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The case might have ended with Kriangkrai jailed for under three years and Saudi Arabia decrying the disappearance of the prince's jewels, and the blue diamond in particular. Instead, the investigation took a bloody turn. In early February 1990, two officials from the visa section of the Saudi embassy in Bangkok were driving towards the compound in the Thai capital. About a half a mile from their destination, their car was attacked by gunmen and both men were killed. At about the same time, another gunman entered the apartment of one of the men's colleagues and shot him dead. Weeks afterwards, a Saudi businessman, Mohammad al-Ruwaili, was despatched to Bangkok to investigate what might have happened to the missing hoard. But he too was targeted - he was kidnapped and, while his body has never been found, he is widely believed to have been murdered. Plenty of theories about the killings exist. According to a diplomatic note written in 2010 by the deputy chief of mission in the US embassy in Bangkok, and later released by Wikileaks, the killings of the three diplomats "almost certainly were part of a Saudi feud with Hezbollah", the Lebanese Shia Muslim militant group. But one Saudi official in particular was clear about who was responsible. Mohammed Said Khoja, a Saudi diplomat of 35 years' experience, was sent to Bangkok soon after the theft to oversee the investigation. After expecting to be in Thailand for only three months, he ended up staying for several years.

The case might have ended with Kriangkrai jailed for under three years and Saudi Arabia decrying the disappearance of the prince's jewels, and the blue diamond in particular. Instead, the investigation took a bloody turn. In early February 1990, two officials from the visa section of the Saudi embassy in Bangkok were driving towards the compound in the Thai capital. About a half a mile from their destination, their car was attacked by gunmen and both men were killed. At about the same time, another gunman entered the apartment of one of the men's colleagues and shot him dead. Weeks afterwards, a Saudi businessman, Mohammad al-Ruwaili, was despatched to Bangkok to investigate what might have happened to the missing hoard. But he too was targeted - he was kidnapped and, while his body has never been found, he is widely believed to have been murdered. Plenty of theories about the killings exist. According to a diplomatic note written in 2010 by the deputy chief of mission in the US embassy in Bangkok, and later released by Wikileaks, the killings of the three diplomats "almost certainly were part of a Saudi feud with Hezbollah", the Lebanese Shia Muslim militant group. But one Saudi official in particular was clear about who was responsible. Mohammed Said Khoja, a Saudi diplomat of 35 years' experience, was sent to Bangkok soon after the theft to oversee the investigation. After expecting to be in Thailand for only three months, he ended up staying for several years.

It was the disappearance of one piece in particular that caused consternation, however: a rare 50-carat blue diamond the size of an egg. Only about 1 in 10,000 diamonds has a distinct body colour, and of those, just a tiny minority are blue, ensuring they are among the rarest and most valuable in the world. Their distinct colour comes from the faint traces of boron inside, an element present when the diamond was formed up to 600km (370 miles) below the Earth's surface. Many of the blue diamonds in circulation today come from one source - the Cullinan mine near Pretoria in South Africa - but the origin story of the Saudi blue diamond is unclear and no known photographs of it exist.

That night, Kriangkrai hid the valuables all over the palace, in places he knew they would not be discovered. And then, over a month, he moved them and hid them in the middle of a large cargo delivery he was sending home to Thailand. By the time the theft was discovered, Kriangkrai had already fled to his native Thailand, with his cargo leaving a few days before him. But the thief faced another challenge: how to get the stolen goods through Thai customs. All items imported from abroad had to be checked as they entered the country. But because he knew Thai officials could not resist a bribe, Kriangkrai stuffed an envelope with money and a note and put it in his cargo. The note said his cargo had pornographic material inside, and he would prefer it not to be searched. His plan worked, but Kriangkrai could evade justice for only so long. In January 1990, he was arrested at his home in Thailand's northern Lampang province after the Thai police were alerted by their Saudi counterparts. The gems and jewels - some of which he had kept, some of which he had sold - were retrieved soon afterwards. But some time in between their retrieval and their return to Riyadh, another crime occurred. Saudi officials said about 80% were missing, and many of those that had been returned were fake. Then, photographs started circulating of the wife of one senior Thai official wearing a necklace with an uncanny resemblance to one of the missing items

