Flooding disrupts South East travel

17 January 2014 Last updated at 09:25 GMT

South East road and rail closures after overnight flooding

The A23 has been closed in both directions because of flooding

Overnight flooding has severely disrupted road and rail services in the south-east of England.

A main line rail tunnel has been flooded, preventing trains from travelling between London and Brighton.

There have also been no train services between Tonbridge, Kent, and Redhill, Surrey.

Flooding on the A23 in Sussex has led to the carriageway being closed in both directions, between Bolney and Pease Pottage. Diversions are in place.

Delays on the A23 have been estimated at 90 minutes, with diversions taking motorists through Cowfold and Horsham.

Further showers are expected throughout the day.

A flood alert is in place at the Burford Bridge in Dorking, Surrey

'Immediate action'

Southern rail said due to flooding in the Balcombe tunnel, Sussex, there were currently no services between Haywards Heath and Three Bridges in either direction.

Replacement buses have also been affected by flooding on local roads, so passengers for London have been advised to travel via Barnham and the Arun Valley, or via Hastings for Southeastern services.

Southern tickets are being accepted on Southeastern and First Capital Connect services.

Gatwick Airport said despite the disruption to and from the airport, it was operating as normal.

However, passengers have been advised to allow plenty of extra time to reach the airport.

In Kent, there have been two flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency for the rivers Eden and Eden Brook from Crowhurst and Blindley Heath to Penshurst, and the River Darent from Westerham to Sevenoaks.

The Environment Agency said "immediate action" was required for people to protect their homes.

Hague wades into Scots-EU debate

17 January 2014 Last updated at 09:22 GMT

Scottish independence: William Hague joins Scots-EU debate

William Hague will launch the UK government's latest paper in Glasgow

Continue reading the main story

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said an independent Scottish state may not be able to negotiate the same terms of EU membership as the UK.

Mr Hague is in Glasgow to unveil the latest UK government paper.

He told BBC Scotland people "should be in no doubt" that if Scotland leaves the UK it would have to reapply for European Union membership.

First Minister Alex Salmond has argued Scotland's membership of the EU would be negotiated "from within".

He has stated that the terms of Scotland's membership would be negotiated during the period between a Yes vote in September this year and independence day in March 2016.

The first minister said that the EU would be keen to keep Scotland as a member and it would be open to discussions on matters such as the single currency.

Hold a referendum

Mr Hague told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that even if the European negotiations were "constructively-minded" it would still be a complicated process.

The foreign secretary said Scotland would be obliged to join the Euro single currency, which the Scottish government had said it would not do.

He said Scotland would also need to sign the Schengen agreement on border controls, which is "incompatible" with the Common Travel Area plans put forward by the Scottish government.

Mr Hague further claimed that Scotland would lose out on cash from the rebate which the UK gets from the EU.

The Conservative minister said his own party's plans to hold a referendum on EU membership if it was to win next year's UK general election were not an immediate threat.

He said: "I think it is a more immediately, dramatically uncertain world if Scotland were to vote to separate itself from the UK this coming year because what we are trying to achieve by 2017 is a reformed EU that we can recommend the whole of the UK stays in.

"Scotland in effect is going to have two referendums on whether to leave the EU and one of them is in September.

"People should be in no doubt, if part of a member state leaves the EU it has to reapply for membership and that will be a process of uncertain length and unknown outcome in terms of the terms that are negotiated and probably great cost. It means playing more to get less from the EU."

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused the UK government of acting against Scotland's interests.

In a letter to Mr Hague, she wrote: "Regardless of the outcome of the referendum on September 18, people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will always be Scotland's closest friends and neighbours.

"I also have no doubt that, in the event of a Yes vote, governments of an independent Scotland will work extremely closely with future Westminster governments.

"In European, international, defence and a range of other matters, our interests will often coincide and we will be able to work together constructively."

She went on to accuse Conservative politicians of putting the UK's membership of the EU in doubt, "driven by a fear of UKIP which does not exist in Scotland".

The deputy first minister also renewed her call for Prime Minister David Cameron to debate with Mr Salmond ahead of the referendum.

"The prime minister has insisted he will not take part in a debate with the first minister because, he says, it is a matter for voters in Scotland and not him or his government," she wrote.

"This position is increasingly hard to sustain given the succession of Westminster ministers continuing to make day trips to Scotland to oppose independence."

Hollande 'affair predates election'

17 January 2014 Last updated at 09:21 GMT

Hollande and Julie Gayet 'affair going for two years'

Mr Hollande is said to have had an affair with Julie Gayet (l) although his official partner is Valerie Trierweiler

The French gossip magazine Closer has published claims President Francois Hollande has been having an affair with actress Julie Gayet for two years.

The magazine also printed more details of alleged romance, which it says began during the 2012 presidential race.

Ms Gayet has announced she is suing Closer for breach of privacy.

Mr Hollande's official partner, Valerie Trierweiler, remains in hospital, where she was admitted after learning of the alleged affair a week ago.

'Turbulent romance'

In its latest revelations, Closer said the French president used a second apartment in the west of Paris to meet the 41-year-old actress.

It is claimed the pair snatched weekends together in the south of France, and that Mr Hollande made excuses to avoid a holiday in Greece last year with Ms Trierweiler, so he could travel instead to his Correze constituency with Ms Gayet.

The magazine said the president and Ms Gayet had been having a "turbulent romance" for two years - during and after Mr Hollande's election campaign.

