people who want to financially abuse their partner," she claims. Money Advice Service 0300 500 5000 National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247 For Jane - as for many couples - having a joint account was a particular difficulty. She wasn't able to stop her husband taking exactly what he wanted from it. The banks say that generally they are not able to intervene in such disputes. HSBC, for example, will only put restrictions on a joint account if it has advice from the Police to do so. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Lloyds and NatWest will block an account if they are formally notified that there is a marital dispute. However the banking industry says it is open to change on the issue. "We would be happy to consider what more might be done to help in this difficult and complex area," said a spokesperson for the British Bankers Association (BBA). In the meantime Nationwide suggests that people may like to consider joint accounts for paying bills, but individual accounts for their salaries. On savings accounts, it is also possible to require both parties to sign before money can be withdrawn. Further advice comes from psychologist Corinne Sweet, the author of "Stop Fighting about Money". Speaking on behalf of the Money Advice Service, which offers help on a financial abuse,  she says couples should learn to talk about money freely. "Being open about money is sexy, because it grows intimacy. It grows trust. It grows a feeling of closeness," she says.

Question: It can start innocently enough : Perhaps your partner asks to see a receipt for the supermarket shop , or explains that he or she opened your bank @placeholder by mistake .


Nominated for the Brits critics' choice award and the BBC Sound of 2016, the singer has a knack for achingly beautiful ballads that tug at the heartstrings. Songs like Let It Out and Say It Again have earned her more than 50 million streams on Spotify - and top 10 singles around the world (although not at home, thanks to the current state of the UK singles chart). Born Sophie Frances Cooke in Berkshire, she was an aspiring violinist when her teacher sent her to see a film composer for career advice. On a whim, she played him a pop song she'd written for fun - and moved him to tears. "It was a bit awkward," she recalls. "I was like, 'Are you ok?' and he said, 'Yeah. But you need to do that. You have to do that for the rest of your life." She took his advice - choosing to attend the pop-focussed Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts instead of her original choice, the Birmingham Conservatoire. By the time she reached her third year of studies, she'd already been signed by a record label and moved to London. Her debut album, Things I've Never Said, comes out this week. A warm and wistful collection of perfectly-crafted piano pop, it has already won the singer comparisons to Adele and Carole King. Meanwhile, her single Grow has been selected to soundtrack a new campaign by Refuge, the charity supporting female victims of domestic violence. The 23-year-old sat down to tell the BBC about that video; the perks of fame; and what it's like to get school lessons from Paul McCartney. Hello Frances... Or should I call you Sophie? I'm Sophie to my family and friends - but I once thought, "If I'm going to be an artist, my name's got to look good on a piece of paper". Sophie is very curly, it looks very young, whereas Frances is a lot more angular. So it just kind of stuck. But then up until the age of 16, everyone called me Cookie. So anything goes. It's been three years since your first single - you must be relieved the album is finally out? I'm so excited. It's definitely been a while. I wrote some of these songs when I was 18 or 19, and so they've literally been with me for five years. It's unusual for people to stay fond of the songs they wrote in their teens. Actually, at the time, I didn't think much of them! But they made it through all the label cuts and slashes. They stood the test of time. What are the oldest ones on there? I wrote Drifting and Sublime in my room at LIPA - the performing arts school up in Liverpool. That's the one that Paul McCartney founded, right? Did he ever show up? A couple of times. He'd come in to do little Q&As. He was really nice, if you saw him walking past, you could just say "hi" and he was always really sweet. What's the best advice you got from him? He said that when he and John [Lennon] were writing, they didn't have anything to record what they were doing¡ Whereas now, if I'm writing in a session, I've got my phone there recording everything. And so if I forget something I can go back and find it. But he said, "We didn't have that luxury. So if we forgot something, it wasn't good enough and we didn't use it." I was like, "Oh my God, that's so true." Because if you've written something and 10 minutes later you don't remember it, then it's not good enough. Do you stick to that advice even now? No, because my memory's terrible! One of the first songs you