The British and US air forces have been involved in a major air-to-air battle over Iraq since the start of the war.
The first raid was on the Iraqi airbase at Basra, which was attacked by the RAF on 19 May 1943.
The second raid was on the Iraqi airbase at Tik

A set of rare photographs showing the impact of the Dambusters' "bouncing bomb" raids have been sold at auction.

Article: State-run al-Iraqiya TV said government forces were "advancing" but progress has been slowed by roadside bombs.
Security sources said they had captured villages and oil fields east of the city, and blocked a key IS supply line to neighbouring Diyala province.
The offensive is being overseen at least in part by an Iranian general.
On Tuesday, the top US general said Iran's role in Tikrit could be positive, as long as it did not fuel sectarian tensions.
Some 30,000 soldiers and militiamen from the Popular Mobilisation (al-Hashd al-Shaabi) force, backed by Iraqi jets and helicopters, have advanced gradually since the offensive began on Monday.
On Wednesday, a source in the Samarra Operations Command told the BBC that government forces had taken control of the village of al-Maibdi, on the road between Tikrit and the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk, as well as the nearby Ajil and Alas oilfields. The road was a key supply route for IS between Salahuddin and Diyala provinces, the source said.
Another official told All Iraq News that the villages of Siha and Mazraat al-Rahim, just to the north of Tikrit in al-Alam district, had also been retaken.
However, the soldiers and militiamen have not breached IS defences around Tikrit and al-Dour, a town 19km (12 miles) to the south, which officials say is another stronghold of the jihadist group.
Military officials said on Tuesday that al-Dour had been surrounded and sealed off, but that an assault on the town had not yet been launched.
Can Iraq's army dislodge Islamic State?
How Iran is involved in battle for Tikrit
Tikrit campaign key to rolling back IS advance
A senior army commander said the operation was focused on preventing IS from launching more attacks, and cutting supply lines to stop reinforcements and weapons reaching Tikrit.
The next step would be to "surround the towns completely, suffocate them and then pounce," Lt Gen Abdul Amir al-Zaidi told the AFP news agency.
Gen Zaidi said progress along roads into Tikrit had been slowed by sniper fire and roadside...

Summary: Iraqi army soldiers and Shia militiamen are seeking to encircle Islamic State fighters in Tikrit, on the third day of a major operation to retake the city.
###
Article: The raids by 19 RAF Lancaster bombers destroyed two strategically significant German dams and damaged a third.
Taken by the Nazi authorities before and after the raids - on 16 and 17 May 1943 - the aerial images are stamped "Secret Command Document".
The photographs were sold in Nottingham for Â£2,100 - considerably more than the list price of Â£1,200.
As well as the time and date of the images, they also carry a warning forbidding them to be copied.
The revolutionary bombs skipped across the lakes behind the dams and showed how precision attacks were possible in an age when most missions were lucky to get within miles of their target.
Eight aircraft were lost and 56 of 133 aircrew were killed or captured.  An estimated 1,600 people died on the ground.
International Autograph Auctions, of Nottingham, offered a set of reconnaissance images showing the Mohne and Edersee dams.
Two pairs show the Mohne and Edersee dams before and after the attacks and a fifth image of a reserve dam on the Mohne reservoir shows how part of it had emptied out.
Carl Buck, senior researcher at International Autograph Auctions, said: "The usual pictures we see of the dam raids are from photo-reconnaissance Spitfires despatched after the mission or close ups from Germany."
Dambusters expert Charles Foster said: "The fascination with the Dambusters themselves is because it combined so many different things which contributed to the war effort - a revolutionary new weapon, supreme airmanship skills and raw courage in pressing home an attack under fire.
"The fact that it was then immortalised in what is now regarded as one of the best ever British war films just adds to its mystique."

Summary:


The Badger Trust is calling for a review of the Badger Trust's proposals to cull badgers.
The Badger Trust says the culling proposals are "unlawful" and "unacceptable".
The Badger Trust says the government's proposals are "unacceptable" and "unacceptable".
The

The Badger Trust has launched a new legal challenge to the government's plans to cull badgers in England.

Article: It is part of a planned expansion of the league, with the inclusion of a London-based team likely to follow.
"We are looking forward to having Milton Keynes on board,"  said Elite League chairman Tony Smith.
"We are very pleased that we are expanding the league. Hopefully this isn't the end of the expansion."
MK Lightning were founded in 2002 and are coached by Pete Russell, who is also in charge of the Great Britain senior men's team.
"The way hockey is going right now this is a really good move for a club which is growing," Russell told the Lightning website.
"I think we have a real core of top-end Brits, and if we can keep them here we will have a really good base to build from."
The Elite League currently has 10 teams - four from England, four from Scotland and one each from Northern Ireland and Wales.

Summary: Milton Keynes Lightning are to play in the Elite League, the highest level of professional ice hockey in Britain, from the start of the 2017-18 season.
###
Article: In December, the government announced finalised plans for a cull, initially in pilot areas, as a way to curb the spread of tuberculosis in cattle.
In applying for judicial review, the Badger Trust says culling will not stop TB and may in fact help spread it.
Other campaign groups are considering action under the Bern Convention, which protects European wildlife.
The government's plans are likely to result in farmers funding contractors to shoot badgers in a number of areas of England, with two initial pilots in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset taking place later this year.
"We have identified some serious flaws in the way by which the Secretary of State [Caroline Spelman] reached her decision to cull badgers," said Gwendolen Morgan of Bindmans solicitors, lawyer for the Badger Trust.
"Given that Defra's proposals come at an enormous cost to farmers, and threaten to prompt rather than prevent the spread of disease, we hope that this ill-conceived decision will be struck down by the court."
She pointed to government projections that culling would reduce TB incidence by 12-16% over nine years.
TheProtection of Badgers Actsays licences to kill can be granted for "preventing the spread of disease" - and the trust argues that the slow-down in the rate of increase, or "reduction in new incidence", projected by Defra does not qualify as "prevention".
The government's plan involves having Natural England issue culling licences. The Badger Trust says the guidance given to Natural England is unlawful.
Potentially the most important element of its case concerns the methods used to kill badgers.
In the landmark UK study, the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), badgers were trapped before being shot.
However, the government plans to allow licensed contractors to shoot badgers as they roam - "free shooting" - which is likely to be less efficient and to increase disruption of badger families.
The RBCT showed that when badger's social groups are disrupted, they roam further, carrying the TB bacterium to more...

Summary:

Article: {{document}}

Summary: ||| {{target}}


The Scottish government has published a new report on the A9, which is due to be published in the next few weeks.
The report, called made orders, is part of the process of appointing a contractor and starting work in 2018.
The report, which is due to be published in the next few weeks,

Construction of planned improvements to a challenging hairpin bend on the A9 at Berriedale Braes could begin next year, the Scottish government has said.

Article: Asda has given a commitment to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that it will alter the way it presents promotional deals.
However, the supermarket said there were no specific findings against it.
The regulator was investigating whether supermarkets were misleading customers with confusing price promotions.
The investigation came after a super-complaint by the consumer group Which?.
At the time it issued the super-complaint, in April 2015, Which? cited several examples of what it called misleading pricing by supermarkets:
In July last year, the CMA said it had found evidence that supermarkets were misleading consumers with promotions, and found some examples that "could be in breach of consumer law".
Presenting the CMA's latest findings, executive director Michael Grenfell said: "The CMA's examination of the market, following the super-complaint, found that supermarkets generally take compliance seriously, but there were some promotional practices that could mislead shoppers."
The CMA said it had "had particular engagement with Asda in relation to specific areas of concern".
It added that Asda had made a commitment to change the way it operates "was/now" and multi-buy pricing deals.
Asda has said it will ensure that:
A spokesperson for Asda said, "All supermarkets were asked to review their pricing practices and make any necessary changes.  The CMA has asked for a commitment from Asda on our promotional pricing rules and we were happy to provide this.
"It's important that customers know that the CMA did not make any findings against Asda, and it hasn't questioned our commitment to every day low prices."
The CMA said Asda had been asked to make the changes by August this year - and it would check how those changes were working six months later.
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said: "We are pleased to see the CMA investigation has resulted in Asda taking action to stop misleading special offers.
"Asda has been found breaking the rules and now must immediately clean up their act."

Summary: Asda is to change its price promotions after being singled out by the competition regulator in a probe into supermarket pricing practices.
###
Article: The trunk road drops from 150m (492ft) to 20m (65ft) as it enters a valley at the braes in Caithness.
There have been accusations from business leaders and politicians that the problem with this section of the A9 was being "ignored".
Documents key to progressing the improvements have been published.
The documents, called made orders, are part of the process towards eventually appointing a contractor and then starting work in 2018, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has said.
He added: "The Scottish government has been working to progress the much-needed improvements to the A9 at Berriedale Braes.
"The hairpin bend and steep hill at Berriedale Braes has presented drivers, in particular HGVs and other long vehicles, with a very challenging road to negotiate.
"Having got the go-ahead last December following the public local inquiry, we are now able to publish the made orders for the scheme as a clear signal of our commitment to deliver this scheme."

Summary:


The Daily Express had published three editions by 03:00. Its most recent said "SNP set for victory, Tory vote surges in push for second and Labour disaster as seats tumble".
The Daily Mirror had published three editions by 03:00. Its most recent said "SNP set for victory, Tory vote surges

As the counts got under way in the Holyrood election the Scottish papers were predicting an SNP victory and there was little change as updated editions were published through the night.