The magazine did not publish any further photos despite earlier reports that it would.

A man resembling Mr Hollande, and Ms Gayet, were photographed at this apartment building near the Elysee

Ms Gayet is seeking 50,000 euros (£41,000; $68,000) in damages and 4,000 euros in legal costs from the magazine.

If she wins, Closer will have to publish the legal verdict on its cover page, AFP reports.

Mr Hollande decided not to take legal action after first threatening to.

Flowers and chocolates

The photos have plunged the presidency into crisis.

Ms Trierweiler - seemingly still keen to defend Mr Hollande's character - is said to have defended him after reports he had not visited her in hospital.

She phoned a journalist on Thursday to explain it was her doctors who had asked Mr Hollande not to attend, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris.

She said she is still too weak to stand - and that the president has sent flowers and chocolates in his absence, our correspondent adds.

In response to the reports, a source at the Elysee Palace said Mr Hollande was "not unhappy" about the hospital forbidding him to visit.

Meanwhile, French magazine Le Point has quoted a friend of Ms Trierweiler saying she had not tried to commit suicide but had taken "one pill too many".

Mr Hollande, 59, told reporters on Tuesday he was experiencing a "difficult moment" in his private life but refused to answer questions over the report in Closer, saying "private matters should be dealt with privately".

Nor would he clarify whether Ms Trierweiler, 48, was still first lady before a February trip to the US.

Closer published a seven-page report on the alleged affair, which Mr Hollande has not denied, last Friday.

Photos show a man in a crash helmet on a moped, said to be Mr Hollande, visiting an apartment building near the Elysee Palace. Ms Gayet is shown at the building in a separate photo.

Public reaction to the alleged affair has been generally muted in France.

Memorial service for US air crew

17 January 2014 Last updated at 08:51 GMT

USAF helicopter crash: Memorial service for victims

Staff Sgt Afton Ponce, Capt Christopher Stover, Technical Sgt Dale Matthews and Capt Sean Ruane were killed

Families of the four US Air Force crew killed when their helicopter crashed in Norfolk are expected to be at a memorial service later.

Capt Christopher Stover, Capt Sean Ruane, Technical Sgt Dale Mathews and Staff Sgt Afton Ponce died in the crash near Cley on 7 January.

They were in an HH-60G Pave Hawk, which was part of 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

The service at the base is not open to the public.

'Thoughts and prayers'

The United States Air Force (USAF) said thousands of people were expected at the service in Hangar 7 with "an overwhelming turnout from the military communities".

A spokesman said: "Your continued thoughts and prayers are appreciated."

An aircraft carrying the bodies of the three men and one woman left RAF Mildenhall earlier this week to return them to the US.

A police cordon around the scene and a road closure on the A149 from Salthouse to Old Woman's Lane is expected to remain in place until Monday.

Norfolk Police has handed the investigation over to the USAF, having said there was no evidence the crash was a criminal matter.

The USAF, supported by the Ministry of Defence, is to lead the investigation into the crash.

The investigation is expected to take several weeks.

VIDEO: Has the Sun gone to sleep?

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Has the Sun gone to sleep?

17 January 2014 Last updated at 05:57 GMT

Scientists are saying that the Sun is in a phase of "solar lull" - meaning that it has fallen asleep - and it is baffling them.

History suggests that periods of unusual "solar lull" coincide with bitterly cold winters.

Rebecca Morelle looks into the effect that this inactivity could have on our current climate, and what the implications might be for global warming.

Jakarta condemns Australia incursion

17 January 2014 Last updated at 08:40 GMT

Indonesia condemns Australian navy waters violations

Asylum-seekers travel to Australia via Indonesia, in often crowded and rickety boats

Indonesia has condemned Australian naval incursions into its waters as a "violation of its sovereignty".

Australia has apologised to Indonesia, saying its navy vessels "inadvertently" made the incursions during operations to stop asylum seekers.

Indonesia has asked Australia to suspend these operations until the incidents have been clarified.

The row comes amid reports Australia's navy have been pushing boats carrying asylum-seekers back to Indonesia.

At a press conference, Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the violations, which had occurred several times, had not been sanctioned by the government.

Australia took its "shared commitment with Indonesia to mutually respect the sovereignty of each nation very, very seriously", he said, adding that the foreign minister would offer an "unqualified apology".

Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, who leads operations to prevent boats carrying asylum seekers arriving in Australia, blamed the violations on "positional errors".

"We have never intended for our assets to operate or to enter the sovereign territory of another nation," he said.

Indonesia said in a statement on Friday that it "deplores and rejects the violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by Australian vessels".

It would "intensify its maritime patrols in areas where violations of its sovereignty and territorial integrity are at risk", it added.

"Indonesia demands that such [asylum] operations conducted by the Australian government that led to this incident be suspended until further clarification is received."

Tow-backs

The Australian government has been under scrutiny over asylum policy in recent days amid reports of boats being turned back to Indonesia.

Indonesia serves as a transit point for people-smugglers, who ferry people to Christmas Island, the closest part of Australian territory, on rickety boats. The number of boats rose sharply in 2012 and the beginning of 2013, and dozens of people have died making the journey.

Tony Abbott's government says his controversial asylum policies are working

When Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Liberal-National Coalition ousted Labor last year, it initiated Operation Sovereign Borders, giving the military control over the response to people-smugglers, and vowed to stop the boats.