released was Grow... and that's now being used in a very powerful video for Refuge. It's amazing. It's about a woman called Melanie Clark, who had a terrible time, a really abusive partner, and she managed to get out of it by seeking help from Refuge. They've animated her story. It's basically about her feeling invisible until one woman, who represents Refuge, notices her for the first time. It's a campaign to encourage victims of domestic abuse to seek help. We want people to realise they are not alone. The original song isn't about domestic abuse at all. Were you surprised by how well the words and the images complement each other? It's weird how the lyrics make so much sense alongside the story. I just hope it will resonate with people all over the world. It's an amazing animation and everyone's done it for free. Would it be fair to say you've always wanted to play music? Absolutely. My best friend's parents were professional violinists. When I was about eight, I went round to her house, picked one up and fell in love with it. Then her dad taught me all the way up 'til I was about 16 or 17. What grade did you get? Eight. I absolutely loved it. What was your exam piece? I did a kind of a gypsy piece called Csardas. It's so fast - and it speeds up towards the end, as well. And then I started the piano when I was 10  - but I only got to grade six.  I couldn't be bothered to do scales any more. Do you remember your first stage performance? I was three, dressed as an ice cream in a production of The Hungry Caterpillar at the Royal Festival Hall! And then throughout school, I was always on stage, playing violin or piano. And I played in the Berkshire Youth Orchestra. You sound like a high achiever. Were you good academically, too? I was quite lucky at school. I had this little charm - I could not do my homework and somehow get away with it. Everyone knew I worked so hard at music. I was doing stuff after school every day, so the teachers were quite lenient. And then you went to LIPA... Actually, I didn't get in the first time. They put me on their foundation course, which cost like 10 grand or something. My parents, bless them, scrambled together every penny we had and I worked at Waitrose trying to get money to go. How did you get signed? I put a song called Coming Up For Air on SoundCloud in early 2014. It was quite calculated - because at the time London Grammar were really big, so I thought, "OK, I'm going to write something like that, so all the blogs listen and pick up on it". Eventually, a few started writing about it and then Tom Robinson from 6 Music played it which was really cool. After that, we ended up having a meeting with [boutique record label] Kitsun¨¦, and released a single. Don't Worry About Me was a big breakthrough for you. How did that come about? One of my friends was quite ill - and I wrote the song to say, "look after yourself and I'll be here for you". I wrote it really quickly. I was just getting off the bus on Kilburn High Road when I came up with the phrase, "I'll feel the fear for you, I'll cry the tears for you, don't worry about me." I ran home thinking, "I need to get to a piano quickly, I don't want to lose this." It's a very emotional performance. I think because I wrote it so quickly. I was thinking about my friend and the lyrics just came out. Don't Worry About Me has been played nine million times on Spotify. How do you wrap your head around that? I don't really. I always said that if I won the lottery, I'd be more excited by ¡ê100,000 than I would with ¡ê1m because I can't understand a million pounds. I've never seen that. I can't quantify it. Whereas a hundred grand, I can think, "ah, that's a really nice car". It's a weird period for music at the moment¡ You can have all those plays, and millions of people know your song, but it hasn't troubled the charts in the UK. It's a really weird time. In Belgium, Don't Worry About Me was in the top 20 for 10 weeks and that's mainly because in Belgium the singer-songwriter world is their Radio 1. In Australia, it hung around the chart for ages. In the UK, I've just come out at a really funny time. There's a weird limbo. But I'm so proud of my album. I know it's not going to sell 20 million copies but that's OK. I want to be an artist that's going to be around for 20 or 30 years. In a strange way, you're famous to the people who know you and nobody else. It's actually lovely because I can walk down the street and not be bothered. Apart from in John Lewis once, where the manager recognised me while I was buying a sofa. He was like, "Excuse me, can I ask you a question?" and I thought, "Oh no, my card's been rejected" but he was like, "Can I get a picture with you?" And I think he paid for my sofa because I took out finance and I haven't paid a penny yet. That's a proper celebrity discount! Totally. 100% off! Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Question: Beware of Frances : She 's on a one - woman mission to force all the @placeholder in your body out through your tear ducts .