The theft of precious jewels from a Saudi palace in 1989 set off a chain of killings and a diplomatic crisis that continues to this day. Now, in a rare interview, the man behind the theft tells his story. The Saudi prince and his wife were away on holiday for three months, and the thief knew this was the time to strike. Kriangkrai Techamong was running a significant risk. Stealing could be punished with amputation in Saudi Arabia, but Kriangkrai's was no ordinary theft - he had his eye on dozens of precious gems and jewels owned by his employer Prince Faisal, the eldest son of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. As a cleaner, Kriangkrai had come to know every corner of Prince Faisal's palace. And he had learned that three of the four safes containing the prince's jewels were regularly left unlocked. It was too good an opportunity to miss: he was struggling with gambling debt he had built up on the site where the palace workers lived, and this was a golden chance to flee the repressive country where he could no longer bear to live. One evening, he made up an excuse to be inside the palace after dark. He waited until other staff had left, and sneaked into the prince's bedroom. He picked some jewels and stuck them to his body using duct tape. He also stored gems inside cleaning equipment, including vacuum bags. By the end, he had taken almost 30kg (66lbs) of loot, valued at close to $20m. Among the pilfered items, Saudi officials would later say, were gold watches and several plump rubies.

"If they (the FA) want to do that (talk to Silva), Bernardo will be open to talk. But first you have to know which person you are talking about. "If something happens it will be a mistake because Bernardo is an exceptional person. It's nothing to do with colour of skin or nationality." Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has called on the FA to act after the governing body said it was investigating.

It would be a "mistake" to punish Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva for a tweet about team- mate Benjamin Mendy, says boss Pep Guardiola. The Football Association wrote to City after Mendy was compared to a character on a packet of Conguitos - a sweet brand available in Spain and Portugal. "There are many situations with white people where a cartoon will look similar," Guardiola said. "The response from Mendy was clear. They are joking all the time." The post was published at 12:44 BST on Sunday but was deleted at 13:30, although Portugal international Bernardo later tweeted: "Can't even joke with a friend these days." Holders Man City ease past Preston Silva, 25, played the full 90 minutes of City's 3-0 win at Preston in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday. Guardiola said: "Bernardo is one of the most lovely people I've met in my life. He speaks four or five languages - that's the best way to understand how open-minded he is. "One of his best friends is Mendy. He's like a brother. He took a picture of Benjamin when he was young and related it with this cartoon, quite similar for the image."

A woman has died after she was attacked by two dogs, police have said. Neighbours said mum-of-three Elayne Stanley, 44, was mauled at the house in Graham Road, Widnes, on Tuesday evening. They reported hearing screams from the terraced house before police arrived to find Ms Stanley seriously injured. Cheshire Police said one of the dogs had to be destroyed while the other had been captured and taken to a secure kennel. No arrests have been made. Officers made repeated attempts to capture both animals, the force said. Neighbour Marie Airey told the BBC Ms Stanley was a mother to three girls, including twins. At the time of the attack, she said, screams could be heard from the house, as well as the voice of someone calling for towels. She said another resident had tried to get the dogs off Ms Stanley and attempted to resuscitate her before paramedics arrived. Cheshire Police has not confirmed the breed of either dog, but said it believed both lived at the address. Det Insp Ian Whiley said: "We understand people in the community will be concerned... but I would like to reassure residents that we are doing all that we can to establish the full circumstances of the incident." The victim's next of kin have been informed, police said.

Perez is frustrated at the lack of game time for some big-money signings and, for the first time in a while, the president feels he is not in complete control and the manager is not doing as he would like. Zidane cannot be happy either, now finding himself with a squad of veterans combined with players untried at this level. As a consequence, the Madrid media close to Perez are beginning to make mischief with criticisms of the coach. When that happens, Zidane should know drastic things can happen. Mourinho waiting in the wings The name of Mourinho, who has rejected at least one big offer from China, has inevitably re-emerged in relation to the Real job. Around the end of 2015, just as Rafael Benitez was struggling to win hearts and minds at the Bernabeu and before Mourinho joined Manchester United, Perez spoke to him with a view to discussing a return to the club. Iker Casillas, one of the previous thorns in the side of the prickly Portuguese coach, was already gone. The goalkeeper was a sacrificial lamb, unceremoniously given away to Porto after a career that had, until then, been dedicated to two sides - his club and his country. Only two problems remained: Cristiano Ronaldo and Ramos, the two players Mourinho blamed for his departure from Madrid. Get rid of them, he told Perez, and we can talk. Ronaldo is now at Juventus. One down, one to go. I would not wager much on Ramos receiving a contract extension any time soon.