In recent days multiple reports have emerged in Australian and Indonesian media of boats carrying asylum seekers being towed back to Indonesian waters by Australian navy vessels.

It has also been reported that Australia has bought lifeboats for the purpose of transporting asylum seekers back to Indonesia.

The government has refused to comment on these reports, citing operational sensitivities. But it did deny a report that an Australian navy vessel had fired shots into the air as it intercepted an asylum boat.

'No solution'

Earlier this month the Indonesia foreign minister spoke out on the alleged push-back policy.

"Let me once again put on record that Indonesia rejects Australia's policy to turn back the boats because such a policy is not actually conducive to a comprehensive solution," Marty Natalegawa said.

Ties between Australia and Indonesia remain strained in the wake of spying revelations in documents leaked by fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

Last week, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was seeking details from Canberra on the recent reports of push-backs.

"Any such approach would raise significant issues and potentially place Australia in breach of its obligations under the [1951] Refugee Convention and other international law obligations," UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards said.

The UN and rights groups have also strongly criticised conditions at Australia's offshore asylum processing camps, on the Pacific island of Nauru and on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

Earlier this week the Australian government said its asylum policies were working, with no new boat arrivals for over three weeks.

Asylum is a sensitive issue in Australia, despite the relatively small numbers involved. UNHCR's Asylum Trends 2012 report said Australia received only 3% of global asylum applications in 2012.

Syria opposition to decide on talks

17 January 2014 Last updated at 08:18 GMT

Syria conflict: Opposition considers talks attendance

Syria has been devastated by the long-running conflict

Continue reading the main story

Syria's main political opposition, the Syrian National Coalition, is meeting in Istanbul to decide whether to go to next week's peace talks.

The coalition is under pressure from the US and its allies to participate in the Geneva II conference, though many of its members have already pulled out.

Some are reluctant to go unless President Bashar al-Assad is excluded from any transitional government.

Damascus says there should be no pre-conditions for the talks.

The three-year conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.

Huge doubts

The Syrian National Coalition is deeply divided, with its key bloc - the Syrian National Council - threatening to boycott the talks.

Of the 120 members of the coalition, 44 have already pulled out of the meeting in Switzerland.

But all of them - and their regional backers such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia - are under huge pressure from the Americans and others to take up the opportunity to achieve the goals of the Syrian revolution, the BBC's Jim Muir in Lebanon reports.

However, our correspondent says that the coalition - if it goes to the talks - will be really weak, with huge doubts about how representative it is, as virtually none of the major fighting forces on the ground favour talking to the government.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (centre) insisted there was no "hidden agenda" regarding his meeting with his Iranian and Syrian counterparts.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was "no hidden agenda" to their meeting. "This does not mean that we have some tri-party (peace) draft," he told reporters.

Although the coalition is widely regarded abroad as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, several other opposition alliances and powerful Islamist rebel groups refuse to recognise its authority.

In the past fortnight alone, more than 1,000 people have been killed in battles between rebel forces and jihadist fighters, an activist group reports.

On the eve of the talks, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged the opposition to join.

Mr Kerry stressed that their aim was to begin the process of setting up a transitional government to end the war in Syria.

"The United States urges a positive vote," Mr Kerry said.

He described the 21 January Swiss peace conference as the beginning of a process "that is the best opportunity for the opposition to achieve the goals of the Syrian people and the revolution".

Mr Kerry stressed that only people "agreed by both the opposition and the regime" would be considered for a role in any future transitional government.

An official from the coalition told reporters earlier this week that they had been warned privately that Britain and the US would rethink their support if it did not attend the peace talks.

Hopes downplayed

Our correspondent says that the appeal of the peace talks has been lessened by the leaking of the Syrian government's response to the invitation. This makes it clear Damascus intends to focus on terrorism and has no intention of negotiating a transition of power.

Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has been holding talks with his counterparts from Russia and Iran - who remain allies of Damascus - in Moscow.

Mr Lavrov is keen for Iran to be part of the peace talks, but Mr Kerry has said that Tehran must first agree to the Geneva I communique which calls for a political transition in Syria.

In Damascus, Syria's National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar dampened hopes of a breakthrough next week.

"Don't expect anything from Geneva II. Neither Geneva II, not Geneva III nor Geneva X will solve the Syrian crisis," he said.

"The solution has begun and will continue through the military triumph of the state."

Masked gunman shoots 74-year-old man

17 January 2014 Last updated at 08:14 GMT

Ballycastle: Masked gunman shoots 74-year-old man

A 74-year-old man has been shot in County Antrim.

He was working in a shed at the Islandboy Road, Ballycastle, at 20:45 GMT on Thursday when a masked man approached.

He fired a shot and the elderly man was hit in the chest. He was taken to hospital where he is in a stable condition.

Police are treating the attack as attempted murder. They have appealed for information.

Hollande 'in affair for two years'

17 January 2014 Last updated at 07:28 GMT

Hollande and Julie Gayet 'affair going for two years'

Mr Hollande's official partner is Valerie Trierweiler (r), but he is alleged to have had an affair with Julie Gayet (l)

The French gossip magazine Closer has published claims President Francois Hollande has been having a secret romance with actress Julie Gayet for two years.

The magazine also printed more photographs of the couple together.

Ms Gayet has announced she is suing Closer for breach of privacy.

Mr Hollande's official partner, Valerie Trierweiler, remains in hospital, where she was admitted after learning of the alleged affair a week ago.