The original manuscript no longer survives and its disappearance has been shrouded in mystery. The Bront? Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, is inviting visitors to copy out a sentence of the novel to create a handwritten book. Museum organisers hope it will be ready in time to be displayed next year. Read more about this and other stories from across Yorkshire The museum has commissioned artist Clare Twomey to create thousands of pencils for the project. Jenna Holmes, arts officer at the Bront? Parsonage Museum, said: "The lost manuscript of Wuthering Heights is one of the great Bront? mysteries. "It's a simple but very powerful work, which we think will strike a chord with visitors to the museum this year." Ann Dinsdale, the museum's principal curator, kick started the project with the artist by writing the opening sentence from the novel. Emily Bront? was born on 30 July 1818. She and her sisters Charlotte and Anne lived with their brother and father at the Parsonage during the first half of the 19th Century and their home was turned into a museum in 1928 housing a large collection of artefacts and documents associated with the Bront? family and their work. The sisters wrote a number of English literature classics, including Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey.

Question: Visitors are being invited to recreate a long - lost manuscript of Emily Bront? 's 1847 classic Wuthering Heights to @placeholder 200 years since her birth .


A record number of foreign boats have entered this year, including five from Asia, along with others from Germany, Russia, the United States and New Zealand. Britain's sole representative is Richard Stain, a former businessman from Cheshire, who bought the yacht Samskara specifically to race from Sydney to Hobart. He has never competed in the famous blue-water blockbuster, telling the BBC he is keen to avoid a stomach-churning ride. "I do suffer a little bit from seasickness, so I'm just hoping that I'm not going to be seasick because I know what it's like. If you get it bad it can just knock you out," he says. Mr Stain's crew includes a Dutchman, an Australian and a Welsh lobster fisherman, who is the navigator. At race HQ at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in upmarket Darling Point, Mr Stain clambers down a narrow companionway, where below deck Samskara seems surprisingly spacious and comfortable. But he says it can be a hellish place to be. "This could be absolutely horrible down here," he explains. "If it is heavy weather and the boat is leaning over at 45 degrees this could be pretty awful. You'll be hanging on wherever you can." There have been hair-raising moments even before the fleet gathers for the start in Sydney, an occasion that has become one of the greatest spectacles in Australian sport. One of the favourites, the super maxi Scallywag, had a nail-biting near-miss during a warm-up event when it somehow managed to avoid colliding with a small spectator ferry and another vessel. Disaster was only averted by the deft hands of the skipper David Witt, who guided the 30m craft through the tightly grouped obstacles to safety. "The maritime boat, we thought, would have moved and didn't, and left us with little choice but to thread the needle," says Seng Huang Lee, a Malaysian-born businessman who is based in Hong Kong. "Not many skippers in the world can do that and David's one of them and I'm glad to have him on the team." Earlier this year Mr Lee bought the yacht Ragamuffin, and renamed it Scallywag. There are a record-breaking five Asian boats in this year's line-up, and Mr Lee believes sailing is rapidly growing in popularity. "I think it is definitely taking off," he says. "It will take a bit of time but it is a very nascent sport. You can see the growing interest, especially out in China and South East Asia, and hopefully a team like Scallywag could create more interest and awareness in the sport." Last year Ark 323 became mainland China's first entry in this famous Australian competition that began in 1945.  Its race, however, was short-lived after it was forced to retire with damage to its hull. But the all-Chinese crew is back and determined to cross the finishing line in the Tasmanian state capital. "This is the most famous ocean race in the world and when we set up this club we have been thinking about participating in this race," says Kevin Zhou, the chief executive of the Shanghai-based Noahs Sailing Club, who will be aboard Ark 323. Like the sea, this has been a year of highs and lows for Shane Phillips, from the Tribal Warrior Association that helps teach Indigenous people to sail. An Aboriginal crew had been practising onboard the yacht Kayle, which is owned by Sailors With Disabilities. It struck a large rock ledge in Sydney Harbour and could not be repaired in time for the starter's klaxon on 26 December. But Mr Phillips and his colleagues will be on another yacht heading to Hobart as part of a training exercise for next year's competition, and although not officially part of the main event, they have steeled themselves for what lies ahead. "We're expecting the worst. We're thinking best to prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario and be safety conscious," he says. "There are going to be times when we're going to be out of our depth. We are probably the equivalent of the Jamaican bobsled team." No Aboriginal crew has ever competed in the dash to the Apple Isle. When the 91 boats leave Sydney they will face a journey into the unknown. Conditions down eastern Australia and across Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from the mainland, can be brutal and unpredictable. In 1998, six sailors died when a wild storm battered the fleet. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology has predicted that "fresh to strong north-easterly winds" will give the yachts a flying start on Boxing Day, which could give the powerful super maxis every chance of beating the current race record of one day, 18 hours and 23 minutes.