Article: Many environmentalists believe capitalism - and the financial architecture that supports it - is the source of the climate change problem, rather than a potential solution.
That is a mistake.
Because if anything is likely to save us all from the catastrophe that is uncontrolled global warming, it is global capitalism.
Some of you may think that sounds like opinion, but hear me out.
It is my contention - held for some time - that global capitalism is the only engine (if you'll excuse the pun) capable of driving the transformation towards a low-carbon economy.
And the good news is that it is already happening.
There are two key reasons.
The first is the collapse in the price of solar energy.
The cost of generating a kilowatt-hour of electricity from solar in a reasonably sunny country is expected to be the same as that from a coal-fired power station within a year or two.
Indeed, In India - where I currently live - some producers are now selling solar-generated electricity for the knockdown price of just 4.34 rupees (4.5 pence; 7 cents) a kilowatt-hour!
But the other reason is international finance - and here's where it gets interesting.
The economics of renewable energy are very different from those of other sources of power.
Unlike coal, gas or nuclear power stations, renewable sources don't have to pay anything for their fuel. The sun, wind or water comes - pretty much - free.
That transforms the nature of the investment decision.
Just think for a moment about what it means.
With traditional fossil fuel power plants, the investment case will be made as a balance between the costs of building the power station, the future price of electricity and a projection of the future costs of the fuel needed to keep it producing power.
With renewables it is almost all about the initial capital cost - how much it costs to build the thing in the first place - and the electricity price.
That means the cost of solar in the long run is a combination of the cost of the panels, the price of electricity and - crucially - the...

Summary: For some reason green campaigners don't tend to be very interested in international finance.
###
Article: At 05:00 The Scotsman's front page declared a "historic victory for SNP".
The Herald also published a 5am edition. The paper said: "Sturgeon triumphant as Labour humiliated."
"Victory's at hand" was the earlier headline in The National, with a full page picture of Nicola Sturgeon with her husband and SNP chief executive Peter Murrell. The paper said she was "on course to win her mandate".
"Just Like Nat" was the headline on the front page of the Scottish Sun. Earlier, shortly after the polls closed, the newspaper tweeted that the Tories would "comfortably" seal second place.
The Daily Record published its first edition with the caption "01:30 election latest". The headline was "Five more years" and the paper said Nicola Sturgeon was set to be returned as first minister.
The Scottish Daily Express said Nicola Sturgeon had been warned that there would be "no more excuses" for failing to deliver for Scotland as the SNP "swept to an historic third term" in the Holyrood election.
The Daily Star headline was "Five more years". It also predicted the SNP was poised to "hold Holyrood".
The Scottish Daily Mail had published three editions by 03:00. Its most recent said "SNP set for victory, Tory vote surges in push for second and Labour disaster as seats tumble".
The Daily Telegraph said Nicola Sturgeon "could be denied" a new independence referendum.

Summary:


A new type of ransomware is targeting businesses and is using a new method to encrypt data.
The new strain of ransomware, called MSIL/Samas, is designed to encrypt data across entire networks rather than single computers.
The new strain is being used by a group called MSIL/Samas, which is

Night-vision goggles are to be used by council staff to catch dog owners who do not clean up after their pets.

Article: Ransomware encrypts data on infected machines and then asks for money before restoring access to information.
The FBI is analysing a strain of ransomware called MSIL/Samas that tries to encrypt data across entire networks rather than single computers.
The plea comes as security firms warn about other novel strains of the fast-growing, data-scrambling cyber-threats.
The FBI sent out the request for help after discovering that the group behind MSIL/Samas had stepped up its efforts to find victims.
In the confidential advisory obtained by Reuters, the FBI said the group used a publicly available security program called Jexboss to scan networks looking for vulnerable versions of the widely used JBoss software.
When a vulnerable system is found, the malware launches an attack that seeks to scramble data on servers. It also finds and deletes the back-up files firms could use to restore data scrambled by ransomware.
Cisco said it had seen a "widespread campaign" using Samas targeting firms involved in healthcare. Early versions of the malware charged a ransom of one bitcoin (£300) for every machine hit but later versions upped this to 1.5 bitcoins.
"It is likely the malware author is trying to see how much people will pay for their files," wrote Cisco security analyst Nick Biasini in an advisory. "They even added an option for bulk decryption of 22 bitcoin (£6,600) to decrypt all infected systems."
The FBI's request for aid comes as security firms warn about recently created ransomware variants that use different methods to lock up systems and force victims to pay.
The Petya malware targets a key Windows system file called the Master Boot Record that helps a PC get started. By overwriting this file, people are prevented from getting at any data on their PC unless they pay up.
Trend Micro said it had seen Petya distributed in email messages crafted to look like they are from someone looking for work. The CV attached to the message is a booby-trapped program that launches Petya, said Trend security engineer Jasen...

Summary: The FBI is seeking help from US firms as it investigates a nasty strain of ransomware, Reuters reports.
###
Article: The £200 "monocular", which has a built-in laser illuminator to improve viewing in the dark, will be used by Stafford Borough Council inspectors.
During winter months it is more difficult to catch irresponsible dog owners, the council said.
Staff members who use the monocular will be uniformed and wear a badge, a spokesman added.
Updates on this story and more from Staffordshire
"The only people who should be worried (about this) are the inconsiderate dog owners who are not clearing up after their dogs," a spokesman said.
Previous council schemes have involved people ringing a phone line to highlight the worst-hit areas.
Staff are already targeting these "hotspots", the council said, but have found it difficult since the clocks went back.
Councillor Frank Finlay, cabinet member for environment and health, said the council had tremendous support from the community to get rid of this "disgusting crime".
"These night-vision goggles will help us overcome this problem and let people know that, even under the cover of darkness, they cannot get away with showing blatant disregard to their fellow citizens," he said.

Summary:


The director of the controversial film The Act of Killing has said he is "very happy" with the outcome of the Baftas.
The film, which was banned in the UK, was banned in the US and banned in Australia.
The film was banned in the UK because of its portrayal of the murder of

A UK withdrawal from the European Union could make policing in Northern Ireland slower, more complicated and more costly, the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.

Article: Joshua Oppenheimer spent years filming accounts of mass killings in the country that took place in the 1960s.
His film won the Bafta award for best documentary on Sunday.
"I would love to be able to go back," Oppenheimer told the BBC in an interview before the ceremony.
"The film is, in a way, my love letter to Indonesia. At the same time one of the saddest things for me about releasing the film is that I can't safely go back now."
The Act of Killing has shocked audiences around the world with its first-hand accounts of the murder and torture of alleged Communists in 1965-66.
The documentary tells the story from the perspective of the unrepentant killers.
But what makes it extraordinary is that they are invited to re-enact their murders in the style of their favourite American movies.
During his Bafta speech on Sunday, Oppenheimer dedicated the award to his anonymous Indonesian crew and his co-director who had "risked his safety knowing that he could not stand with me to accept this award until there is major change in Indonesia".
The Act of Killing is also a front-runner to win an Oscar on 2 March.
Its Academy Award nomination last month prompted an Indonesian government official to say the country had been portrayed as "a cruel and lawless nation".
The Jakarta Globe quoted Teuku Faizasyah, the presidential spokesman for foreign affairs, as saying: "The film portrayed Indonesia as backwards, as in the 1960s. That is not appropriate, not fitting. It must be remembered [that] Indonesia has gone through a reformation. Many things have changed."
At the Baftas, Oppenheimer said the government's response had been "inadequate", but acknowledged it marked a change in the official line on the killings.
"Until that moment the government has maintained the genocide was something heroic and to be celebrated," he said.
The Act of Killing focuses on Anwar Congo, one of a group of former black market gangsters who operated out of cinemas in Medan, Northern Sumatra.
Anwar was the 41st perpetrator that Oppenheimer...

Summary: The director of the hard-hitting documentary The Act of Killing says it isn't safe for him to return to Indonesia after the release of his film.
###
Article: George Hamilton was speaking to MPs on the Northern Ireland affairs committee.
It is investigating how a UK exit from the EU could affect Northern Ireland.
Mr Hamilton said the PSNI would "not take a position on exit or not" and would work with whatever circumstances are in place after the EU referendum.
Voters will go to the polls in June to decide whether the UK should remain a member of the EU.
Asked on whether an exit from the EU would affect policing, Mr Hamilton said: "I think all of this is probably doable with an exit, but it will be slower, complicated and more costly is the view we would take from a practical policing perspective."
But he said the PSNI had a "very good working relationship" with a number of police forces in non-EU countries, "most notably America".
Mr Hamilton, who appeared before the committee with Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr, also said he did not think the PSNI's link with the Irish police would suffer in the case of an exit from the EU.
He said "the relationships are secure".
He added that if a so-called Brexit - a shorthand term for a UK exit from the EU - took place he was "absolutely sure the quality of the relationship and the professionalism of both organisations would not be diminished".
The committee is examining areas like the economy and the border with the Republic of Ireland.
It has already heard evidence from a wide range of politicians and business leaders.

Summary:


A Lithuanian man has been fined Â£1,500 for having excess alcohol on board a ship.
The court heard that the man, who was on a ship for a month, was on duty as a master of a ship when he was found to have an excess of alcohol.
The court heard that

A sea captain has been convicted of being drunk in charge of a merchant ship in Belfast Lough.