'Turbulent romance'

In its latest revelations, Closer said the French president used a second apartment in the west of Paris to meet the 41-year-old actress.

It is claimed the pair snatched weekends together in the south of France, and that Mr Hollande made excuses to avoid a holiday in Greece last year with Ms Trierweiler, so he could travel instead to his Correze constituency with Ms Gayet.

The magazine said the president and Ms Gayet had been having a "turbulent romance" for two years - during and after Mr Hollande's election campaign.

A man resembling Mr Hollande, and Ms Gayet, were photographed at this apartment building near the Elysee

Ms Gayet is seeking 50,000 euros (£41,000; $68,000) in damages and 4,000 euros in legal costs from the magazine.

If she wins, Closer will have to publish the legal verdict on its cover page, AFP reports.

Mr Hollande decided not to take legal action after first threatening to.

Flowers and chocolates

The photos have plunged the presidency into crisis.

Ms Trierweiler - seemingly still keen to defend Mr Hollande's character - is said to have defended him after reports he had not visited her in hospital.

She phoned a journalist on Thursday to explain it was her doctors who had asked Mr Hollande not to attend, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris.

She said she is still too weak to stand - and that the president has sent flowers and chocolates in his absence, our correspondent adds.

In response to the reports, a source at the Elysee Palace said Mr Hollande was "not unhappy" about the hospital forbidding him to visit.

Mr Hollande, 59, told reporters on Tuesday he was experiencing a "difficult moment" in his private life but refused to answer questions over the report in Closer, saying "private matters should be dealt with privately".

Nor would he clarify whether Ms Trierweiler, 48, was still first lady before a February trip to the US.

Closer published a seven-page report on the alleged affair, which Mr Hollande has not denied, last Friday.

Photos show a man in a crash helmet on a moped, said to be Mr Hollande, visiting an apartment building near the Elysee Palace. Ms Gayet is shown at the building in a separate photo.

Public reaction to the alleged affair has been generally muted in France.

'Deep concern' for missing boy

17 January 2014 Last updated at 08:10 GMT

Mikaeel Kular search: 'Deep concern' for missing boy

Mikaeel Kular was last seen going to bed on Wednesday evening

Police searching for a missing three-year-old boy have said they "remain optimistic" but are becoming "deeply concerned" as time passes.

Mikaeel Kular has not been seen since his mother put him to bed at his home in Ferry Gait Crescent, Edinburgh, at about 21:00 on Wednesday.

A police helicopter, sniffer dogs, coastguard and lifeboat teams have been involved in the ongoing search.

Supt Liz McAinsh urged anyone who may have seen Mikaeel to contact police.

Family, neighbours and the emergency services have searched through the night for Mikaeel who was reported missing at at 07:15 on Thursday.

A nearby community centre is being used as a meeting point for people who want to help with the search.

The charity Missing People will be showing Mikaeel's face on big screens in public places such as railway stations.

Police urged anyone with information to telephone the 0300 200 0200 number and asked local residents to check their gardens, sheds, parks and lock-ups.

The temperature dropped to around 3C in Edinburgh on Thursday night.

Police Scotland said that more than 100 people had already called the hotline.

Specialist teams are on standby and ready to act on any significant information provided, they added.

Overnight, police issued a photograph showing the boy in the coat he was believed to be wearing when he disappeared - a beige hooded jacket with grey fur-lined hood.

He may also have been wearing black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottoms, a grey pyjama top featuring an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest and brown Clark shoes with two Velcro straps.

An image released on Thursday shows Mikaeel in the jacket he was thought to have been wearing when he went missing

He is 3ft tall and has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left side of his mouth.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Supt McAinsh said there was "no evidence of any criminality at this point" and it was still a missing person inquiry.

She said there were "many, many lines of inquiry" and that all lines were being pursued.

"I remain optimistic but as time passes we are becoming deeply concerned," she said.

Supt Liz McAinsh renewed the appeal for information, urging anyone who may have seen Mikaeel to contact police.

"Significant Policing resources were deployed throughout the night but there is still no trace of Mikaeel," she said.

"There has been a fantastic response from the public with the dedicated phone number, which we issued yesterday, receiving numerous calls. However, we continue to urge anyone who may have information relating to Mikaeel's disappearance or current whereabouts, who hasn't yet contacted us, to get in touch via 0300 200 0200.

"As people are awakening again, I repeat our requests for them to be vigilant and check out any area where they see something different or out of place. Also to revisit their gardens, sheds and outhouses - even if they checked them yesterday.

"Today, we are continuing with our search using specialist officers, police dogs and horses and the air support unit."

No suspects

She said the police appreciated the support of the local community.

"Those who are keen to become involved in the search should attend the North Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Gardens at 10am where they will be briefed by my colleagues," she said.

There were no signs of a door being left open at the property, police said

"It is a cold January day, so please wear warm clothing and sturdy boots or footwear."

Earlier, Supt McAinsh confirmed there were no signs of a door being left open in the property and said she was not aware of anyone else having access to the flat.

Responding to reporters' questions on Thursday night she said Mikaeel would have been capable of opening doors and leaving the house by himself.

She added that a number of people were helping officers with their inquiries, but there were no suspects and had been no arrests or formal detentions.

Mikaeel, who is British with Asian parents, was at home with his mother and four siblings, including his twin sister, when he was last seen.

