victory for hamilton, but it was not enough to stop nico rosberg winning his first world title. his shock retirement. the year in rugby union began as always with a bang, in the six nations tournament, and whilst all teams had their moments, the story of success was built here at the home of english rugby. they had been, a side in crisis, but a new coach, a new captain, and suddenly they were looking like a new team, and in this tournament, nobody could compete. what a try for england. a glorious grand slam won on foreign shores but built in england. it was just the beginning, they had to go to the other side of the world to see just how far they had come. a 3—0 whitewash of australia and again the rugby world was taking note, fittingly, it was back at twickenham, against australia, that england completed a flawless year. they have beaten everybody put before them. in the woman six nations, france were crowned champions. whilst in the club game saracens were all conquering, premiership and champions cup winners, connachts triumphing in the pro 12. welcome to wembley stadium for

it was a name in the frame when nico rosberg surprised many five days after winning the number one spotuncing he was going to retire. valterri bottas has always been linked with that vacancy at mercedes. he has had relative success with williams, the team he has been with until today. he picked up has been with until today. he picked up his first podium finish and since then he has finished on the podium nine times. he has never actually won a race. when he links up with lewis hamilton and mercedes that will be the first thing on the agenda, to get that first formula one top spot under his belt. interesting to hear what lewis hamilton said on twitter. he said, welcome to the team. perhaps the relationship between them will not be as combustible as it was with nico rosberg last season. toto wolff, the mercedes team chief, has said, it is time to see how he can step up to challenge for wins and championships, valterri bottas. he will be expected to challenge for those big wins when the season comes around. it has left a vacancy at williams. felipe massa will go into a fourth consecutive s

bottas has moved from williams to fill the seat left vacant when nico rosberg retired, after winningle. felipe massa returns to williams to replace bottas, who's excited about teaming up with hamilton. we have been racing many years together and we have had a chat, but iam together and we have had a chat, but i am still getting better. if you think along the driving side and working as a team, i see it can be very good. he obviously has more experience than me, but i see us as a good pairfor the team. experience than me, but i see us as a good pairforthe team. i experience than me, but i see us as a good pairfor the team. i am sure we can work well together and share a lot of things and hopefully push each other forward and that way it will be good for the team. let's bring you some of the day's football stories — west ham have rejected a second bid from marseille for striker dimitri payet. the french side have reportedly added another million pounds to their initial i9—million offer. but west ham are still refusing to sell, despite the fact that he's not currently playing or trainin

the finnish driver has been announced as nico rosberg's replacement, after the german world championrmula 1 title. he leaves the williams team to team up with three—time champion lewis hamilton. i'm prepared to work really hard. i'm prepared to work really hard. i'm still young and fast, and obviously lewis is going to be a great reference, many time world champion. everyone else is excited how good he is, so it is going to be great dean witter lewis, being his team—mates, and also for me to compare to him. but first of all for us compare to him. but first of all for us to work together. —— being with lewis. he is england's number one batsman, and he might be about to get the topjob. there are calls forjoe root to take over as test captain. alastair cook is said to be considering stepping down, after his team lost their test series in india. root, who is with the one day side out there, has been asked if he would like the job. but he just says cook needs space. it is completely out of my hands. it isa it is completely out of my hands. it is a decision that cookey has two, and tim and

he's been announced as nico rosberg's replacement after the german world champion quit just days afterarts the williams team, to be replaced by felipe massa, who had onlyjust retired, but returns to his old team with the vacant seat opening up. let's bring you some of the day's football stories... west ham have rejected a second bid from marseille for striker dimitri payet. the french side have reportedly added another million pounds to their initial £19 million offer. but west ham are still refusing to sell him, despite the fact that he's not currently playing or training with the first team. west bromwich albion have made a £10 million bid for hull city midfielderjake livermore. head coach tony pulis is a long—time admirer of livermore, having tried to sign him when he was crystal palace manager. and he still needs to strengthen his squad, after missing out on morgan schneiderlin. diego costa has trained alone at chelsea's base in surrey for a second day, after missing his side's win at leicester on saturday. manager antonio conte says costa has a back injury, but there's has been sp

the finn replaces nico rosberg who retired after winning the world title. the va ca nt title. felipe massa returns to the vacant seat at williams. and fran halsall has announced her retirement from swimming. she won over 30 medals at worldcom european and commonwealth level and say she is ready for the next chapter in her life. northern ireland's devolved government looks set to collapse in the next few hours after sinn fein failed to nominate a new deputy first minister to replace martin mcguinness. annita mcveigh is in stormont for us. i have to say, there's a slightly surreal quality to what's going on here today. on the screen over my shoulder is the health minister michele o'neil. its question time at the moment in the assembly chamber and she is answering various questions. before that it was the finance minister. business is continuing but very soon they will be discussing rhi, the renewable heat incentive. the whole scheme on which this particular crisis is turning. although it is about much more than that. and then shortly after that, we expect to

he's been announced as nico rosberg's replacement.l be taken by felipe massa, who only just retired, but will return to the team. northern ireland's mark allen has knocked out former world champion john higgins at the masters snooker. allen beat the world number three in a thrilling match, winning by 6 frames to 5 at alexandra palace in london. it's the third time higgins has lost to allen in the first round of the masters. that's all sport for now. i'll have more in sportsday at 6.30pm. thank you very much. we will catch up thank you very much. we will catch up with you later on. on friday, donald trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the united states. his election to the white house followed one of the most bitter and divisive campaigns in american history, and many have questioned if the new leader is capable of really uniting the country, as he's promised. to find out, jon kay has set off on a road trip through the heart of america — along the iconic route 45 — travelling from north to south. today, in the first of a we