Article: The surprise outbreak of screwworm has killed off more than 100 Key deer in the Florida Keys, and there are fears it could spread to livestock.
Scientists release the sterile flies so that they mate with the females but produce no offspring – killing off populations.
Screwworm was eradicated from the US in the late 60s, after it caused hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of damage to agriculture.
It is a grisly pest. The "worm" is the larval stage of the blowfly, which burrows its way into live flesh like a corkscrew, effectively eating animals alive. In rare cases, it can also infest humans.
The US had been free of the parasite for decades until late 2016, when cases were confirmed in the endangered Key deer, a sub-species of white-tailed deer that now lives only in the Florida Keys.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) told BBC News that it was releasing more than three million sterile flies twice a week in order to quell the infestation before it spreads further.
Pamela Manns, a public affairs specialist for the USDA said: "We don’t know exactly how long this process will take, but eradication efforts like this can last four to six months. It is not uncommon and we expect that to be the case here."
The solution being used now is the same one developed in the 1950s that eradicated screwworm from the US and other parts of the Americas.
Scientists breed large numbers of blowflies, blast them with radiation to sterilise them and then release them into the wild. The sterile males mate with native females but can produce no viable progeny, causing populations to crash.
After wiping out the fly from US territory in the 60s, America subsequently worked to eliminate the flies from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Since then the US has maintained a buffer zone across the Darien gap in Panama between the screwworm-free north and South America, where the flies still roam.
In the late 1980s, sterile flies were released in Louisiana, Florida and Puerto Rico after isolated cases were reported. But the...

Summary: Authorities in Florida have been releasing sterile flies in a bid to stamp out a flesh-eating livestock disease that has returned to the US for the first time in 30 years.
###
Article: Eugenijus Tulauskas, from Lithuania, was up to four times over the maritime limit when arrested in September last year.
A pilot had to take control of the container ship to ensure its safe passage into harbour.
The 44-year-old seaman, of no fixed abode was fined Â£1,500 at Belfast Magistrates' Court.
Tulauskas had contested a charge of having excess alcohol while on duty as professional master of a ship.
His lawyers argued that he was not on duty at the time of the offence.
The court was told that an experienced pilot sent out to guide the ship into port thought he smelled alcohol on Tulauskas' breath.
He contacted Belfast Harbour Police who detained the defendant and took a breath sample.
Talauskas confirmed at that stage he had not taken any alcohol in the previous four hours.
The district judge said she was "satisfied on the evidence that the defendant was not just master of the vessel, but was on duty at the time".
Talauskas' lawyer argued that he was aware of the pilot's actions and had congratulated him on his manoeuvres.
"It's not a case that he was totally incoherent," the lawyer said.
The court heard that the captain had since lost his job.
The judge, who could have fined him up to Â£5,000, commented that "if the defendant were in employment I would be looking at the upper region (of a fine)".

Summary:


A new study has found that the number of people who die from heart attacks is on the rise.
The study, by the University of Cambridge, found that the number of people who die from heart attacks has increased by more than a third in the past decade.
The study found that the number of people who die

Three pupils at the High School of Dundee have been expelled following the discovery of cannabis on school property.

Article: The main risk factors for the disease are a lack of exercise, smoking, depression and poor education, it says.
Previous research from 2011 put the estimate at one in two cases, but this new study takes into account overlapping risk factors.
Alzheimer's Research UK said age was still the biggest risk factor.
Writing in The Lancet Neurology, the Cambridge team analysed population-based data to work out the main seven risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
These are:
They worked out that a third of Alzheimer's cases could be linked to lifestyle factors that could be modified, such as lack of exercise and smoking.
The researchers then looked at how reducing these factors could affect the number of future Alzheimer's cases.
They found that by reducing each risk factor by 10%, nearly nine million cases of the disease could be prevented by 2050.
In the UK, a 10% reduction in risk factors would reduce cases by 8.8%, or 200,000, by 2050, they calculated.
Current estimates suggest that more than 106 million people worldwide will be living with Alzheimer's by 2050 - more than three times the number affected in 2010.
Prof Carol Brayne, from the Institute of Public Health at the University of Cambridge, said: "Although there is no single way to treat dementia, we may be able to take steps to reduce our risk of developing dementia at older ages.
"We know what many of these factors are, and that they are often linked.
"Simply tackling physical inactivity, for example, will reduce levels of obesity, hypertension and diabetes, and prevent some people from developing dementia.
"As well as being healthier in old age in general, it's a win-win situation."
Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at charity Alzheimer's Research UK, said there was still much to discover about the disease.
"While age is the biggest risk factor for most cases of Alzheimer's, there are a number of lifestyle and general health factors that could increase or decrease a person's chances of developing the disease.
"However, we still do not fully understand the...

Summary: One in three cases of Alzheimer's disease worldwide is preventable, according to research from the University of Cambridge.
###
Article: A further thirteen pupils at the fee-paying school have been suspended for using E-cigarettes.
Another pupil has been suspended and given a final warning after the discovery of the class B drug.
In a letter to parents, rector Dr John Halliday said police were conducting an investigation into the incident.
Dr Halliday wrote: "Following the discovery of a small amount of cannabis on school property, three pupils in F3 have now left the school for their involvement in this incident.
"As I intimated last week, the school immediately notified the police, who are conducting their own investigation.
"We obviously cannot comment on their investigation but I can reassure you that no pupil still at school is under investigation by the police."
Dr Halliday said the 13 pupils suspended following E-cigarette use were given "clear warnings" and guidance.
He said that the school had strict anti-drugs and anti-smoking policies.
He wrote: "Breaches of the policy are treated with the utmost seriousness, with the resulting disciplinary decisions reached after full and thorough consideration of the facts and circumstances.
"I and my senior colleagues have been addressing these incidents directly and believe that we have taken appropriate action in support of the school's standpoint that such behaviour cannot be tolerated."

Summary:


The number of people who visited the UK in 2015 was up by 5.1% on the previous year, with the number of foreign visitors up by 5.1%.
The number of trips by foreign visitors to the UK was up by 5.1% in 2015, the highest annual increase since 1998.
The

A turtle, thought to be from the Gulf of Mexico, that washed up on a Cumbrian beach has died.

Article: In 2015, UK residents took 65.7m foreign holidays or business trips.
That was despite a number of high profile terrorist attacks in Europe.
They included the deaths of 130 people in Paris in November, and the killing of 38 holiday-makers on a beach in Tunisia in June.
The travel industry said the figures showed the "resilience" of UK travellers.
"The 9.4% growth recorded in overseas holidays during the year is the largest annual rise in nearly twenty years, and spending on holidays exceeded pre-crisis levels for the first time since the recession," said a spokesperson for the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
Spain was easily the most popular country for UK residents to visit, with 13m trips there during the year. That accounted for nearly a fifth of all foreign travel by Brits.
At the same time the number of trips by foreign visitors to the UK rose by 5.1%, to a record high of 36.1m.
But while foreigners spent £22.1bn on visits to the UK, Brits spent £39bn abroad.
That spending gap of £16.9bn is the highest since 2008, and accounted for a large slice of the UK's overall balance of payments deficit of £96.2bn in 2015.
The French were the biggest visitors to the UK, with 4m trips.
Behind them were the Germans and the Americans, with 3m visits each. However American visitors spend more, so are more important to the economy.
Outside London, the cities with the highest number of visitors were Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham, each of which had more than a million foreign visits.

Summary: The number of trips by UK residents abroad increased by 9.4% last year, the largest rise since 1998, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
###
Article: The Kemp's ridley turtle was one of two found on beaches near Formby, Merseyside, and Cumbria's Walney Island on 22 December.
The reptile found in Merseyside died soon after, but the other was being looked after at the Lake District Coast Aquarium in Maryport.
Aquarium owner Mark Vollers said it had struggled to feed itself.
The turtles were believed to be from the Gulf of Mexico 5,000 miles (8,000 km) away and were among a small number which washed up on British and European shores last month.
Mr Vollers told BBC Cumbria: "We thought we had a 50/50 chance, which would've improved if it had started feeding.
"It was getting some sustenance in other ways but not really enough to recover.
"We were following a strict agreed protocol arrived at after consultation with vets here and in other countries - people who have experience of this species of turtle."
The turtle, possibly aged about 20, is now with a specialist vet who will determine the cause of death.
Source: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Summary:


The government has announced a new plan to cut the deficit.
The plan, which is expected to be approved by the government in the coming weeks, will see a 2.5% cut to education spending.
The cuts will be made in the areas of health, social care, housing and the environment.
The

Belfast City Council has backed a group of principals who say they will refuse to make cuts to school budgets.

Article: Ms Suu Kyi's presence is seen as a sign of improving ties with the military since her release from house arrest.
Addressing the gathering, army chief General Min Aung Hlaing told troops the military would maintain a role in national politics.
The event comes ongoing communal violence in central Burma.
Armed Forces Day marks the 68th anniversary of Burma's uprising against Japanese rule.
Over 6,000 troops were in attendance, as military jeeps and tanks took part in the parade in Burma's capital, Nay Pyi Taw.
Aung San Suu Kyi's attendance is a striking symbol of the reconciliation between her and the institution that locked her and so many of her supporters up for many years, the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head reports.
In the past she was a strident critic of the military's grip on Burma. Today she is making conspicuous efforts to build good relations with the armed forces, which still hold an automatic quarter of the seats in parliament, our correspondent adds.
Elections in November 2010 replaced decades of military rule with a military-backed civilian government, which has since initiated a series of reforms.
Ms Suu Kyi was freed from years of house arrest in late 2010. Her NLD party, which boycotted the polls, now has a small presence in parliament after rejoining the political fold and contesting subsequent by-elections, which resulted in a landslide win.
But the military-backed party has a much larger presence in Burma's new chamber.
"While the country is moving toward modern democracy, our military plays a leading role in national politics," General Min Aung Hlaing said at the parade.
"We will keep on marching to strengthen the democratic path wished by the people."
The army chief also addressed the anti-Muslim clashes in central Burma that have led to 40 reported deaths and made an estimated 12,000 Muslims homeless.
"Our independence came from all Burmese people, including every ethnic minority - therefore we have to protect it," he said.
"The conflict that is going on now, the army...