Question: Waves of adrenalin , bone - aching exhaustion and the ever - present @placeholder of calamity . These are the key ingredients to one of the world 's great ocean classics - the Sydney to Hobart yacht race , a 630 nautical mile ( 1 ,166 km ) dash down eastern Australia that starts on Boxing Day .


The Northumbria Police officer has been found guilty of two charges of rape and three indecent assaults involving vulnerable women he met on duty. The 42-year-old, from Glasgow, was also convicted of six counts of misconduct in public office. He was cleared of nine counts of misconduct in public office, three of indecent assault and three of rape. The woman was involved in one of the misconduct in public office charges for which Mitchell was found guilty. She first came into contact with the officer in 2003 when a friend she was with was arrested for shoplifting. The woman was a drug addict and had non-prescribed diazepam which she said Mitchell had given back to her when she was released. They then exchanged numbers. She said he had rubbed her leg and tried to kiss her in an interview room at Newcastle's Pilgrim Street police station and asked if he could take her out before he drove her home. "I was shocked at first. But at the time I didn't really think about anything like that because at the time I was an addict and I was just going along with anything just to get the tablets back," she said. "And he also said he could get them for me off people who he took them off in the street and he would help us out giving us money and stuff." She said she had not had a sexual relationship with Mitchell but it had been difficult to keep him away. The woman met him about seven times, which she said she knew she should not have done but did so for the sake of getting drugs and money from him. The Pc's victim said he would call at night and ask her to go to a hotel with him, but she would only meet him during the day and started ignoring his calls. After a while he stopped giving her tablets. She said: "I think it was disgusting. He totally abused his authority and took advantage of vulnerable people." But she said she had not reported what was happening. "I just thought, who would believe someone who had a criminal record, someone who was on drugs over a police officer?" When she was contacted by detectives investigating an officer she said she immediately knew who it was Speaking after the verdict, she said: "I feel relieved and just glad and happy that he is going to get punished for what he has done. "I am happy for all the officers involved for all the hard work they have put into the case. I wouldn't have really been able to do it if it wasn't for them." She said she was now settling into a new home, was hoping to start a family and had put drugs behind her.

Question: One of the vulnerable women @placeholder by Pc Stephen Mitchell has told of her disgust at his sexual crimes .


The military-contracted civilian aircraft was ambushed after it went down in Faryab province, near the border with Turkmenistan, reports say. Moldova said three of its nationals were on board. One is reported dead. A spokesman for the US military mission in Afghanistan said they were not aware of any Americans on the aircraft. A Taliban spokesman said 15 hostages in total had been taken. "If the army doesn't stop [its rescue attempts] we will execute them," Damullah Wakil told AFP news agency. Moldova's interior minister said two Moldovan pilots and a flight engineer were on the helicopter. One of them was killed along with two Afghan soldiers, reports say. There has been heavy fighting in Faryab province in recent months, including an attack on the capital, Maimana, in October. Elsewhere in Afghanistan on Tuesday, six civilians were killed in two explosions in the capital, Kabul, according an Interior Ministry spokesperson. A senior tax office official was also killed by Taliban militants in Ghazni province, said local officials.