He normally sleeps in the same room as his twin sister, police said, but was alone on Wednesday.

Supt McAinsh confirmed that police had spoken to Mikaeel's father and his family were being very helpful.

Murray ready for stern Lopez test

17 January 2014 Last updated at 06:51

Andy Murray set for Feliciano Lopez test at Australian Open

By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

Australian Open third round: Murray v Lopez

• Venue: Melbourne Park
• Date: 18 January
• Time: Not before 03:30 GMT

Coverage: Live text commentary and BBC Radio 5 live coverage on BBC Sport website, mobiles and BBC Sport app

Andy Murray will face less brutal conditions but a far tougher opponent when he plays Feliciano Lopez at the Australian Open on Saturday.

Murray and Lopez have been scheduled for the third match on the Hisense Arena, not before 03:30 GMT.

The Wimbledon champion did not drop a set in rounds one and two - only his third and fourth competitive matches since recovering from back surgery.

He boasts a 7-0 record against Lopez, but their last meeting was a close one.

"I had a tough match with him at the US Open on the hard courts two years ago where he played well," said the Scot.

"I think it was 7-6 in the fourth set on a very, very hot day."

The temperature has been the theme of the opening week in Melbourne, with highs of over 40C for four days in a row, but the arrival of cooler air is forecast to bring a sharp dip to around 23C on Saturday.

Lopez, the 26th seed, has also reached the last 32 without dropping a set, but the 32-year-old from Toledo, Spain, is relishing the prospect of a more comfortable playing environment.

"Hopefully it's going to be a little bit cooler and we're going to play in better conditions," he told BBC Sport.

Asked how he would go about ending his run of defeats against the British number one, Lopez added: "It's tough to say what I really need to do to beat Andy.

"He's a great player. We played so many times and I never beat him. A couple of times I was close - the best match I played was at the US Open [in 2012] when I was really close, but I didn't get it.

"So I have to play the same but still a little bit better, because that was not enough."

The fact that Murray has only been involved in four competitive matches since September is not something that has instilled a greater confidence in Lopez.

"It's always tough for a player to get back after surgery, and it's tough for Andy because he hasn't played so many matches," said Lopez.

"I think it's obviously something that counts, but not a lot when he already won two matches here. He's going to be ready."

Murray, 26, is still feeling his way back into the highest level of tennis after his surgery but has shown flashes of his major-winning form in beating Go Soeda and Vincent Millot in Melbourne.

Lopez is a classier opponent, however, ranked 27th but the world number 15 just two years ago.

"He's got a great serve," said Murray. "He obviously comes to the net a bit and has a different game style to all of the guys nowadays.

"So that will, again, be another good test for me and naturally get tougher."

Saturday's night session will begin with defending champion Victoria Azarenka against Austrian Yvonne Meusburger at 08:00 GMT, followed by world number one Rafael Nadal against French 25th seed Gael Monfils.

Also related to this story

• Players 'need clear heat guidelines' 17 Jan 2014 Tennis
• Williams breezes into round four 17 Jan 2014 Tennis
• Murray defeats Millot in Melbourne 16 Jan 2014 Tennis
• Murray beats Soeda in stifling heat 14 Jan 2014 Tennis
• Tennis medic defends heat policy 16 Jan 2014 Tennis
• Hutchins wins on Grand Slam return 15 Jan 2014 Tennis
• 'Making us play in 42C was inhumane' 14 Jan 2014 Tennis

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VIDEO: Time-lapse shows coral's secret life

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Underwater time-lapse shows secret life of a coral reef

17 January 2014 Last updated at 00:29 GMT

Australia's Great Barrier Reef - the world's largest living organism - has been entrancing divers with its vivid colours and curious lifeforms for centuries.

But for one man, the glimpses he caught under water were not enough - he wanted to see more of the life hidden from most people.

Using time-lapse photography, Dr Pim Bongaerts of University of Queensland's Global Change Institute has spent the past five years documenting the movement, communication and even violent interactions that living corals engage in.

It is all behaviour that is part of the life cycle of a coral reef, but happens too slowly for us to see.

Dr Bongaerts shared some of his remarkable time-lapse footage exclusively with the BBC, and revealed some of the underwater mysteries that it has brought to life.

Time-lapse footage courtesy of Pim Bongaerts

Video journalists: Victoria Gill and Damian Fasolo

Real Time is a series for the BBC News website in which ordinary people tell their own extraordinary stories.

VIDEO: Time-lapse shows coral's secret life

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Underwater time-lapse shows secret life of a coral reef

17 January 2014 Last updated at 00:29 GMT

Australia's Great Barrier Reef - the world's largest living organism - has been entrancing divers with its vivid colours and curious lifeforms for centuries.

But for one man, the glimpses he caught under water were not enough - he wanted to see more of the life hidden from most people.

Using time-lapse photography, Dr Pim Bongaerts of University of Queensland's Global Change Institute has spent the past five years documenting the movement, communication and even violent interactions that living corals engage in.

It is all behaviour that is part of the life cycle of a coral reef, but happens too slowly for us to see.

Dr Bongaerts shared some of his remarkable time-lapse footage exclusively with the BBC, and revealed some of the underwater mysteries that it has brought to life.

Time-lapse footage courtesy of Pim Bongaerts

Video journalists: Victoria Gill and Damian Fasolo

Real Time is a series for the BBC News website in which ordinary people tell their own extraordinary stories.