The club had agreed terms with Tottenham's Christian Eriksen and Ajax's Donny van de Beek, but Zidane stopped the moves because Pogba was the midfielder he wanted. The reality is that Zidane and the club were hoping to sell Isco, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, but no offers were forthcoming. For many, his use of those players is little more than a stick he is using to beat the president with by saying, basically: "You didn't get me the player I wanted so now I'm going to have to use the players you wanted." Bizarrely, Bale's lack of rapport with the manager has provoked precisely the kind of reaction that Zidane would have hoped for, with the Wales forward putting in some "I'll show you" performances that have brought him two goals and one assist in three games. The downside is that it has also earned him a red card - thanks to two yellows collected in less than two minutes - and a one-match ban. And finally, the club's decision to sell goalkeeper Keylor Navas to Paris St-Germain was never something Zidane wanted either. The general opinion at the Bernabeu is that the relationship between Zidane and Perez is not the best. A division between them is being created by their differences on Pogba and Navas, by the club's failure to get rid of players the Frenchman did not want, and by the confusion over tactics - with the team lining up for one game with three at the back, the next in a 4-3-3 set-up and another as a 4-

Why Zidane appears to be losing his trump card Zidane has never been considered a footballing Einstein as a coach, but his trump card at Real Madrid has always been the relationship he has enjoyed with his players. It is perceived by many as a rosy, peaceful, harmonious co-existence. But there are signs those relationships are crumbling. In deciding who should stay and who should go, the 47-year-old has not endeared himself to many of the Madrid faithful. They will see the sale to Atletico of Marcos Llorente, the nephew of the great Gento and a Blanco to the bone, as a sort of betrayal. They will also be unimpressed with the loaning out to Sevilla of Reguilon, another product of the La Fabrica academy who could have slotted into the position held by Marcelo, who was 11kg over his optimum weight last season and has been struggling on that front ever since. And then there was the loan departure of Dani Ceballos, who could certainly be doing a job for the club in midfield, to Arsenal. Zidane's obsession with bringing in compatriot Paul Pogba has not been pretty to witness, not least because Manchester United never had any intention of selling him and Perez never seemed that keen on actually buying the 26-year-old.

Zidane took the job before the end of last season because they told him that, if he didn't, Jose Mourinho would be the chosen one (more on that later). He was also promised he would be a major player in deciding who came in and who left. And that there would be plenty of changes. There needed to be. Zidane's last Champions League success flattered to deceive in a season when his side finished 17 points behind La Liga winners Barcelona. But things have not improved. Since coming back, he has won seven of 15 league games, a win rate of 46.7%. Santiago Solari, the man he replaced, won 22 out of 32 games in charge, a win rate of 68.8%. That was significantly higher than Zidane's but not high enough to earn the president's confidence and the Argentine was dismissed after just four and a half months. Key injuries to vital players such as Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard, a summer signing who found himself sidelined before kicking a ball for the club, have played their part in the lacklustre start. But so have Zidane's changeable tactics. Only left-back Ferland Mendy, who joined from Lyon, looks to have hit the ground running. Luka Jovic - who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt, where he was scoring for fun - has not looked like he has the quality to be an automatic starter. At least not in the opinion of Zidane, who has started him only once and then replaced him with midfielder Luka Modric after 68 minutes.

Never go back? Zidane struggling to inspire on his return Zidane wrote himself out of the Real Madrid storyline when he quit after somehow winning the Champions League at the end of the 2017-18 season - his third title in a row. He felt there were big changes to make at the club and that he was not going to receive the backing he needed to implement them. He might have chosen this time of self-imposed footballing exile as an opportunity to reflect on a fine career as both a player and a coach. He probably didn't come across the words of poet Felix Dennis: Never go back. Never go back. Never surrender the future you've earned. Keep to the track, to the beaten track. Never return to the bridges you burned. Nor did he take similar advice from people close to him. In March, he returned at the request of president Florentino Perez, who had previously tried to entice Mauricio Pochettino from Tottenham and the unemployed former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.

At the press launch of a TV series about himself last week, Sergio Ramos joked with journalists: "I have more seasons now with Amazon than I do with Real Madrid." The Spain centre-back has two years left on his contract at the Bernabeu but his club are not looking to renew it. And while Ramos has been a constant presence at Real for 14 years, the uncertainty surrounding his future only adds to the increasing sense of instability around a club which has won four of the past six Champions Leagues. Since Zinedine Zidane returned as manager towards the end of last season, his win percentage is below 50% and there has been little to suggest improvement since the start of this season. Real still look unsettled and they are still inconsistent, worrying signs as they enter a two week-period which started with Champions League defeat to Paris St-Germain, followed by matches against leaders Atletico Madrid and Champions League qualifiers Sevilla in La Liga. Moments such as these are nothing new at Real Madrid, a perennial soap opera providing tales of conspiracy, intrigue and passion and never failing to serve up one cliff-hanger after another, both on and off the pitch. But as Europe's perennial winners started their latest European campaign with defeat, is Zidane struggling to make the impact this time around, and is there a danger the Frenchman might not even be there come the next Champions League final?