Question: At least 13 soldiers have been @placeholder by the Taliban after a helicopter crash landed in Afghanistan , killing three of those on board .


The giant homage to the late communist leader was paid for by local businessmen, who spent nearly 3 million yuan ($460,000; ?¡ê313,000), reports say. Some villagers also contributed money to the project said The People's Daily. The giant sits in farmland in Tongxu county, Henan Province. The province was the centre of a famine in the 1950s resulting from Mao's policies. Millions of people died in the famine triggered by the campaign, known as the Great Leap Forward. Some have criticised the statue online, for the perceived waste and what they see as the statue's insensitive location. But many others have leapt to its defence. Despite being responsible for so many deaths, Mao Zedong is revered by many in China, not least by President Xi Jinping, who praises him as a "great figure". President Xi has also attempted to centralise power in China's presidency, and has used Mao's legacy to build support, while admitting the former leader made "mistakes".

Question: A 37 m - high ( 120 ft ) gold - @placeholder statue of Chairman Mao has been built in China 's countryside .


Too many over-65s end up in accident and emergency unnecessarily, says the NHS Confederation's Commission on Improving Urgent Care for Older People. The group said this was because of a lack of help when they fell ill. It called for radical steps, including providing urgent care at home and getting doctors to carry out "ward rounds" in care homes. The commission's report said older people were "poorly served" and "all too often forced to go to A&E". And once in hospital, they faced longer stays and losing some of their independence. The report said older people needed more help navigating the complexities of the health and care system. It pointed to an Age UK scheme in Cornwall, where the frailest people had co-ordinators helping organise their care. It also said GPs could identify and work with patients most at risk of hospital admission. The report also highlighted a scheme in north-east London, where hospital and ambulance staff were working together to provide emergency care in people's homes. Nurses and paramedics assess and treat older people who have fallen but not suffered a fracture. Equipment, such as walking frames, can be arranged. And from April to July last year, seven in 10 of the patients seen had stayed at home. Another project highlighted was in Hertfordshire, where GPs visited care home residents on a regular basis, with rapid response teams on call to attend to residents who needed urgent help. Source: Commission on Improving Urgent Care for Older People Dr Mark Newbold, who chairs the commission, said: "Older people do need to access A&E at times, and the best hospitals tailor their service to meet their needs. "But all too often, older people are forced to go to A&E because the alternative services that would help them be cared for at home are not available at the time they need them." A spokeswoman for the Department of Health in England said the government was fully supportive of the ideas put forward. She pointed out a pot of money known as the Better Care Fund - amounting to ?¡ê5.3bn this year - had been set aside to fund schemes largely focused on keeping people out of hospital. The vision of improving care for older people was "being realised", she added. Meanwhile, the Local Government Association has called for more to be done to tackle loneliness, now a "major public health concern". Councillor Izzi Seccombe said it was increasingly being reported as an issue among older people referred to councils for care. She said the solution lay in supporting befriending schemes and those that tackled social isolation, many of which were run by the voluntary sector. "The impact of loneliness can be devastating," she added.

Question: Older people in need of urgent help are being @placeholder by the NHS , a group of English and Welsh health leaders say .