Summary: Burma has marked its Armed Forces Day with a military parade, with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in attendance for the first time.
###
Article: In April, Northern Ireland's secretary of state published a plan for a budget to be imposed if the Stormont parties could not reach a deal.
The indicative figures included a 2.5% cut to education.
At the time, the group of more than 40 principals in schools in the Belfast area called the proposals "totally unacceptable".
They sent a letter to parents, the Department of Education, the Education Authority and the secretary of state saying they could not impose the cuts "without seriously compromising their children's education".
On Tuesday, they went to a meeting of Belfast City Council to ask for support in fighting the cuts.
Lord Mayor Alderman Brian Kingston has now agreed to write to the secretary of state, MLAs and MPs.
Damian O'Neill, principal of the Good Shepherd Primary School in Dunmurry, told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme the principals did not know where else to turn.
"They (Belfast City Council) are the only elected body at the minute who we could reach out to.
"It's very, very important for us as principals that we see the best-possible outcomes for our children.
"But the circumstances at the minute would suggest to me that we won't be able to do that."

Summary:


Retail veteran and former Conservative MP Archie Norman has been named as the new chairman of M&S.
The former MP, who was jailed for three years for burglary in the Levenshulme area of the city, was handed the job by the retailer's board of directors.
He will replace Robert Swann

A prolific burglar has been banned from all of Manchester's back alleyways.

Article: Mr Norman, who built his reputation as boss of Asda, will replace Robert Swannell, who joined M&S in 2010.
The announcement comes days after M&S hired the boss of Halfords, Jill McDonald, to take charge of its clothing, home and beauty business.
Mr Norman, former executive at retailer Kingfisher, stood down as ITV chairman last year.
He joins M&S as chief executive Steve Rowe continues the fight to improve flagging clothing sales, and revamp product ranges and prices, while attempting to create a leaner and more focused business.
Mr Rowe has already announced a big expansion of the M&S food operation.
Mr Norman said: "I am looking forward to taking on the role of the chairmanship of Marks & Spencer as the business under Steve Rowe's leadership faces into the considerable challenges ahead in a rapidly changing retail landscape."
Retail analyst Nick Bubb said: "Some people thought that Archie was too heavyweight for the role, which is non-executive, and it remains to be seen how much of 'a back-seat driver' he is to CEO Steve Rowe.
"When he took over at the struggling Asda in 1991 he famously played down expectations of the turnaround and we see he is up to his old tricks again in today's statement."
Mr Norman has held a number of high ranking positions, including:
He has also served as chairman of Lazard London and Hobbycraft.
In a statement, Mr Swannell said: "I am delighted that Archie, with his deep, relevant experience is to be M&S's next chairman.
"It has been a real privilege to have served as chairman and to have worked with so many exceptional people who are so passionate about this great business.
"With the appointment of Steve Rowe in 2016, I am confident that we have an excellent team, well-equipped to grow and strengthen the business. I wish them all the very best for the future."
Mr Norman has a reputation for turning around businesses. He is most famously credited with transforming Asda, which was ailing at the beginning of the 1990s but was sold for Â£6.5bn to Wal-Mart in 1999.
In interviews he...

Summary: Retail veteran and former Conservative MP Archie Norman has been named Marks and Spencer's new chairman.
###
Article: Michael Patterson was handed the order after being convicted of break-ins in the Levenshulme and Longsight areas of the city.
His "consistent method" was to carry out burglaries after entering rear alleyways, magistrates heard.
The 49-year-old, of Field Bank Grove, Gorton admitted three counts of burglary and possession of a Class B drug and was jailed for 16 months.
The ban, known as a criminal behaviour order, will run indefinitely after his release.
It will ban Patterson from entering rear alleyways with the exception of the one behind his own home.
The order also prohibits him from entering an area of Stockport Road, from Stanley Grove in Longsight up to Albert Road in Levenshulme, and the surrounding streets.
Premises targeted in the break-ins included a takeaway, a solicitors' office and a mobile phone shop.
Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council's executive member for neighbourhood services, said: "Michael Patterson has used the same technique repeatedly to commit a number of offences and this order will prevent him continuing the pattern."

Summary:


Facebook is not the only company to be accused of using data from the Belgian Privacy Commission.
In January, the European Commission said that Facebook had been using data from the commission to target ads to users in the UK.
The Commission said that Facebook had been using data from the commission to target ads to users in the

Facebook "tramples" on European privacy law by tracking people without consent, Belgium's privacy watchdog has said.

Article: Now imagine the same landlord throws in a bowl of chips for free - because you are a regular at the pub three nights a week.
Then the pub closes for a couple of weeks for refurbishment. So, you go to another pub - The Red Lion - a few hundred yards further down the road.
A little surprisingly, the landlord at that pub knows your favourite pint too, even though you have never been in before.
You find out that the Dog and Duck landlord has sold on information about your tastes to the landlord at The Red Lion.
How do you feel? A bit concerned, perhaps.
But worse is to come. You subsequently find out that - knowing what you are going to order - the landlord at The Red Lion has charged you 10p more than he has charged another customer.
You don't even get a free bowl of chips!
This might seem like a very far-fetched example. However, shift this whole buying process online - and it sums up a big issue for internet shoppers.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) wants to know more about personalised pricing. This occurs if a retailer offers different prices depending on information they have collected about that customer.
This is done primarily in two ways. Firstly, retailers can collect details of a customer's previous purchases made on the website. Secondly, they can buy information about the customer's purchases or internet searches from a third party.
The OFT wants to know if consumers are aware that all this data is being collected about their shopping and searching preferences, as well as if this puts consumers off buying on the internet.
The regulator says that there is no evidence, but a lot of concern, that this information allows retailers to charge a higher price to certain customers - just like the hypothetical landlord at The Red Lion.
"It is important we understand what control shoppers have over their profile and whether firms are using shoppers' profiles to charge different prices for goods or services," says Clive Maxwell, chief executive of the OFT.
Concerns have been raised about flights or hotel rates....

Summary: Imagine going into your local pub - the Dog and Duck - and being greeted by the landlord who already knows your favourite tipple and starts to pour it before you even reach the bar.
###
Article: The country's Privacy Protection Commission accused Facebook of dodging questions from European regulators.
Internet users were also urged to install privacy software to stop Facebook tracking them, regardless of whether they had accounts with it.
The social network said it complied with data protection law and questioned the Belgian watchdog's authority.
The commission attacked Facebook after trying to find out more about its practices.
"Facebook tramples on European and Belgian privacy laws," it said after publishing a report analysing changes that the company made to its privacy policies in January.
In a statement, it said that Facebook has refused to recognise Belgian and other EU national jurisdictions, insisting it was subject only to the law in Ireland, the site of its European headquarters.
"Facebook has shown itself particularly miserly in giving precise answers," the watchdog said, adding that the results of its study were "disconcerting".
The body, which was working with its German, Dutch, French and Spanish counterparts, said that Facebook would not explain in detail how it used data it collected.
A Facebook spokeswoman questioned the Belgians' authority but said it would review the study's recommendations with the Irish data protection commissioner.
"We work hard to make sure people have control over what they share and with whom.
"Facebook is already regulated in Europe and complies with European data protection law, so the applicability of the [commission's] efforts is unclear," she said.
This is the second damning report this year on Facebook's use of data from the Belgian Privacy Commission. In February, it said it placed "too much burden" on users to navigate its complex settings.

Summary:


The former MP for Brentwood and Ongar has been a member of the Conservative Party since the 1970s.
He was a member of the party's parliamentary group on the European Union, and was a member of the European Commission's...
Sir Eric is the first Conservative MP to stand down since the 2015 general election

Sir Eric Pickles, the former Conservative Party chairman, has announced he is standing down as Brentwood and Ongar MP after 25 years.

Article: Donald Trump Jr said he met Natalia Veselnitskaya but that "no meaningful information" on Mrs Clinton was shared.
Also at the meeting was the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign head Paul J Manafort.
US officials are investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election.
The FBI and Congress are both looking at whether Trump campaign officials colluded with the alleged Kremlin plot. The inquiries have yet to show evidence of collusion.
The meeting with Ms Veselnitskaya took place on 9 June 2016 at New York's Trump Tower, just two weeks after Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination.
It is thought to be the first confirmed private meeting between a Russian national and a member of US President Donald Trump's inner circle.
The New York Times first reported the meeting on Saturday. At the time, both Mr Trump Jr and Ms Veselnitskaya confirmed the meeting but said the US presidential campaign was not discussed.
On Sunday, the New York Times said that Mr Trump Jr had agreed to the meeting after being offered information that would potentially prove detrimental to Mrs Clinton, who was Democratic presidential candidate at the time.
The New York Times cited three White House advisers briefed on the meeting, and two others with knowledge for it, as its sources.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr Trump Jr said an acquaintance had asked him to meet "an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign".
"I was not told her name prior to the meeting. I asked Jared [Kushner] and Paul [Manafort] to attend, but told them nothing of the substance."
"After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Mrs Clinton."
"Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information," he added.
Mr Trump Jr said Ms Veselnitskaya then moved the...