At the press launch of a TV series about himself last week, Sergio Ramos joked with journalists: "I have more seasons now with Amazon than I do with Real Madrid." The Spain centre-back has two years left on his contract at the Bernabeu but his club are not looking to renew it. And while Ramos has been a constant presence at Real for 14 years, the uncertainty surrounding his future only adds to the increasing sense of instability around a club which has won four of the past six Champions Leagues. Since Zinedine Zidane returned as manager towards the end of last season, his win percentage is below 50% and there has been little to suggest improvement since the start of this season. Real still look unsettled and they are still inconsistent, worrying signs as they enter a two week-period which started with Champions League defeat to Paris St-Germain, followed by matches against leaders Atletico Madrid and Champions League qualifiers Sevilla in La Liga. Moments such as these are nothing new at Real Madrid, a perennial soap opera providing tales of conspiracy, intrigue and passion and never failing to serve up one cliff-hanger after another, both on and off the pitch. But as Europe's perennial winners started their latest European campaign with defeat, is Zidane struggling to make the impact this time around, and is there a danger the Frenchman might not even be there come the next Champions League final?

"It has been a big success - senior people generally come to European matches but the kids have big hearts and they cheered from the heart. Yesterday was a very good match for all people." New Uefa rules allow accompanied children up to the age of 14 from schools and football academies to attend behind-closed-doors matches free of charge. Partizan had been unable to organise a similar scheme in time for their final qualifying round home tie against Molde in August. But, drawn in Group L alongside Manchester United, they wasted no time preparing for their opening fixture. "Against Molde we had fewer days to organise. This time we called all children from football schools in Serbia to come to support, as well as school children from Belgrade," Obradovic added. "They had fun, and there were no accidents at the game - and that is not easy with 22,000 kids. It was not easy, but there was plenty of noise in the stadium. "I think we've sent a very good message as all the kids were sending messages of love, positivity and fair play." Partizan supporters - old and young - will return for the arrival of group leaders United in October, the club's next home fixture of the Europa League group stage.

It was no ordinary night of European football for Partizan Belgrade on Thursday, as instead of the usual home crowd, the hosts were cheered on by 22,000 noisy children. The Serb club had been ordered to play two European home matches behind closed doors, as a sanction for racist behaviour by supporters in the competition's qualifying phase against Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor. However, new regulations introduced for the current season allowed the club to call on its next generation of fans for their Europa League opener against AZ Alkmaar. And they did not disappoint, as 22,000 children under the age of 14 turned out for the 2-2 draw at the Partizan Stadium. "We had two matches without the public and we knew we could invite kids under the age of 14 from football schools and primary schools," Biljana Obradovic, Partizan's spokesperson, told BBC Sport. "They cannot come alone, so they came with teachers and coaches. "There were 22,000 children in all and we organised buses, food, drink, popcorn and various items such as Partizan flags.

A Dutch doctor has appeared in court after performing euthanasia on a patient suffering with severe dementia. Prosecutors say the doctor did not do enough to verify consent. It is the first such case since the Netherlands legalised euthanasia in 2002. The 74-year-old patient was suffering from Alzheimer's disease when she died in 2016. The doctor allegedly sedated the woman and asked her family to hold her down as she administered a lethal drug. Prosecutors say the patient showed resistance during the process. The doctor, who has not been named, says she acted cautiously. Prosecutors say they are not seeking a prison sentence for the retired female doctor, but want to clarify how the euthanasia law applies to patients suffering from dementia. 'Why can't I die with dignity at home?' Assisted dying laws 'not fit for purpose'