In a statement, the Defence Ministry said the report lacked "technical proof" when it used IP addresses to link hacking to a military unit. The report identified a Shanghai high-rise used by the military as the likely home of a hackers to whom it attributed multiple attacks on US companies. The US says it has repeatedly raised concerns with China about cyber theft. The Chinese ministry statement, posted on its website, said that many hacking attacks were carried out using hijacked IP addresses. By Jonathan MarcusBBC Diplomatic Correspondent The scale of the Chinese hacking alleged by the computer security firm Mandiant is striking. Until now the bulk of this hacking has been a digital version of old-fashioned industrial espionage - stealing designs and company secrets. But there is a more sinister side to this activity as well. Chinese hackers are alleged to have a growing interest in gaining access to key parts of the US infrastructure - gas lines, power grids and waterworks. President Barack Obama himself warned during his recent State of the Union address that the nature of the cyber threat was changing. Gaining access to critical systems is the key. Once inside the digital perimeter - especially if the intrusion is not identified, there is the possibility of causing real physical damage to the infrastructure that the computers control. There was no clear definition of what constituted a hacking attack, it went on, and as it was a cross-border, deceptive business, it was hard to pin down where attacks originated. It suggested that the "everyday gathering" of online information was being wrongly characterised as spying. The detailed report, released on Tuesday by US-based computer security company Mandiant, looked at hundreds of data breaches, most of which it attributed to what it termed "Advanced Persistent Threat" actors. The details it had uncovered, it said, showed that these groups were based primarily in China and that the Beijing government was aware of them. The most prolific of these actors was APT1, Mandiant said, describing it as "one of the most prolific cyber espionage groups in terms of the sheer quantity of information stolen". The firm said it had traced the hacking activities of APT1 to a Shanghai building. Unit 61398 of the People's Liberation Army "is also located in precisely the same area" and the actors had similar "missions, capabilities and resources", it added. APT1, it said, was staffed by hundreds of proficient English speakers. It had hacked into 141 companies across 20 industries, stealing information including blueprints, business plans, pricing documents, user credentials, emails and contact lists. Spokesman Jay Carney said the White House was "aware" of the Mandiant report and its contents. While not commenting directly, he described cyber espionage as a "very important challenge". "We have repeatedly raised our concerns at the highest levels about cyber-theft with senior Chinese officials including in the military and we will continue to do so," he said. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, meanwhile, said that the issue came up "in virtually every meeting we have with Chinese officials". "We consider this kind of activity a threat not only to our national security but also to our economic interests and [we are] laying out our concerns specifically so that we can see if there's a path forward," she said. China has long been suspected of a role in cyber hacking. But the issue has become more high-profile in recent months following widely reported hacks into media outlets including the New York Times - in that case apparently linked to a report by the paper on the wealth of relatives of outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao. The Chinese Defence Ministry statement pointed out that China was also a victim of hacking attacks. A Global Times editorial accused the US and its major allies of hyping up a China hacking "threat". "China should refute the allegations of US company Mandiant with authoritative reports from its technology sector," it said. "As a long-term counter-measure, China needs to encourage those institutions and individuals who have been subject to cyber-attacks from US IP addresses to stand up and tell the world what happened to them."

Question: China 's military says a report linking it to prolific hacking of US targets is @placeholder .


"Traitor". "Too much make-up". "Dressed as a woman but a hawkish man". These are some of the comments that have been flung in what has become one of the most negative campaigns of recent years in Japan. Twenty-one people will be running for Tokyo's top job in Sunday's election and former defence and environment minister Yuriko Koike is currently considered to be in the lead. She would become Tokyo's first female governor if elected. But unusually, Ms Koike's party - the ruling Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) - has chosen not to back her, in favour of Hiroya Masuda, a former governor of the Iwate prefecture between 1995 and 2007, who isn't a party member. The influential local LDP leadership, which is furious with Ms Koike's decision to announce her candidacy without consulting it, has even warned members they risk being ousted if they endorse anyone but Mr Masuda. Ms Koike's lead in the polls has annoyed LDP grandees, with former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, the father of the local LDP federation chairman, telling voters: "We cannot leave Tokyo to a woman with too much make-up." Her supporters were disgusted by what they called a sexist remark, but after decades in Japan's male-dominated political theatre, Ms Koike laughed it off: "I am used to it." Harsh comments have also come from other female politicians, however, with former Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima saying that she wouldn't support Ms Koike simply because she was a woman. "It's meaningless when she is dressed as a woman but inside is a hawkish man," she said. This comment drew criticism - it was seen to be insensitive as Ms Koike had her ovaries removed in 1998 because of fibroids. For journalist Shuntaro Torigoe - running as the joint candidate for several opposition parties - it has not been his gender but his age and health that have been publicly scrutinised. He is 76 and a cancer survivor. While also among the front-runners, his critics say his scrawled handwriting and at times rambling and contradictory speeches are proof he is too old and frail to lead. Some, including doctors, have even asked if he might have dementia. Mr Torigoe has said he is fit to govern and is simply being discriminated against because of his successful battle against the disease. He also faced one of the strongest insults possible in Japan, when Mr Ishihara called him a traitor to the country. This was because Mr Torigoe previously questioned whether it would be worth protecting the uninhabited Senkaku islands - also claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu - if they were attacked. Mr Ishihara, who had initiated the national purchase of the islands while governor in 2012, was infuriated by the suggestion. What appears to be affecting Mr Torigoe's popularity most, however, is an accusation that he made an inappropriate approach to women. Mr Torigoe is suing two tabloid magazines for libel, but his decision not to hold a press conference about the accusation, as well as his last-minute cancellation to appear on a debate programme, has led to criticism that he is contradicting his lifelong pursuit of a free press. As they go to the polls on Sunday, one of the main concerns in the minds of Tokyoites is the ballooning budget for the 2020 Olympics, which have been hit by other problems including allegations of corruption and plagiarism of original logo designs. Another major issue which the candidates are urged to seriously tackle is the lack of childcare, which would allow mothers to go back to work. But above all, transparency is crucial in many voters' minds after two past governors, Naoki Inose and Yoichi Masuzoe, resigned over money scandals. Whoever gets elected on Sunday will serve a four-year term and could be re-elected - but it is unclear if the next election will take place before, during or after the city's second Olympic Games in 2020. What voters want is stability and to avoid a revolving door at City Hall.