Negredo is the new Shearer - Savage

16 January 2014 Last updated at 20:44

Robbie Savage: Alvaro Negredo is the new Alan Shearer

By Robbie Savage BBC Sport

Manchester City will win the Premier League this season and buoyed by the best strike force in Europe, they could trump Manchester United's treble in 1999 by winning a historic quadruple.

As United won the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League at the end of the 1990s, their local rivals City were defeating Gillingham in the third-tier play-off final at Wembley.

This week City boss Manuel Pellegrini said he wanted to mark his debut season in England by winning four trophies - the Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup. If they do, his strike trio of Alvaro Negredo, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko will have been a major factor.

With 99 goals in just 33 matches this season, City will reach a century eight games quicker than any side in Premier League history if they score against Cardiff on Saturday.

That shows the strength of City's attacking talent and with their three strikers seemingly pushing one another to reach new heights, I think the quadruple is not out of the question.

Alvaro Negredo, 31 appearances, 21 goals

The Spaniard is the nearest thing to an old fashioned number nine that the Premier League has had since the retirement of Alan Shearer in 2006.

At Real Madrid, Negredo did not play a competitive minute, but a loan spell at Almeria followed by four seasons at Sevilla have honed a player City fans have christened 'The Beast' into someone whose game perfectly fits English football.

If I had to pick one of City's strikers to stay at the club the longest, it would be him.

Physically he lives up to his nickname and is very similar to Shearer. He has desire, pace, aggression. And he sprints into the box as if all he can see is the ball and the goal - I have only seen Shearer do that.

There has been no easing-in period for the Spaniard either, as he has played more minutes than any striker at the club this season.

His desire, coupled with Pellegrini's faith in him, has paid off for City.

An eagerness to lay off the ball and dart into the box has helped him to 21 goals in all competitions in his debut City season. With 17 of them coming at the Etihad Stadium, it seems he feels at home in Manchester.

At £22m, City picked him up for £4m less than Tottenham paid for Roberto Soldado. It is safe to say City got the better deal.

Rather like Shearer, Negredo must be a nightmare to play against.

Sergio Aguero, 21 appearances, 20 goals

Argentine Aguero is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the history of the Premier League.

As we saw when he scored the goal against QPR that so dramatically clinched the Premier League title in 2012, Aguero is a deadly finisher.

It is no surprise that, with 60% of his shots hitting the target this season, he is City's most accurate striker.

A month on the sidelines with a calf injury was swiftly put behind him when he scored within a minute of his second-half introduction against Blackburn in the FA Cup on Wednesday, nudging him to 16 goals in 14 games.

His movement is superb, his low centre of gravity makes him a nuisance and he is dynamic. The 25-year-old has an eye for a goal, gets in the box and with three Premier League assists, he is the most creative of City's front men this season.

Aguero has a good partnership with Negredo and I expect this to flourish and develop even more.

They have an instinct that cannot be taught. The top players know exactly where their team-mates are.

I was taught as a kid that at any point in a game, if the manager shouts 'stop', you should be able to name exactly where every player is stood behind you. If you stopped the game at any point, Negredo or Aguero would be able to do it. It is the sign of a good player.

With 67 goals in 109 appearances for City, it is beyond question that Aguero is world class.

And when he decides to leave England, I think the mark he will have left on City and the league in general will be up there with Shearer, Thierry Henry, Michael Owen and other top strikers.

He is quite simply different class.

Edin Dzeko, 26 appearances, 15 goals

I think Dzeko is very unfortunate. I say that because with Negredo and Aguero at the club, he has two world-class strikers in front of him.

What would some sides, including City's title rivals Chelsea, give to have a striker who has scored 15 goals in 26 Premier League appearances?

As we saw in the first-half of City's FA Cup win over Blackburn, he can be wayward on occasion with his shooting.

The stats show that his average of 6.2 shots for every top-flight goal he scores makes the Bosnian the most inefficient striker of the key three at City this season.

So it is perhaps understandable that he is often viewed as City's Plan B - but he is some Plan B.

He is superb in the air and offers something different to Negredo and Aguero. At a time when rotation at the top clubs is important, he is a great player to have in reserve.

In all, 13 of his 35 Premier League goals since arriving in Manchester in January 2011 have come as a substitute.

Only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jermain Defoe and Kanu have scored more goals from the bench, but for me, Dzeko should not be viewed purely as an understudy.

He has proved he can do it from the start of games, a feat which shows he has more about him than Javier Hernandez at Manchester United - and he provides more evidence of the flexibility which I believe will see City win the Premier League.

A top-quality supply line

When I played for Birmingham under Steve Bruce, he told me any side is only as good as its strikers. By that measure, City are some side.

Only Liverpool have had more shots on goal this season and with 21.3% of City's shots finishing in the net, no side is more deadly when opportunity strikes.

But every striker needs someone to craft an opening for him and City have an embarrassment of riches in that department. City currently have eight players among the top 40 on the Premier League's assists table.

Many players just smash balls at team-mates, but City's creative midfielders always pass the ball in front of their forwards, allowing them to break quickly as a unit. They boast players whose perception of a pass is far greater than that of an average Premier League footballer.

In contrast to what was said about Roberto Mancini, Pellegrini seems to be willing to put an arm around his players and encourage them to try again if they make mistakes.

It is paying off. His side are potent and if that continues, his arms could well be wrapped around four trophies by May.