But then, suddenly, Ashley becomes abusive. She tells Sam she would be a bad parent. Shocked and hurt, Sam stops replying. The adrenaline that has kept her going all day suddenly drains away, and she crashes on to the sofa. "It's just - it's devastating. There's no other way to describe it," she says later, remembering this moment. Sam assumes she will never hear from Ashley again. She and Dave consider deleting their Instagram posts appealing for pregnant women to contact them. Sam begins to feel that adopting a baby will take a long, long time. Then, exactly a month later, as icy patches of ground are beginning to thaw, a message arrives. Ashley tells Sam the baby has been born early, at 31 weeks. Exasperated, Sam tells Ashley to contact her adoption agency, or leave her family alone: "Have a nice life and don't contact me." It only takes 14 messages, though, for Ashley to persuade Sam that there really is a premature baby waiting for adoption. She names the medical centre where she gave birth and Sam and Dave get ready to fly there. Ashley sends a photograph of her cuddling a premature baby, wrapped in a white towel, wires trailing from the small body. It's captioned, "She's yours." "Omg I'm literally losing it. I can't wait to meet her," Sam replies. "I can't wait to spoil that pretty little baby!" There are three days of non-stop talking. Then Ashley blocks Sam on Instagram. When Sam calls, Ashley doesn't pick up. There is no explanation, just silence. Distressed, frantic, but already sensing that Ashley has been getting a thrill out of tormenting her, Sam posts a drawing of a broken heart on Instagram. "They don't ask for money, they don't ask for material things like a lot of scams do. They want your time, emotional investment and quite frankly someone to talk to while promising you what you are desperate to find: your future child," she writes in the caption.

When US couples want to adopt a baby they often post ads online and search social media for women pregnant with an unwanted child. Sometimes it works - but there are dangers. One young scammer has tricked countless couples, just for fun, by stealing the identity of a pregnant woman. It's early February 2019, half way through one of the coldest Michigan winters in recent history. The grey sky threatens snow. Thirty-three-year-old Samantha Stewart is in her pyjamas at home in Wixom, just outside Detroit, doing Sunday morning chores. There's a full washing basket, a house to be cleaned and dogs to walk. It's just after 11:00 when she receives a direct message request on Instagram from @ashleymamabear2019. It's not anyone she knows - but she accepts the message and starts reading. "Are you looking to adopt still?" are the opening words. It's six years since Sam had a hysterectomy. Throughout her 20s she underwent a series of operations in an attempt to control her endometriosis, a condition that causes the womb lining to grow in other parts of the body and can lead to crippling pain. They didn't work. By the time she was 27 it had become clear she would have to lose her womb - and the chance of carrying a child. It took time for Sam to recover from the stress and the heartache. Though she longed for a family, it was only at the end of last year that she and her husband, Dave, felt ready to contact an adoption agency and begin the laborious process of adopting a child. They passed their home study, an assessment of their suitability to be parents, and underwent training. Then they set up an Instagram account, @findingbabystewart, posting requests for birth parents to contact them, illustrated by an empty cot in a freshly painted nursery. Sam examines @ashleymamabear2019's Instagram feed. Ashley is 16, from a small town outside Atlanta, Georgia. She posts mirror photos, love notes to her boyfriend Chris, and selfies with Snapchat filters. Her hair is straight and honey-blonde and a backwards cap usually covers his. But there is one thing that sets them apart from thousands of other American teen couples - the occasional shots of Ashley's figure, her face beaming as Chris places his hand against her swollen, round belly. This is the baby Ashley is making plans to give away. The women begin messaging, but not before Sam has called her husband, Dave, her parents and Dave's parents in excitement. She doesn't spend much time wondering why they look so happy about the pregnancy, bearing in mind that it is unwanted. They're young, she thinks. "Are you guys talking to any other adoptive families?" ventures Sam. "I'm just scared of being hurt. I want to be a mom so badly." "Nope," comes the reply. Minutes later, Sam shoots back: "I'm crying." Ashley's life had been harrowing. Her parents were abusive, her mother killed herself. She was raped by her brother at the age of 14, resulting in a premature baby, a little girl who was given up for adoption. The adoptive parents shut Ashley out, preventing her from seeing her child. It would be hard to write a bleaker story. The contact is constant. Sometimes Chris takes over texting because Ashley is feeling sick. When they talk on the phone, Sam finds Ashley's conversation immature, makes her excuses and hangs up after half an hour. They text about adoption plans late into the evening. The temperature has now dropped to -5C, and a light snow is falling. Sam is exhausted from messaging. She explains that she's heading out for dinner, and so won't be on her phone for a few hours. She passes on her adoption agency's details.

Torrential rain and floods have killed 62 people in Sudan, according to the official state news agency. The country has been battered by heavy rains since early July, affecting almost 200,000 people across 15 states. White Nile state in the south of the country has been hit hardest. The UN said that more than 37,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged while more flashfloods are expected. The rainy season continues until the end of October. All photos subject to copyright. Related Topics Sudan Floods Share this story About sharing More on this story Sudan country profile 12 July 2019 Sudan deadly floods affect 300,000 people - WHO 22 August 2013 Darfur peacekeepers missing in Sudan floods 27 August 2013 What's caused the floods in Sudan? 4 August 2016