Summary: US President Donald Trump's son agreed to meet a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer last year after being promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton, the New York Times reports.
###
Article: The 65-year-old said he was going to "miss it dreadfully" but there always comes a point when things must end.
Sir Eric also served as secretary for communities and local government between 2010 and 2015.
He is one of several high-profile MPs who are standing down, including George Osborne and Alan Johnson.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Tuesday she intended to call a snap general election, a move that was backed by MPs the following day. The election will take place on 8 June.
Labour MP for Nottingham North Graham Allen also announced on Saturday that he is to step down as an MP, due to ill health.
Speaking to the BBC, Sir Eric said: "I think it's always better to leave when people are asking why you're going, rather than why you're staying.
"I'd always decided this was going to be my last Parliament having served 25 years and came to the view that it was time Brentwood and Ongar had a new MP."
He said he had told Mrs May of his decision, and wrote on Twitter that he would be continuing in his role as the prime minister's special envoy on post-Holocaust issues.
Which MPs are quitting - and who might stand?
In a letter sent to his local Conservative association, Sir Eric wrote: "It has been an enormous honour to represent the constituency for 25 years; Brentwood and Ongar is a wonderful place to live.
"Throughout that quarter of century, I have enjoyed success and some setbacks, but have always been sustained by the friendship back home in the patch."
He added that he was grateful for the invitation to serve a further five years but that after "much heart searching" he had concluded it was the "right time for Brentwood and Ongar to have a new representative in Westminster".
Sir Eric, who was born in Yorkshire into a Labour-supporting family, joined the Keighley Young Conservatives in 1968, going on to become chairman. He was knighted in 2015.
Formerly a Eurosceptic, in 2016 he joined the group of Conservative MPs supporting the campaign to remain in the European Union subject to David Cameron's...

Summary:


A new study has found that the number of people who have been bitten by a snake in the UK has fallen by more than half in the past year.
The number of people bitten by a snake in the UK has fallen by more than half in the past year, a new study has found.
The number of

Biologists are calling on the public to report sightings of rabbits and hares as part of a conservation effort.

Article: Europe's Lisa Pathfinder (LPF) probe is engaging in a series of experiments roughly 1.5 million km from Earth.
The project has heightened interest, of course, because of the first sampling of the "cosmic ripples" made by ground-based detectors last September
A successful demo for LPF would pave the way for a fully operational orbiting observatory in the 2030s.
This would likely be known simply as Lisa - the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.
"It's a wonderful time right now," said Paul McNamara, the European Space Agency's (Esa) project scientist on Lisa Pathfinder.
"I've spent my entire career in this endeavour, and for years we were told - even ridiculed in some cases - that gravitational waves don't exist, or that we'd never find them.
"Well, now we have found them, and we're about to take the next big, big step towards building a mission that could detect them in space," he told BBC News.
The Earth-bound laser interferometers sited at the Advanced Ligo facilities in the US are sensitive to the gravitational waves generated in "smaller" cosmic events.
Back in September, they observed the signal produced at the moment two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of our Sun, whirled around one another and merged.
A space-based laser interferometer would chase much more massive targets - the monster black holes, millions of times the mass of our Sun, that coalesce when galaxies collide, for example.
It is possible, however, that an orbiting observatory might also see Ligo's lesser events - just at a different stage of their evolution.
One back-of-the-envelope calculation has suggested a fully operational Lisa mission could have witnessed Ligo's in-spiralling black holes four years ago - had the mission been flying back then. This is when the frequency of the gravitational wave signal emanating from the dancing holes would have crossed the sensitivity range of a space interferometer.
Laser science: Measuring the distance between gold blocks
Lisa Pathfinder contains just the one instrument, which is designed...

Summary: The formal test programme has begun on the technologies required to detect gravitational waves in space.
###
Article: The animals are easier to spot in spring when vegetation is low and the breeding season is under way.
Hares may be declining in parts of the UK, while rabbits have been hit by myxomatosis and other viral diseases, says the Mammal Society.
People are being asked to send in photographs of rabbits and hares to help map the UK population.
Dr Fiona Mathews, senior lecturer in mammalian biology and chair of the Mammal Society, said: "We have very poor information on rabbits and hares - and it's important to know if numbers are going up or down.
"They are part of the ecosystem and lots of other animals depend on them, either through grazing of their habitat or as a food source for foxes or birds of prey."
She said some parts of the UK had very low populations of rabbits and hares, particularly where there had been disease outbreaks. However, in other regions they have become so abundant they have become agricultural pests.
The Mammal society wants people across the country to send in sightings of wild rabbits or hares across the countryside, including parks, fields and mountains.
The data will be used in a national atlas of mammals to support future conservation and research projects.
Derek Crawley, who is co-ordinating the atlas, said rabbits and hares can be distinguished by their gait and appearance.
"Hares are larger, have long limbs and lollop along whereas the rabbit has a bobbing gait," he said.
"The ears are also distinctive: those of hares are longer and have black tips."
Sightings of rabbits and hares, or their signs in the countryside, such as droppings and burrows, with any photographs taken, can be reported via the Mammal Tracker app, The Mammal Society website, or by posting information to The Mammal Society.

Summary:


The Scottish Government has awarded £30m to Hearthstone Investments, a London property fund, to invest in social housing.
The fund will buy homes for rent at a mid-market rent, and will also buy affordable homes to be let at a mid-market rent.
The Scottish Government has also announced a £30

Falkirk Council's pension fund has invested £30m in a scheme to build social housing in Scotland.

Article: A leaked report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there were 2,784 centrifuges at Fordo, and that Iran could soon double the number operating from 700 to 1,400.
The development is likely to fuel Western suspicions that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
The government in Tehran insists the nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
Talks this year about the uranium enrichment programme between Iran and the so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - have made little progress.
Iran's progress at Fordo was disclosed in a leaked report based on the findings of the IAEA's inspectors, who visit the facility regularly.
While the uranium enrichment plant is not yet fully operational - with only about 700 of the 3,000 centrifuges the facility is designed in use - experts say it could be within months.
The IAEA report said four new cascades of 174 centrifuges each "having been subjected to vacuum testing, were ready for feeding" with uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas.
Once the new cascades were in operation, monthly production of 20%-enriched (medium-enriched) uranium would be about 25kg (55lb) per month, compared with 15kg at present, one official said.
The facility at Fordo, which is buried deep under a mountain inside a military base near the holy city of Qom, is designed to contain 16 cascades producing medium-enriched uranium, which experts say could be enriched to about 90%, or weapons-grade, in a relatively short time.
The IAEA also revealed in its report that Iran had produced about 233kg (512lb) of higher-grade enriched uranium since 2010, an increase of 43kg since August.
Earlier this year, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) used 96kg of its supply of 20%-enriched uranium for conversion into fuel for its medical research reactor in Tehran. Experts say it would be difficult to turn the fuel into weapons-grade uranium.
Nuclear fuel had also been removed from the core of the nuclear reactor at Bushehr without a reason being given by Iran, the IAEA...

Summary: Iran is ready to double the output at its underground uranium enrichment facility, the UN nuclear watchdog says.
###
Article: The local authority has awarded the sum to Hearthstone Investments, a London property fund which hopes to build 1,000 new homes across the country.
The Falkirk Local Government Pension Scheme Fund contribution could pay for up to 300 new homes, including 126 in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.
Social Justice secretary Alex Neil said the fund was "a trailblazer".
Hearthstone aims to raise £150m for its Housing Fund For Scotland, including contributions from the country's 11 local government pension schemes.
It plans to provide funds to local housing associations to invest directly in social housing, as well as buying affordable homes to be let at a mid-market rent.
Edinburgh-based housing association Castle Rock Edinvar will manage the initial building programme for social rent houses.
Mr Neil said: "The £30m Falkirk Local Government Pension Scheme fund investment will, I believe, act as a trailblazer and encourage other Scottish local authority pension fund trustees to take the plunge and invest in housing.
"For an acceptable risk profile, investment will provide pension funds good, long-term returns for their members and a social investment to help build stronger communities."

Summary:


The National Trust has announced it will be selling off a collection of paintings, drawings and prints to help pay off its £1.5m pension debt.
The collection, which includes works by John Constable, John Constable's brother, and the artist's own son, is being sold to help pay off the National Trust

The Wedgwood Museum collection has been bought from administrators after £15.75m was raised to save it.

Article: Colin Pitchfork was given a life sentence in 1988 for the rape and murder of 15-year-old schoolgirls Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth.
Both victims' families oppose his release.
The Parole Board's decision will be issued within 10 working days.
Live updates and more from Leicestershire
Barbara Ashworth, Dawn's mother, said: "I think life should mean life because obviously if they are in prison they aren't put in a situation where they can commit those sort of crimes again.
"If he was released I would feel that it was a matter of time until these feelings came over him again. Once he's out again in the community it would be quite easy for him to think 'Oh, I'll pick up where I left off'."
Rebecca Eastwood, Lynda Mann's sister, started a petition demanding Colin Pitchfork is never released and gave evidence to the panel considering his request.
He was originally given a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years.
However, in 2009 the Court of Appeal reduced the minimum term to 28 years to take into account the "exceptional progress" Pitchfork had made in custody.
The Parole Board said in a statement: "We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board this week considered the parole review for Mr Colin Pitchfork.
"At this time, we have not received the panel's decision; it is expected to be issued within the next 10 working days.
"We are unable to comment further on the details of this case."
Before sanctioning a prisoner's release, the Parole Board has to be sure he or she no longer poses a risk to the public.
Colin Pitchfork left his baby son sleeping in the back of his car and raped Lynda as she made her way to a friend's house in the Leicestershire village of Narborough in November 1983. He then strangled her with her own scarf, drove home and put his son to bed.
Three years later, less than a mile from the spot where Lynda died, he raped and murdered Dawn Ashworth. The pathologist who examined her body described it as a "brutal sexual assault".  She too was then strangled.
The police investigation initially...

