Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has been banned for 12 matches - six of which are suspended - and fined £25,000 after pleading guilty to a Football Association charge of violent conduct.The four-man panel, which included former England manager Graham Taylor, took just under two hours to reach their verdict, which now sees Barton ruled out of action until October 25 at least.

Life through a lens is our regular round-up of the most striking images from the last seven days.

Pressure for a windfall tax on the energy companies has intensified with the disclosure that the biggest suppliers increased their dividend pay-outs to shareholders by £257 million last year. Research commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) revealed that altogether the six biggest companies paid £1.635 billion in dividends last year - a 19% increase on the 2006 total of £1.378 billion.

Austrian authorities say an unidentified man has found Bianca Jagger's diamond-encrusted platinum ring worth £160,000 in a small town outside Salzburg and has turned it over to police. The ex-wife of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger reported the ring missing late last month after visiting the annual Salzburg Festival.

Ken Loach has complained that UK cinema is being "colonised by the American industry". Speaking at the launch of the 16th Raindance Film Festival, the UK's largest international film festival, the director said that it was often difficult for new talent to break into the UK industry.