Question: Tokyo is preparing to vote for its next governor , one of the biggest jobs in Japan , which this term comes with the @placeholder pressure of overseeing the 2020 Olympics preparations . But as Mariko Oi reports , the election campaign has been marred by insult - slinging and allegations of sexism .


Miriam Rodr¨ªguez Mart¨ªnez was shot in her home in the town of San Fernando in Tamaulipas state. She was known for successfully investigating the kidnap and murder of her daughter by a local drug cartel, the Zetas. The information she gave the police ensured the gang members were jailed. But in March one of them escaped and her colleagues said she started to receive threats. She was killed on Mexico's mother's day, 10 May. Her colleagues said she had asked for police protection but was ignored. State prosecutor Irving Barrios told a news conference that security needs had been met and police officers made rounds three times a day. Her family disputes this. The Mexican human rights commission issued a statement saying it deplored her murder and called for a full investigation. Mrs Rodr¨ªguez founded the local group for families who were victims of violence after her daughter, Karen Alejandra, was kidnapped in 2012. She had managed to find her daughter's body in a clandestine grave and put her murderers in jail. She also foiled an attempted kidnapping by the Zetas of her husband, when she chased the gang in her car, at the same time notifying the army who then managed to arrest them. According to one of her fellow campaigners, Mrs Rodr¨ªguez felt she could not sit back after her daughter's killers were caught. "She told us that she was incomplete, that although she had found her daughter, nothing would ever return to normal for her," Graciela P¨¦rez told the BBC. Ms P¨¦rez, who also has a missing daughter, described the murdered activist as someone "with a very strong, caring and cheerful character". The group she established was part of a wider trend which mushroomed after the October 2014 disappearance of 43 students from Ayotzinapa in the southwestern state of Guerrero. Frustrated by a lack of government help, groups of families began their own searches for people who had disappeared in their areas, taking courses in forensic anthropology, archaeology, law, buying caving equipment and becoming experts in identifying graves and bones. There are now at least 13 of these groups across the country. The administration of former President Felipe Calder¨®n (2006-2012) militarised the Mexican security forces to fight the drug cartels. In 10 years, the so-called war on drugs he launched left tens of thousands of murder victims with numbers varying widely between civic institutions and government figures. The  International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) issued its annual survey of armed conflict on Tuesday, saying that 23,000 people had died in Mexico in armed conflict in 2016 The Mexican government has questioned these figures.

Question: A Mexican businesswoman who @placeholder a group of 600 families searching for their disappeared relatives has been killed .