Robbie Savage was talking to BBC Sport's Luke Reddy.

Also related to this story

• Quadruple a matter of time - Kompany 16 Jan 2014 Man City
• Pellegrini targets City quadruple 14 Jan 2014 Man City
• Pellegrini stresses Aguero value 16 Jan 2014 Man City
• The 12 Man Utd players Savage says should go 10 Jan 2014 Football
• 2014 Fifa World Cup draw information 06 Dec 2013 World Cup 2014
• Get Inspired: FOOTBALL 19 Jul 2013 Get Inspired

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Obama and Cameron discuss NI talks

17 January 2014 Last updated at 06:20 GMT

Haass talks: Obama and Cameron discuss Northern Ireland

Barack Obama and David Cameron discussed NI among a number of international issues

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The US president and the British prime minister have discussed the outcome of the Haass talks in Northern Ireland during a wide-ranging phone call.

Barack Obama and David Cameron both acknowledged the effort Dr Richard Haass made in his attempt to broker a deal, according to Downing Street.

Dr Haass led talks to resolve remaining problems in the NI peace process.

Downing St said Mr Cameron and Mr Obama agreed that responsibility on finding a way forward lies with NI's leaders.

The prime minister and the president spoke about recent developments in Northern Ireland during a telephone conversation on Thursday afternoon.

'Difficult issues'

Their discussion also covered Syria, Afghanistan and the United States' review of intelligence programmes.

A spokesperson for Number 10 said: "On Northern Ireland, the prime minister and president acknowledged Richard Haass' very considerable efforts over recent months to encourage all sides in Northern Ireland to reach agreement on a range of difficult issues.

"Responsibility for finding a way forward continues to lie with political leaders in Northern Ireland, and the UK and US governments will continue to support and encourage this process."

A spokesperson for the United States' National Security Agency (NSA) said President Obama had spoken to Mr Cameron "as part of their ongoing consultations on shared security challenges and advancing the special relationship".

They said the US and UK leaders had "stressed the need for Northern Ireland's political parties to agree to concrete next steps on the Haass proposals, implement the Building a United Community initiative, and more broadly, continue to advance progress on the peace process in Northern Ireland".

'US deadline'

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said he believes the US government has a deadline in mind for the ongoing political negotiations linked to the Haass talks.

Mr McGuinness told BBC Northern Ireland programme The View: "I'll tell you what I think the Americans' deadline is - this needs to be done before St Patrick's Day, as far as they are concerned.

"Every year we are invited to the White House to meet with the president, they've taken a huge interest," he added.

The Sinn Féin representative said that Northern Ireland has been "hugely successful over the course of the last two or three years" in attracting foreign direct investment, much of it from businesses in the United States.

"I don't have any doubts whatsoever that their focus is very much on what is happening here at the moment," he added.

Dr Richard Haass is an American diplomat who served as US envoy to Northern Ireland from 2001 to 2003.

Last September, he returned to Belfast to chair months of intensive talks, in a bid to reach all-party agreement on disputes over flags, parades and dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland's violent past.

The Haass talks broke up without a deal on New Year's Eve.

Informed sources have told the BBC that during the final days in December, both President Obama and US Vice President Joe Biden had been getting regular briefings on the state of the negotiations.

Vice-President Biden rang Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson on 29 December, urging him to reach an agreement.

VIDEO: What makes a 'hot' property market?

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What makes a 'hot' property market?

17 January 2014 Last updated at 07:34 GMT

Does the founder of one of the biggest property companies in Asia think there is a housing bubble in global hot stops?

Liew Mun Leong has been in the property business for more than 20 years, and has recently retired from the presidency of his company, CapitaLand.

He explains to the BBC's Chief business correspondent Linda Yueh what makes a property market "hot".

Hollande 'affair lasted two years'

17 January 2014 Last updated at 07:28 GMT

Hollande and Julie Gayet 'having affair for two years'

Mr Hollande's official partner is Valerie Trierweiler (r), but he is alleged to have had an affair with Julie Gayet (l)

The French gossip magazine Closer has published claims President Francois Hollande has been having a secret romance with actress Julie Gayet for two years.

The magazine also printed more photographs of the couple together.

Ms Gayet has announced she is suing Closer for breach of privacy.

Mr Hollande's official partner, Valerie Trierweiler, remains in hospital, where she was admitted after learning of the alleged affair a week ago.

'Turbulent romance'

In its latest revelations, Closer said the French president used a second apartment in the west of Paris to meet the 41-year-old actress.

It is claimed the pair snatched weekends together in the south of France, and that Mr Hollande made excuses to avoid a holiday in Greece last year with Ms Trierweiler, so he could travel instead to his Correze constituency with Ms Gayet.

The magazine said the president and Ms Gayet had been having a "turbulent romance" for two years - during and after Mr Hollande's election campaign.

A man resembling Mr Hollande, and Ms Gayet, were photographed at this apartment building near the Elysee

Ms Gayet is seeking 50,000 euros (£41,000; $68,000) in damages and 4,000 euros in legal costs from the magazine.

If she wins, Closer will have to publish the legal verdict on its cover page, AFP reports.

Mr Hollande decided not to take legal action after first threatening to.

Flowers and chocolates

The photos have plunged the presidency into crisis.

Ms Trierweiler - seemingly still keen to defend Mr Hollande's character - is said to have defended him after reports he had not visited her in hospital.