Summary: The Parole Board has met to consider the case of a notorious child killer who became the first person in the world to be convicted using DNA evidence.
###
Article: About 80,000 works of art, ceramics, manuscripts, letters and photographs faced being auctioned to help pay off the pottery firm's pension debt.
But a public fundraising campaign launched in September hit its target in just a month.
Adminstrators Begbies Traynor said the collection will remain on display at the museum in Barlaston, Staffordshire.
The Art Fund, which led the campaign, will gift the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum, before it is loaned to the Wedgwood Museum.
Administrator Bob Young said it had been "incredibly satisfying" to sign off on the sale on Monday.
"Today's fantastic outcome wouldn't have been possible without the spirit of goodwill and determination shown during the often complex negotiations," he said.
The Wedgwood Museum inherited Waterford Wedgwood plc's pension bill after the firm collapsed in 2009.
In 2010 the museum also went into administration, and in 2011 a high court judge ruled its collection could be sold to reimburse the Pension Protection Fund.
Alison Wedgwood, whose husband Tom is a direct descendant of company founder Josiah Wedgwood, said the collection was "important" for Staffordshire.
The collection risked being "sold and scattered around the globe" had the money not been raised, she added.
Tristram Hunt MP, who was involved in the campaign, said the sale was "fantastic news".
"The items contained within the Wedgwood collection chart a significant part of Britain's cultural development over centuries and play a crucial part in defining our national identity today," he said.

Summary:


The BBC has been criticised for its coverage of the Olympic Games.
The BBC has been criticised for its coverage of the Olympic Games.
The BBC has been criticised for its coverage of the Olympic Games.
The BBC has been criticised for its coverage of the Olympic Games.
The BBC has been criticised for its coverage

When the spike in applications for the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) took place the minister responsible was mostly away from his desk.

Article: How do I find out what sports are being covered?
Our must not miss sport on the BBC page gives details of sport on BBC TV over the next seven days. From that page you can also find more specific details for sports including football, cricket and rugby union - including details of all our local radio commentaries.
I missed something - how can i watch / listen to it?
To view all our TV and Red Button sports programming available on iPlayer, please visit this page.
To listen to all our radio sports programming available on iPlayer, please visit this page.
To access all our sports podcasts, please visit this page.
We also make short, edited clips of much of the best audio and video - these can be found on the relevant sport indexes.
Do I need a TV licence to watch video online?
If you use any device to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown (live) on TV, then you need to be covered by a TV Licence.
To buy a TV licence or obtain further information about licensing requirements visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk.
Why aren't you covering a certain sport/world championships?
We only have limited resources and have to spread those resources across a great number of sports, including many minority sports which other commercial channels do not cover.
Why don't you advertise which interactive channel will be showing the available content?
Unfortunately we are prevented from publicising which streams we are broadcasting our outputs for two reasons. Firstly, because the streams are not officially considered 'channels'. They are interactive video streams that are used to deliver interactive and enhanced content in line with the schedule.
Secondly, because of the complexities of delivering interactive services across all genres and the desire to achieve optimum efficiency from the streams, the scheduling of content can be quite unpredictable and change at short notice. They are not managed in the same way as a channel.
Can you send me a copy of a programme?
Unfortunately we are unable to make copies for...

Summary: If you have a question about BBC Sport across TV and Radio please read these Frequently Asked Questions
###
Article: Jonathan Bell had been removed from office by the DUP as part of the rolling resignation scheme in response to a Stormont crisis.
The crisis was sparked in September 2015.
It centred around allegations that IRA members had murdered Kevin McGuigan.
The DUP responded by saying it could not be business as usual at Stormont.
Two days earlier a reduced tariff system for the Executive's RHI scheme was announced.
But the ten week period before it could be introduced saw a now infamous spike in applications - when DUP ministers were away from their desks for all but a few hours a week.
The rolling resignation plan designed by Peter Robinson ended on October 20.
By which time applications for the scheme had rocketed.
In September there were 99, in October 429 and in November 452.
Almost as many applications were received as during the previous 34 months since the scheme began.
The in/out ministers plan avoided an Assembly election having to be called.
But was it at least partly at the expense of the public purse?

Summary:


The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday that the government had lost control of the Khan al-Assal compound in northern Aleppo.
The group said the rebels had taken control of the complex, which is home to the academy and a number of other government buildings.
The SOHR

Two police forces in Yorkshire are to merge their dog units to reduce costs.

Article: Video emerged on Saturday apparently showing rebels breaking into the sprawling Khan al-Assal compound.
Almost 200 fighters had been killed on both sides over eight days, UK-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.
The group's reports could not be independently confirmed.
Their account said more than 34 government soldiers and police died on Sunday alone - an apparent setback for government forces a day after the army announced it had regained control of villages on a major route linking the central city of Hama to Aleppo, with security "restored" to the northern city's airport.
A police source in Aleppo later confirmed that much of the academy had fallen into rebel hands, the AFP news agency reports.
In other developments:
The rebels took control of much of the police academy site at dawn on Sunday, the activist group said.  They had been targeting the Khan al-Assal complex outside Aleppo for some time.
Almost 200 fighters and soldiers had been killed in the eight-day battle for the site, including 120 troops and police, Rami Abdel Rahman of SOHR told the AFP.
Footage had earlier shown dozens of fighters sheltering beside an outer wall as explosions could be seen apparently inside the academy's grounds.
The SOHR is one of the most prominent organisations documenting and reporting incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict. The group says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be verified.
It also reported on Sunday that rebels had seized a prison in northern Raqqa province.
In his Sunday Times interview, President Assad said the UK government was "naive, confused, unrealistic" in its approach to the conflict, accusing Prime Minister David Cameron's government of being determined to militarise the situation.
Although the UK says it supports the Syrian opposition without providing arms to the rebels, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday that "I don't rule anything out in the future".
Dismissing the Syrian leader's interview as "delusional", Mr...

Summary: Rebels have captured large parts of a Syrian police academy near Aleppo, after a fierce battle resulting in heavy loss of life, activists say.
###
Article: South Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police and are to cut the number of dogs and handlers to a combined total of 25.
The South Yorkshire force will halve the size of its current dog unit, with 12 officers and dogs being lost as part of the restructuring.
The new operation will have two bases in Sheffield and one in Melton, East Yorkshire.
Humberside Police said it currently had 12 dogs and handlers.
South Yorkshire Police said that the move was "required to meet budgetary cuts imposed on the Force's Operational Support Services".
In August, the force said it needed to make savings of Â£59m by 2020, with the potential loss of 1,500 staff.
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "Police dogs and their handlers provide a range of important roles in helping to keep the public safe.
"Whilst we are reducing the size of the unit in South Yorkshire, by merging with Humberside, it allows us to maintain the same number of officers and dogs and continue to perform a valuable role for the public, yet at the same time we can still meet the savings required due to the unprecedented cuts."
The merger of the dog units is one of a number of cost cutting measures introduced by police across Yorkshire in the last few years.
Two years ago , Humberside Police disbanded its mounted unit, with horses now hired in from other forces when needed.
All four Yorkshire forces now share an underwater search unit.

Summary:


A woman was left with a broken leg after a car she was driving hit a tree in Kent.
The woman, who was in her 30s, was taken to hospital by ambulance and was treated for a broken leg.
The woman, who was driving on the A27 in West Sussex, was not injured.

Vulnerable children are being placed in care outside their home county of Kent due to the influx of child asylum seekers, according to council chiefs.

Article: The car was being driven in stop-start traffic on the A27 in West Sussex said Nichola Carr, who took the picture while sitting on a coach.
Ms Carr said she was certain the driver was playing the guitar: "I was very shocked and surprised. I've never seen anything like it in my life."
No formal complaint has been made, a spokesman for Sussex Police said.
"Unfortunately, there is no vehicle registration number, nor is it clear if the person with the guitar is actually the driver," Insp Stewart Goodwin said.
Ms Carr was on a coach, returning from a trip to Portsmouth with her daughter's school, when she took the photograph.
"The traffic was stop-start, and I was looking out of the window, and I noticed this car below and the man playing a guitar," she said.
"I told my daughter and all her friends had a look too.
"As the traffic kept moving backwards and forwards, every time the car came near us the kids would shout out 'Here comes the guitar man'."
Ms Carr said she did not report the incident to the police as she had not taken the car's registration number.
Insp Stewart Goodwin said: "Motorists should never do anything that distracts them from driving while on the move or in traffic."

Summary: A motorist has been photographed apparently playing the guitar while at the wheel of a car.
###
Article: Kent County Council said the continuing flow of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) from across the English Channel had left it with no choice.
The authority currently has 924 such children in its care, compared with nearly 630 at the start of last August.
Councillor Peter Oakford said it was "not a position we want to be in".
The cabinet member for specialist children's services said Kent County Council had seen a 30% rise in looked-after children in the past seven months.
Other authorities elsewhere in the UK have accepted full responsibility for 56 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Mr Oakford told the children's social care and health cabinet committee: "This has affected our ability to place citizen children within Kent ourselves.
"We have had to place Kent children outside of Kent due to the influx of UASC, which is not a good position to be in and is not a position we want to be in.
"It's actually costing us more financially because we have had to place, I think, six children into residential care either short-term or longer term, which is far more expensive than normal foster care."
The council's services have been stretched since the start of the migrant crisis last summer as Kent is the closest British county to Calais and Dunkirk.
The number of child asylum seekers coming into its care has slowed to about 15 a week during the winter, but Mr Oakford said if that increased with the arrival of the warmer months the authority would be "in significant difficulties".

Summary:


A man was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a police chase in a stolen car.
The man, who is believed to be in his 30s, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning after police chased him in a stolen car.
The chase began in the early hours of Wednesday morning,

The public is being asked to provide information on the locations of nine fugitives suspected of serious environmental crimes.