big boots to fill, valtteri bottas is announced as nico rosberg's replacement at mercedes where he willdelays getting specialist treatment, due to referral management centres used by some gps in england. the centres were designed to reduce nhs spending, by limiting unnecessary referrals to hospital. but the british medical association says they create barriers and take decisions away from doctors. and the bbc has found many referrals were refused due to administration errors, rather than clinical reasons. our health editor hugh pym has more. if a gp refers you for a hospital checkup or treatment, you might think it would happen automatically, but in some areas, the decision has to be vetted by another organisation, sometimes a private company. and that's the subject of a growing controversy. tracy used to find everyday household chores a nightmare, in constant pain because of her varicose veins. i was in so much pain with my leg, 2a hours a day. i wasn't sleeping properly. i was struggling to get through my work. her gp recommended an operation on the nhs, but this was barred by the ref

team makes it likely bottas will leave williams to join the german team to replace world champion nico rosbergilor alex thomson has set a world record for the longest distance sailed solo in 2a hours in the vendee globe — that's the non—stop race around the world. thomason covered 536.8 miles — an average of 25 miles an hour for a whole day. he broke the previous record by two miles, and now he's looking to win the race. looking forward to it. been working ha rd looking forward to it. been working hard the last couple of days. it's a lot easier with anemometer. not too bad. feel in good shape, ready for the last run in, give it my all and keep my fingers crossed. that's all sport for now. and you can also watch the masters snooker on the bbc sport website right now. john higgins is taking on mark allen. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. i'll have more in the next hour. you are watching bbc news with me, simon mccoy. the breaking news, a man has been taken to hospital, three others have been injured after an explosion which has almost com pletely an explosion whic

he has moved to fill the seat left vacant when nico rosberg retired after winning the world title.triker. they have reportedly added another million pounds to the initial 90 million pounds to the initial 90 million for the offer. west ham are still refusing to sell despite the fa ct still refusing to sell despite the fact he is not currently playing or training with the first team. rory mcilroy has pulled out of golf‘s abu dhabi championship after scans showed he has fractured a rib. he picked the problem in south africa last week, but played on believing it to be fatigued. he just lost out ina it to be fatigued. he just lost out in a play—off yesterday. he said he was bitterly disappointed to miss the event, where he has finished as a runner—up four times previously. mark allen has knocked out former world champion john higgins mark allen has knocked out former world championjohn higgins at the masters snooker in london. it was a dramatic deciding frame. he potted an incredible pink to beat the world number three 6—5. what a shock it was. it is the third time higgins has lost to a

he replaces nico rosberg after the world champion's shock retirement in december.s been knocked out in the opening round of the masters snooker. he was beaten in a final frame decider by northern ireland's mark allen, who potted this incredible pink to progress to the second round. and rory mcilroy has been forced to withdraw from this week's event in abu dhabi with a fractured rib. he almost pulled out of the south african 0pen last week but played on through the pain. quite interesting that actually, there is never a good time to be injured but now is probably the best time. to get ready for the masters. gets better. let's have a look at the papers. as you can imagine, lots of brexit talk. may sets out hard vision in a bid to calm the markets, and trump broadside stuns europe, with reaction from angela merkel, who took from trump yesterday. the picture is all about the start of the salmon fishing season, that was on the banks of the river tay yesterday. talking about theresa may's free britain, the 12 point plan and she rejects a deal that leaves us half in, half

the finn replaces nico rosberg, who retired after winning the world title. at williams. and four—time olympic champion laura kenny could miss the world track cycling championships in hong kong in april. she's pulled out of this month's british championships in manchester with a hamstring injury. i'll be back with more on those stories. northern ireland's devolved government looks set to collapse in the next few hours after sinn fein failed to nominate a new deputy first minister to replace martin mcguinness. the northern ireland secretary will now have to call a snap—election. it follows the scandal of a failed renewable energy scheme which could cost almost half a billion pounds. chris page has more. after a week with no functioning government, this is the moment when northern ireland's power—sharing executive finally collapsed. today, sinn fein will not renominate for the position of deputy first minister. sinn fein has honoured all agreements. we have striven to make these institutions work. sinn fein's refusal to replace martin mcguinness as deputy first

the highly—rated german had been one of the drivers in contention to replace nico rosberg at the constructorst season and had been part of mercedes' young driver programme. it's now thought a deal is almost complete for valtteri bottas to move from williams to mercedes to partner lewis hamilton. british sailor alex thomson has set a world record for the longest distance sailed solo in a day, in the vendee globe — that's the non—stop race around the world. thompson covered 536.8 miles, which averages out atjust over 25 miles per hour over a 24—hour period. now that he's broken the record, and reduced the gap on the leader, thompson wants to become the first briton to win the race. looking forward to it. been working ha rd looking forward to it. been working hard the last couple of days in the light breeze. not easy with an animatorjust there, light breeze. not easy with an animator just there, but light breeze. not easy with an animatorjust there, but not light breeze. not easy with an animator just there, but not too bad. getting enough sleep, eating well, ready for the last run in. i will gi