She phoned a journalist on Thursday to explain it was her doctors who had asked Mr Hollande not to attend, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris.

She said she is still too weak to stand - and that the president has sent flowers and chocolates in his absence, our correspondent adds.

In response to the reports, a source at the Elysee Palace said Mr Hollande was "not unhappy" about the hospital forbidding him to visit.

Mr Hollande, 59, told reporters on Tuesday he was experiencing a "difficult moment" in his private life but refused to answer questions over the report in Closer, saying "private matters should be dealt with privately".

Nor would he clarify whether Ms Trierweiler, 48, was still first lady before a February trip to the US.

Closer published a seven-page report on the alleged affair, which Mr Hollande has not denied, last Friday.

Photos show a man in a crash helmet on a moped, said to be Mr Hollande, visiting an apartment building near the Elysee Palace. Ms Gayet is shown at the building in a separate photo.

Public reaction to the alleged affair has been generally muted in France.

Flooding disrupts traffic and trains

17 January 2014 Last updated at 07:23 GMT

Sussex road and rail closures after overnight flooding

Overnight flooding has severely disrupted road and rail services in Sussex.

Balcombe tunnel, on the Brighton mainline, has been flooded, preventing trains from travelling northbound into London.

And flooding on the A23 has led to the carriageway being closed in both directions, between Bolney and Pease Pottage. Diversions are in place.

Further showers are expected throughout the day.

Injuries at Bangkok protest blast

17 January 2014 Last updated at 07:27 GMT

Thailand crisis: Injuries at Bangkok protest blast

The blast happened at a rally led by Mr Suthep, left, in Bangkok

A blast at an anti-government rally in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, has injured at least 22 people, amid an ongoing political crisis.

The blast took place at a rally led by opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who was unhurt.

At least eight people have died since protests, triggered by a controversial amnesty bill, began in November.

The protesters have been blocking major road junctions in Bangkok since Monday and are camped out in some areas.

They want Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who they allege is influenced by her brother, deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra, to step down in place of an unelected "people's council".

Ms Yingluck has called elections on 2 February, but the opposition are boycotting the polls.

A deputy national police spokesman said the incident took place shortly after 13:00 local time (06:00 GMT). Reports suggest an explosive device was thrown.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the incident.

17 January 2014 Last updated at 07:21 GMT

Oil giant Shell in profit warning

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has issued a profit warning after it made less money than expected in the final quarter of 2013.

"Fourth quarter 2013 figures... are expected to be significantly lower than recent levels of profitability, considering current oil and gas prices and the downstream oil products industry environment," the company said in a statement.

Coomes & Buckland win Euro bronze

16 January 2014 Last updated at 21:14

Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland win European ice dance bronze

British ice dancers Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland won the first European figure skating medals of their careers on Thursday with bronze in Budapest.

The couple, preparing to compete at their second Olympics next month, scored a career-best 158.69.

Italy's Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte won gold with 171.61 ahead of Russia's Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov on 170.51.

Sinead and John Kerr were Britain's last European medallists in 2011.

The Kerr siblings twice won European bronze before retiring from the sport a year after their eighth-place finish at Vancouver 2010, where Coomes and Buckland were 20th on their debut.

Maidenhead's Coomes and Nottingham skater Buckland, considered Britain's best figure-skating prospects at Sochi 2014, lay third heading into the free dance after a strong short dance.

They produced a superb free dance to a Michael Jackson medley, as Buckland imitated the pop legend with a lone white glove, to deliver a personal-best score on the night and hold on to third place.

Buckland had heart surgery in October to correct a condition known as tachycardia. The condition caused his heart to occasionally beat at an unusually fast rate.

Earlier, GB's Matthew Parr failed to progress from the men's short programme.

Newcastle 23-year-old Parr finished 27th in the men's short programme with a score of 49.32, needing at least 52.08 to place among the top 24 skaters who will contest the free skate on Saturday.

Parr has not qualified for the Winter Olympics in the men's individual competition, but will compete for GB in the team event, which is being held for the first time at Sochi 2014.

Jenna McCorkell, Britain's entrant in this year's Olympic women's event, scored 39.59 to finish 24th in her short programme on Wednesday - just enough to qualify for Friday's free skate.

Russia's Adelina Sotnikova leads the women's standings after the short programme with 70.73, ahead of 15-year-old compatriot Julia Lipnitskaia on 69.97.

Javier Fernandez, the Spanish defending champion, holds an impressive lead in the men's event with a score of 91.56 compared to the 85.51 of second-placed Russian Sergei Voronov.

Two British pairs begin their European challenge on Friday: Olympic team members Stacey Kemp and David King alongside young duo Amani Fancy and Chris Boyadji, who recently beat Kemp and King to the British title in their first season together.

The European Championships are the final event for Britain's skaters before next month's Olympics, with the team figure skating event beginning on 6 February, one day before Sochi 2014's opening ceremony.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were Britain's last European champions in 1994, winning the event for the fourth time in Copenhagen before taking Olympic bronze later that year in Lillehammer.

Also related to this story

• The shadow of Torvill and Dean 15 Jan 2014 Sochi 2014
• Heart surgery in October, Olympics in February 27 Nov 2013 Sochi 2014
• Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics schedule 08 Jan 2014 Sochi 2014
• Sochi sport-by-sport explained 10 Jan 2014 Sochi 2014
• Winter Olympics: Team GB profiles 19 Dec 2013 Sochi 2014

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