Article: Bridge operators Amey said the problem was found during a routine inspection.
A contraflow is in place on the northbound carriageway to allow a single lane of traffic to flow in each direction.
Engineers were due on site at first light on Wednesday morning to do a more detailed assessment of the damage.
Motorists were warned to expect "very long delays" and avoid using the bridge if possible.
Mark Arndt, operating company representative, said: "We've taken the decision to close the southbound carriageway as a safety precaution after one of our engineers spotted a new defect to a piece of steelwork.
"Unfortunately this defect is located in a particularly hard to access area so the full detailed inspection cannot safely be carried out in darkness or during high winds. Our inspectors will however be monitoring the situation overnight and we will be ready to move in as soon as conditions allow.
"We apologise for the short notice to these essential traffic restrictions and are aware that they will result in very long delays, so our advice is to avoid Forth Road Bridge and divert via Kincardine or the A9 and M9, use public transport or travel outwith peak times."
Amey said it would provide further updates when there was new information.
The company said it sympathised with drivers who would be affected by the closure, but that "safety must come first".
A new Â£1.4bn Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth is due to open in December next year.
It was ordered by ministers because of corrosion of the main suspension cable on the Forth Road Bridge.

Summary: The southbound carriageway of the Forth Road Bridge has been closed as a safety precaution after a defect was discovered in the steelwork.
###
Article: The appeal, from Interpol, is part of an effort to track down individuals involved in illegal fishing, logging and wildlife trafficking.
The trade in wildlife crime is said to be worth around $213bn per annum, according to the UN.
This is the first time that individuals have been targeted.
Investigators from 21 countries gathered at Interpol's headquarters in France in October to share information on suspects involved in a range of crimes involving the environment.
Called Operation Infra Terra, the agency is now asking for assistance from the public in tracking down nine key suspects.
"Even the smallest detail, which you might think is insignificant, has the potential to break a case wide open when combined with other evidence the police already have," said Ioannis Kokkinis, from Interpol.
"Sometimes all it takes is a fresh pair of eyes to bring new momentum to an investigation and provide the missing clue which will help locate these wanted individuals, some of whom have been evading justice for years," he added.
One of those named is Feisal Mohammed Ali, alleged to be the leader of an ivory smuggling ring in Kenya.
He is being sought in connection with the seizure of 314 ivory pieces, weighing well over two tonnes in Mombasa in June.
Others on the list include Ahmed Kamran who was charged with an attempt to smuggle over 100 live animals, including giraffes and impalas, to Qatar on a military plane.
Ariel Bustamante Sanchez is alleged to have been involved in illegal tuna fishing in protected waters off Costa Rica.
The move has been welcomed by Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). They are concerned not just with the impact of environmental crime on species but also with the effect on political stability.
"Countries are increasingly treating wildlife crime as a serious offence, and we will leave no stone unturned to locate and arrest these criminals to ensure that they are brought to justice," said Ben Janse van Rensburg from Cites.
"The public can play a crucial role in this...

Summary:


A man has been arrested in the murder of a woman in the Scottish Borders.
The woman, who was in her 30s, was found dead in a remote area of the Borders on Saturday.
The man, who was in his 20s, was arrested on Saturday after a search of the area.
The

A man has been remanded after appearing in court in Lapland accused of murdering his Scottish girlfriend.

Article: It revealed index-linked bonds may be launched in the near future "subject to market conditions".
The council has already become the first in Scotland to be given a credit rating, with Moody's Investors Service confirming an Aa2 issuer credit rating.
Aberdeen said the funding would support a £1bn capital programme.
Council leader Jennifer Laing said: "The prospect of a bond issue has the potential to be one of the most significant events in the history of our city.
"Following on from the assignment of the credit rating, it would be another first for a Scottish local authority and we are proud to be leading the way with innovation in public sector finance.
She added: "By being proactive in our approach to capital funding, we are clearly being mindful of our duty to protect the revenue budget which is the bedrock of our service delivery."
The plan has the backing of the Scottish government. It believes other local authorities could go down a similar route.
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: "We welcome Aberdeen City Council's innovation in using the capital markets as a route to finance.
"Investment in infrastructure throughout the country is vital to Scotland's future and this bond issue has the potential to support a number of key projects in Aberdeen in the years ahead. It is a funding mechanism which has great potential for wider use in Scotland.
"These key projects planned for Aberdeen in the years ahead will be good for the city, for the North-East and for Scotland as a whole."

Summary: Aberdeen City Council has said it hopes to become the first local authority in Scotland to raise funds through the capital markets.
###
Article: The 36-year-old Czech national was arrested on Saturday after the body of Rebecca Johnson, 26, was found in the Finnish village of Kuttanen.
Ms Johnson was a member of the Santa Safari team which works with tour operator Transun Travel to organise Christmas-themed excursions to Lapland.
The couple lived in Scotland before moving to the Arctic for seasonal work.
Ms Johnson was from Burntisland in Fife.
A Finnish police statement said: "Lapland District Court has today imprisoned the suspect of the homicide, according to the claim of the Lapland Police Department.
"A 36-year-old Czech citizen is suspected of killing his 26-year-old long-term partner. The victim is a female citizen of Scotland. The crime is investigated as a murder."
It is understood members of Ms Johnson's family have since travelled to Lapland.
The police statement said: "The suspect has been co-operative but hasn't been able to clarify a specific motive for his suspected act.
"Police will continue the investigations by hearing the witnesses and the suspect, and by conducting technical investigations."
The suspect was arrested on Saturday after fleeing into the Lapland wilderness on a dog sled.
The police operation involved a helicopter and officers on snow scooters in temperatures of -30C.
The man was said to have been suffering from hypothermia when he was found.

Summary:


The Bank of England has held the UK's main interest rate at 0.5% despite speculation that it would cut rates.
The MPC said it was "satisfied" with the Bank's decision.
"The Bank's decision to hold the rate at 0.5% is a positive step forward for

Barratt Homes has confirmed it is pressing ahead with plans to build 400 new homes in the east of Scotland.

Article: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 8-1 to leave rates unchanged, but minutes of the meeting showed most members expect the Bank will take some action next month.
Sterling rose as high as $1.3480 following the decision before falling back to $1.3312.
Financial markets had priced in an 80% chance of the Bank cutting rates.
The Bank said: "Most members of the committee expect monetary policy to be loosened in August.
"The precise size and nature of any stimulatory measures will be determined during the August forecast and Inflation Report round."
The only member of the MPC to vote for a rate cut this month was Jan Vlieghe. He was a senior economist at Brevan Howard Asset Management before joining the committee last September.
Interest rates have remained on hold since the Bank cut its key rate to the record low of 0.5% in March 2009.
The MPC is dealing with two competing forces. First, a slowdown in economic growth following the referendum vote, which many economists believe could tip the economy into recession.
Second, a possible increase in inflation sparked by the fall in the value of sterling. At the moment, the data on the former is limited.
Read more from Kamal here.
The Bank said that some businesses were starting to delay investment projects and postpone recruitment decisions, while a "significant weakening" in activity in the housing market was expected.
Figures released earlier on Thursday showed interest among UK homebuyers fell to its lowest level since mid-2008.
"Taken together, these indicators suggest economic activity is likely to weaken in the near term," the Bank said.
It also said it expected "sizeable falls" in commercial real estate prices in the short term.
However, the MPC raised its expectation for economic growth in the three months to June to 0.5% from a previous forecast of 0.3%.
Aberdeen Asset Management economist Paul Diggle said the Bank had decided that patience was a virtue.
"The next meeting is only three weeks away, and by then Carney and his colleagues will have a few...

Summary: The Bank of England has held the UK's main interest rate at 0.5% despite speculation that it would cut rates.
###
Article: The builder said it would construct 139 homes at Duddingston Park South, Duddingston, and 165 at Newcraighall Village.
Barratt Homes will also build a total of 102 affordable homes between the two developments.
Newcraighall Village and Duddingston Park South are both set to launch later this year.
Anne Ross, sales director at Barratt Homes for the East of Scotland, said: "2014 has been buoyant year for new homes sales and we are pleased to be launching these two new developments in the Edinburgh area, to allow us to keep up with demand.
"With a wide selection of modern homes on offer and in sought-after locations, we hope these developments will be extremely popular."

Summary:


A coroner has ruled that a man who died in a car crash in the Scottish Borders was not at fault.
The inquest into the death of a man who died in a car crash in the Scottish Borders was told that the man had been driving at a high speed and had not been wearing a seatbelt.
The

The SNP's attempt to be made the official opposition at Westminster has been rejected by the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Article: Keane Wallis-Bennett died in April 2014 when a modesty wall in the PE changing room at Liberton High School fell on top of her.
A police investigation found no-one would face criminal charges.
However, it was decided an inquiry would be held to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
In her opening remarks, Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen said the two-week inquiry would focus on why the wall collapsed, why it collapsed when it did and the property maintenance regime at the school.
She said the hearing came at a time of particular poignancy as many of Keane's classmates had recently been taking exams and were preparing to make their way in life.
Sheriff Principal Stephen added: "The whole community was totally shocked by Keane's death. A young woman who attended school on 1 April, 2014, and did not return to her family.
"School should be a safe place for people."
The inquiry heard that pupils had leaned on the wall while changing their shoes when it it collapsed on top of Keane.
In evidence read out to the court, one described fellow pupils' efforts to lift the wall but said it was too heavy.
Another witness, a Det Ch Insp Keith Hardie, was asked if on 1 April - the day of the incident - he could answer why the wall fell.
He replied: "No."
In a statement, one girl told how PE teacher Nicole Christie must have heard the bang as the wall fell and told them to leave.
The teacher then went over to Keane and told her: "It's alright. The ambulance is coming."
Other girls told of pupils pushing or shoving against the wall and one girl said the wall moved forwards or backwards before returning to its original position.
Another told of a "scraping or grinding noise" and how she looked down and saw "a bit of a gap" about a centimetre wide at the bottom.
Another pupil said a girl would put her back against the shower wall and her feet on the modesty wall and try to walk up it, while another tried to climb up the wall two or three times. But she stopped when she saw the wall move as she had "got a...

Summary: A fatal accident inquiry into the death of a 12-year-old girl who died when a school wall collapsed has begun in Edinburgh.
###
Article: The Scottish National Party had argued that its Commons leader enjoyed the support of more MPs than Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
There are currently 54 SNP MPs but only 40 of Labour's 229 MPs expressed support for Mr Corbyn on Tuesday.
Speaker John Bercow said he had sought expert advice.
He said Labour "currently constitutes" the official opposition and its leader is recognised by the Speaker "for statutory and parliamentary purposes" as the leader of the opposition.
Mr Bercow was replying to a point of order raised by SNP MP Pete Wishart, who told the Speaker that Labour had lost two-thirds of its shadow cabinet and its leader no longer commanded the majority of his backbench MPs.
The SNP MP said: "It can now longer provide shadows for large departments of State. It is in clearly in no shape to assume power and meet these key responsibilities and obligations as outlined in Erskine May (the parliamentary rulebook)."
The SNP said it would be able to fill all of the relevant shadow posts to the government.
Mr Corbyn has still not appointed a shadow Scottish secretary.
The previous incumbent, Ian Murray, has not been replaced after becoming one of more than 20 members of Labour's shadow cabinet to quit earlier this week in an effort to force Mr Corbyn to resign.
Mr Corbyn subsequently lost a vote of no confidence by 172 votes to 40 but said the ballot had "no constitutional legitimacy" and that he would not "betray" the members who voted for him by resigning.
His allies have challenged Mr Corbyn's critics to trigger a formal leadership contest if they want to replace him.
Earlier, Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell - who has remained loyal to Mr Corbyn - said the SNP would "always play a few stunts and you can't blame them for that".
The SNP won 56 seats at last May's election, but Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry have since withdrawn from the party whip amid police investigations.

Summary:


The government is "pulling out all the stops" to get the country building.
The government is "pulling out all the stops" to get the country building.
The government is "pulling out all the stops" to get the country building.
The government is "pulling out all the stops

Parliament might have to scrutinise up to 15 new bills to deliver Brexit, leaving little time for other legislation, the Institute for Government has warned.

Article: Smaller developers will be able to buy sites in England with planning permission in place - with 40% of the new-builds to be so-called "starter homes" aimed at first-time buyers.
PM David Cameron said it was a "huge shift in government policy".
But Labour said he was using "rhetoric to hide his failure on new homes".
Shadow housing minister John Healey said the announcement did not promise new investment or affordable homes beyond those already announced.
Direct commissioning allows the government to assume responsibility for developing land, instead of large building firms.
Communities Secretary Greg Clark told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government was "pulling out all the stops to get the country building".
"We know that consistently 90% of people aspire to own their own home, and for many years now home ownership has been in decline," he said.
He added that the eight biggest building firms accounted for 50% of the house-building market, and there was a need to involve smaller and medium-sized companies.
Downing Street said the move marked a "radical new policy shift", with up to 13,000 homes set to be built on five publicly-owned sites in 2016 - with up to 40% being affordable "starter" homes.
In December 2014 former Lib Dem chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander announced a pilot plan for the government to "directly commission, build and even sell homes" at a former RAF base in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire.
BBC home editor Mark Easton said the extent of government involvement marked something of an ideological shift for a Conservative administration, adding that starting 13,000 homes represented a "tiny proportion" of the million the government wants built by 2020.
The government wants to build 200,000 starter homes - to be offered to first-time buyers under 40 at a minimum 20% discount price - by 2020.
The discounts apply to properties worth up to £250,000 outside London, or £450,000 in the capital.
A pilot for the scheme will start on five sites:
Where can I afford to live?
Why 'starter...

Summary: The government is "pulling out all the stops" by directly commissioning the building of up to 13,000 homes on public land, ministers say.
###
Article: The IFG says legislation will be needed to establish new policies on areas such as customs and immigration.
The extra measures will place "a huge burden" on Parliament and government departments, the think tank says.
The attitude of the SNP may also affect the passage of Brexit laws, it adds.
In its report, Legislating Brexit, the IFG says that with the average Queen's Speech announcing only 20 new bills, the introduction of 15 Brexit bills before the UK even exits the EU "will leave very little space for non-Brexit related legislation".
The report comes as Theresa May travels to Swansea with Brexit Secretary David Davis, where she will talk about the "precious union" of the UK.
The prime minister will meet First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, as well as local businesses, as she tries to show she is including all areas of Britain in negotiations with the EU.
Mrs May will say: "I want every part of the United Kingdom to be able to make the most of the opportunities ahead."
The IFG report anticipates the new bills will be in addition to the Great Repeal Bill, which will scrap the 1972 European Communities Act that paved the way for the UK to enter the then-EEC, ending the legal authority of EU law.
The IFG - an independent charity that aims to increase government effectiveness - says departments will need "ruthlessly to prioritise" other legislation and find non-legislative routes to get the laws through, particularly given the government's narrow Commons majority.
It warns that this will mean ministers having to achieve a fine balance between giving too little parliamentary scrutiny and too prolonged, in-depth examination of Brexit-related legislation.
The IFG also argued that "a lack of clarity" about the role the devolved legislatures will play in legislating for Brexit could pose a problem.
"The attitude that the Scottish National Party (SNP) takes to the passage of Brexit-related legislation in Westminster could affect the smoothness with which that legislation passes through Parliament if they join...

Summary:


The Tunisian government has said it will not allow the country's main opposition party, the National Salvation Movement, to hold a rally in the capital, Tunis.
The party has been banned from holding rallies in the capital since the start of the year.
The party's leader, Ennahda leader Ennahda

Voters in Tunisia have been choosing their first freely elected president in a run-off election seen as a landmark in the country's move to democracy.

Article: Attention has fallen on Seddique Mateen, who runs a Facebook page where he describes himself as the "Provincial Government of Afghanistan", and refers to some sections of the Taliban as "our brothers".
Seddique Mateen has also appeared on his own online Afghan nationalist TV programme. Last year, he declared himself a candidate for the presidency of Afghanistan -  a year after the election took place.
His video posts are something of a laughing stock in Afghanistan, where he's viewed as somewhat odd and incoherent, BBC analysts say.
Mr Mateen's video message addressed to the people of Afghanistan mourns the death of his son, saying "I do not know what caused him [to carry out the attack] last night... I was not informed that he had a grudge. I am deeply saddened about what he has done".
"The issue of homosexuality and punishment for that is up to God alone, this is not in the hands of human beings," he adds.
Changing the subject somewhat, he finishes the message by saying he supports the Afghan armed forces in their recent border clash with Pakistani troops, saying "Death to Pakistan, which supports killing and terrorism".
The video was one of several posted on his Provincial Government of Afghanistan Facebook page, where it provoked a stream of abuse from other Facebook users.
BBC analysis of Mr Mateen's online presence shows him to be a proud Afghan nationalist, whose "Durand Jirga" TV programme calls for the Afghan people to rise up and unite.
Despite being of Pashtun descent, he always addresses the Afghan people in the Dari language rather than Pashto, presumably to reach a larger audience. However, his speeches can come across as incoherent and erratic.
In May 2015, a year after the Afghan presidential election, he took to YouTube to declare himself a presidential candidate. "Given the fact that the territorial integrity of Afghanistan is in danger... I declare myself as presidential candidate and founder of the National Salvation Movement of Afghanistan," he said.
However, his videos aren't taken...

Summary: The father of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen said his son had "a grudge in his heart" when he killed 49 people at the Pulse night club in Orlando.
###
Article: Beji Caid Essebsi, who won the first round with 39% of the vote, is challenging interim leader Moncef Marzouki.
Mr Essebsi represents the secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party.
Tunisia was the first country to depose its leader in the Arab Spring and inspired other uprisings in the region.
Polls closed at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT). Voter turnout had reached 36.8% after four and a half hours of voting, Tunisia's election authority said.
Shortly after polls closed, Mr Essebsi's office said that there were "indications" that he had won.
However, a spokesman for Mr Marzouki said the claims were "without foundation".
Mr Essebsi, who turned 88 this week, held office under both deposed President  Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali and Tunisia's first post-independence leader, Habib Bourguiba.
He is popular in the wealthy, coastal regions, and based his appeal to voters on stability and experience.
His opponent, Moncef Marzouki, is a 67-year-old human rights activists forced into exile by the Ben Ali government.
He has been interim president since 2011 and is more popular in the conservative, poorer south.
After casting his ballot, Mr Marzouki said Tusinians "should be proud" of themselves "because the interim period has come to a peaceful end".
Mr Marzouki was thought likely to attract support from the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which has played a key role in Tunisian politics since the Arab Spring but did not field a candidate.
Whoever wins faces restricted powers under a constitution passed earlier this year.
The president will be commander-in-chief of the armed forces but can appoint or sack senior officers only in consultation with the prime minister.
The president will also set foreign policy in consultation with the prime minister, represent the state and ratify treaties.
Tunisia boosted security for the elections and closed border posts with Libya, which has been plagued by unrest.
A group of at least three attackers targeted a polling station near the city of Kairouan on Sunday morning. Security forces say they...

Summary: